If you are contemplating whether you should take your child to an eye clinic or not, it is important not to delay and just do it. Yearly eye exams are crucial for more than just making sure your child’s vision is not blurry.
Regular eye exams for your children’s peepers help to make sure they are in a healthy condition and your little ones are not suffering from any vision issues that may potentially affect their safety or school performance.
To help you understand better why your children need eye tests, we’ve outlined 4 great reasons below.
Early Treatment
You will have heard someone’s eyes being described as lazy before. This refers to a medical condition known as amblyopia, which basically means your child lacks clear vision through one of their eyes. From the moment they are born until they are approximately 7 or 8 years old, the brain and eyes are forming connections for visual processing and vision. This condition stops these necessary connections being made.
It sounds series and it is, but if the condition is spotted early enough, from an eye exam, your children’s eye doctor will be able to recommend treatment to help correct it.
Pre-School Children Are Less Likely to Raise Concerns About Vision
As your children’s vision has always been a certain way, it is unlikely that many will raise any issues on their own. They will have very little to compare it to. Therefore, eye exams can help fill in the blanks.
Screening is Not a Substitute for Eye Exams
Many people seem to be under the illusion that eye exams and vision screenings are the same things. While a vision screening, that normally are offered in the school or a pediatrician’s office, is a great way to check if your children’s eyes need to be checked further by a professional, they are not an adequate substitute for a full eye exam. A screening, for instance, usually only looks at a couple of areas of vision. It is, therefore, not able to fully diagnose vision or eye problems.
However, during a full eye exam in an eye clinic, it is not just your children’s eyes that will be physically tested, but their focusing skills and teaming skills will be tested to ensure these have developed properly. Additionally, the general eye health of your child’s eyes will be assessed, as will their color vision.
Learning and Vision are Intertwined
The visual abilities your children will develop before they start school will be some of the most important, they need throughout school and adulthood. Single and clear vision is important for their success during sports and other extracurricular activities as much as it is during their schooling. It has been reported that around 80% of what most children learn is through their eyes and vision. The best way to ensure they are going to have success at school, every new year, is to make sure they have their eyes tested.