August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

It’s that time of year again – back-to-school signs adorn the local big box stores, and school sports are slowly starting up again.

It’s no coincidence that August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. School sports – and the school year itself – can make a big impact on your child’s eye health.

At Bonner Eye Clinic, our professionals recommend parents take the following steps to ensure your child’s eye health this school year.

Schedule a comprehensive eye exam.

Although your child will likely have a vision screening test at school, comprehensive eye exams are considerably more in-depth. Comprehensive exams don’t only reveal if your child needs glasses – they can also rule out the presence of common childhood eye disorders such as amblyopia, strabismus, or ptosis. Most childhood eye disorders can be treated or corrected with early intervention.

Keep an eye out for symptoms of vision problems.

Some symptoms include wandering or crossed eyes, squinting while watching television, difficulties reading, light sensitivity, drooping eyelids, frequent headaches, or disinterest in viewing distant objects. Some of these symptoms may be very subtle, which is why it’s important to schedule regular comprehensive eye exams.

Make sure your child wears eye protection during sports.

According to the National Eye Institute, or NEI, eye injuries are the leading cause of vision loss in children. The vast majority of these injuries occur during sports. For this reason, children (and adults!) should always wear protective eyewear when participating in high-risk sports such as baseball, hockey and tennis.

Interested in more ways to safeguard your child’s eye health this school year? Contact Bonner Eye Clinic today to schedule a comprehensive eye examination.