Good information from Essilor about passing on vision woes to our kids... If you’re a parent who suffers from certain eye and vision problems, there’s a chance they could be passed down to your children. Annual comprehensive eye examinations are the best way to tell if your child has inherited these problems; but between visits, you should check your family history for certain conditions that could possibly affect your child. 1. Refractive Error – Example: Nearsightedness (Myopia) is the inability to see objects clearly at a distance. Symptoms of Myopia include frequent headaches, squinting, sitting close to the TV, or holding a book too close. Myopia is easily corrected with the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses. There are alternative approaches that suggest they can reduce the progression of Myopia. Consult your eyecare provider to determine if your child is a candidate. 2. Strabismus is an abnormal alignment of the eyes and often results in “lazy eye ” or crossed eyes. Some warning signs include an eye that wanders inward or outward, poor depth perception, or uncoordinated eye movements. The best way to find out if your child has strabismus is to have an eyecare professional experienced in working with children evaluate his vision and visual system. There are unique tests designed to assess a child’s vision. 3. Color Blindness is the inability to distinguish between different hues. Being color blind does not mean only being able to see in black and white. In fact, it is rare that a person sees no color at all. People who are color blind usually have trouble distinguishing red, green, or blue. Signs that a child may be color blind include low attention span when coloring or using the wrong colors for an object (i.e. purple leaves on trees). 4. Macular Degeneration is the loss of vision in a person’s central field of vision. Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness for Americans over the age of 65, but steps can be taken early on to decrease your child’s risk. Protect your children from harsh UV rays by making sure they wear sunglasses that offer maximum UV protection when outdoors. Also, watch for new information on particular wavelengths of blue light that may prove to be important in the development of macular degeneration.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:39:04 +0000
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