keep childs eyes healthy

While some children often enjoy excellent eyesight into adulthood, others may experience other eye health issues as they grow older. The earlier a parent can identify a problem the better the outcome will be for their son or daughter’s eye health. For this reason, we’re offering some helpful tips on how to keep your child’s eyes healthy.

Routine Eye Tests

Regular eye tests will help to identify any eye health issues for your child over the years. You should aim to book an appointment at least every two years to maintain superb eyesight. However, infants are recommended to attend routine appointments during the first year of their life. Children’s eyesight can deteriorate in a matter of years, as they may develop a squint, short-sightedness or long-sightedness, plus more.

Don’t Ignore the Signs

Does your child hold a book close to their eyes when reading? Maybe they have difficulty spotting a bus from afar? Don’t ignore the signs and book an eye test as soon as possible, even if they haven’t long attended an appointment.

Other signs of visual development problems may include:

  • light sensitivity
  • poor focus
  • continual eye rubbing
  • frequent headaches
  • reading difficulties
  • poor visual tracking
  • abnormal eye movement or alignment
  • red eyes
  • tearing eyes
  • a white pupil

Teach Your Children

A child may be prescribed glasses or a patch to wear, depending on their diagnosis. If so, it is your job to teach a child how to effectively care for their materials, explaining the benefits of the items, why they need it and how to use it.

Vision Development

Many children experience visual issues that are unable to be treated by traditional eye health solutions, such as glasses or patches. If your child is experiencing an eye care problem, we recommend vision therapy from Dr. Denise Smith, who can provide techniques for long-lasting, non-surgical solutions.

A Healthy Diet

One way to maintain a child’s vision is by ensuring they consume many fruits and vegetables, as they each offer various nutrients to support their eye health. Try to incorporate colorful ingredients into their daily diet, such as tomatoes, blueberries, melon and strawberries. What’s more, they can also benefit from eye-friendly nutrients found inside eggs, chicken, fish and whole grains.

Protect Their Eyes from Harmful UV Rays

It’s not only your child’s skin you must protect from the sun. It’s also essential to consider their eye care when enjoying a fun day out in the great outdoors. Children’s lenses are clearer in comparison to adults, so they can absorb even more harmful sunlight. Ensure they wear sunglasses when in the sun, and talk to him or her about the dangers of staring directly at the sun.

Embrace the Outdoors

Harmful UV rays can damage your child’s health, but that doesn’t mean you should keep them inside. Research has proven that time in the great outdoors can benefit a child’s eyesight, as it can prevent the development of short-sightedness.

Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

Children’s eyes start to develop from birth until the age of eight, which is why you must strive to stimulate their visual dexterity through play, such as throwing and catching, building blocks or visual toys.