Don’t Lose Sight of Your Student’s Eyes for Back to School

As you know, the 2021-2022 school year is just around the corner. You might be stocked up on your child’s supply lists–what they want and what they need–but did you know that with supply prepping comes comprehensive eye exam appointments, too?

 

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month peeks into our lives every August, just in time to hang up the beach bags for backpacks. An annual eye exam will check your children’s vision for a multitude of different things–the most common being nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Check out what these vision problems, and others, look like here.

 

These routine visits are recommended starting at the age of three. After that, yearly appointments are suggested to keep up with the growth of your child. Remember–just as their height changes, their vision can too!

 

Don’t lose sight of the warning signs of vision problems:

  • Tilting of head or squinting to see the board while in class
  • Frequent eye rubbing when trying to concentrate
  • Holding a book too close to the face
  • Consistently using fingers to guide eyes when reading
  • Closing one eye to read or watch TV
  • Excessive tearing
  • Eye discomfort
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Wandering eyes

 

Be sure to also go over the importance of eye protection while you’re at it. An area commonly overlooked is eye safety!

 

If your child is involved in sporting activities this school year, take preventative measures to protect them from potential vision impairment. It’s recommended that children wear protective eyewear while participating in sports or recreational activities that can cause eye injuries. And, most importantly, don’t let them be embarrassed by this! Explain the importance of keeping their eyes safe from harm. Who knows–glasses might be your child’s favorite item on their back-to-school shopping list this year.

 

Native Reach content is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to substitute any medical information nor be treated as official guidelines. Please be sure to check local and national resources and/or the opinions of medical professionals when making life decisions. Native Reach is not responsible for content to third party links.