All you need to know about children’s eye tests and ways to improve their vision.
In this blog, I’m going to talk about some of the facts about children’s vision, give you a checklist of things to look out for, and advise on how you can look after your children’s eyes.
It’s a fact that good vision is essential to any child’s health and development. Eye problems can affect their ability to learn and cause social and developmental problems. Regular eye tests during childhood can help identify eye problems, hopefully before they become an issue. Good, professional eye care contributes to the development and education of children, allowing them to achieve their dreams without sight limitations.
We all want our kids to do well at school, and good vision has a major effect on the academic performance of children. About 80% of what children learn in the first 12 years comes through their eyes. Good vision is also essential in the development of motor and language skills, among other things. Studies have shown that improper focussing may cause headaches and concentration problems.
Regular Checkups
Potentially as many as 1 in 5 children are currently struggling with an undiagnosed eye condition. To identify problems as quickly as possible, regular tests are crucial. But how do you know how often you should take their child to the optician? Here are some guidelines:
When they reach around 3 years
When they start primary school
Each year following
Its great that we live in a country where eye test are free for all kids under the NHS.
Check List
Clear signs of potential problems are when a child:
Holds books very close
Follows the words with a finger
Has difficulty concentrating or gets tired easily
Rubs their eyes frequently
Squints all the time
Complains about headaches
Turns their head to use only one eye
Has problems reading or writing
How We Can Help
Tailor-Made Advice:
As specialists in children’s eye care, we strive to find the best eye care solutions possible. Our eye tests are 50% longer than the industry average and we use the latest technologies to improve our client’s vision wherever possible. We also specialise in solutions to visual stress, which is becoming more recognized as an issue for many children:
Visual Stress:
Visual Stress is a light-sensitive condition that affects perception and can impair reading amongst other things. People who suffer often have problems with glare or fluorescent lighting. Many people with dyslexia can be helped by lenses that alleviate visual stress for reading and writing tasks.
Honeycomb Lenses:
One of our most advanced technologies is a unique, almost invisible mesh that can be built into anyone’s glasses.
This effectively creates a pin-hole effect that channels (and purifies) the signal reaching the retina. Patients opting for our Honeycomb mesh treatment will notice sharper, clearer vision with reduced visual stress.
Ideal Applications:
Reading and writing
Computer use
Night Driving
Light Sensitivity
Glasses For Kids
Should your child need glasses, we have an amazing range of the coolest kids frames so they don’t see it as a negative at all, but rather a positive. We stock the latest designer kids glasses from brands like Chloe, Lacoste, Nike and Carrera.
Our newest kids range, Nanovista, is amazing. Designed by Spanish paediatricians, they are probably the strongest and most comfortable glasses out there for kids. And they aren’t expensive just 79.95, about half of which is deducted by the NHS voucher. So if you’re fed up of your little boy or girl constantly breaking their glasses, or if you want them to have something that feels more comfortable and won’t slip down their nose, these could be a perfect choice. Suitable for ages 2-12.
Importance of UV Protection
Finally, I wanted to give you a bit of information about the importance of UV protection for children:
Did you know
Your kids eyes are exposed 3 times more to UV radiation than adults?
Your kids lens in the eye lets through 6 times more UV radiation than adults?
More and more people are becoming aware of the dangers of UV exposure. Fortunately, our Kids PNX lenses provide 100% UV protection despite being completely clear. We also specialise in childrens sunglasses.
