Browse Our Recent Blog Posts About Vision Health

Astigmatism is quite common and begins early. So keeping on top of your child’s vision care with eye exams is critical to make sure they don’t encounter vision related problems at school.

Esophoria is a type of crossed eyes that is characterized by an inward turning eye. The broad category is strabismus, which covers all aspects of crossed eyes including: exotropia, outward turning eye; hypertropia, upward turning eye; and hypotonia, downward turning eye.

Researchers estimate that one-third to a half of Americans are nearsighted and that percentage has been growing over the last few decades. They feel that a big part of that increase has been from genetics, inherited from one or both parents. But researchers are only beginning to gain a better understanding of possible environmental causes, such as the affects of computer screens.

There are a few ways to improve eyesight in children and adults. These chiefly have to do with nutrition and exercise. And, of course, getting the proper amount of rest and relaxation is just as important to maintaining overall vision health. 

It used to be that we warned kids about lengthy television viewing. Now we need to be concerned about computer screens for school work, mobile screens, and screens for playing computer games.

Fall is the start of the school year, and it’s also an excellent time to check all aspects of your child’s health. Plus, since so much of their work and play in school will involve their vision, you need to take steps to ensure not only that your child’s eyes are in good shape but also that they stay that way amid all the bustle of the new school year.

A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry found a direct correlation between proper vision correction and productivity. Even with very small refractive errors—just two clicks (0.5 diopters)—in an eye exam, they found that performance could drop by 9% and accuracy by 38%. 

If your child is frequently losing their place while reading, it might be a sign of a vision problem. This could include astigmatism or an eye muscle problem. Related problems could be blurred vision or seeing double. These are processing issues.

Computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye strain, is the result of two or more hours in front of a digital screen, including tablets, computers, and phones. It consists of dry and irritated eyes, eye fatigue, blurred vision, and headaches as well as neck and back pain.

If your child is covering one eye, squinting to see, moving their eyes from one side to the other, tilting their head, or looking at things from the side, they may be experiencing double vision.