There are some things most parents seem to understand the importance of – like regular visits to the dentist and pediatrician for their children. However, vision is sometimes overlooked. Are you wondering if it really is important to go through the hassle of taking your child to see ophthalmologists?
We are not saying you are not interested in taking care of your children, but if it looks like your kid’s eyes are developing fine, what’s the problem? Surely, vision screening is adequate? Look at some of the key benefits of regular eye exams and why vision screening should not be seen as a replacement.
Vision Screening is Not as Thorough as Full Eye Exam
Don’t worry if you thought they were the same thing. Many people seem to follow that misconception. However, vision screening can only help determine if further evaluation of your children’s eyes is necessary. It usually involves the assessment of only a few areas of vision and can’t accurately diagnose problems your child may be having with their vision or eyes.
With an eye exam, on the other hand, along with their vision, their ability to use specific vision skills like teaming and focusing is also assessed. The eye doctor will also look at their eye health in general and test their color vision.
Learning and Vision Go Together like Cheese and Ham
The visual abilities children develop before they attend school are some of the most important. For your child to have the best success academically and in sports and other activities outside school, they should ideally have single and clear vision. Your child learns around ¾ of what they know through their eyes. So, you must schedule regular eye exams.
Pre-Schoolers Normally Don’t Understand Their Vision is Impaired
Although your child may be able to tell you they feel sick or are having other issues, even before they reach school, the same is not the case with vision and eye issues. Often, they won’t even realize they have poor vision. The reason being, for many children, their vision has always been as it has been and they have nothing to compare it with, so they may just think any issues they are experiencing are normal.
That is why it is best to take them along for regular eye clinic appointments to make sure you get the opinion and diagnosis from an expert, rather than leaving it to your child.
Early Treatment For Eye Conditions Are Essential
We’ve all heard and used, at some point in our lives, the term ‘lazy eye’. This is a medical condition known as amblyopia, which means one eye does not have clear vision. When your child was born and up until they are around 7 or 8, their eye and brain are supposed to be forming connections to develop proper visual processing and vision. The condition we commonly refer to lazy eye stops these connections forming.
The best way to treat this issue is if it is caught as early as possible in your child’s development.
The same could be said of any eye issues. The sooner they are correctly identified, the sooner your eye doctor can recommend the best course of action to take.
So, hopefully, you can see how important regular eye exams are for your children and will not skip on them.