Children’s Eye Tests
What You Can Do For Your Child
There are several signs you can look out for to help your child identify eye problems at home. These include eye rubbing, strained eyes, headaches and tired eyes, sitting too close to read, or even complaining or outright avoiding tasks that require near vision. Additionally, getting a comprehensive eye test twice a year for young kids, and annually for older kids, can make a huge difference for your child in the future.Concerned about your children staring at screens too much?
In this day and age, technology is all around us. While highly beneficial, the use of technology and devices can create harmful effects on our children’s eyesight. It is important to protect your children’s eyes by taking regular screen breaks, spending time outdoors and providing them with the appropriate eyewear to reduce any potential side effects.
Screen time can be a big debate in families – we don’t quite know how much screen time is too much, and we don’t fully understand the effects of prolonged screen time on our eyes. The Optometry Australia 2020 Vision Report said that 44% of parents aged 18-34 are worried about the effects of screen time on children’s eyes. While this rate drops in older Australians (aged 55+) by almost half, down to 28%. As we move more and more into an age of screen and technology, this issue will continue to grow. That’s why it is important to have regular eye tests for your children.
Detect and Treat Myopia Early
If you have a family history of myopia or other eye conditions, it’s wise to have your child’s vision assessed early. The onset of myopia in children can be prevented or delayed by spending more time outside. Studies have shown that the higher light levels that we are exposed to outdoors can help the eyes as they grow and develop. Light outdoors can be up to 100 times brighter than indoors. Our eyes benefit from bright light during development to regulate the rate at which they grow.
Kid-Friendly Eye Tests
Over the last 40 years, we’ve worked on developing a kids eye test that help’s our younger patients get the care they need. Children are a lot different from adults, not just in size, but in the way they see the world. Eye tests with typical letter charts, or those requiring focus, can be difficult for some kids. Our specially designed tests take advantage of the way kids think, using pictures and shapes, simple word tests, to make it easier to get better results.
With these tests, we can assess things like visual acuity, short and long-sightedness, and identify any issues with eye development that could be a problem in the future. So not only are they easier tests, they give us more accurate results and help us treat your child’s eyes correctly. With Eye Philosophy you can be sure your child is getting the care they need. Talk to our children’s optometrist today for more information.
