Mark A. Mahoney
I have had the opportunity to experience vision and eye care-related issues around the world while working with an international not-for-profit organization, Project ORBIS. It was particularly impactful to see so many preventable or treatable conditions, especially those related to infants and children.
I continue to be an advocate in the important area of eye health and so am pleased to support this ongoing initiative to address eye health in the youngest among us.
Summer seems to be flying by and with the approach of the new school year the importance of good vision is being highlighted. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month. Prevent Blindness, in partnership with the National Optometric Association, celebrates Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month each August to educate parents and caregivers on the steps that should be taken to ensure that their children are provided with the best opportunity to have a successful school year through healthy vision.
According to the organization, Prevent Blindness, some important concerns to note relative to vision follow:
- Vision disorders can negatively impact a babies’ ability to bond with their parent/caregiver, their ability to explore the world by reaching and grasping, and also impede development of fine and gross motor skills.
- One in every 4 school-age children and 1 in every 17 preschool-aged children has some form of vision problem requiring treatment.
- 24% of teens with correctable vision have the wrong prescription and this rises to about 33% for Mexican-American and African-American teens.
- 80% of all blindness and vision impairment is either preventable or treatable.
Across the country, as children and parents are gearing up for back to school, remember that healthy vision is critical to academic and social success. As a child grows, an untreated eye disease or condition becomes more difficult to correct. These can worsen and lead to other serious problems as well as affect reading ability, focus, classroom behavior, and social adjustment in school.
Common visual problems in children
Vision problems that can affect children include amblyopia, (“lazy eye”), strabismus, (“crossed eyes”), and the most common forms of refractive error: myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
Signs of eye disease and vision problems
A summary listing of some examples (in terms of urgency) of potential issues (as provided by Prevent Blindness) follows relating to eye disease and vision problems. Early detection and treatment can be the key to preventing vision loss.
Abnormal, non-emergency
Any changes in the appearance of your eyes or vision should be investigated further. Some examples include:
- Unusual trouble adjusting to dark rooms
- Difficulty focusing on near or distant objects
- Squinting or blinking due to unusual sensitivity to light or glare
- Change in color of iris
- Red-rimmed, encrusted or swollen lids
- Recurrent pain in or around eyes
- Double vision
- Dark spot at the center of viewing
- Lines and edges appear distorted or wavy
- Excess tearing or “watery eyes”
- Dry eyes with itching or burning
- Seeing spots, ghost-like images
Emergency
The following may be indications of potentially serious problems that might require emergency medical attention:
- Sudden loss of vision in one eye
- Flashes of light or black spots
- Curtain-like blotting of vision
- Loss of peripheral (side) vision
The earlier a vision disorder can be identified and treated, the stronger start to learning and development a child will have.
The content provided here is for educational purposes with the intent of creating an awareness of important vision problems that may negatively impact children by providing educational content. Please consult a qualified health professional with any specific concerns relation to eye health.
Thanks to the Prevent Blindness organization in conjunction with the American Optometric Association for much of the content provided.
Additional Information/Resources
The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness has many additional resources including “A Guide to Vision for your Newborn, Infant, and Toddler.” Visit preventblindness.org
Vision fact sheets can be found at preventblindness.org.
The National Eye Institute (NEI) has some relevant information for children’s eye health at nei.nih.gov.
Resources for teachers in support of children’s vision and learning can be found at aoa.org.
Mark Mahoney has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for over 35 years and completed graduate studies in Public Health at Columbia University. He can be reached at [email protected].
