Everything your kid does, from riding a bike to tying shoes to learning math facts, depends on good vision. Please tell your kids to get into these good eye habits to protect their eyes and even stop myopia from happening.
how to encourage healthy eye habits for children to protect their vision. Here are some tips:
Studies have shown that children who spend more time outdoors have a lower risk of developing nearsightedness. Encourage your children to spend at least 1-2 hours each day playing outside. Playing outside is less common now. It used to be a favorite childhood pastime. Many kids rarely go out to play because of safety issues, easy access to digital devices, or a need for local playmates.
Playing outside may lower your child's chance of myopia and keep their bones and muscles strong (nearsightedness). Myopic children can distinguish between near and distant objects but have a blurry vision regarding foreign objects. When the lens grows too long, nearsightedness results. A layer of light-sensing cells called the retina is located at the back of the eye. To be processed, the brain transforms light rays into electrical signals. As a result, rather than shining directly on the retina, light beams concentrate in front of it.
Myopia rates have started to increase globally in recent decades. According to a review written in 2020 and published in BMC Ophthalmology, 42 percent of schoolchildren in North America are now nearsighted. The rise may be caused, at least in part, by less sunlight exposure. If your kid spends an hour or two outside each day, they may have a lower risk of developing nearsightedness. If your child or children are already nearsighted, giving them more time to play outside could prevent myopia from worsening.
When your children use digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers, teach them the 20-20-20 rule. This means taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and looking at something 20 feet away to help reduce eye strain. A dry eye can result from prolonged digital device use. That is unsurprising, considering that screen time causes individuals to blink less. Eye strain, headaches, and other complaints can result from using screens for extended periods.
An Indian study on the impacts of digital devices on vision during the COVID-19 lockdown found that users of digital devices suffered red and watery eyes, dry eyes, shoulder and back pain, and headaches. The symptoms grew worse the more time individuals spent using the devices or if they used multiple digital devices. Ask your children to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds after using a digital gadget for 20 minutes.
Ensure your kids have enough light when reading, writing, or doing other close-up work. Insufficient lighting can cause eye strain and fatigue.
A desk lamp provides direct and focused light to the task area, reducing glare and minimizing shadows.
Overhead lighting can cause glare and shadows, making it difficult for children to see clearly. Use desk lamps or task lights instead.
The light source should be positioned on the opposite side of the hand that your child is writing with to minimize shadows. The light should also be positioned slightly above the task area but not directly in your child's eyes.
Use a bulb with a colour temperature of 3500K to 4100K, a neutral white light that is easy on the eyes.
Adjust the brightness of the light to a comfortable level for your child. Too much intelligence can cause eye strain, while too little intelligence can make it difficult to see.
Ensuring your children's eyes have the right light can help prevent eye strain and fatigue and encourage healthy eye habits.
Encourage your children to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and nuts. These foods can help maintain healthy eyesight. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, essential for maintaining healthy vision. Encourage your children to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, such as carrots, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits, and berries. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for eye health and can help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish (such as salmon and tuna), nuts, and seeds. Consider giving your child a fish oil supplement, but talk to your pediatrician first. Processed and sugary foods can contribute to obesity and diabetes, risk factors for eye diseases such as glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Please tell your kids to reduce processed and sugary drinks and choose whole, nutrient-rich foods. Dehydration can lead to dry eyes, which can cause discomfort and blurry vision. Please encourage your children to drink plenty of water daily to make sure they're doing well.
Before they become more severe, frequent eye exams can help detect vision problems or eye diseases early on. Make sure your children get their eyes checked at least once a year. Your child's eyesight will be as sharp and transparent as possible if you visit the optometrist every year. School vision screenings are beneficial but don't always detect all kinds of vision issues. The American Optometric Association says that school exams miss up to 75% of vision problems.
According to AOA guidelines, kids should have a baseline exam between 6 and 12 months, a complete exam between 3 and 5 years, and annual visits starting before school.
A routine eye exam at the optometrist's office is an easy way to preserve and improve your child's vision. Schedule an appointment with Casey Optical Too best optometrists in Albuquerque New Mexico, If your kid needs an eye examination, please feel free to give us a call.
These tips can help children develop healthy eye habits and protect their vision.
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