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unhaopy toddler with sad face
30Dec 2020

How Family History Can Affect Your Child’s Eyes

Eye problems in kids can be linked to family history. Read about pediatric eye conditions & how family history can affect a child’s vision.

How Family History Can Affect Your Child’s Eyes

Like any medical issue that ‘runs in the family,’ problematic eyesight can be a serious issue if left unchecked. From developmental issues to learning difficulties in the classroom, children who experience undiagnosed eyesight problems regularly find themselves dealing with more than cloudy vision.

unhaopy toddler with sad face

In fact, according to the 2019 American Community Survey, there were approximately 547,083 children with vision difficulties in the U.S. – which regularly translates to struggles in school that can impact your child’s self-confidence and ability to progress in classes simply because they cannot see what they’re being taught.1

How Family History Can Affect Your Child’s Vision

Did you know? Nearsightedness and farsightedness have a strong genetic component. If one parent is extremely nearsighted or farsighted, or, if both parents are mildly nearsighted or farsighted, there’s a good chance the child will deal with the same vision conditions. Taking knowledge like this and applying it to your own family scenario can prove indispensable when working to identify potential vision problems that your child may contend with or already experiencing.

Eye Problems in Kids Associated with Family History

Retinoblastoma

In cases where a family history of retinoblastoma has been identified, a child is most likely to develop the disease within the first two years. It is common for newborn babies to have a dilated eye exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist in the nursery, which typically identifies any underlying issues.

In relation to inherited retinoblastoma, about 40% of kids who develop the condition have a hereditary form of the disorder. However, more often than not, children with genetic retinoblastoma don’t have other family members with the disease. Instead, their condition is caused by a random mutation that occurred around the time of conception. In fact, while it is hard to explain, about 90% of all kids who develop retinoblastoma are the first person in their family to have eye cancer.

Infantile Cataracts

A lot of people are under the impression that cataracts only impact older people, but the fact of the matter is that children, and even infants, can develop cataracts as well. The name for cataracts in children is infantile – or pediatric cataracts – and can show up in children’s eyes due to genetics, metabolic disorders (such as diabetes), and eye injuries.

Like adult cataracts, if left undiagnosed, infantile can have a significant impact on a child’s development and long-term eyesight. In order to understand this issue in kids, it is important to differentiate between the two primary types of cataracts they experience: congenital (present at birth) or acquired (develop after birth).

Unfortunately, there are times when the cause of cataracts in a child is not known, but experiencing a genetic fault inherited from their parents that caused the lens to develop abnormally is a common cause of the disorder.3

Congenital Glaucoma

Some forms of glaucoma, such as congenital glaucoma, only occur in children.

This is an extremely rare condition, affecting 1 out of every 30,000 live births, but it can cause severe and irreversible loss of vision in kids who are impacted by the disorder. In congenital glaucoma, the intraocular pressure increases because there is a birth defect in the development of the angle of the eye as a result of poor development of the eye. This means that the aqueous humor cannot flow out normally, so the intraocular pressure increases and leads to optic nerve damage. A family history of the disease has long been identified as a significant risk factor for congenital glaucoma, suggesting that specific gene defects contribute to the development of the disorder.4

Metabolic Disorders

Significant eye problems are commonly correlated with metabolic disorders and may result in significant visual impairment among children. Some of the major lens manifestations that have been identified include corneal opacification, lens opacification, optic nerve swelling/atrophy, and retinopathy.

Metabolism is commonly known as the process your body uses to make energy from the food you consume. Chemicals in your digestive system break the food parts down into sugars and acids that fuel your body; but a metabolic disorder typically occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in the body disrupts this process. When this happens, you might have too much or too little of some substances that are needed to stay healthy. Typically, a metabolic disorder is inherited and parents may not be aware that they carry dangerous genes until their children are born.5

Infantile Esotropia

Studies have shown a four-fold increased risk of strabismus if there is a family history of the disorder.

This condition is marked by a large amount of inward turning of both eyes in infants that typically starts before six months of age. There is usually no significant amount of farsightedness present and glasses do not correct the crossing. Inward turning may start on an irregular basis, but soon becomes constant in nature and is present when the child is looking far away and up close.

The treatment for this type of strabismus is surgery on the muscles of one or both eyes to correct the alignment.

Studies into the disorder found that nearly 20% of babies born into families with a first degree relative affected by strabismus developed constant or intermittent esotropia by the age of six, while others have reported the familial incidence of strabismus to be as high as 65%.6

Want to Learn More About Pediatric Eye Conditions?

While, yes, these conditions are unnerving to learn about, and there is a potential for issues to develop related to inherited vision problems, but – more than anything – we stress to all our parents and families that worrying about these conditions developing won’t do anything to help your child’s eyesight perform to the best of its ability.

Instead, know that an annual pediatric eye exam can go a long way and proactively identify any existing vision problems your child may be experiencing and help correct vision conditions before they become significant issues. Understanding pediatric eye problems and the best way to manage these medical issues can best be explained by a certified pediatric eye doctor who will thoroughly assess your child’s vision and accurately diagnose and treat, monitor, or manage any issue.

We’re a Team of Experienced Pediatric Eye Doctors: Let Us Help You Take the Best Care of Your Child’s Vision

If you notice any issues regarding your child’s vision or the natural functionality of their eyes, make sure to contact an eye care professional immediately. The sooner you address the issue, the sooner you will know the best course of action to take to help you child achieve proper vision.

In all cases, early diagnosis and treatment can help correct an issue and provide your child with improved eyesight. Consulting with a qualified eye care specialist – like the experts at iCare Vision – is essential to addressing the issue early on and avoiding negative vision issues.

Schedule an appointment for your baby or child to come in and see us soon:

Schedule Pediatric Healthy Eye Exam

Resources:

1 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey (ACS). Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/.

2 VSP. All in the Family? A Primer on Genes and Vision Problems. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.vsp.com/eyewear-wellness/eye-health/eye-problems.

3 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Pediatric Cataracts. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-pediatric-cataracts.

4 JAMA Network. Genetic Etiologies of Glaucoma. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/418994.

6 Nature.com. Inherited metabolic disorders involving the eye: a clinico-biochemical perspective. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/eye2009229#:~:text=Ocular%20manifestations%20are%20common%20in,major%20lens%20manifestations%20of%20MPSs.

7 Nature.com. A study of heredity as a risk factor in strabismus. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/6700138.pdf?origin=ppub#:~:text=Aurell3%20found%20that%2017.6%25%20of,be%20as%20high%20as%2065%25.

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18Aug 2020

Is Lasik Eye Surgery Worth the Risk?

What is Lasik eye surgery & is it worth the risk? Learn about the procedure, including Lasik eye surgery risks, side effects, recovery & more.

Is Lasik Eye Surgery Worth the Risk?

Living with a common vision problem such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism can truly be a pain to deal with. From blurry vision to double vision, headaches, and even night driving issues, coping with consistent eyesight issues can impact every area of your life and leave you searching for relief. While eyeglasses and contact lenses are viable options to manage your vision condition(s), many people long for the day when they can put their daily eyewear away for good.

Is undergoing Lasik eye surgery the best option for you?

ophthalmologist examining eye before lasik eye surgery

What is Lasik Eye Surgery?

Lasik is considered to be the most commonly performed laser eye surgery used to correct everyday vision problems and eyesight issues. The procedure utilizes a highly specialized laser that is specifically designed to improve vision, reduce or eliminate the need for corrective eyewear, and treat refractive errors impacting a person’s vision. The procedure works by reshaping the cornea to enable light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina for clearer vision.

Lasik Eye Surgery Risks

Like any surgery, there are inherent risks associated with Lasik and the impact the procedure can have on your eyesight. While research has shown that serious complications are rare, there is a small percentage of people who experience real and persistent issues after the surgery. Some of the identified temporary complications can include:

  • Scratchiness and dry eye
  • Glare, halos or starbursts around light
  • Light sensitivity
  • Difficulty with night vision
  • Discomfort or pain

Being aware of the potential risks is important before making the decision to undergo any surgery. As for Lasik, over 300 peer-reviewed studies show that, on average, 95% of patients who undergo the procedure report being satisfied with the outcome.1

That being said, there is a small percentage of patients who have experienced the above-mentioned symptoms for an extended period of time, and an even smaller percentage that say their symptoms became permanent.

Lasik Eye Surgery Side Effects

Negative side-effects associated with Lasik surgery are rare, but they do occur.

While dry eye may present as a temporary risk, Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (or DLK) can cause severe eye damage if left untreated. A person experiencing this issue typically experiences an itch in their eye, causing the area to look hazy and cloudy, eventually swelling and even scaring the cornea.

In addition, significant loss of vision has been reported in a small percentage of cases, as well as other “flap complications,” which occur when the actual procedure is not performed correctly and does not adhere properly to the eyes’ surface. Some of these flap complications include:

  • Irregular astigmatism – Caused by an unequally curved corneal surface, or from laser correction that is not centered correctly on the eye
  • Keratectasia – Bulging of the eye surface that can occur if too much tissue is removed from the cornea during Lasik
  • Epithelial ingrowth – When cells from the outer layer of the cornea grow under the flap after the surgery

Lasik Eye Surgery Recovery

The average recovery time for each person can vary. However, most people undergoing the procedure will experience mild sensitivity to light, puffy eyelids, itching, and even some burning sensations for about four hours following the surgery. Due to these typical symptoms, it is common to receive a mild sedative following Lasik in order to ease the discomfort.

It is best to rest your eyes and even nap during this initial recovery phase to allow the body to heal and manage any experienced pain. After the initial two- to four-hour recovery period, having redness and even dark red spots on the whites of the eyes for several days is perfectly normal. Similar to bruising after a surgery, it may take several days – or even a few weeks – for these spots to disappear completely.

How Much is Lasik Eye Surgery?

The cost of the surgery can vary depending on the extent of your vision issues and the experience level of your eye surgeon. On average, Lasik can run between $1000 and $3000 per eye, which can include the actual surgery, post-operative care, and follow-up surgeries if additional corrections are needed.

As in all cases, it is important to discuss the cost and included services prior to committing to any surgery or procedure to ensure a stress-free and positive experience.

Comprehensive LASIK Eye Surgery Consultation and Care in Mount Vernon, Ohio

Do you want to learn more? Even if you’re not ready to commit to Lasik, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by simply exploring Lasik corrective eye surgery further.

The best place to start is by getting an in-depth analysis of your vision health. While iCare Vision does not perform Lasik surgeries, we can help you learn whether or not you’re a good candidate for the procedure and walk you through the ins and outs of Lasik.

When you start your corrective eye surgery journey with us – eye care experts with no financial stake in your procedure and completely unbiased recommendations – we’ll only suggest procedures that will help make your life and vision better.

Categories:
child with glasses being examined for amblyopia vs strabismus
04Feb 2020

The Most Common Eye Problems for Children

What are common eye problems seen in kids? Read about amblyopia vs strabismus and other common conditions & learn how to support their vision development.

The Most Common Eye Problems for Children

As a parent, you know how important it is to monitor every aspect of your child’s health to ensure they are developing at a proper pace.

When it comes to certain health and developmental issues, the warning signs can be rather obvious. Regarding vision conditions, however; it’s not always easy to catch problems.

In fact, it can be downright impossible to know if your baby or child is contending with a vision issue because they can’t fully communicate concerns with you yet.

Despite this, you can make yourself aware of specific warning signs and ensure your child is getting regular eye exams and checkups. This will help your child avoid potential or lurking eye problems and ensure they see the bright future they have ahead of them.

Amblyopia vs Strabismus

In this article, we will discuss amblyopia and strabismus, among other conditions. It can be helpful to know that:

  • Amblyopia is also referred to as lazy eye
  • Strabismus is also referred to as crossed eyes

Common Eye Problems Seen in Infants & Babies

It is totally possible, and not uncommon whatsoever, for a baby to have vision problems at birth. The most common causes of vision impairment in infants can include:

  • Cortical vision impairment or neurological conditions that affect parts of the brain that control vision
  • Infections from viruses at birth
  • Damage or injury to the eye during birth

While these issues may be more obvious to identify, a good majority of infants who have vision problems may have normal looking eyes with no visible damage or infection.

That is why observing the child’s behavior or the manner in which their eyes move and process information is essential. Most babies will begin to focus on objects and faces by four to five weeks and will begin smiling at familiar faces at six to eight weeks.

If a baby has a vision problem, you may notice significant delay in these achievements.

Other problems can include:

  • Eyes don’t follow a face or an object
  • Eyes move quickly from side to side (known as Nystagmus)
  • Eyes don’t react to bright light being turned on in a room
  • Eyes don’t appear straight but instead turn toward the nose or drift outwards

Other specific eye problems seen in infants are amblyopia and strabismus. These common issues carry their own specific symptoms and require professional diagnosis and treatment in order to correct.

  • Amblyopia, found in about 2% of 6 to 72-month-old children, is the most common cause of vision loss in children. With amblyopia, vision is impaired due to abnormal development of the neural connections between the brain and the eye during early childhood.
  • Strabismus affects between 2-4% of children under the age of six years old. It is defined as a misalignment of the eyes that can lead to the development of amblyopia. With the eyes oriented in different directions, the brain receives conflicting visual input, interfering with binocular vision development and depth perception.1

Common Eye Problems Seen in Toddlers and Children

Eye problems that affect a toddler’s vision are typically broken into two categories:

  • Refractive errors – Eye disorders in which the eye does not focus the light that enters the eye, resulting in blurred vision
  • Non-refractive errors – Eye disorders that are caused by eye disease

Refractive errors are seen in almost 20% of children and include:

  • Hyperopia or farsightedness is a type of refractive error in which a child can’t see things close to him or her, but he or she does not have a problem seeing things far away. Most children normally have a small degree of this until they are 7 years of age.
  • Myopia or nearsightedness is the most common refractive error seen in children. Myopia means that a child can see close up but has problems with seeing things far away.
  • Astigmatism is a condition in which an abnormal curvature of the cornea occurs, resulting in decreased vision. This can start in childhood or as an adult and can be easily corrected if it is causing problems. Some signs and symptoms of astigmatism may include headache, eye strain, difficulty reading and fatigue.

Additionally, common refractive errors include:

  • Amblyopia or lazy eye is characterized by decreased vision that occurs in one eye, usually as a result of another problem in which that eye is not receiving proper visual stimulation. This is usually preventable if the underlying cause is treated before the child is six years old.
  • Strabismus or crossed eyes is one of the most common eye problems in children in which the eyes are misaligned. One or both eyes may turn inward (crossed-eyes), outward (wall eyes), turn up or turn down. At times, more than one of these conditions can be present.2

Non-refractive errors, while rarer, can pose significant issues to your children if left untreated.

Some of these impairments, or eye diseases, include glaucoma, cataracts and retinoblastoma.

We’re a Team of Experienced Pediatric Eye Doctors: Let’s Ensure Your Child’s Vision is Supporting Their Living & Learning Needs

If you notice any issues regarding your child’s vision or the natural functionality of their eyes, make sure to contact an eye care professional immediately.

The sooner you address the issue the sooner you will know the best course of action to take to help your child achieve proper vision.

In all cases, early diagnosis and treatment can help correct an issue and provide your child with improved eyesight. Consulting with a qualified eye care specialist – like the experts at iCare Vision – is essential to addressing the issue early on and avoiding negative vision issues.

Schedule an appointment for your baby or child to come in and see us soon:

Hey, Kids! Did You Know Amblyopia & Strabismus Can Almost Always Be Treated?

If a doctor or parent suspects a kid has lazy eye or crossed eyes, a special doctor called an ophthalmologist (or, an eye doctor, for short) will examine the kid’s eyes and ask him or her to read a chart on the wall or look into a microscope-type machine. None of these exams hurt.

If the eye doctor thinks a kid has lazy eye or crossed eyes, there are a few different ways to treat the conditions.

  • Some kids just need to wear glasses.
  • Some kids may need surgery to straighten their eyes.
  • Some kids who have amblyopia may need to wear a patch over the good eye to strengthen the weaker one.

For any kid who has strabismus or amblyopia, it’s always best to start treatment as soon as possible to improve vision.

If you have strabismus or amblyopia, there is good news! These conditions can almost always be treated, and, with the right treatment, you won’t have to worry about it anymore when treatment is over.

Resources:

1 WebMD. Signs of Vision Problems in Young Kids. Accessed January 31, 2020. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/features/child-eye-and-vision-problems#1.

2 Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. 3 Problems That Affect Kids’ Eyes and What to Do About Them Accessed January 31, 2020. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/child-risk-3-common-eye-problems/.

Categories:
01Aug 2019

What’s Causing Your Dry Eyes?

Your dry eyes may be linked to another health condition. Learn about dry eye causes & the dry eye relief found at iCare Vision Center.

Dry Eyes: The Ultimate Guide

What’s Causing Your Dry Eyes?

As our dominant sense, vision is key to navigating our everyday life. When our vision becomes uncomfortable and irritating, it can derail hours, activities and entire days.

 
dry eye causes and relief
 

If you’re struggling with dry, red, itchy, or irritated eyes, you undoubtedly want to know what’s causing this condition and the best route to achieve real, sustained relief. Let’s dive in:

 

Why Are My Eyes So Dry?

Did you know? When there is a disconnect between tear production and drainage, dry eyes develop.

Dry eyes are a vision condition that can quickly and persistently deliver a burning, stinging, itchy sensation, or redness and grittiness – among many other symptoms.

The uncomfortable symptoms associated with dry eyes advance when your eyes either don’t produce enough tears or don’t make the right quality of tears. It’s also important to note that there is a link between dry eyes and other conditions you may be living with or medications you may be taking.

 
Dry Eye Diagnosis

Dry eye disease is a fairly common condition that occurs when your tears are not able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes.

  • This lack of tear production can be problematic for a number of reasons. For example, dry eyes may occur if you aren’t able to produce enough tears or if the tears you do produce are of poor-quality.
  • This lack of proper tear production can lead to damage and inflammation of your eye’s surface.
  • Your dry eyes can be caused by a variety of reasons that disrupt your healthy tear film, which has three layers: fatty oils, aqueous fluid, and mucus. This combination normally keeps the surface of your eyes lubricated, smooth, and clear, but problems with any of these layers can result in dry eyes.
  • In addition, decreased tear production (which can occur when you’re unable to produce enough aqueous fluid) and increased tear evaporation (when the oil film produced by meibomian glands on the edge of your eyelids become clogged) are common instigators of a dry eye diagnosis.
What Causes Dry Eyes?

Everyone who has dry eye symptoms wants to know, “What causes dry eyes?” Here are additional, common causes of dry eyes:

  • Inadequate amount of tears/tear production
  • Poor quality of tears
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Medications
  • Medical conditions (Examples: Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and thyroid problems)
  • Environmental conditions (example: Exposure to smoke, wind and dry climates)
  • Long-term wear of contact lenses or eye surgeries, such as laser surgery*
  • Allergies**

*It’s important to note that contact lenses and surgery do not directly cause dry eyes, but they can make symptoms considerably worse. With contact lenses specifically, eyes that already have trouble keeping the cornea moist struggle when there is an added top layer of lens material.
**Researchers have discovered a link between spring allergens, like pollen, and dry eyes.
Pollen counts and dry eye diagnosis reach an annual peak in April, when approximately 21% of patients are diagnosed with dry eye.
While spring consistently sees a spike in dry eye and allergy diagnosis, winter also sees a spike, probably due to the low humidity caused by indoor heating.
If you take antihistamines for the allergies and you are experiencing uncomfortable dry eyes, you may have to stop taking them. Antihistamines can make dry eye symptoms worse.

We understand that it’s hard for the possible cause of your dry eyes to be so vague. That’s why it’s always best to not play the guessing game and get in to see an eye doctor.

Through a quick and painless eye exam, we can identify the cause and triggers of your dry eyes, ensure your vision is healthy, and discuss a treatment route that you’re comfortable with.

Schedule an appointment to discuss dry eyes (and related health conditions) with your eye doctor at iCare Vision:

Dry Eyes & Health Conditions: Related Diseases and Complications

Your tears are quite complicated, being composed of many elements including proteins, natural antibiotics, minerals, water, mucus, and oil to name a few. While issues related to tear production directly impacts a dry eye diagnosis, a dry eye condition can also be caused by changes elsewhere in your body.

If you live with a health condition, your dry eyes may be linked. Conditions, such as the ones listed below, are all commonly associated with dry eye syndrome.

  • Diabetes. This disease has been shown to cause changes in the nerve tissue. Tear secretion is controlled by conversations between the corneal nerves and the lacrimal gland nerves. This feedback loop becomes interrupted when peripheral neuropathy or diabetes-related nerve damage occurs, causing your eyes to become excessively dry.
  • High blood pressure. With high blood pressure, dry eyes have more to do with the medications used to treat hypertension than with the actual disease process.
  • Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome. With autoimmune disorders, the same autoantibodies that attack your joints can target your eyes – preventing normal tear production. We talk about each of these more in-depth below:
    • Lupus. For someone who develops lupus, dry eye syndrome is the most common symptom they will experience. Dry eye disease develops in an individual with lupus because of autoimmune antibodies and immune system debris that build up in the eye tissues. This causes a dramatic reduction in the water component of the tears and instability problems with mucus production inside the tears.
    • Rheumatoid arthritis. Several inflammatory conditions, such as scleritis and iritis, often develop with arthritis. These conditions can be painful and difficult to treat, resulting in an inflammatory component that may cause inflammatory cells and debris to build up in the lacrimal gland. This can change the eye’s surface, causing significant dryness that can lead to visual compromise and corneal scarring.
    • Sjögren’s syndrome. This disease is a complex and chronic inflammatory ailment that causes dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain, swelling, stiffness, swollen salivary glands, dry throat, coughing, ​and fatigue. The condition typically affects females more than males and tends to occur in the fourth and fifth decades of a person’s life. Most individuals develop dry eye symptoms long before a real diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome is made.
 

How to Get Rid of Dry Eyes

Because the cause of dry eyes can vary from person to person – and often depend on pre-existing conditions – a variety of dry eye relief approaches and treatments are available.

The specific dry eye relief method that will work for you may also depend on the severity of your condition.

The following are common dry eye relief approaches, but for the most accurate and tailored method, it’s always best to consult with your optometrist first (as, oftentimes, utilizing the wrong relief route could make symptoms and matters worse).

If you’re suffering from dry eyes, here’s iCare Vision’s suggested plan of attack:

Level 1: Homeopathic/Natural

Homeopathic/natural treatment approaches for dry eye syndrome have been proven effective due to their ability to stimulate your eyes, helping them naturally produce more tears.

Homeopathic medicines for dry eyes stimulate the lacrimal glands and are able to produce more tears.

Some options include:

  • Warm compresses with messaging
    Two times per day, apply a warm washcloth to the eyes and hold for five minutes, rewetting the cloth each time it cools. After about 10 minutes, gently rub the washcloth over your eyelids, including the base of the upper eyelashes.
  • Artificial tears
    Artificial tears are eye drops used to lubricate dry eyes and help maintain moisture on the outer surface of your eyes. These eye drops can be used to treat dry eyes that result from aging, certain medications, medical conditions, eye surgery and environmental factors.
  • Drink one gallon of water every day
    Like the rest of your body, your eyes need water to maintain their health. Water helps keep your eyes moist and produces healthy tears. Lack of tear production is a sign of dry eye syndrome, so drinking enough water is a simple way to manage your dry eye syndrome.
  • Omega 3-fatty-acid pills
    These can be 2000mg and/or you can eat fish three times per week, like cold water salmon, trout, cod and other similar fish. In multiple placebo-controlled clinical trials, consuming fish oil was linked to significant improvement in dry eye syndrome symptoms and overall improvement in irritation.
  • Nighttime mask for eyes
    Some people with dry eye syndrome use a dry eye sleep mask at night. It can work well for individuals with dry eyes who experience nighttime eye irritation due to leaking air from a CPAP machine (or similar device) as well as those who sleep under a fan or near a draft from an air conditioning unit that dries out the eyes at night.
  • Treat allergies
Level 2: Alternative Natural Remedies

It is estimated that nearly 50% of the population deals with dry eyes on a regular basis. While the condition can be caused by medical issues as well as environmental factors, it is good to know how to ease your pain and discomfort without the necessity of prescription medication.

Here are a few more natural remedies to try:

  • Massaging lid devices
    Research has shown that eyelid massaging devices can improve symptoms of dry eye by enhancing stability and uniformity of the tear lipid layer. The device is designed to express the meibomian glands by a massaging, vertical motion, as a treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction and is meant to be used by individuals at home twice a day.
  • Bead eye masks for heat massage therapy
    Eye inflammation from chronic dry eyes can cause the meibomian glands, which produce the oil in your tears, to get clogged. To relieve these symptoms, it is often recommended you use warm compresses or heated dry eye masks to thin the oil, loosening the clogs in your glands and allowing the oil to flow out of the glands and into the tear film.
  • Place a humidifier in rooms where you’re spending more time
    Using a humidifier to add moisture to your environment can help with the itching and burning sensations associated with dry eye syndrome. Dry air can dry out your eyes but introducing moisture into the air and purifying it can keep your eyes from getting as irritated and dry.
Level 3: Rx / Medical Prescription

Dry eye syndrome can become a serious quality of life concern if left untreated. Fortunately, treatment for dry eye is improving, which means your quality of life can improve, as well.

If you’re experiencing dry eye syndrome, schedule an appointment with us at iCare Vision to see if the following medications may be appropriate for you:

  • Tobradex drops anti-inflammatory
    Tobradex eye drops are used to treat inflammation, corneal injury and bacterial infections in the external part of the eye. Before prescribing Tobradex, your eye doctor will have to examine your eyes to decide if the medication is right for you.
  • Restasis/ xiidra drops
    Restasis is a medication that works to reduce inflammation in the tear glands, helping to prevent further damage. Some people also report recovered tear production after using this medication for long periods of time. This medication is also used to treat eye symptoms related to Sjogren’s syndrome.
  • Oral doxycycline
    Recent studies have shown improvements in dry eye symptoms for individuals with chronic MGD who used refractory to conventional therapy, including warm compression, lid massage and topical antibiotic use, after ingestion of low-dose doxycycline.
  • Punctual lid plugs
    These tiny plugs are about the size of a grain of rice and are inserted into the tear ducts of the eyelid to prevent tears from draining out of the eyes. The plugs force the liquid from tears to remain in the eyes, increasing the natural tear film and lubricating the cornea of the eye.

Good to know: In addition to antihistamines, high blood pressure medications – such as beta-blockers or diuretics – sleeping pills, anxiety medications, and other medications can cause dry eyes and lead to frustrating symptoms and irritabilities.

If you live with dry eyes, it’s always best to disclose all medications to your eye doctor so he/she knows all possible links and causes.

Schedule an appointment to discuss dry eyes (and related health conditions) with your eye doctor:

Level 4: Therapy and Laser Treatment and More

Laser treatments and therapy options effectively treat the underlying cause of meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye syndrome, providing long lasting results for millions of people struggling with chronic dry eyes.

  • Embryonic membrane therapy
    Embryonic membrane therapy has become a popular procedure in the last two decades. This treatment allows for a biological bandage to be applied to the ocular surface to promote surface reconstruction and healing.
  • Laser PRK
    This type of laser surgery corrects refractive errors such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, or presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) and can help improve dry eye syndrome.
  • New drugs coming on to the market
    For people frustrated with their current dry eye treatment options, hope is on the horizon. Innovative drugs for ocular surface diseases of all kinds, including dry eye, are showing promise in clinical trials. Eye doctors are optimistic about expanding their arsenal of treatment tools.
 

Regardless of Cause, Your Eyes Deserve a Refresh. iCare Vision Can Give Your Eyes the Relief They Need

What is the root cause of your dry eyes? What is making your symptoms worse? Let us help you uncover what’s causing your dry eyes and find the right method of sustained relief.

While chronic dry eyes are very common, you don’t have to suffer with uncomfortable symptoms any longer.

Through a quick and painless eye exam, we can identify the cause and triggers of your dry eyes, ensure your vision is healthy, and discuss a treatment route that you’re comfortable with.

Schedule an appointment to discuss dry eyes (and related health conditions) with your eye doctor:

Categories:
sad boy with learning related vision problems looking out window
14May 2019

Could Your Child’s Behavioral Problems Be Linked to Poor Vision?

Can vision problems cause behavioral issues? Learn the link between vision problems and behavior & common learning related vision problems.

Could Your Child’s Behavioral Problems Be Linked to Poor Vision?

Childhood is simultaneously the best of times and the most transformative of times. Walking side-by-side with their incredible wonder and energy and enthusiasm is their growth and development. As children weave in and out of phases, it’s impressively easy to spot behavioral changes (and, therefore, behavioral issues).

sad boy with learning related vision problems looking out window

But during these years of immense change, behind the scenes evolutions, such as changes in eyesight, are almost near impossible to catch – especially since children don’t even know when they’re experiencing shifts in their vision that can lead to a visual problem.

That’s why, when a child exhibits behavioral or learning problems, it’s extremely important to not overlook the possibility of problematic vision issues that can be the root cause of certain behavior concerns.

As children weave in and out of phases, it’s impressively easy to spot behavioral changes (and, therefore, behavioral issues).

Learn About Forms of Treatment for Learning-Related Vision Issues

Common Vision Issues in Children

During a child’s school years, it’s more common than parents may think for children to contend with nearsightedness, farsightedness, a lazy eye, or a crossed eye.

Here’s what these vision conditions are:

  • Nearsightedness (myopia)
    A vision condition where a child can clearly see objects close up, but objects farther away are blurry.
  • Farsightedness (hyperopia)
    A vision condition where a child can clearly see objects far away, but objects close up are blurry.
  • Lazy eye (amblyopia)
    A vision condition where a child’s vision is blurry or reduced and cannot be corrected by glasses, contact lenses or eye surgery.
  • Crossed eye (strabismus)
    A vision condition where a child’s eyes don’t look in exactly the same direction at the same time. This condition is not as obvious as one might think, and is more likely to be detected by a pediatric eye doctor than a general practitioner.

Additionally, children commonly struggle with eye focusing, eye tracking and eye coordination problems. The presence of these issues – which school vision screenings can largely miss entirely -can affect school and athletic performances.

Vision Problems and Behavior

At first observation, behavioral problems seem to have little to nothing to do with a child’s vision. Upon deeper review, it’s important to understand that vision occurs in the brain – not the eyes. In the brain, the interaction between vision and the social and emotional pathways is significant.

While vision issues can fuel a wide array of behavioral and learning problems, they’re commonly discussed with the behavior issues of hyperactivity and distractibility. These specific behavioral issues are also frequently link with learning difficulties.

If your child is identified as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or another behavioral issue, and you feel they have been mislabeled, it’s vital to have your child’s vision checked.

Undetected and untreated vision problems can produce some of the exact same signs and symptoms of ADHD. Sometimes, a mislabeled behavioral issue is actually an undetected vision problem.

The Mounting Evidence that Proves Your Child’s Social, Emotional & Academic Success Depends on Clear Vision

Did you know that there are more neurons dedicated to our vision than the other four senses combined?4

Because vision affects behavior, attention, learning and processing, weak eyesight can be the culprit of several challenges your child is facing. Take a look at what studies on vision, behavior and learning have revealed:

  • 80% of what we learn is obtained through visual processing of information1
  • There’s a 75% chance that a child’s poor learning skills or learning difficulties are caused by vision problems
  • Vision problems affect 1 in 20 preschoolers and 1 in 4 school-aged children2
  • An estimated 10 million children below 10 years of age have vision problems which affect their ability to learn3

Learning Related Vision Problems

With improved vision, difficult behaviors can potentially be changed. The same is true for learning issues.

While it’s necessary for children to focus at near and far distances for prolonged periods of time in school and during other tasks, a true indicator of a vision-related learning issue is when a child is having trouble completing (or cannot complete altogether) a near-sighted activity – like writing, reading, and fun work books.

It cannot be overstated: If you feel your child is displaying a behavioral issue, not achieving their potential in school, struggling to pay attention or exhibiting a short attention span, or not enjoying fun learning activities, a comprehensive pediatric eye exam should be part of the strategy when trying to get to the bottom of exactly what your child is contending with.

Forms of Treatment for Learning-Related Vision Problems

Undetected learning-related vision problems in children are common, which can make it hard to pay attention, fuel a short attention span, and lead children to struggle in school.

At iCare Vision, we are acutely aware of vision problems and behavior issues in children. We know that a child with an untreated vision problem may be misdiagnosed with behavior problems or ADHD/ADD when – in reality – they have a learning-related vision issue.

  • Our goal in treatment is to find the root cause from a visual perspective. To do this, a comprehensive child’s vision exam that includes routine eye exam tests and additional, specific tests for detecting a learning-related vision problem – like convergence insufficiency, visual perception, and more.
  • Extra tests would include accommodation, binocular vision, and ocular motility testing.
  • In addition to exams and tests, and the learning problems and vision issues your child is contending with, we may recommend other testing, either in our office or with a child’s developmental optometrist.

A comprehensive child vision exam will direct treatment. Treatment may include:

Is It Time for Your Child to See a Children’s Eye Doctor for a Pediatric Eye Exam?

Because some signs and symptoms of behavioral and learning difficulties are extremely similar to those of vision problems, having your child’s eyesight assessed must be a part of the solution to uncover the ‘why’ – and the earlier the eye exam the better.

At iCare Vision, we’re committed to your child’s vision and ensuring that their eyesight is promoting a healthy lifestyle and success in school. As a team of licensed optometrists who specialize in pediatric eye exams, we thoroughly assess your child’s vision and see to it that they find the experience fun and engaging.

Schedule Pediatric Healthy Eye Exam

Hey, Kids! Are You Supporting Your Eyes?

Your eyes need your help! Here’s how you can help them, whether you’re at school or home:

1. Wear Your Eyeglasses
Do you wear eyeglasses? If so, be sure to wear them when you’re supposed to. Your glasses help you see better, especially when they’re clean and free of smudges. If you need help cleaning them, talk to an adult and ask them to show you how to clean your glasses and how to properly store them when you’re not wearing them.

2. Wear Your Sunglasses
Did you know the sun’s rays can hurt your eyes? If you don’t already have a pair, ask a parent or adult to help you find sunglasses that block 99% or 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation from the sun. And remember, never look directly at the sun.

3. Rest Your Eyes
If you spend a lot of time looking at a computer, phone, or TV screen, your eyes can get really tired. Give your eyes a rest with the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

4. Talk About How Your Eyes are Feeling
If your eyes feel weird, or you feel like you can’t see clearly, be sure to tell your parents or teacher about what you’re experiencing. They can help you get your eyes checked.

Resources:
1 The Optometric Extension Program Foundation. Children’s Vision Care in the 21st Century & Its Impact on Education, Literacy, Social Issues & the Workplace. Accessed May 1, 2019. https://www.oepf.org/sites/default/files/journals/jbo-volume-22-issue-2/22-2%20Zaba.pdf.
2 Health Day. Vision Problems Can Harm Kids’ Development, Grades. Accessed May 1, 2019. https://consumer.healthday.com/eye-care-information-13/eye-and-vision-problem-news-295/vision-problems-can-harm-kids-development-grades-724812.html.
3 PaTTAN. Vision and Learning. Accessed May 1, 2019. https://www.pattan.net/presentation/download/index.php?presentation_id=624&download_id=2427&file_name=Presentation%20Slides&content_type=pdf.
4 Imagine Think. True or false? Vision rules the brain. Accessed May 1, 2019. https://www.imagethink.net/true-or-false-vision-rules-the-brain/.

Categories:
mom helping child with eye injury first aid
09Apr 2019

First Aid for Eye Emergencies: What to Include in Your Home Kit

Is your first aid kit prepared to handle eye emergencies? Learn about eye injury first aid & when to call the eye doctor for immediate care.

First Aid for Eye Emergencies: What to Include in Your Home Kit

In the blink of an eye, your vision or your child’s vision could be in grave danger due to an unforeseen accident.

When an emergency arises from any number of situations and causes, will your first aid kit have the proper items needed to handle an eye injury?

It’s OK if you answered no, as it’s common for most at-home first aid kits to only be stocked and ready for minor cuts, scrapes and sprains. But when an eye emergency occurs, it’s important to have the necessary first aid and to know what to do.

Ensuring you’re prepared for the unexpected can save precious time and mean the difference between possible blindness or vision issues and a speedy recovery.

Let’s run down what to add to your home’s first aid kit to guarantee it’s prepped if an eye injury would happen. We’ll also discuss when you should call your eye doctor due to the severity of the injury.

Eye Injury First Aid

The three most important things to have in your first aid kit for eye emergencies are:

  • A rigid eye shield
  • Commercial eyewash (that is not expired)
  • Activated/instant cold compress

Eye Injuries from Chemical Burns

Chemical burns in the eye(s) can easily happen at home with exposure to cleaning products, drain cleaners, fertilizers, nail polish remover and other substances, including vinegar.

Whenever eyes come in contact with chemicals, you should immediately:

  • Flush the eye with water *If a contact lens is in the eye, flush over the lens
  • Hold the eye under a faucet or shower, or pour water into the eye from a clean container. *The eye should remain open wide during flushing
  • Flush the eye for a total of 15 minutes
  • DO NOT bandage the eye
  • CONTACT your optometrist immediately after flushing

Eye Injuries from Cuts and Punctures

Perhaps the most common eye injury – because they can happen spontaneously and just about anywhere – cuts and punctures to the eyes and eyelids should be treated promptly:

  • Cover the injured eye with a rigid shield without pressure. *Secure the shield to the eyebrow and the cheekbone without putting pressure on the eye
  • DO NOT wash out the eye with any liquid
  • DO NOT try to remove an object from the eye if something remains lodged in there from the injury
  • CONTACT your optometrist immediately after applying the shield

Eye Injuries from Sudden Impacts

Colliding with another person or object, whether in a sporting event or by sheer accident, can mean significant trauma to the eye. If a blow to the eye occurs:

  • Immediately apply a cold compress without pressure
  • Continuously monitor the area around the eye
  • CONTACT your optometrist immediately if you experience:
    • Pain in or around the eye
    • Blurry vision
    • One eye sticking out more than the other
    • Blood inside the eye
    • Discoloration around the eye (black eye) *This can mean internal eye damage

First Aid for Eye Irritation

When specks of dust, sand and dirt get caught in the eye, there are right and wrong ways to handle this eye annoyance:

  • First of all: DO NOT rub the eye
  • Allow natural tears to work the speck out
  • If your natural tears don’t remove the irritation, try using commercial eyewash
  • Lift the upper eyelid outward and look down over the lower lid to try to loosen or move the speck
  • DO NOT attempt to use tweezers or another tool to try and remove the speck
  • CONTACT your optometrist if the speck doesn’t wash out

Experiencing any of the follow symptoms? Call your optometrist immediately!

No two eye injuries are exactly alike. Because of this, symptoms can vary.

If you have something in your eye that you’ve been unable to remove on your own, or if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should seek emergency eye care from your optometrist right away.

*Eye emergencies are better treated by an eye doctor than by urgent care or the emergency room (ER). Contacting your optometrist first will save you valuable time and provide you better assistance.

Signs of an eye injury and symptoms that require emergency service include:

  • Sudden loss of vision
  • Sudden double vision
  • Sudden redness/irritation/pain in the eye
  • Sudden burning or stinging
  • Different sized pupils
  • One eye moving differently than the other
  • One eye bulging or sticking out
  • Decreased vision
  • Severe light sensitivity
  • Severe itching
  • Discharge from the eye
  • Bleeding from the eye
  • Blood in the white part of the eye
  • Bruising or swelling around the eye
  • New onset flashes and/or floaters
  • Foreign body in the eye (especially metal or chemicals)
  • New or severe headaches with sensitive vision

In any eye emergency situation, the absolute best thing to do is seek care from an optometrist immediately.

Emergency Eye Care: Call 888-393-3911

24-Hour Emergency Eye Care with the Experts at iCare Vision

If you or a loved one have sustained an eye injury, don’t wait to seek medical attention – your vision depends on immediate, professional help.

Our team is highly experienced in a wide-array of acute and vision-threatening eye emergencies, and we’re available anytime, day or night.

Emergency Eye Care: Call 888-393-3911

While waiting for our professional help, read more about eye emergencies, including what NOT to do before we’re able to see you:

Categories:
infant holding pair of glasses
19Feb 2019

Signs of Vision Problems in Children

Is your child’s vision fully supporting their living & learning needs? Learn about children’s visual development & discover the signs of vision problems in babies, toddlers & children.

Signs of Vision Problems in Children

The moment your child is born, their vision plays a crucial role in their development and overall health.

An infant’s eyes evolve quickly – going from being able to detect light and motion at birth to distinguishing between colors and focusing on small objects around three to four months of age, and gauging distances and depths with greater precision around a year.

From there, the eyes don’t slowdown in progression; they rapidly continue to transform to help your child grow and acquire new skills.

If your child falls behind with expected physical, cognitive, and social development milestones, or they show disinterest in seemingly fun learning experiences, you may wonder why and tirelessly work to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

While often not the first thought as to what’s causing these bumps in the road, your child’s vision could be to blame. Recognizing the signs of vision problems in babies, toddlers or children can help you focus your attention on giving and getting them the exact support their eyes need to truly thrive.

Signs of Vision Problems in Babies

Before your baby left the hospital after birth, his/her vision was checked for general eye health by a pediatrician or physician. Even with a positive screening, your baby may still develop vision problems as they grow.

It’s important to note that from birth to around four months of age, most babies’ eyes occasionally look misaligned – a condition called strabismus. During this time period, this inward crossing or outward drifting motion of the eyes is common and to be expected. During routine health checkups, your baby’s pediatrician will assess his/her eyes and alert you if the strabismus is abnormal.

In addition, since babies grow and change so fast, you may start to notice other concerning signs of vision problems.

Signs that your baby may have a vision problem include:

  • One of your baby’s eyes never opens.
  • One of their eyes moves and the other doesn’t.
  • Your baby squints a lot.
  • Your baby’s eyes seem sensitive to light.
  • Your baby rubs his eyes when he’s not tired.
  • Instead of red-eyes when your baby’s photo is taken, there is always a white spot/white pupils.
  • Your baby’s eye(s) is bulging.
  • Your baby’s eyelid(s) is drooping.
  • One of your baby’s eyes is bigger than the other.
  • One of your baby’s pupils are a different size than the other.
  • Lights, mobiles, and other amusements don’t catch your baby’s attention after one month of age.
  • Your baby has white, grayish-white, or yellow material in the pupil of his eye that makes it appear cloudy.
  • You notice other changes in your baby’s eyes from how they usually look.

If you notice any of these signs, talk with your baby’s doctor immediately.

After your baby is three months of age, alert your baby’s doctor if you notice any of the following:

  • Your baby’s eyes don’t follow or track an object moved from side to side in front of his face.
  • Your baby’s eyes seem to jump or wiggle back and forth.
  • Your baby’s eyes turn way in or out, and stay that way.
  • Your baby seems to consistently tilt his head when he looks at things.

For more information on signs of vision problems in babies, and to learn best practices to support infant/baby vision development, see Your Child’s First Year of Life and Your Child’s Vision as a One-Year-Old in our comprehensive Children’s Visual Development Guide.

Signs of Vision Problems in Toddlers and Children

According to the American Public Health Association, approximately 10% of toddlers and preschoolers have eye or vision problems. As a parent, it’s vital to know that toddlers and preschool-aged children generally will not voice the vision issue(s) they’re experiencing.

With toddlers still so young, they probably don’t know yet that what they are actually seeing and experiencing is wrong and needs to be communicated to you. With this in mind, knowing the signs and symptoms to look for is imperative:

  • Squinting more than usual or during times that don’t warrant squinting
  • Frequent eye rubbing
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Eye focusing problems
  • Eye tracking problems (the ability to follow an object with the eyes)
  • Tilting their head to see something better
  • Short attention span for the child’s age
  • Sitting too close to the TV to see better
  • Holding a book too close to their face/eyes
  • Turning of an eye in or out
  • Abnormal eye alignment or movement
  • Chronic eye redness or tearing
  • Inability to see objects at a distance
  • Difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination when playing, such as with a ball or when bike riding
  • Displaying a disinterest in reading or fun activities, such as avoiding coloring, puzzles and other detailed activities

Good to know: Vision problems, including common ones, such as a lazy eye (amblyopia), may have no warning signs at all. For this reason, among others, it’s important to have your child’s vision checked by a children’s eye doctor. Even if your child cannot read yet, there are special tests that can check your child’s vision.

For more information on signs of vision problems in babies, and to learn best practices to support toddler’s/child’s vision development, see Your Child’s Vision as a Two-Year-Old and Your Child’s Vision as a Three to Five-Year-Old in our comprehensive Children’s Visual Development Guide.

What to Do If Your Child is Complaining of Blurred Vision and a Headache

It can be alarming if your child suddenly complains of blurred vision and/or a headache. Your immediate thoughts may be to have them sit down, relax, and make sure they’re well-hydrated.

It’s important to connect a few dots and recall what your child was doing before they complained of a headache and vision issues.

It’s recommended that they see their pediatrician regardless, as these two occurrences are more than likely caused by a symptom of an unidentified issue.

If they were doing anything that may have caused eye fatigue and/or eyestrain, the head pain and blurred vision could be caused by an underlying ocular problem, such as:

  • Refractive errors: Any need for glasses, for example, nearsighted (myopic), farsighted (hyperopic), or astigmatism.
  • Convergence insufficiency: Difficulty converging both eyes simultaneously to focus on reading.
  • Accommodative insufficiency: Difficulty focusing one eye at a time on reading, thereby requiring reading glasses.
  • Other conditions

Depending on your pediatrician’s exam, they may refer your child to a children’s eye doctor to help diagnose and treat your child.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Children’s Visual Development

When should I get my toddler’s/baby’s eyes checked?


The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that infants get their first comprehensive eye exam between the ages of six and twelve months of age. Additional eye exams should come at age three and before they enter the first grade — around age five or six.

What are the most common eye problems in children?


Common eye problems in children include:

  • Turned eyes (strabismus)
  • Color blindness
  • Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
  • Small swelling of the eyelid (chalazion)
  • Lazy eye (amblyopia)
  • Needing strong glasses to help with nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) or another refractive error (such as astigmatism or presbyopia)

How do you know if your child needs glasses?


In addition to the signs mentioned above that indicate your child may be experiencing vision problems and need glasses, if your child is displaying behavioral issues or learning difficulties (like the ones listed below), it’s important that your child see a children’s eye doctor as soon as possible.

  • Squinting or reading with one eye shut
  • Problems in school (like exhibiting the same symptoms as ADD or ADHD)
  • Complaints of a headache
  • Complaints of double vision
  • Low reading comprehension

What can I expect at my child’s eye exam?


If your child is one and younger, the doctor will check:

  • The pupils
  • How the eyes move
  • If the eyes are lined up correctly
  • How the eyes react to changes in light and darkness
  • For nearsightedness, meaning objects far away are blurry for your child
  • For farsightedness, meaning things up close are blurry for your child
  • For astigmatism, meaning that your child’s eye shape is causing everything to look blurry to some degree
  • For amblyopia, meaning one eye is weaker than the other

It’s important to note that an early diagnosis of a childhood eye problem or disease is crucial for effective treatment.

If your child is between the ages of two and five, the doctor will check for the above issues again and do a vision screening using:

  • Eye chart tests
  • Pictures
  • Letters
  • The “tumbling E game” (A visual acuity game that measures how well your child sees the form and detail of objects. This game can be done even if your child cannot read yet.)

An experienced children’s eye doctor who is well-versed in working with young patients will make the appointment as fun as possible, helping to alleviate nerves and fears.

Can a child’s vision improve with age?


The short answer is: It depends. It depends on what vision issue your child is contending with. As a child grows, their eyes grow and change as well. It is entirely possible that a child’s vision can improve with age, but, for the best chances of improvement, they need the best possible support. That all starts with regular eye exams with a children’s eye doctor.

The Importance of an Annual Pediatric Eye Exam

To ensure your child’s vision is developing normally and supporting them as they grow and learn, an annual pediatric eye exam is imperative.

As your child’s biggest advocate, you undeniably want them to thrive. Read our guide to Children’s Visual Development to understand where your child’s eyes are at, depending on their age, and how you can help develop their vision.

Read: A Guide to Your Child’s Visual Development

At iCare Vision, it is our ultimate goal to make sure your child’s development, advancement, and confidence is not hindered in any way because of their vision.

We make every experience fun and engaging.

Schedule an appointment today to guarantee your child’s vision is supporting their exact living and learning needs.

Categories:
woman with glasses before LASIK eye surgery
19Nov 2018

Thinking about LASIK Eye Surgery? Ask Your Doctor These Questions

Considering LASIK eye surgery? A corrective eye surgery consultation can help you assess whether or not you’re a good candidate. Contact iCare Vision.

Thinking about LASIK Eye Surgery? Ask Your Doctor These Questions

Clear, comfortable vision isn’t just about seeing well; it’s about living well. As our dominant sense, vision plays a vital role in our overall quality of life. Indeed, good vision can lead to a healthier, happier you.

If you live with a vision condition and long to break free from your eyeglasses or contacts, LASIK (laser eye surgery) may be able to help you see clearly and better than ever without corrective lenses.

It must be noted that LASIK isn’t for everyone, and it’s important to thoroughly discuss the benefits and risks with your optometrist before committing to the procedure.

The Basics of LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK corrective eye surgery is a procedure done to a very delicate part of the eye. With millions of people already living with improved vision thanks to LASIK, the definition of success is important to understand.

LASIK 20/20 and 20/40 vision are common phrases when discussing this procedure. How do these measurements compare to your current vision correction with glasses or contact lenses?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) reports that nine out of 10 patients achieve somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40 vision.

20/40 vision, however, may not be sharp enough for certain work or leisure activities. In fact, even 20/20 vision does not always equate to perfect vision.

LASIK results all depend on your eye health and condition before the surgery. For many, LASIK is a life-changing procedure, but you must discover if you are a good candidate or not and learn the pros and cons:

Are You a Good Candidate for LASIK?

Generally speaking, good candidates for laser eye surgery are:


 
18 years and older – preferably in their mid-20s and older:
Even though LASIK is an elective procedure, optometrists usually strongly suggest only patients aged 18 and older get the surgery. Why? Good candidates for LASIK have a stable prescription for at least two years. Since vision changes rapidly as a child grows, prescriptions can adjustment several times before the age of 18.

In fact, most optometrists encourage patients to wait until they enter their mid-20s, when their prescription is likely more stable than at 18.

It is also recommended to get LASIK before the age of 40. Around this age, eyes can begin to change again. In some individuals, presbyopia – a condition that makes it hard to see things within an arm’s length – can develop. Unfortunately, LASIK cannot correct this eye condition. Instead, surgeons can perform monovision laser surgery, where the non-dominant eye is left slightly nearsighted, so the patient can see things up close.

Keep in mind, however, that LASIK is performed on patients of all ages. It all comes down to how healthy and stable your eyes are, which is why a consultation with your optometrist is a crucial first step.


 
In good health and free of eye diseases:
Certain eye diseases, eye viruses, and health problems can be barriers to getting LASIK, such as:

  • Eye Diseases:
    • Glaucoma
    • Keratoconus
    • Cataracts
    • Certain retinal and optic nerve diseases
  • Eye Viruses:
    • Herpes simplex
    • Herpes zoster
  • Health Problems:
    • Collagen vascular disease
    • Uncontrolled diabetes
    • Autoimmune disease
    • More

 
Committed to pre- and post-eye surgery responsibilities:
Care for your eyes before and after surgery is crucial. Good LASIK candidates are committed to the process beforehand.

Pre- and post-LASIK responsibilities may include:

  • Stop wearing contact lenses for two to four weeks prior to the consultation and/or surgery
  • Not wearing cosmetics and perfumes during the surgery
  • Arranging transportation to and from the surgery
  • Post-surgery medication schedule
  • Post-surgery follow-up eye exams
  • Annual eye exams
  • More

 
Willing to accept reasonable risk:
As with any surgical procedure, LASIK does come with certain risks of complications. Occasionally, LASIK can result in less than 20/20 vision. Before electing for the surgery, you must be willing to accept the potential of a rare complication occurring.

11 Questions to Ask Before LASIK Eye Surgery

Before opting for surgery, you need to know if you’re a good candidate and be fully prepared for what the procedure will involve. The best way to learn if LASIK eye surgery is right for you is to talk with an optometrist who specializes in comprehensive LASIK eye surgery consultation and care.

Here are 11 recommended questions to ask during your consultation:

  1. Has my eyesight been stable for the last two years?
  2. Do I have a health condition that could prevent me from getting the surgery?
  3. Is my age going to hinder the success of the LASIK eye surgery?
  4. What results can I expect with corrective eye surgery?
  5. What are the potential risks of LASIK eye surgery?
  6. What is LASIK recovery like, and how long will it take me to recover from the surgery?
  7. Is corrective eye surgery compatible with my lifestyle?
  8. What are the costs of LASIK?
  9. Are there medications I need to stop taking before the LASIK procedure?
  10. What is LASIK 20/20 and 20/40 vision, and how do these measurements compare with my current vision correction?
  11. Will the results last for life, or will I need another LASIK operation later?

While every question is important to ask and get a thorough answer, it’s beneficial to spend a little more time on the last question. Since every patient is contending with different vision issues, it’s hard for LASIK to deliver the same optimal results every procedure.

In conjunction with discussing the risks and results, it’s important you know what is possible if LASIK does not meet your goals and desired outcome. Be sure to ask what is involved in retreatment.

Additionally, undesirable side effects are possible with LASIK. Make sure you leave your consultation with a complete understanding of the potential side effects, how they’re treated, and how long it takes for them to resolve.

Comprehensive LASIK Eye Surgery Consultation and Care in Mount Vernon, Ohio

If you’re tired of wearing glasses or contacts every day, you owe it to yourself to schedule a consultation to explore LASIK corrective eye surgery.

Take the first step and get an in-depth analysis of your vision health.

While iCare Vision does not perform LASIK surgeries, we can help you learn whether or not you’re a good candidate for the procedure and walk you through the ins and outs of LASIK. We might also recommended an additional ophthalmologist’s – an Anterior Segment Specialist – opinion. These specialists have received additional training in front surface ocular conditions, and as a result often have higher success rates post LASIK surgery.

When you start your corrective eye surgery journey with us – eye care experts with no financial stake in your procedure and completely unbiased recommendations – we’ll only suggest procedures that will help make your life and vision better.

Even though most patient’s outcome is now 20/20 in each eye it is recommended that you still get yearly exams to monitor for retinal problems, glaucoma, and general health. Many lasik centers offer “free” touch ups if patients see their local doctor yearly.

Categories:
blurred vision
16Oct 2018

Blurred Vision: The Ultimate Guide

What causes blurred vision? Learn the causes of sudden or temporary blurred vision & discover the eye care that’s available to ensure healthy vision.

Blurred Vision: The Ultimate Guide

blurred vision

Did you lose sharpness in your eyesight?

Did your vision become hazy and out-of-focus – whether for a moment, off and on, or for a prolonged period of time?

Let’s get to the bottom of what’s going on right away.

Vision is our dominant sense. Through vision, we are able to derive meaning and learn from what we see. We heavily rely on our eyes, and that’s why blurry and unclear vision is so alarming to experience.

 

Cloudy Vision vs Blurry Vision: What’s the Difference?

Blurry vision is the loss of sharpness of eyesight. With blurred vision, objects will appear out-of-focus and fuzzy.

Cloudy vision is where objects can appear obscured from looking through a seemingly ‘milky’ lens. Cloudy vision is most commonly a symptom of cataracts.

While the two are frequently used interchangeably, they are slightly different conditions. It’s important to note that blurred and cloudy vision can both be symptoms of a serious vision issue.

Regardless if you have blurry or cloudy vision, your eye doctor can determine exactly what’s going on through a comprehensive eye exam.

If you’re experiencing sudden, persistent blurry or cloudy vision, call us at iCare Vision immediately.

740-392-4000

 

Symptoms of Blurred Vision

“I am always amazed at the number of people who come in and have just accepted their blurred vision because they’ve had it for so long. They don’t even complain about it to the doctor, and this can go more than 20 years. We can help you reclaim clear, healthy vision.”​<span class="su-quote-cite">Dr. Wineland</span>
  • Loss of visual sharpness
  • Unclear vision
  • Unfocused vision
  • Dim vision
  • Hazy vision
  • Fuzzy-ghosty vision

Blurred vision can happen in one or both eyes, and it can affect your entire line of sight or just parts of your vision in the affected eye(s) – such as your peripheral vision, which is what you see beside you when looking straight ahead.

 

What Causes Blurred Vision?

The main cause of blurred vision is refractive errors – where the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly – or presbyopia – a gradual, age-related condition where the eyes lose the ability to focus on nearby objects.

But your temporary or sudden blurred vision could also stem from a non-eye condition.

 

Eye Anatomy & Blurred Vision

From the front to the back of the eye and into the brain, the eye contains over two million working parts and is considered the second most complex organ in the body (only second to the brain).

The inner structures of the eye all work together to produce an image that your brain can understand. In order to produce a clear image, the eyes must complete an intricate process with all parts healthy and fully functioning.

Your eyes deserve the best, and your future vision depends on how you treat and nurture it today. Let us help you take the best care of your eyes.

  Schedule Healthy Eye Exam  

When it comes to the anatomy of the eye, here’s what can cause blurred vision:

Tears

If the three layers of a tear – oil, water (H2O2), and lipid (fatty) – are not balanced, they can be abnormal and become an almost film-like tear that can cause blurred vision. This may be due to dry eye. After assessing hdry eye and tear production, there are a multitude of solutions we can use to rebuild the delicate yet complicated surface.

Cornea

If the surface is irregular, a condition called corneal dystrophy may be present and cause blurred vision. There are more than 20 types of corneal dystrophies, each with different symptoms. All cause a buildup of foreign material in one or more layers of the cornea. Over time, vision may become cloudy or blurry.

Corneal Abrasion

When the cornea gets scratched or injured, a corneal abrasion may develop. In addition to blurry vision, you may feel like there’s something in your eye.

Conjunctival

The conjunctiva is the clear, thin membrane that covers part of the front surface of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. If irritated from allergies or another irritant, conjunctival tissues may cause blurred vision.

Eye Lids

If the eye lids are not even and normal, like a good “windshield wiper,” this can blur vision. A stye and lid bumps can make this worse and more painful.

Aqueous Fluid

Aqueous fluid behind the cornea must be clear and clean of inflammation. It’s common to get an iritis, which is where thousands of white blood cells flood this area and cause blurred vision, pain, and redness. This all can be greatly helped with medication and a diagnosis by an eye doctor.

Lens

The lens of the eye can become defective and not focus (causing blurred vision) at young age, or with the aging of the eyes it can stop working with presbyopia. In later years, the lens can be the area that gets cloudy in a cataract.

 

Common Causes of Blurred Vision

Your eyes are stained.

With today’s digital-driven lifestyles, eye strain is incredibly common. But it doesn’t always have to involve digital devices (cell phone, computer, TVs). It can occur after looking at and focusing on something for a long time without a break.

When it’s the result of focusing on an electronic device like a computer or cellphone, it’s sometimes called digital eye strain. Other causes include reading and driving, especially at night and in poor weather.

Your blood sugar is high.

Very high blood sugar levels cause the lens of your eye to swell, which results in blurred vision.

You caught conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva – the thin, clear tissue on top of the white part of the eye and the lining of the inside eyelid.

While common among children, adults can catch this highly contagious virus. Pink eye usually will subside in one to two weeks without treatment, but, in the meantime, it is known to cause spurts of temporary blurred vision.

If you feel you have a severe case of pink eye, schedule an appointment to see your optometrist.

You slept with your contacts in.

When you blink, your contact lenses move across your eyes, causing micro-scratches on the surface of your eyes. Sometimes, infection-causing microorganisms can get caught under the lenses and get into these small scratches. When you sleep with your contacts in, you are allowing these organisms to grow and cause corneal ulcers that can lead to blurred vision.

A very simple solution? Remove your contact lenses every night before you fall asleep.

You're pregnant.

During pregnancy, your body undergoes several hormonal changes. These fluctuations can alter the shape and thickness of your cornea and tear production which can lead to blurred and variable comfort.

Blurry vision is common during pregnancy, and it can sometimes be accompanied by bouts of double vision.

Even though blurred vision is usually not threatening to your sight or health, you should always communicate any vision issues to your doctor, as, in some cases, blurred vision could be a symptom of gestational diabetes or high blood pressure. Some patients just need to wear their glasses more and take a mini vacation on their contact usage.

You have chronic dry eyes.

Did you know that blurred and/or fluctuating vision is a cause of dry eye syndrome? In addition to the irritated, gritty, scratchy or burning eyes you feel, your vision can seem out-of-focus.

You can reclaim comfortable, clear vision with dry eyes, but sometimes it takes more than artificial tears to achieve this.

After assessing your vision, your optometrist can prescribe prescription eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated and healthy.

You suffer from ocular migraines.

An ocular migraine (retinal migraine) is a rare condition that can cause short-term vision loss or blurred vision,missing vision, kaleidoscope vision, among other possible bizarre visual symptoms, before the migraine pain sets in, or during the migraine period.

An in-depth eye exam by an optometrist will be able to fully assess your eye health and identify any vision issues you may be contending with. Upon completion of the exam, you will receive a definitive treatment plan to address your specific eye condition that will aim to prevent future migraine episodes and temporary blurred vision.

You're diabetic.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause blurred vision if it is uncontrolled. The biggest concern with diabetes and your vision is diabetes can cause diabetic retinopathy – a serious eye disease caused by diabetes that is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy has been dubbed a sneak thief of vision, as you can tragically lose your vision from diabetes without even knowing you have diabetes.

If you have or suspect you have diabetes, make regular eye exams apart of your round of routine checkups.

You have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can cause vein occlusion, a painless, mini stroke of the eye. Vein occlusion can cause patients with HBP to experience blurred vision – usually in just one eye.

If you live with HBP and are experiencing blurred vision, see your optometrist right away. While this condition can be treated, diagnosis and treatment must be administered right away for the most effectiveness.

Regular eye exams – which can protect against vein occlusion – should be a part of any individual’s round of routine checkups if they live with high blood pressure. There is also a higher risk of glaucoma problems in the eye because of higher than normal pressures in the body.

You need prescription or reading glasses.

As previously noted, refractive errors – such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism – are the most common causes of blurry vision.

More times than not, refractive errors are fairly easy to fix with a prescription from your optometrist. This includes getting an updated prescription or reading glasses. Each refractive error is discussed in more detail below.

A comprehensive healthy eye exam will uncover exactly where your vision is at and what prescription is right for you. Let us help you best support your vision.

  Schedule Healthy Eye Exam  

Development of an Eye Condition

Experiencing blurred vision can also be a symptom of a developing eye condition. If you’re experiencing blurred vision and none of the common causes of blurred vision fit your situation, a comprehensive eye exam may uncover that:

You're nearsighted.

Myopia – also known as nearsightedness – is the most common refractive error. With nearsightedness, objects in the distance become blurred, and you could be experiencing blurry vision in one or both eyes. Accompanying symptoms to nearsightedness are eye strain, headaches, and squinting.

You're farsighted.

If you can clearly see objects in the distance but objects close-up appear blurry, you could be developing hyperopia, or farsightedness. Accompanying symptoms to farsightedness include eye strain and fatigue from trying to constantly focus on objects right in front of you.

You have astigmatism.

Struggling to see at near and far distances is a sign of an astigmatism – a refractive error that is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea.

Blurred vision with an astigmatism is caused by light rays failing to meet on a single focus point on the retina. Without a single focus point, clear vision cannot be produced at any distance.

Regardless if you are nearsighted, farsighted or have an astigmatism, these refractive errors can be corrected with an eyeglass or contact lens prescription or refractive surgery, such as LASIK.

You have presbyopia.

Most commonly occurring in individuals aged 40 and older, presbyopia is a naturally occurring age-related condition where blurry vision begins to develop when reading or viewing objects up-close.

Since the lenses inside the eye begin to harden with presbyopia, progressive lenses, bifocals, reading glasses or presbyopia surgery are all viable options to correct this condition.

You have eye floaters.

An eye floater is a spot in your vision that may appear as black or gray specks, black or gray strings, or cobwebs.

When these temporary spots drift into your line of sight, you can experience blurred vision.

While eye floaters are a normal part of aging, you should call your optometrist immediately if you suddenly experience a shower of floaters, as this could be a sign of a torn or detached retina. Visual exam for best outcome needs to occur within 24-48 hours that is why most offices have after hours emergency phone service.

You're developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma, also known as the silent thief of sight, is a disease that damages the optic nerve, causing the optic nerve to slowly die over time. Vision loss with glaucoma is a slow process, and, for the most part, there are no obvious symptoms.

This is why an annual eye exam is so crucial – to catch diseases like glaucoma before they permanently claim your vision.

When signs do present themselves, blurred vision can be a symptom of glaucoma. To err on the side of caution, be sure to schedule an eye exam.

 

When Blurred Vision is an Emergency

If you’re currently experiencing sudden blurred vision, or you contend with temporary blurred vision from time to time, the good news is that most causes don’t threaten your eyesight.

Blurred vision, however, can be a sign of a serious vision and/or health issue. For this reason, you should call iCare Vision or go to the emergency room as soon as possible if you experience any of the following:

  • Sudden changes in your vision, such as blurriness, that don’t subside after closing your eyes or blinking a few times
  • Persistent pain in one or both eyes
  • No vision in one or both eyes, or in a specific area of an eye

If you feel your blurred vision is non-threatening, it’s still important to schedule a comprehensive eye exam soon to ensure your eyes are healthy and you’re seeing clearly.

  Schedule Healthy Eye Exam
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child completing school work
27Aug 2018

How IEP and 504 Plans Relate to Vision

Is your child on an academic support plan? Learn how your child’s learning difficulties can be caused by undetected vision issues.

How IEP and 504 Plans Relate to Vision

As a parent, you know your child like the back of your hand. You know what they need, when they need it, and you can sense when something is off before they even realize it themselves.

When it comes to their academic success and advancement in school, you’re there – every night – helping your son or daughter with homework. If they’ve recently been struggling or you’ve been notified they’re being placed on an IEP or 504 Plan, you may be searching for answers as to why.

Undeniably, your child is bright and wants to learn and achieve.

child completing school work

Did you know that there’s a 75% chance that a child’s poor learning skills or learning difficulties are caused by vision problems?

If you’re trying to navigate your child’s learning issues and have a hunch they could be related to unidentified vision issues, keep reading to learn about IEP’s, 504 Plans, and how your child’s coordination and learning skills heavily rely on his or her ability to see clearly.

What are IEP and 504 Plans?

For students who require more support and/or more individualized instruction, there are special education services – such as IEP and 504 Plans – that can tailor to a student’s exact learning needs. These services strive to ensure that students with learning difficulties who need special accommodations have a level playing field within the classroom.

While these services encompass a lot, the simple difference is that:

Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans are for students who would benefit from more focused, specialized instruction. IEP plan also mandate a special report from a doctor of Optometry or Ophthalmology to be filled out shortly before or during the initial phase of an IEP and then filed with the students IEP official record. Special testing,reporting,and recommendations are required from the eye doctor to help and advance the visual learning of student.

504 Plans are for students who have accessibility needs, such as extended time for tests, large print textbooks, special seating, specific lighting, etc. However, 504 Plans do not deliver specialized instruction, and students on 504 Plans do not qualify for special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Regardless of which plan your child is placed on, it’s crucial to understand how vision problems can be a main contributor to your child’s challenges in school.

What Research is Telling Us

Researchers at the Ohio State University, with support from the Ohio Optometric Association, have found a conclusive link between vision issues and students who are placed on IEPs or 504 Plans.

  • The study focused on 255 students who were on IEPs to establish a connection to vision problems.
  • The study focused on students aged 5-18 years old.
  • The main takeaway was this: “There is considerable association between ocular anomalies and poor school performance. These problems are illustrated by the high prevalence of a variety of eye problems experienced in patients with IEPs.”

They found that students who were on IEPs had more difficulties with vision issues, such as child eye focus problems, eye tracking problems, and much more, than the general student population.

Do you have school aged children and suspect they contend with eye tracking difficulty, blurry vision or another vision issue that may be interfering with their living and learning needs? Read about signs and symptoms of child eye focus and eye tracking problems and the effects of vision therapy for certain visual skills:

Causes and Symptoms of Eye Focus and Eye Tracking Problems

What are child eye focus problems?

Did you know – with the help of the ciliary muscle, or focusing muscle, which is located inside the eye – that a focusing adjustment is made every time we look from one place to another?

Eye focusing problems occur when a child is unable to quickly and accurately relax or contract the focusing muscle – or if this muscle contraction cannot be maintained for adequate periods of time while they’re reading or doing work at their desk.

Symptoms of Eye Focus Problems

  • Blurred Vision
  • Headaches
  • Pain in or around the eye
  • Eye strain
  • Fatigue
  • Avoidance of reading and writing
  • Moving print
  • Reduced efficiency and productivity
  • Difficulty maintaining clear vision
  • Difficulty shifting focus from one distance to another
  • Difficulty with visual concentration and attention
What are child eye tracking problems?

For a child to effectively and efficiently use their vision, the eyes must move accurately, smoothly, and quickly from place to place to accurately scan the visual environment – like looking from the board to the desk, or reading when the eyes jump from one word to another, or during sports when following moving objects or for any eye-hand coordination need.

Eye tracking problems are when eye movements are slow, inaccurate, or require head or finger movement to help the eyes track. Child eye tracking problems interfere with a multitude of sport performances and learning skills, like handwriting, reading fluency, reading comprehension, copying and more.

Symptoms of Eye Tracking Problems

  • Guesses at words
  • Avoids or resists reading
  • Easier to read large font
  • Head movement (side to side) when reading
  • Overwhelmed by pages of text
  • Difficulty copying from the white board
  • Poor accuracy with word endings
  • Poor awareness of punctuation
  • Poor handwriting
  • Poor reading comprehension
  • Poor reading fluency
  • Poor reading speed
  • Text or words may appear to “float” or “move” on the page
  • Tilts head when reading
  • Uses finger or guide when reading
  • Poor sports performance (particularly ball-playing sports)
What causes eye focus and eye tracking problems?

The most common cause of child eye focus problems and blurred vision are refractive errors.

Common causes of child eye tracking problems include issues with fine eye movements, poor peripheral vision and visual processing difficulties.

The Effects of Vision Therapy for Focus and Tracking Problems

When it’s determined that glasses, contacts or surgery can’t treat a certain vision issue, vision therapy can prove effective.

Because vision is the primary sense by which we learn, it’s incredibly common for a child with a learning or behavioral difficulty to also have an underlying, undiagnosed vision problem that’s contributing to their learning/behavioral problems.

Most optometrists use vision therapy as a piece in a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of varying degrees of eye focus and tracking problems and learning difficulties.

Learn more about pediatric vision therapy, including signs your child may benefit from vision therapy and more:

Pediatric Vision Therapy: Is it Right for My Child?
Vision Therapy Exercises You Can Try at Home
iCare Vision’s Corrective Vision Therapy For Adults and Kids

Furthermore, and perhaps even more alarming, out of the 179 students that required vision treatment from a children’s eye doctor, approximately 69% (124 students) passed the school vision screening exam.

School vision screenings are setting children, parents, and entire academic plans up for failure because they don’t depict the entire picture and fail to identify treatable vision problems that are leading to shortcomings in the classroom.

This is a serious underlying issue in our schools throughout the country.

Why School Vision Screenings Lack in Effectiveness

Vision tests that are administered at your child’s school or pediatrician’s office only catch about 15-20% of vision problems and don’t provide your child’s full vision diagnosis.

These exams only focus on testing a child’s distance vision. But to truly detect vision issues that can lead to eye strain, tiredness, headaches, and learning difficulties, the following must the thoroughly assessed:

  • Near vision (critical for reading)
  • Binocular coordination
  • Eye movement skills
  • Focusing skills
  • Peripheral awareness

When It’s Time to See a Children’s Eye Doctor

Is your child expressing or displaying any vision-related issues, such as, but not limited to: squinting, frequent eye rubbing, extreme light sensitivity, chronic eye redness or tearing, viewing objects really close-up or moving their head in an odd position to see better?

If your child is on an academic support plan and/or showing or talking about vision issues they’re experiencing, it’s time to get a comprehensive pediatric eye exam by a children’s eye doctor.

Child eye tracking problems, eye focus problems, and other vision issues can be the root cause of your child’s learning issues.

A children’s eye doctor will run specialized tests to identify your child’s exact visual learning problems and recommend effective solutions, such as a prescription and vision therapy exercises.

Each School district has a parent/child advocate that can help you and the school to find the right help and directions. These key people know the in’s and outs of getting local, state, and federal help if your child is not performing.

As the school year gets underway, schedule your child’s pediatric healthy eye exam today. As Dr. Wineland likes to say, “help your child perform up to his or her IQ.”

Schedule Your Child’s Pediatric Healthy Eye Exam

Questions for Kids: Tell Us About What You See at School

  • Did you feel better when you sit in the front of the class or back of the class?
  • Is it easy to read words or see pictures from your papers and textbooks?
  • Do you feel like you can see clearly? Or do your eyes feel burry?
  • Do you feel like you squint to read a book, the chalkboard, or a computer screen?
  • Do your eyes hurt after using a computer?
  • Do you ever get a headache after reading?

Be sure to tell a parent or teacher what your eyes feel like, or what you’re experiencing.

Understanding what is going on with your eyes is very important to help you see clearly and comfortably – and help you do your best in school.

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