Regular eye exams encouraged to ensure proper vision
OTTAWA, Oct. 1, 2014 /CNW/ - October is Children's Vision Month and Doctors of Optometry Canada are reminding parents to take their children for a yearly eye exam. At school, socially and in play, vision problems can prevent children from reaching their full potential. With 80 per cent of learning based on vision, an eye exam from a Doctor of Optometry is the best way to help ensure children achieve optimal learning and development, now and in the future.
"A comprehensive eye exam can make a real difference in how well a child performs at school – much more so than a simple sight test or school vision screening," says Dr. Jeff Goodhew, co-chair of the Canadian Association of Optometrist's National Public Education Committee. "For school-age children, several different visual skills must work together so they can see and understand clearly. By ensuring your child has healthy vision, you are helping enable them to play, learn, socialize and fully experience everything that life has to offer."
One-in-four school-age children has a vision problem and many of these problems have no obvious symptoms, so there is no way for parents to know if their child is the one. Since children have no point of comparison, most accept their vision as normal because they don't know any differently. As a result, many children with impaired visual skills can become withdrawn and perform below their potential in school. Some children are even misdiagnosed as having a learning disability.
"Research tells us that most parents mistakenly believe that they would know if their child had a vision problem. But the truth is, with no easy-to-detect symptoms, it is impossible to know without an eye exam," says Dr. Goodhew.
Children don't need to be able to read to have an eye exam. Doctors of Optometry recommend infants have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age. Children should have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school to ensure optimal vision and development. Booking an eye exam is the best way to ensure your child sees well.
About Children's Vision Month
Children's Vision Month occurs annually in October and is dedicated to raising awareness of the impact undiagnosed vision problems can have on children's learning and development. It is an initiative of the Canadian Association of Optometrists and the 10 provincial optometric associations.
About Doctors of Optometry Canada
Doctors of Optometry are health care specialists trained to diagnose, treat and help prevent diseases and disorders affecting the eyes, and also assist in identifying general health conditions that are often first detected through an eye exam. Doctor of Optometry-recommended treatments for patients can include eyeglasses, contact lenses, special low vision aids, eye coordination exercises, drug therapies, or referral to appropriate specialists for advanced medical, surgical or laser treatments. For more information: visit www.doctorsofoptometry.ca
Image with caption: "Children’s Vision Month by the numbers. Booking an eye exam with a Doctor of Optometry is the best way to ensure your child sees well. (CNW Group/Doctors of Optometry Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141001_C3125_PHOTO_EN_6157.jpg
Image with caption: "October is Children’s Vision month. Help your child see their full potential. (CNW Group/Doctors of Optometry Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141001_C3125_PHOTO_EN_6159.jpg
Audio with caption: "Audio: October is Children’s Vision Month and Doctors of Optometry Canada are reminding parents to take their children for a yearly eye exam. At school, socially and in play, vision problems can prevent children from reaching their full potential.". Audio available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2014/10/01/20141001_C3125_AUDIO_EN_6160.mp3
SOURCE: Doctors of Optometry Canada
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