By Mrinal Gokhale
August is Children’s Eye Safety Month, and with the school year coming up, it’s critical that parents schedule eye exams for their children.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 80 percent of preschool children in the country have not had eye exams. Even more, 1 in 20 preschoolers and 5 in 20 school-aged children have eye problems.
Michael Raciti, MD, is a first time father and eye surgeon at Milwaukee Eye Care Specialists. He believes in the importance of getting children screened young to both prevent and detect common eye problems and serious genetic eye disorders.
“All children should have professional eye exams by age five and periodically through the school years,” Raciti said.
One common vision problem is amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” This refers to the brain’s inability to help both eyes focus equally, thus “shutting off” images from the weaker eye. Using an eye patch to cover the strong eye usually strengthens the weak eye, but only if done before age 9. Otherwise, the condition can become permanent. Raciti also lists near and far sightedness, strabismus (“crossed eyes”), ptosis (droopy upper eyelid), cataracts and glaucoma as eye problems that are usually present in childhood. These problems may become permanent and some could cause permanent vision loss if left untreated.
This is why Dr. Daniel Pascowitz, MD, a partner at Milwaukee Eye Care Specialists said that it is critical for preschool aged children and even infants to get screened.
“For older children, annual physicals and school screenings may catch the need for glasses, but these exams usually aren’t equipped to detect vision threatening problems in the retina, optic nerve and eye muscles,” Pascowitz said. He added that although most children have healthy eyes, the children who have eye problems may not know they are struggling until later, due to the “child’s coping skills or lack of knowledge that the world can look differently.”
“These children get by until poor grades and frustration signal their inability to read the blackboard, a book, or a computer screen,” said Pascowitz. Throughout a child’s life, a little can go a long way when it comes to eye development.
Raciti suggests practicing the following lifestyle habits to maintain healthy eyes.
• Wear sunglasses to prevent damage from UV rays
• Eat a balanced diet filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and low in sugar and fat
• Avoid second hand smoke exposure
• Get lots of exercise
Though exercise encourages healthy eye development, Raciti recommended wearing protective eyewear when playing sports.
“Over 33,000 sports and recreation eye injuries happen yearly to children under age 16, and 90 percent of those injuries could have been prevented with protective glasses,” Raciti said.
Raciti also placed emphasis on scheduling regular comprehensive eye exams, especially when there is a family history of glaucoma or diabetes.
“The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends screenings at birth, around six months, age three and five, and again at least once in the teen years,” Raciti said.
For more information on financial assistance for eye appointments visit Wisconsin.preventblindness.org.
