GREENSBORO, N.C. — Do you keep track of how much screen time you and your family uses? Because it could be impacting your eye health. Dr. Kimberly Orr from Triangle Visions Optometry joined 2 Wants to Know to answer all your eye questions.
Common Misconceptions in Eyecare
- Myth: Contacts worsen your eyesight
- Fact: If needed, wearing prescription lenses doesn’t make your eyesight weaker; the lenses simply act as an aid to help you see better.
- Myth: you don't need regular eye exams if you have good vision.
- Fact: Many eye diseases develop slowly over time, often without any real warning signs, but can lead to blindness, such as Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataracts, Macular Degeneration.
- Myth: Spending a lot of time looking at screens like computers, tablets, and smartphones is fine.
- Fact: The American Optometric Association (AOA) says that too much time on digital screens can cause Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), also known as Digital Eye Strain. Symptoms include headaches, blurry vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain.
- Myth: You just go to the optometrist for glasses.
- Fact: Optometrists diagnose, treat, and manage eye disease; they just don't make glasses.
What would I notice if my kids have a problem with their eyes?
- Complaints of discomfort and fatigue
- Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
- Short attention span
- Avoiding reading and other close activities
- Frequent headaches
- Covering or winking one eye
- Tilting the head to one side
- Holding reading materials close to the face
- An eye turning in or out
- Seeing double
- Losing place when reading
- Difficulty remembering what he or she read
When should my child have an eye exam?
- The American Optometric Association (AOA) says infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age. Children then should receive additional eye exams at 3 years of age, and just before they enter kindergarten or the first grade at about age 5 or 6.
- For school-aged children, the AOA recommends an eye exam every two years if no vision correction is required. Children who need eyeglasses or contact lenses should be examined annually or according to their eye doctor’s recommendations. It's important for parents to make sure their children's eyes are healthy. Approximately 80 percent of all learning during a child's first 12 years comes through vision.
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