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Children's Eye Examinations are
Critical for Every Child's Healthy Development
by Jeffrey D. Phillips, O.D.
Among the children's health issues
that concern parents the most, eyes and vision development rank
near the top. This is especially true because vision is so
critical to the successful development and education of children.
Parents must be especially aware of a child's visual performance
because a child may be unaware that his/her vision is abnormal.
It may seem to him or her that it has always been this way.
It's up to attentive parents to
notice the signs of a vision problem and follow up with a visit to
the eye doctor for a children's eye exam.
Newborn: The Critical Period:
the first 12 months
Babies usually see movement before
anything else. Full-term babies
Should be able to see their
mother's facial expression within a week of birth. The visual
system is a self-programming system of two living cameras (the
eyes) connected to a super high definition, three-dimensional
rendering, real-time graphical super computer (the brain). If
that sounds complicated, it is. Your baby's eyes need to be
screened with an ophthalmoscope (a device for seeing the inside of
the eye) at birth for any sign of abnormality and during well-baby
pediatrician visits throughout the first year.
Babies often have eyes that are
turned in, turned out, or not working as a team, a condition known
as strabismus. Visual development is a very complex process. In
order for the system to self-program correctly, each eye must have
a good focus, and both must be focused approximately equally and
point approximately straight with one another (all 6 of the eye
muscles for each eye must all function fully). Approximately one
child in 5 will show some abnormality. Because of this, all
babies should receive a comprehensive infant eye exam with an eye
specialist before age 6 months. This is to assure that the
focusing is clear and properly balanced for normal development.
Special measurements will be taken with an instrument called an
retinoscope. If the measurements show an abnormality, pediatric
eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other treatment may be necessary to
correct the focus problems. This will avoid strabismus and "lazy
eye" problems and allow your baby's vision to reach its maximum
potential. If the eye specialist finds no problem at six months,
then the baby should be re-evaluated at 12 to18 months.
Preschool
From ages 3 to 6, your child will
be fine-tuning the vision already developed during the infant and
toddler years. Older preschoolers are learning how to use sports
equipment and working on the fine motor skills needed to write.
Coloring, drawing and activities that use the eyes and hands
together are excellent for developing the visual system. Parents
need to watch for the warning signs of visual problems, such as
sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close,
squinting, closing or covering one eye, head tilting, eye rubbing
and sensitivity to light. A child who grasps inaccurately may
have a problem. Children who fall excessively or often run into
objects may have a problem. Farsightedness and strabismus are
common problems in this age group. However, some problems may not
reveal themselves by behavior, and even If your child exhibits no
symptoms of a visual problem, he should have a children's eye exam
by the age of 3. Having a complete children's eye exam even
before the child enters school allows enough time to identify and
correct many problems while the visual system is still flexible.
If your pre-schooler needs
glasses, you may to help your child to understand why. Explain
that he/she needs glasses to see clearly, and give specific
examples of benefits, such as words in books will look clearer,
the eyes will feel more comfortable and will be able to see better
during active play with other children.
School days
School-age children should receive
an eye exam before entering kindergarten and yearly after that
even if they have no visual problems. Children requiring glasses
or contact lenses usually will typically need to be re-evaluated
every 12 months, but in some cases more frequent care will be
necessary. Your eye specialist will tailor a program to meet your
individual needs.
…But my child is checked at school
or at the pediatrician isn't that enough?
A vision screening performed by a
pediatrician or school nurse is not a complete eye exam, just as a
blood pressure screening is no substitute for a comprehensive
physical. Many eye problems cannot be detected by such simple
screenings. Studies show that these vision screenings can
routinely miss sight-threatening eye conditions. Yes, they are
better than nothing, but your child deserves much more.
Learning Disabilities and Vision
About 80% of learning in a child's
first 12 years comes through the eyes. Some children are labeled
"learning disabled" or "trouble-makers," when what they really
need is an eye exam and appropriate vision correction. Good
vision is fundamental to reading; it is vital to seeing such
learning tools as the chalkboard, visual aids, books, papers and
videos. In short, good vision is as essential to learning as the
ABC's.
Often times, children with true
learning disabilities have significant visual problems as well. If
a visual problem is contributing to a child's learning
difficulties, special lenses or vision therapy methods may help.
If your child's visual function is excellent, he or she may
benefit from different approaches to sensory integration. A
pediatric psychologist or developmental reading specialist may be
helpful. If you suspect behavior problems may be interfering with
learning or your child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), be aware that some of the
medications for these disorders can have significant visual side
effects, and your child may require specialized reading glasses
while on these medications
Amblyopia
An eye condition, commonly missed
with a vision screening, is ambloypia. Amblyopia, also known as
lazy eye, is a vision problem that affects just two to three
percent of the population, but if left uncorrected, it can have a
very big impact on their lives. Central (straight ahead) vision
does not develop properly, usually in one eye, which is called
amblyopic. It is typically caused by problem with poor focus or
alignment of one or both eyes that was not detected during the
critical first 12 months of development.
Untreated amblyopia may lead to
"functional blindness" (but not total blindness) in the affected
eye. Although the amblyopic eye has the capability to see, the
brain "turns off" the center of the vision from the amblyopic eye
because vision is very blurred. The brain elects to see only with
the stronger eye for straight ahead, while still incorporating
side vision from the amblyopic eye into the over-all perception.
Amblyopia generally develops in
young children, before age six. Symptoms of amblyopia are often
noted by parents, caregivers or health-care professionals. If a
child squints or completely closes one eye to see, he or she may
have amblyopia. Other signs of amblyopia include overall poor
visual acuity, eyestrain and headaches.
Children with amblyopia can often
be treated with patching one eye, atropine eye drops, the correct
prescription for nearsightedness or farsightedness, or surgery.
While the vision often can be greatly improved, it seldom recovers
fully in the amblyopic eye. The best treatment is avoidance of
this condition by early and continued infant evaluation with an
eye specialist.
Systemic Diseases
Sometimes parents who have
children with serious health problems such as Juvenile Diabetes
may overlook vision care. This can have disastrous consequences.
Juvenile Diabetes can have very damaging effects on vision. Other
diseases can affect the eyes as well, so remember to ask your
pediatrician if the eyes could be involved.
Kids will be kids...
Most childhood accidents occur at
home, many with toys. Children spend a great deal of time playing
with their toys, so you need to make sure those toys are safe for
eyes. Avoid toys that shoot objects in the air, such as
slingshots, dart guns or arrows, for children under 6, and closely
supervise any child playing with such toys. If your older child
plays with a chemistry set or woodworking tools, give him or her
safety goggles and be sure they are used.
Sports-related eye injuries top
100,000 per year, and almost all were preventable by protective
eyewear. Children are especially vulnerable to eye injury because
they are unaware of the possibilities. For children, eye injuries
happen mainly while playing. They should wear eye protection for
any sports and recreational activities that uses a projectile or
racket, involves rough contact with other players, or requires
travel at high speed. Ask your eye doctor about the best eye
protection for your child. If your child's eye is injured, don't
wait for it to get better, see an eye specialist as soon as
possible. Often times a simple looking injury can have
sight-threatening consequences. Many times injuries are made much
worse by delaying care. Don't delay if you think there may be a
problem. The old advice of "better to be safe than sorry"
definitely applies here.
and Finally ...
I hope this information on
children's vision was helpful to you and wish you and yours a
lifetime of beautifully clear healthy vision.
Jeffrey D. Phillips, O.D.
HOW CLEAN IS YOUR HOME’S
AIR?
By Joe Eletto
We continually hear and read about how
bad our indoor air quality is….things like:
The EPA declares that indoor air is
2-10 times more hazardous than outdoor air. So why is that?
Today’s homes are constructed
extremely airtight, holding within modern day pollutants such as
acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, styrene and various other
chemicals (from the likes of carpets, mattresses, home
furnishings, construction materials, household cleaners,
pesticides, etc.)…not to mention the age-old problems from dust,
dander, mold, pollen and smoke.
So it’s no wonder that diagnosed
asthma cases have doubled since the mid 70’s and 1 out of 6 of our
young people have asthma.
Removing the pollutants is not always
practical. First, a stripped down home would be very
uncomfortable. Second, unfortunately much of the pollution in our
homes is us…dead skin cells make up nearly 80% of the dust. And,
those creepy dust mites thrive on our leftovers. Although I’ve
never counted them, I’m told there are 42,000 dust mites on a
speck of dust (that’s a crowd). And there is still room on that
dust speck for bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. Dare we
mention the “M” word? It could become the legal system’s next
asbestos gold mine.
So, what to do? Indoor Air
Purification is becoming big business. But before you decide
which is best, do your due diligence. Study the various systems
and try before you buy. Then decide which works best for you and
your family.
Joe Eletto, Owner of Pure4u, Inc.
is an Indoor Air Quality Specialist, Advanced Oxidation
Specialist, and NORM1 Certified IAQ/Mold Inspector.
Last
Resort Medicine: A Patient’s Story
By: Dr. Mary Riggin, AP, DAc
I consider
myself blessed to see the dramatic results produced by Oriental
Medicine. Unfortunately, the drastic improvements would not have
HAD to be so drastic if “Alternative Medicine” did not mean “Last
Resort Medicine” to so many people.
Patty, who is
the mother of two small children, was becoming more and more
dependant on daily allergy and depression medications. What
started as a seasonal problem six years ago was now worsening.
Her symptoms were bothering her continually every day, all year
long. Without the daily medications she was unable to function,
but the daily use was taking a heavy toll on her, and her husband
was starting to worry about the long term effects.
I met Patty at
my gym and explained what alternatives might be helpful to her.
After much thought, she interrogated my teenage daughter to see if
this “voodoo” medicine actually worked and if it hurt at all; she
was extremely needle phobic and afraid to try. After my 17 year
old assured her it wasn’t that bad, she decided to come into the
office and find out more.
After our
initial consultation, she decided to give it a try. I explained
that I practiced a “painless” style of acupuncture and had treated
many needle phobic patients with great success.
Her next visit
consisted of a comprehensive examination according to Oriental
Medicine’s principles, which include evaluating the body’s energy
fields similar to the way a western medical doctor would evaluate
the body’s chemistry. Both disciples agree that balance is
necessary for optimal health. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
directly balance the body’s energy fields to achieve optimal
health. When the needles are placed along key energy pathways,
they act like little antennae that focus’ the body’s ability to
heal and increases the blood and oxygen flow to the cells.
Over the next
few weeks, Patty started to feel better, have more energy, handle
stress better, experience improved mood, more stable emotions and
improved movement in her neck and back. Remarkably, she only uses
medications occasionally.
How has this
changed Patty’s life? “It’s amazing how much better I feel,” she
stated with a big smile on her face, “I just can’t believe this
works so well and that the needles don’t hurt. During the first
treatment when you told me 3 were already in, I didn’t believe
it! I didn’t even feel them!”
Dr. Riggin is a national board certified, licensed Acupuncture
Physician (FL) and Doctor of Acupuncture (RI.) She is clinic
director of Healing Touch
Oriental Medicine in Clearwater, host and creator of the multi
award winning TV show “Health Options” and a published author and
free lance writer. She has taught at local and national events,
was appointed by two Governors to Florida’s State Board of
Acupuncture and served as President of the Florida State Oriental
Medical Association. She can be reached at (727) 669-6000 or on
the web at http://DrMary.Riggin.net
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