30 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • NOVEMBER 9, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
A message for parents: School eye screenings
don’t replace a comprehensive eye exam
With the academic year in full swing,
many schools across the country are
administering vision screenings to students.
Parents mistakenly breathe a sigh
of relief upon hearing that their children
“passed” the screening. What parents
don’t know are the signifi cant limitations
of school-based screenings. School vision
screenings fail to detect a range of potentially
harmful vision issues, the American
Optometric Association (AOA) reports.
Unfortunately, nine out of 10 parents
think that school-based vision screenings
are all their children need to confi
rm good eye health. But screenings miss
up to 75 percent of dangerous eye conditions
in children, according to AOA’s
new Evidence-Based Clinical Practice
Guideline: Comprehensive Pediatric Eye
and Vision Examination. What’s more,
when a vision screening does indicate a
possible problem, only 39 percent of children
receive the care they need from an
eye doctor.
One of the biggest hurdles to detecting
poor vision is the child’s awareness of the
problem. Most children with vision problems
don’t know that other children see
better than they do; they think their poor
vision is “normal.”
“Healthy eyes and good vision are
essential for every child’s development,”
says AOA President Christopher Quinn,
O.D. “Parents need to know that school
vision screenings can miss potentially
severe eye or vision problems. Th ey cannot
replace a comprehensive exam by a
doctor of optometry.”
Th e AOA, which represents more than
44,000 optometrists, optometric professionals
and optometry students in communities
across the country, recently
issued a new, evidence-based guideline for
vision care in children that informs parents
and caregivers about protecting their
children’s eye health. Th e guideline, which
is based on a three-year review of the latest
research, concludes that children should
receive a comprehensive eye exam during
their fi rst year of life and again between
the ages of 3 and 5, before entering fi rst
grade and annually thereaft er.
“Regular, comprehensive eye exams not
only contribute to helping children succeed,
they prevent and diagnose serious
eye problems that can be more expensive
to treat and cause permanent vision
impairment if left undetected,” Quinn
says.
Vision and academic
performance
Multiple studies have linked vision
problems with poor academic performance
and behavioral issues. In fact,
children with undetected and untreated
vision problems can exhibit some of
the same symptoms as kids with attention
defi cit disorders, leading to false
diagnoses.
“Good vision is more complex than just
being able to see clearly,” Quinn says. “In
order to see well enough to perform to the
best of their academic abilities, children’s
eyes need to focus, track, work together
and judge distance and depth. Typical
school vision tests only screen for nearsightedness.”
Eye health problems
A comprehensive eye exam by a doctor
of optometry can help detect serious eye
health and vision problems that in-school
screenings simply aren’t designed to
catch. Th ese problems include amblyopia,
a condition that impairs vision in one
of a child’s eyes because the eye and the
brain are not working together properly.
According to AOA, parents should keep
these four tips in mind when it comes to
their children’s eye health and safety:
1. Know that pediatric eye exams with a
doctor of optometry are most likely covered
by your health insurance plan. Most
health insurance plans, including those
sold in health insurance marketplaces,
cover comprehensive pediatric eye exams.
2. Look for indicators of vision and eyehealth
issues in your children. Common
signals that your child may have a vision
problem include covering one eye, holding
reading materials close to the face,
a short attention span and complaining
of headaches or other discomfort.
Remember, most children don’t know
they have a problem, so they are unlikely
to say anything, even if they are struggling.
3. Prevent eye strain by monitoring use
of digital devices. Increased exposure to
electronic devices in and out of the classroom
can cause digital eye strain, including
burning or itchy eyes, headaches,
blurred vision and exhaustion. AOA recommends
following the 20-20-20 rule
(taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes
and looking at something 20 feet
away), blinking frequently and adjusting
your child’s computer screen to prevent
glare.
4. Make sure your kids wear proper eye
protection for sports and outdoor activities.
Well-fi tting, protective eye wear and
quality sunglasses that off er UV protection
are critical to maintaining key visual
skills and preventing injuries.
To learn more about vision health, visit
www.aoa.org.
Courtesy BPT