Back-to-School Eye Health Tips

By Sondra Forsyth

New clothes and a new backpack may be on your child’s back-to-school list. But, what about a back-to-school eye exam? Lighthouse Guild, the leading vision and health organization, points out that vision is one of the keys to success in school and encourages parents to make sure their children get regular vision screenings.

Dr. Laura Sperazza, Director of Low Vision Services at Lighthouse Guild, says, “The most important thing you can do to protect your child’s vision is to make sure they get an eye exam. An eye health professional can determine if your child needs eyeglasses or contact lenses, or if there is a vision problem that requires further intervention.”

August Is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
Lighthouse Guild offers the following five healthy vision tips to help safeguard your child’s eye health.

• Eat Your Carrots – The old saying still applies. Encourage your child to eat a well-balanced diet loaded with different types of fruits and veggies, as well as fish.
• Speak Up – Ask you child to let you know if they notice any vision changes. For instance, if their vision is blurry, they are squinting a lot, or their eyes start bothering them.
• Wear Your Glasses – Help your child understand the importance of wearing their eyeglasses. If they are resistant, because they believe glasses are unattractive, try pointing out sports figures, and other well-known people who wear glasses. Talk with them about how to clean and store their glasses.
• Rest Your Eyes – Looking continuously at a computer, phone or TV screen can tire eyes. Encourage your child to take a break from staring at the screen.
• Wear Safety Gear – Make sure your child wears goggles or other types of protective eye wear while playing sports, using chemicals or tools for school projects, or engaging in other activities. Many eye injuries can be prevented with better safety habits.

Lighthouse Guild and ColumbiaDoctors Children’s Health will also host a back to school Twitter chat on Thursday, August 30 at 7 PM. Parents can learn and ask questions about preventing and managing childhood vision loss and preparing their kids for school from experts in the field. Lighthouse Guild’s Twitter handle is @lighthousegld.

About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild is the leading organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss.