1. It is never too soon to take your child for an eye examination, as we can examine children’s eyes even if they are unable to read letters. You should aim to take children for their first eye examination at least by the time they are three years old, especially if there is a family history of wearing glasses.
2. Children should have eye examinations at least once every two years, and more often, as advised by the optometrist, if they have an existing eye condition. Eye tests for children under 16 are free. It is important to know that the eye screening children receive in schools is not as detailed as the eye examination carried out by an optometrist.
3. Always make sure there is plenty of light when your child is doing their homework so they do not strain their eyes to see.
4. Children of any age who are underachieving at school should have an eye examination. Poor vision is very likely to cause problems with reading and writing.
5. If you suspect that your child has a colour vision problem or if there is a family history of colour vision problems then arrange an eye examination. There is no cure for colour vision deficiency but at least teachers can be made aware of this problem and avoid using certain colours in their teaching.
6. Always protect your child’s sight in the sun. There is increasing evidence to suggest that over-exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV) can contribute to the development of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and ocular melanoma (eye cancer). On average, people receive 50% of their lifetime sun exposure before they are 18 years old.
7. Make sure they eat their greens! Eating certain fruit and vegetables which contain substances called lutein and zeaxanthin could help protect against some eye conditions, in particular cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in this country. In particular ensure they eat plenty of broccoli, oranges, peas, kiwi fruits, mangoes, sweetcorn, grapes, and of course spinach!
Why not pop in with your children to have a look at and try out our Fabulous new childrens Sunglass and Spectacle Range.
We now also have a new range of good quality NHS spectacle frames.
