Getting the Kids Ready to Excel Starts With Their Vision
It’s that time of year again. You can smell fall coming on the wind and the last of the really hot weather is (thankfully) behind us. The leaves are starting to turn, the days are getting shorter, and the kids are finally going back to school.
Fall is the season for preparation. A time to get things done before winter sets in, and the holidays are quickly upon us.
If you have children, you are probably well into the process of purchasing them new school clothes, new shoes, new workout clothes for physical education, and the seemingly endless list of school supplies that they need to bring with them.
But there’s one more item that should be on every conscientious parent’s back to school prep list: an eye exam for each of their little students. Here’s what you need to know about taking care of your Portland kids’ eyesight during this back to school season.
Correcting Vision Issues Leads to Success With Kids
How many times have you heard the cliché story of the kid who was a chronic underachiever until their vision problem was finally noticed by the teacher, a parent, etc. and then they quickly became a straight-A student? In many cases, clichés only exist because they are based on many true stories.
Imagine sitting in class everyday, struggling to make the board, the overhead projection, or the textbook come into focus through sheer will and eyestrain. It’s not hard to understand how impaired vision might make learning a bit more difficult for a child with some vision problems.
Regular Eye Exams Are Not Only for the Vision Impaired Child
Children, like adults, should be getting regular eye exams anyway. After all, regular and consistent annual eye exams are the best way to diagnose and treat vision problems.
Additionally, in many cases, your eye doctor may catch the early onset of other health issues that have little to do with vision quality but may manifest in changes within the eye.
These conditions range in their seriousness and include diabetes, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, Graves disease, Bell’s palsy, aneurysm, risk of stroke, liver problems, pancreatic cancer, giant cell arteritis, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis.
Back to School Time Really Is the Best Time for a Regular Eye Exam
Because adequate vision is so central to children’s learning in most contemporary educational settings, it is imperative that you watch your kids throughout the year for signs of vision problems.
The late summer or early fall is a great time of year to get in the habit of scheduling an annual eye exam to ensure that the upcoming school year will be as productive as possible for your kids, and to safeguard against the possible development of serious eye problems or other medical issues that can be discovered during a simple eye exam.
If it’s been a while since your Portland child has seen the eye doctor, get in touch with the optometrists at Beaumont Vision today. We’ll get your kids in to see the eye doctor in no time at all, and have their vision issues taken care of so they can once again excel in school. See you soon!