With back-to-school right around the corner, August is the perfect time for National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. August is the new September! And here’s to hoping the 2021-2022 school year is just a little more normal than last year!
At Center For Sight, we believe that good vision – starting in childhood – is the foundation for a happy, healthy life. And if you’ve been our patient for any amount of time, you know we want you and your family to enjoy 20/happy vision for a lifetime!
We Have Vision for Your Children
At Center For Sight, we love our young patients! And we are committed to helping even the tiniest tots have and maintain healthy eyes and good vision for a lifetime.
For this reason, we recommend that children begin having annual eye exams, starting at about age three. Sure, they will have vision screenings at school and/or their well-child checkups at their primary care physician, but a vision screening is not the same as an annual eye exam by a licensed eye doctor.
Pediatric Ophthalmology at Center For Sight
Did you know a few of our board-certified ophthalmologists have specialty training in working with children? For this reason, we are able to offer expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of many medical and surgical children’s eye disorders, including the following:
• Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
• Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)
• Ptosis
• Nasolacrimal duct obstruction
• Pediatric cataracts
Two of our board-certified ophthalmologists, Dr. Selim Koseoglu and Dr. Jeyan El-Mansoury, have fellowship training and decades of experience in pediatric ophthalmology. Patients are referred to us from across the Las Vegas area and beyond. While Drs. Selim (as his patients call him) and El-Mansoury are both experts in all things relating to children’s eye care, the two most common issues they treat are amblyopia and strabismus.
Digital Eye Strain Increasing in Young People
If your child has their own phone, laptop or tablet (or all three), they are likely spending a lot of time staring at blue light. Add in online learning, TV viewing and video gaming, and most children and teens are spending several hours each day plugged in.
The American Optometric Association defines Computer Vision Syndrome as digital eye strain caused by glare from electronics use as well as working distance, contrast, size of the font and even lack of blinking. It should be noted that there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye. Rather, it is the combination of time spent on electronics combined with the above-mentioned factors that cause digital eye strain.
Regular screen use can also contribute to long-term dry eye issues. And, computer vision syndrome isn’t just one specific problem. The most common side effects of CVS include blurry vision, stiff shoulders, stiff neck, headaches, watery eyes and altered sleep patterns.
If your screen (or your child’s screen) glows brighter than your surroundings, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjust your screen brightness to match the level of light around you. Also, try increasing the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain.
But the best way to protect eyes against eye strain is to take regular breaks using the “20-20-20” rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You can also use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry.
Trust Your Children’s Eyes to Las Vegas’ Vision Experts
We all only get one set of eyes to last a lifetime. So help your children protect and take care of theirs. If you believe your child is experiencing any of the issues addressed here (or any other vision issues), Center For Sight has an expert team you can trust to provide excellent care for your child’s unique needs.
Beyond that, August is the perfect month to schedule an eye exam for your children. Help your kiddos have a successful school year by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam and taking safety measures to ensure their eyes are free from injury and digital eye strain.
Please reach out! We look forward to serving you.
