by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care
It’s easy to get caught up in the back-to-school vaccinations and school supply shopping. But this month, there’s something else that should be on your to-do list: your child’s eye exam!
August is Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month, making it the perfect time to talk about the important role good vision plays in a child’s success at school.
“Eye health and safety is very important for children,” says Dr. Jessica Lopez Phelps, a pediatrician with Central Florida Health Care. “Without regular assessments, we can’t detect problems that could cause irreversible vision loss in the future.”
Without prevention and treatment, eye problems can cause major issues when children are in a classroom setting.
“Sometimes if a child isn’t seeing well, they’ll also have trouble paying attention well. This will reflect in their learning. If you can’t see, you don’t pay attention, and you don’t learn. So you want to make sure to stay on top of annual visits to get eye checks and ensure your kids perform well in school,” says Dr. Lopez Phelps.
Specifically, problems with eye health and vision can hinder a child’s ability to read and interact with others, and it could even affect mental health and self-image.
“It’s an important thing to keep an eye on,” says Dr. Lopez Phelps.
Thankfully, a vision check is quick, easy, and — for the most part — largely identical to the vision checks adults undergo. The screening is a part of regular well-child visits, making it convenient for busy families to stay on top of their children’s eye health without scheduling separate appointments.
As with adults, older children will stand 20 feet away from the vision chart, look at the lines, and read the letters to test their vision. Younger kids, meanwhile, will have a similar test but with geometric shapes or simpler, symmetrical letters, like H, O, V, etc.
Then the doctor will check the child’s pupils, eye movements, and optic nerve function. The appearance of the eye also will be considered, as this can reveal conditions such as hyperthyroidism.
If your child has an abnormal result from a vision check, there’s no need to panic; the team at Central Florida Health Care will be there to support them.
“If the vision screen is abnormal, we’ll send the patient to a pediatric ophthalmologist, then to the optometrist,” explains Dr. Lopez Phelps. Those specialists will do a more in-depth exam and likely dilate the pupils so they can see the inside of the eye better.
“If vision is still not at 100 percent,” she says, “the patient will be fitted for glasses.”
The opening of the new Bartow Pediatric Health Center makes it easy for families in that area to schedule a vision check for their child.
“The Bartow Pediatric Health Center opened about a month ago,” adds Dr. Lopez Phelps. “We see children from birth to 18 years old, and we’re open to all new patients. For everybody that wants to come, we’re happy to see them.”
Central Florida Health Care also has a mobile optometry unit that makes it easier for both adults and children to easily get vision care.
Regardless of where you get your children’s checkups done, it’s important to stay on top of their eye health and pay close attention for signs of trouble.
“Parents will often notice things before a doctor will,” says Dr. Lopez Phelps. “It’s important to bring those things to our attention. If there’s anything questionable going on that a doctor doesn’t notice, bring it up so we can evaluate them and refer if needed.”