A Warning to Parents from Our Mt. Pleasant Optometrist

Getting your kids ready to go back to school can be a Herculean task in many respects, but don't forget the need for a comprehensive eye exam in the midst of all your shopping and other preparations. Today's children face more potential threats to their visual acuity and ocular health than ever before, especially with the popularity of computers and mobile devices among school-age individuals. That's why our Mt. Pleasant optometrist at H. Arnold Papernick OD urges parents to go beyond what a school nurse can provide by scheduling regular back-to-school eye exams.

Why Get Back to School Eye Exams

Even under traditional low-tech circumstances, a comprehensive eye exam from our Mt. Pleasant eye doctor is an important measure for ensuring the health and performance of your child's eyes, even if your school already offers eye exams. The exams provided by school nurses are mostly designed to detect obvious vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and color blindness. By contrast, a comprehensive eye exam looks inside the eye to check for retinal disorders while also scanning the surface of the eye for corneal problems and other issues that require treatment.

At the same time, our Mt. Pleasant optometrist administers vision tests to determine whether your child has "20/20" vision or might need corrective lenses to achieve that goal. This is hugely important because a refractive errors that causes blurred vision at a particular distance can make reading blackboards or textbooks a struggle. The results may include not only headaches and eye fatigue but also poor performance in school, possibly causing some kids to be incorrectly diagnosed with learning disabilities.

Computer Vision Syndrome From Early Age

But today's world of laptops, tablets, media players and mobile phones has introduced yet another reason to keep close watch over your child's eyes. Constant use of LED screens is known to cause computer vision syndrome, a type of eye irritation and fatigue that occurs when the eyes "forget" to blink regularly. The HEV (High Energy Visible) light emitted by these screens is another concern. We don't yet know what the long-term effects on this form of energy is on young eyes -- but exposure to HEV light over a period of many years might make someone more prone to eye diseases such as macular degeneration later in life. According to the American Optometric Association, 41 percent of American children use these devices at least 3 hours a day.

Schedule Back-to-School Eye Exams With Our Mt. Pleasant Eye Doctor

Our Mt. Pleasant eye doctor can help your kids enjoy optimal vision, not just for the new school year but for many years to come. We can check their vision, prescribing or updating corrective lens prescriptions as needed. We can also talk to them about their technology usage and teach them how to take periodic breaks to refocus and rest their eyes.  Call today to schedule back-to-school eye exams for your kids at H. Arnold Papernick OD!