Is Bad Eyesight Preventable in Children?

Eyesight develops as people age. The eyes are organs similar to the other organs in the body. For proper eyesight, eye growth must occur in a certain manner. For instance, the eyeball needs to be a certain shape in order to function well. But certain conditions and situations in childhood can impair the proper growth of the eyes. Bad eyesight can occur for a variety of other reasons not related to growth anomalies. But in many cases, bad eyesight in children is preventable. Here are some tips to improve your child’s chances of having good eyesight.

Ensure Sufficient Lighting For Reading

Don’t allow your children to read in the dark, even if they say it’s fine, they can see. Reading books in low light strains the eyes. In growing children, this can actually lead to malformed eyeballs if it becomes a habit. Place reading lamps anywhere your child likes reading and make sure they use the lamp.

Come in For Professional Eye Exams

Your child’s school will do perfunctory eye exams as a courtesy. But this is no substitution for a professional eye exam. Bring your youngster in to have their vision checked even before they’re old enough to attend school. Your child’s eye doctor may be able to detect any potential problems before they become serious issues.

Enforce Wearing of Safety Goggles

Many children develop bad eyesight as a result of sports and play injuries. If your child plays sports, make sure they wear safety goggles on the field. If they’re accident-prone at a young age, it’s not a bad idea to have them wear safety goggles while roughhousing at home.

Limit Screen Time

Kids these days are constantly looking at screens. High exposure to the blue light emitted from screens can be damaging, especially when it begins at a young age. Consider investing in pair of blue light blocking lenses that your child can wear while gaming or using the computer for homework.

Sometimes there’s nothing a parent can do to prevent their child from developing bad eyesight. But in some cases, a few commonsense practices can make all the difference. Contact your eye doctor in Weston, Florida to book an eye exam appointment for your child now.