During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to take care of all aspects of your family’s health, and this includes your vision. Here are some simple and easy tips from our NW Calgary eye doctor on how to instill good eye care habits in your children to ensure a lifetime of healthy vision.
Vision plays a critical role in a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. That’s why it’s so important that you keep an eye out for the key signs of any ocular health issues because uncorrected vision problems may:
- Interfere with learning
- Hinder your child’s development
- Lead to permanent vision loss
- Result in poor athletic performance
80% of Learning Happens Through the Eyes: As a parent, it’s important to know that 80% of learning happens through the eyes. This means that good vision is a key part of your child’s learning ability, overall achievement, and development in school.
Our Calgary Eye Doctors Are Open Again
Our Calgary eye clinic is now open again, and we are available to provide eye care by appointment only. We are also providing telehealth services, which include virtual consultations and delivery of eyecare essentials, such as contact lenses.
Want to know how we can meet all your eye health needs during COVID-19?
4 Tips To Take Care of Your Child’s Vision
The eyes are one of the most delicate organs in the human body and therefore need to conscientiously be taken care of.
While there are many factors that go into protecting yours, and your family’s vision, here are some simple steps you can start with to ensure that your little one’s eyes are properly taken care of:
1. Avoid Unsafe Toys
While at home, supervise your kids during play time and make sure that none of their toys have sharp or jagged edges. This is important because such items can cause serious eye injuries, ranging from corneal abrasions to vision loss.
Some of the toys you may want to avoid include:
- Guns that shoot any type of projectile
- Water balloon launchers or water guns
- Games that include fishing poles
- Toy swords, wands or sabers
- Toys with chemicals in them, such as aerosol string
- Bright flashlights and laser pointers
By carefully choosing the types of toys your child can play with, you will lower their risk of eye emergencies and ensure that their vision stays protected as they grow.
2. Say No To Rubbing Eyes
Frequent eye rubbing can cause infections that are caused by the spread of germs from the hands to the eyelids. Eye cleanliness must be a priority at all times and as a parent, you must insist your child washes their hands before they touch their eyes, and discourage them from unnecessarily rubbing or touching their eyes.
Why this is important: Repeated eye rubbing can lead to a change in the shape of the front of the eye, more specifically a change in the cornea. This change can increase the risk of near-sightedness or keratoconus.
3. Avoid Too Much Screen Time
Too much screen time for children is a legitimate health concern. The eyes of young children are very sensitive and digital devices can cause problems from poor sleep habits to eye fatigue.
In fact, children are very susceptible to digital eye strain which can include symptoms such as:
- Eye fatigue
- Headaches
- Dry eyes
- Double vision
- Blurred vision
This doesn’t mean you have to permanently ban all digital devices in your home. However, as a parent, there are a few choices you can make to protect your child’s eyes. These include:
- Limit screen time for young children to weekends and use digital devices as a reward.
- For older kids, allow the use of electronic devices only at certain times of the day, such as after meals or homework.
- Have a set time in your home that electronics need to be turned off. This is important because overexposure to blue light can disrupt sleep patterns.
- Talk to your optometrist about prescription or non-prescription lenses that can filter blue light. This protects your child’s eyes against the damage caused by digital screens.
HOW TO LOWER YOUR CHILD’S RISK OF DIGITAL EYE STRAIN
4. Encourage Healthy Eating Habits
Maintaining your child’s eyesight starts with observing a proper and healthy diet. There are many food groups that contain various minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, that can help your little one preserve their eye health. These include:
- Deep water fish, such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel. These are great sources of Omega-3 fatty acids that can keep your child’s eyes lubricated and lower their risk of developing dry eye syndrome.
- Leafy green vegetables. Kale, spinach, and collard greens contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may act as a defense mechanism to prevent macular degeneration and cataract formation in the future.
- Berries and citrus fruits. You may want to add some oranges and strawberries to your child’s snacks. This is because such fruits are rich in Vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system, thus increasing your child’s resistance to eye infections and other diseases.
- Eggs and carrots. Eggs are rich in Vitamin A and they can help prevent dry eyes and night blindness. Carrots contain high levels of beta carotene, which can help maintain your child’s ocular structural integrity and promote healthy functioning of all components of the eyes.
To improve or maintain your child’s visual health, make sure to add the above foods to your family’s daily meals.
Do You Have an Eye Emergency or Urgent Question During COVID-19? Our Calgary Eye Doctors Can Help
Our NW Calgary eye doctors are as committed as ever to protecting your family’s eye health, especially during COVID-19. While our eye clinic is temporarily closed, our optometrists are still providing emergency eye care by appointment only.
We Are Offering Telehealth Services to Protect Your Vision
Not only are we offering virtual consultations for our patients, but our telehealth services also include the delivery of eye care essentials, such as eye drops and contact lenses.
