Does your child have these poor vision symptoms?
Does your child have these poor vision symptoms?
Helping your child succeed in school and in life means ensuring their eye health is a priority.
In Partnership with Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates (CEENTA).
School is back in session, which means parents are taking all kinds of preparatory steps to ensure their children are ready for a new school year. Many parents are familiar with back-to-school check-ups, but it’s easy to forget one more important doctor visit that could impact your child’s learning abilities.
“Comprehensive eye examinations are important from childhood through adulthood,” Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose, & Throat Associates, P.A. (CEENTA) Ophthalmologist Timothy Saunders, M.D., says.
Children use their eyes to see their world and learn about it, and more than 80 percent of information in the classroom is presented visually. How can your child succeed in school if he or she can’t even see the pages in textbooks or equations on the whiteboard? It’s extremely important that your child gets eye exams every year not only to ensure their vision health is optimal but also their overall health, too. CEENTA doctors are committed to making sure all children get the care they need to see clearly and have success in school and in life.
Common Pediatric Eye Conditions to Look for
Before visiting the eye doctors at CEENTA, you may want to know the most common eye conditions your child might have or may experience in the future. Below are some of the issues to keep an eye out for:
- Refractive errors (needing glasses)
- Chalazion (stye)
- Strabismus (eyes that cross or drift out)
- Blocked tear ducts in infants
Some of the more complex yet possible pediatric eye conditions can include cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity (primarily affecting premature infants), and uveitis (inflammation in the eye).
Your best bet, even if you think you know what’s going on with your child’s eyes, is to take him or her to an experienced specialist such as the eye doctors at CEENTA. Though being wary of symptoms is smart, self-diagnosing is simply dangerous. And we’re willing to bet you don’t want to put your child in danger. When in doubt, schedule an eye exam—unlike self-diagnosing, it can’t hurt.
Screen Time Could Be Hurting Your Child’s Vision
If you’ve been known to slide an iPad over to your child when he or she is fussing or needs a distraction, you may want to take extra precaution when it comes to your child’s eye health. Did you know that too much screen time can cause dry eye? When you stare at a fixed object, such as a screen, for a long time, you blink less. In addition, you’re also likely not closing your eyes all the way when you do blink. According to CEENTA, this means the tears coating your eyes evaporate quicker, and that can cause dry eyes.The truth is, screens are everywhere. Televisions, phones, computers, and tablets all cross our paths frequently. And when your eyes are involved, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Is your child experiencing the below dry eye symptoms from too much screen time?
- Scratchiness
- Stinging
- Mucus in or around the eyes
- Blurry vision
- Red eyes
Though there are blinking exercises your child can do at home to combat dry eye from screen time, you can also help by feeding him or her eyesight-enhancing foods.
How to Schedule Your Child’s Back-to-School Eye Exam
It’s understandable that some children might be nervous about going to the doctor’s office. To help prepare your child for their back-to-school eye exam, read this article about everything you can expect from a visit to CEENTA’s offices.
Meet the doctors
Depending on your location, your doctor might be different, but that doesn’t change their qualifications. CEENTA’s four pediatric ophthalmologists have all completed fellowship training in children’s eye conditions, so they have the skills to treat any child’s eye problem, no matter if it’s big or small. Check out your potential pediatric ophthalmologist below.
Taressa Haney, M.D. (Blakeney location)
Elliot McKee, M.D. (Belmont, SouthPark, and Statesville locations)
Timothy Saunders, M.D. (SouthPark and Matthews locations)
Erin Schotthoefer, M.D. (Huntersville and University locations)
Once you’re ready to take active steps to improve your child’s success in school, all you have to do is call 704-295-3000 to make a pediatric eye exam appointment. You can also request an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.
