Learning, Sports, Headaches
Vision & Learning
Vision is directly associated with a child's ability to read and retain information. That's why it's so important for parents to schedule an eye exam for a child before entering school. In fact, 75-90% of classroom learning comes through the visual system and 25% of ALL children have a vision problem significant enough to affect their performance in school (source: VisionandLearning.org).
Vision problems can affect a variety of subjects that are key to a child's success in school, including reading, math, spelling and writing.
The following signs could indicate that a school-aged child has vision problems:
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Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
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Short attention span
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Avoiding reading and other close activities
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Frequent headaches
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Covering one eye
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Tilting the head to one side
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Holding reading materials close to the face
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An eye turning in or out
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Seeing double
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Losing his or her place when reading
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Difficulty remembering what he or she read.
If your child is exhibiting any of these signs, it may be time to schedule a proper eye exam with Dr. Stathacopolous.
Diet & Nutrition
It's important for every child to have a balanced diet. For eye health, children and adults should eat colorful fruits and vegetables, which have many vitamins and antioxidants that are necessary for healthy eyes. Eggs and leafy greens can also provide important vitamins and minerals necessary for good eye health.
Eyewear & Sports
Studies show that U.S. emergency rooms treat a sports-related eye injury every 13 minutes. About 43% of sports-related eye injuries occur in children younger than 15 years, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. But many of these injuries are preventable with protective eyewear.
Any child participating in high-risk sports, such as baseball, basketball and racquet sports, should wear protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses. Dr. Stathacopolous can assess your child's unique visual system and recommend the proper eyeglasses or contact lenses for the visual skills needed for a specific sport.
Along with protective eyewear, children need specific visual skills for sports, including distance vision, depth perception, wide field of vision and effective eye-hand coordination.
Children consistently underperforming in a particular sport may have a vision problem. Dr. Stathacopolous can help diagnose and correct this with eyeglasses or contact lenses to help improve sports vision performance.
Headache & Eyes
Headaches in children are common and usually not serious, according to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. If your child is having headaches, he or she should have an eye exam and a thorough physical examination by a pediatrician.
Ocular causes of headaches include:
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Hyperopia (farsightedness) - this requires extra effort to focus clearly while reading, which can sometimes cause fatigue and headache.
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Convergence insufficiency - this is the decreased ability to converge at the rear of the eye.
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Astigmatism.
(source: American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)