Ask A Doctor: Remember your eye exam

Question: Is it really necessary for kids to get an annual eye exam for back-to-school readiness?

Answer: If you take your child’s health and wellness seriously, then, yes, an annual eye exam with a specialist is an important part of monitoring your child’s well-being.

Even if the children aren’t complaining about blurred vision or headaches, they still need an annual comprehensive eye exam.

Getting children to the eye doctor often poses a challenge. However, the Wisconsin Optometric Association offers several tips for scheduling an exam. The best time is early in the day. The best time of year is three to four months before school starts. Tell your child there won’t be any shots as a way to ease any fears. A way to have a great exam is by practicing looking at pictures, making it a game and having fun.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control recommends regular eye exams for children starting soon after children are born. Children don’t always know what normal vision is, so they probably won’t complain much about their vision. Given that vision is closely linked to the learning process — experts say learning is more than 80 percent seeing — undetected vision problems can lead to learning difficulties. That’s another reason to get those annual eye checks.

If you don’t monitor your child’s eye health through annual eye exams, he or she may be at risk for a number of preventable or manageable conditions, including nearsightedness, able to see things that are close more clearly than things that are far away, also called myopia; farsightedness, able to see objects at a distance more clearly than those nearby, also called hyperopia; astigmatism, experiences blurred or distorted vision, usually associated with an imperfectly shaped cornea.

Annual eye exams can mean earlier diagnosis and treatment of some conditions that, if left untreated, could permanently affect a child’s vision. Staying consistent with eye exams also will help children have clear vision, concentrate and enhance their performance at school.

It is as important to have healthy eyes as it is to keep them injury-free. At a young age, children are often more involved with trying new things — like sports. It is recommended children participating in sports wear protective eyewear. For children ages 5 to 14, no sport causes more injuries than baseball. Eye protection for this sport includes sports glasses or goggles and helmets with a protective face mask. Talk to your eye care provider about eye protection for young athletes.

Sometimes, injuries are unavoidable, so have your child’s eyes checked when eye injuries occur. As always, consult your physician with all your health and wellness questions and concerns.

Katie Buchholz is a doctor of optometry at BayCare Clinic Eye Specialists in Manitowoc and also sees patients in Two Rivers.