With the year-end festivities drawing to a close and the Christmas season drawing to a close, January is usually spent planning the various activities ahead. For parents, it is a period of school organization, preparing their children to return to school safely and calmly. It is common for parents to be interested in lists of materials, uniforms, transportation, and food, but end up forgetting a fundamental issue: the health of their little ones’ eyes.
With this in mind, healthtech Lenscope has put together four tips to ensure a healthier and safer return to school.
1 – Notice the Differences in the Child’s Behavior:
Because they still lack a lot of control over their own bodies, it is common for little ones not to realize when something is wrong with their health. In this way, it is essential that parents and guardians are always attentive to the behaviors and complaints of children.
Signs such as holding objects close to the face, sitting too close to the TV or other devices, frequently tripping over furniture and objects, as well as physical symptoms such as headaches, excessive tearing, abnormal eye discharge, redness, itching, inflammation, and increased sensitivity to light, may indicate, among other things, a failure in the child’s eye system.
2 – Talk to the Teachers:
Children’s eye health problems can cause serious damage to learning, such as lower school performance and complications in the development of group activities and games. For this reason, in addition to parents, teachers must also pay attention to student behavior, informing administrators of any difficulties the child has in seeing the blackboard, reading, writing, playing with their peers, among other things.
3 – Reduce Screen Time:
According to a study published in 2021 by the scientific journal The Lancet, the social isolation caused by the pandemic contributed to the increase in myopia rates by about 40% among young people between the ages of 5 and 18, who now spend more time in Contact. with screens. electronic devices.
Therefore, it is important to limit the time that children spend in contact with devices such as mobile phones, computers and televisions and encourage them to spend their free time playing analogue games and outdoors.
4 – Maintain Continuous follow-up with an Ophthalmologist:
An ophthalmological follow-up should be carried out from the birth of the child to avoid future eye problems. Up to two years of age it is advisable to go to a doctor every 6 months, since it is at this stage that the eyes develop best. After this period, it is indicated that children visit an ophthalmologist annually. This is the best way to avoid possible diseases, as well as promote the treatment of necessary conditions.
When children are diagnosed with an eye condition that can be resolved by prescription glasses, it is important to choose lenses that provide the necessary correction and protection and will withstand the child’s daily life. “Choosing stronger, lighter materials will ensure a longer lifespan for glasses and provide more peace of mind for parents. Materials like polycarbonate, for example, are 10 times stronger and 30% thinner and lighter than eyeglass lenses. “, says Makoto Ikegami, co-founder of Acrylic Lenscope, which are the most common on the market.
