I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of MomCentral for the American Optometric Association. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
In a matter of a few weeks, my children will be back in school. This time of year, we as parents are shopping, checking school schedules, and making sure we have everything taken care of. This year, it’s especially important to my family that we get back to school eye exams.
Over the Summer, Kelsie has shown signs that her eyes are bothering her and at times, she struggles to read, rubbing her eyes and squinting. Seeing these warning signs, we knew having an eye exam is a must before she heads back in to the classroom.
With kids using technology more and more, the American Optometric Association has seen more and more digital eye strain. I know in my children’s classrooms they are regularly using ipads, tablets, and computers throughout their days.
It’s scary to know that 80% of children surveyed using electronic devices experienced burning, itchy, and tired eyes. Other signs of digital eye strain included headaches, fatigue, loss of focus, blurred vision, double vision, or head and neck pain.
Eighty percent of children surveyed report experiencing burning, itchy or tired eyes after using electronic devices for long periods of time. 
Since this is the first time I’ve seen any signs of vision issues in a child, planning our eye appointments are new. All of the children had a basic vision screening in the past done by Lions Club but not an actual screening by the eye doctor.
We are planning Kelsie’s eye appointment for next week but I intend to in the next few months, have every child scheduled for an eye appointment.
What are some ways we can all help prevent eye strain when it comes to technology?
- Check the height and position of the device. Computer screens should be four to five inches below eye level and 20 to 28 inches away from the eyes. Digital devices should be held a safe distance away from eyes and slightly below eye level.
- Checking for glare on the screen. Windows or other light sources should not be directly visible when sitting in front of a computer monitor. If this happens, turn the desk or computer to prevent glare on the screen. Also consider adjusting the brightness of the screen on your digital device or changing its background color.
- Reduce the amount of lighting in a room to match the computer screen. A lower wattage light can be substituted for a bright overhead light
- Adjusting font size. Increase text size on screen to make it easier on your eyes when reading.
- Keep BLINKING Frequent blinking helps prevent dry eye by keeping the front of the eye moist.
From now on, our children will receive yearly eye exams just like I do. I want to keep their eyes healthy and know their vision is the best it can be.
Learn more about AOA on their Twitter as well as AOA on Facebook.
How often do your children have eye exams?
