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Ocular Health Vision Care Through the Ages
Ocular Health Vision Care Through the Ages
| Learning Center |
| Monday, 29 December 2008 11:15 |
Vision Care Through the AgesAs an optometrist, I am often asked when a child should have his first eye examination. Children’s visual systems are not fully developed at birth, therefore, the first examination is usually at age 6 months.
Dr. Lin along with Dr. Julie N. Storer aim to provide technologically advanced vision care along with personalized service. Dr. Lin is a recent graduate of the UMSL College of Optometry, but has been in the optical industry for the past 17 years. She has done internships in the specialty areas of pediatric optometry, ocular diseases, and contact lenses. Dr. Storer is a Michigan native who currently resides in O’Fallon with her husband and two children. She opened Family Eyewear Gallery in 2005 and continues to be a part of the vision care team. The next examination should occur at age 3. By this time, the child should have developed vision roughly equal to that of an adult. By this age, I am able to check a child’s color vision, depth perception, peripheral vision, as well as ocular health and whether there is any need to provide corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. Parents should look for eye turns or crossed eyes; inability to track moving objects; holding things unusually closely; or poor navigational skills that result in a child frequently bumping into things. By age 3, the presence of a lazy eye or can be detected and corrected. In fact, when caught this early, the eye has the best chance of being stimulated to achieve its maximum visual potential. The next examination should occur prior to entering school. Without good vision, a child is at a disadvantage from the beginning of his academic career. Poor vision can not only lead to learning problems, but also behavioral problems. During school years, safety eyewear is also important. Most kids are involved in some type of intramural sport. In addition to the appropriate pads, and helmets, it is critical that they also have the appropriate eyewear to protect from injuries. As the child approaches his teens, he is likely to become more interested in contact lenses. While there is no age limit for contact lens use, as a parent, you can be a good judge of your child’s level of responsibility. The most important issue is whether your teen is likely to adhere to good contact lens hygiene. With recent outbreaks of fungal eye infections associated with contact lenses, the focus on good contact lens care has become even more evident. That is why I feel it is critical that the patient be carefully educated on proper use and care of lenses before he is allowed to leave the office with his new lenses. During high school and college, computer use increases and can result in a constellation of eye strain, dry eye, and fatigue which comprise computer vision syndrome. There are ergonomic as well as medical solutions to these problems. In later life, medical issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can all take a toll on the eyes. Did you know that the eye is the only place where the state of blood vessels can be seen without cutting into the body? Because of this, optometrists can often diagnose systemic health issues even before the primary care physician. With advancing age, issues such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration can affect ocular health. Now it becomes important to have annual eye examinations in order to detect any signs of early disease. At Family Eyewear Gallery, we strive to provide eye care through all of these stages of life. We are equipped to handle infant eye examinations, pediatric examinations, contact lens fittings, and ocular diseases. Eye care is my passion. If you have any questions about this column or ideas for future ones, please feel free to contact me. Dr. Sneha G. Lin, O.D. Family Eyewear Gallery 2512 Highway K O’Fallon, MO 63368 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 636.281.8818 |
| Last Updated on Friday, 11 September 2009 11:37 |
