Kids and adults need to look after their eyes throughout their lifetime. In fact, according to Daniel Tracton, from Tracton Optometrists, our eyes need to be both moved and protected just like our bodies.

“When using electronic devices, optometrists promote the 20/20/20 rule for rest breaks, every 20 minutes look away 20 feet for 20 seconds and try not to hold devices too closely,” he advised. “Another essential way to protect our eye health is wearing a good pair of sunglasses that block UV.” And of course, eating plenty of green leafy vegetables which is essential for good retinal and macular health. It starts as kids

As we close the doors on another year that was filled with a lot more screen time than is recommended, it’s crucial that parents are not only assessing their children’s eyes but also know what signs to look out for.

“A full eye examination with an optometrist is highly recommended every two years after the age of five, or earlier if you notice any signs that require further investigation,” Tracton suggested. “Even if your child has undergone a school screening, a full eye examination is still a must.

“We check a range of eye functions in a full exam including colour vision, eye coordination, any needs for correction/prescription, depth perception, eye health and much more.”

When it comes to detecting a potential problem in your child, Tracton suggests looking out for:

“There can also be less obvious indicators like wanting to sit at the front of a class or the teacher may have commented that the student has difficulty concentrating at times,” Tracton explained.

If it does eventuate that your child requires glasses, Tracton understands that it can be tricky to teach your kids how to get used to the glasses and care for them too.

“Involving children in choosing their glasses frames is a good start for them to feel comfortable wearing them,” he said. “As for looking after them it is important that they keep their glasses in a hard case when not using them and overnight. For sports, contact lenses may be a great option as it is better from a safety perspective and can provide improved peripheral vision.”

Tracton’s optometry practice fits children with contact lenses every week.

Maintaining good eye health takes a little bit of work. While Tracton acknowledges this has been hard during COVID, for kids, it’s essential to take frequent breaks from their devices, and go outside in the natural light. It’s also about ensuring their prescription doesn’t get worse.

“One of the big buzz words in optometry in the past few years is myopia (short-sightedness) control,” he explained. “If we find that your child’s myopia is steadily increasing over time, there may be options to implement myopia control measures.

“This could include the prescription of multifocal contact lenses or glasses, a series of eye exercises or specially formulated drops to slow down the progression of short-sightedness.”

As people age, there is of course an importance on maintaining good eye health.

“After the age of 65, we recommend that our patients be seen annually, to monitor for changes in vision and eye health issues including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease,” Tracton said, continuing that there is a lot of new technology available that can assist, especially when it comes to contact lenses.

“We can prescribe multifocal contact lens technology for those needing distance and near correction,” he explained. “Another innovative technology is lifestyle specific lenses which can improve vision in specific situations including extended computer use, playing instruments and card games.”

If you need to book an appointment for yourself or your children ahead of the new school year, call 9188 9288. For more information visit the website. 

Get The AJN Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up