How Vision Therapy Can Help Your Child

Jun 28, 2015 in Eye Care

How Vision Therapy Can Help Your Child

Vision problems in children have been showing a growing trend worldwide. In the UK, more than 2 million people are living with some level of vision loss. This number is expected to increase to nearly 4 million by 2050. 2 out every 1,000 children in Britain are blind or partially sighted. Myopia is on the rise and the number of vision-impaired children is only going to go up. In the midst of these dismal statistics, here are some ways to help your child maintain good eye health.

Vision Therapy

Eye movement skills are important motor skills for both children and adults. In children, eye problems may go beyond simple short-sightedness or long-sightedness. Some eyesight problems such as eye tracking or lazy eye may not be adequately corrected by glasses, and this is where vision therapy can help. This involves various exercises for the eyes; e.g. a child is asked to put on polarised glasses and look at a light box with two charts. Each of the charts is viewable by one eye. As the charts move, the child learns eye alignment or convergence that can help with looking at objects close by. Other exercises seek to create balance and precision in eyesight. There are also exercises that can sharpen your child’s peripheral vision, which is extremely important in playing sports. Vision therapy heightens the child’s sense of awareness, which can help them control their visual system. Vision therapy is also known for improving school performance in children.

Eye Care

Apart from vision therapy, here are some basic eye care tips that can benefit your child:

A balanced diet rich in vitamins A and C, as well as omega-3 fatty acids is essential for ocular health. Include a lot of fruits, leafy greens and fish in your child’s diet.

Time spent in front of the TV, computer screen and other digital devices should be judiciously allocated. Also the TV & computer screens must be at a proper viewing distance.

While studying, the source of light should be behind the child’s shoulder.

If your child participates in contact sports, protective eyewear is essential.

Eye Tests

As they say, prevention is better than cure. So it’s best to take measures to avoid eye problems, instead of dealing with them later. This is especially true in case of children who have a family history of vision problems. It’s important that an eye test is a part of a child’s routine health checks. An eye test is the best way of gauging your child’s ocular health and detecting any underlying problems. The sooner the problems are addressed, the lesser is vision deterioration later in life.

At Leightons Opticians and Hearing Care we provide you and your child with a relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff. Our audiologist will put your child at ease and explain everything regarding the eye examination. We also carry out a complete lifestyle assessment along with the eye test. Based on the results of the eye tests, we will advise the best course of action for your child. If your child needs any vision correction, we will recommend the best glasses or contact lenses that will suit your child. So visit our nearest branch or book an eye test online with Leightons Opticians and Hearing Care.