Your child's vision is their primary window into the world around them. Keeping their eyesight healthy is an important part of allowing them to experience life to the fullest.

5 Tips to Protect and Improve Your Child's Eye Health

1. Take Them to the Eye Doctor for Routine Eye Exams

One of the most important takeaways is the need to keep up with routine comprehensive eye exams. School vision screenings only detect the most basic issues, such as myopia or severe amblyopia. They are not equipped to check for eye diseases or binocular vision disorders that can hinder learning. Our eye doctors in Kettering will perform a comprehensive exam to check for these and other conditions.

2. Limit Their Screen Time

Children can spend hours every day on digital devices. This can lead to fatigue, blurry vision, dry eye, headaches, and eyestrain. Excessive blue light is also thought to increase the risk of macular degeneration later in life. Limit screen time when possible, and turn off devices a few hours before bedtime.

3. Encourage Them to Eat Healthy Foods and Get Exercise

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (fish, flax seeds, walnuts) and leafy greens (high in vitamins A, C, and E) promote eye health. Regular physical activity is also good for the whole body, including the eyes. Outdoor play has even been shown to slow or prevent the development of myopia.

4. Help Them Avoid Eye Injuries

Keep paints, cleaners, and other dangerous chemicals somewhere safe away from children. Ensure your child wears the right eyewear to protect their eyes from accidental impacts during sports. Wear helmets to prevent concussions, which can have lasting effects on vision.

5. Reduce Eye Infections

Teach your child not to touch their eyes with unwashed hands. If your child wears contact lenses, teach them to wash their hands every time they handle their lenses and to store and clean lenses strictly according to their eye doctor's instructions.

For more information on how to protect and improve your child's eyesight, contact Dayton Optometric Center in Kettering, Ohio today. Call (937) 228-2020.