Pediatric Eye Exam
It is Important to Schedule a Pediatric Eye Exam for your Children at Bogey Hills Vision Center
Schools and family doctors offer vision screenings, but that is no substitute for a child visiting an optometrist in Saint Charles. Consider making Bogey Hills Vision Center your family eye doctor in Saint Charles. A pediatric eye doctor will provide complete eye care with clinical tools and advanced training.
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Why is it Important to Visit a Pediatric Eye Doctor?
A family eye doctor will be able to check and ensure that your child's eyes do not have any vision problems and are healthy. This is important so that learning will not be inhibited by poor vision or eye problems. During an eye exam, a pediatric eye doctor will check vision at all distances, watch for eye teaming skills, and be sure that the eyes are moving and focusing properly.
When Should a Child's Eye Exam Take Place?
Schedule your first appointment with your family eye doctor when your child is six months old. The next eye exam should occur at age three, and again before entering first grade. After this, an eye exam should take place every two years if no problems are found. If a child needs eyeglasses or contact lenses, they should be seen for eye care every year. Ask your optometrist in Saint Charles if this schedule is right for your child or if something different is recommended.
What Happens During a Pediatric Eye Exam?
Help your children prepare for an eye exam by telling them what to expect. It is also very important to alert your family eye doctor about any hereditary eye conditions or concerns you may have about your child's eye health or vision. A few things to note would be if your child often rubs their eyes or blinks a lot, has experienced a delay in motor development, fails to keep eye contact with others, or has trouble with tracking skills.
When checking an infant's eyes, the pediatric eye doctor will test to see if the pupils open and close properly with changes in light, if a child can fixate on an object and then follow it when it moves, and also check vision capabilities. In preschool-aged children, the family eye doctor can test vision capabilities with symbols, examine the retina, and check how well a child's eyes work together. They will also screen for other eye problems such as amblyopia (lazy eye), misalignment of the eyes, convergence insufficiency, and other eye health problems.
Why You Need A Regular Eye Exam
Many of the eye problems that people have will go unnoticed for months or even years at a time. For example, in the beginning, stages of macular degeneration and glaucoma, they often show unnoticeable symptoms. A regular visit to an eye doctor can help identify vision problems and treat them before it's too late.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pediatric Eye Care
Prioritizing your child's eye health is essential, but knowing what to expect from a pediatric eye care appointment can be daunting. Read through our FAQ section to learn more about our family and pediatric eye care services. Get in touch with the team at Bogey Hills Visions Center to schedule an appointment with our pediatric optometrist today!
Q: When should a child have their first eye exam?
A: Children should have their first eye exam around six months of age. This exam will check for eye health and vision development. After that, children should have regular eye exams at age three, and then again before starting first grade.
Q: What vision problems are common in children?
A: Some of the most common vision problems affecting children include nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus (crossed eyes), and amblyopia (lazy eye). If left untreated, these conditions can lead to vision impairment or even blindness.
Q: How can parents help prevent eye problems in their children?
A: Parents can help prevent eye problems in their children by ensuring they eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, encouraging outdoor play to reduce screen time, and protecting their eyes from the sun's harmful UV rays with sunglasses or a hat. Routine pediatric eye exams also help detect any potential vision issues early on.
Q: What pediatric eye care services are provided at Bogey Hills Vision Center?
A: At Bogey Hills Vision Center, we offer comprehensive pediatric eye care services. Our dedicated pediatric optometrist provides routine screenings and evaluations, prescription lenses, contact lens fittings, and treatment for eye diseases or injuries. All of these services help ensure that your child's eyes are healthy and that their vision is at its best.
Q: How can parents tell if their child has a vision problem?
A: Parents should watch for signs such as frequent eye rubbing, headaches, squinting, holding books too close to the face, and complaining of blurry vision or double vision. On top of that, as your child gets older, you might start to notice that they are straining to read things on the blackboard or having difficulty following along during lectures. All of these can indicate a potential vision problem and parents should schedule an eye exam for their child.
Q: Can vision problems in children be corrected?
A: Yes, many vision problems in children can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or vision therapy. That's why early detection and treatment are key to preventing more serious problems down the road.
Q: What is vision therapy?
A: Vision therapy is a customized program of eye exercises and other activities designed to improve visual function and treat specific vision problems. It may be recommended for children with lazy eye, eye coordination problems, and other vision issues.
Q: At what age can children start wearing contact lenses?
A: Most children can start wearing contact lenses at around the age of 12 or 13. However, it is important to have your child's eyes evaluated by a pediatric optometrist to ensure that their eyes are healthy enough for contacts. It's also important to make sure your child knows how to properly insert, remove, and care for their contact lenses.
Q: Are eye drops or other medications ever used in pediatric eye care?
A: Yes, eye drops or other medications may be used to treat certain eye conditions in children. For example, eye drops may be used to treat infections or inflammation, or to dilate the pupils during an eye exam.
Q: What do I do if my child has an eye care emergency?
A: If your child has an eye emergency, such as a red, inflamed, or painful eye; flashes of light in the vision; sudden loss of vision; or a foreign object in the eye, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Contact your pediatric optometrist at Bogey Hills Vision Center right away and seek medical attention at the emergency room if necessary or our office is unavailable!
Make an Appointment with Bogey Hills Vision Center Today
If you have any other questions about pediatric eye care services at Bogey Hills Vision Center, please don't hesitate to contact us to schedule an appointment. Our team of professionals is dedicated to providing the highest quality family and pediatric eye care for patients of all ages!