Kids need eye exams too

When does a child need their first eye exam? According to Pediatric Ophthalmologist Dr. John Simon, there is no set age.


Most pediatricians screen children for eye problems, but parents should also be aware.

"Parents will come in when a child's eyes who are not straight. The parents will say, well, it didn't seem to be very bad, it didn't turn too far. It didn't turn too often, so we thought it was normal. It's not normal to have eyes that are not straight,” Dr. Simon said.

There are two types of eye doctors. An ophthalmologist attends medical school and performs internships and a residency at a hospital. Optometrists go to school after college. They are a doctor of optometry.

When to start eye exams for kids
When does a child need their first eye exam? Marcie Fraser has more.

“The biggest difference between ophthalmologist and optometrists is we are trained to do surgery and in most cases, optometry does not do surgery. We have more of an orientation in our training to do medical treatment; they have more of an orientation to do glasses and contact lens," Dr. Simon said.


Some of the tests include a basic vision test, an acuity test, a test for depth perception and color deficiency.

“Color deficiencies are quite common, especially in male children and one in twelve boys are color blind,” Dr. Simon said.

During the exam, eyes are also dilated to further evaluate the health of the eye.

There are a few myths. According to Dr. Simon, if you think your child's eyes will be affected by sitting too closely to the television, you’re wrong.

"Many children like to sit close to the TV set. Many parents spend a lot of effort dragging them back from the TV set. It is not necessary to do this. The TV will not hurt the children’s eyes," Dr. Simon said.

Excersise may help prevent Cataracts and AMD

Writing in the Los Angeles Times (2/10) Booster Shots blog, Jeannine Stein observed that, according to two studies published in the Jan. issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, "vigorous exercise...may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts." Both "studies looked at data from almost eight years of follow-up from the National Runners' Health Study. In one, 110 men and 42 women received a clinical diagnosis of" AMD "during the follow-up." But, "running an average of two to four kilometers a day reduced the risk by 19 percent, and running more than four kilometers per day reduced the risk by 42...to 54 percent, compared with those who ran less than two kilometers a day." The second study found that men who "ran 64 or more kilometers a week had a 35 percent lower cataract risk than those who ran less than 16 kilometers per week," and "those with better cardiovascular fitness were also at less risk than men who were less fit."

Neglecting eyecare is playing with fire.

EYE ON HEALTH Don't Lose Sight Of Your Eye Health

(NAPSI)-To many people, good vision means good eye health. But that is not necessarily true. A comprehensive eye examination can catch problems with your eyes well before your vision is affected. Aaron Weingeist, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Seattle and a clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, regularly sees patients who thought they were perfectly fine. "As an example, an otherwise healthy, 38- year-old man came to see me complaining of mild blurriness in his vision," he said. "He had nearly perfect vision, but after dilating his eyes, I found severe hemorrhages and swollen spots in both eyes. Although he had a family history of diabetes and had similar symptoms five years ago, he never had a follow-up examination or further testing. He is now coping with diabetic retinopathy but was very thankful to finally be diagnosed." Through its EyeSmart campaign, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons, reminds otherwise healthy Americans of the importance of getting a baseline eye disease screening at age 40-the age when early signs of eye disease and changes in vision may first be noted. For individuals at any age with symptoms of, or at risk for, eye disease (such as those with a family history of eye disease, diabetes or high blood pressure), the Academy recommends that they see their [eye doctor] to determine how frequently their eyes should be examined. Based on the results of the initial screening, an [eye doctor] will prescribe the necessary intervals for follow-up exams. "Eye diseases become more common as we age. By the time you hit 40 years old, diseases such as primary open-angle glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can begin to show early signs. Often, patients with eye diseases do not have recognizable symptoms until the diseases are quite advanced," said Dr. Weingeist. "Vision problems can be prevented only if identified and treated early." By 2020, 43 million Americans will be at risk for significant vision loss or blindness from age-related eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration, an increase of more than 50 percent over the current number of Americans with these diseases. Despite the statistics, many Americans are more concerned about weight gain or back pain than they are of vision loss. "Unfortunately, millions of people will suffer significant vision loss and blindness because they don't know their risks," said Dr. Weingeist. "I can't stress enough the importance of getting your baseline exam, because knowing your risks can save your sight."

Latisse lengthens your lashes

A new product derived from a glaucoma treatment is hitting the market. This product claims the ability to lengthen eyelashes. Lumigan, an eye drop that lowers eye pressure in the eye, has an interesting side effect in that it also makes eyelashes longer, darker, and fuller. The effect can be so dramatic that some patients on the drop will visit the eye doctor to have their lashes trimmed.

If you would like more information on Latisse give us a call.

New Anti-glare Crizal Avance

Here's some news from Essilor:
Essilor will soon be releasing the NEW and IMPROVED Crizal Avance' w/ Scotchgard Protector . This new product will be released Feb. 10th and will be a complete product replacement. Everything ordered after that date will automatically include the New and Improved Crizal Avance', the name will not change. The new Avance' includes a new stack called SR Booster which makes the lenses 2 times more scratch resistant than Alize'! A Bayer test was conducted comparing a glass lens with AR coating to a standard plastic lens with Crizal Avance' with Scotchgard. The test results show that the new Crizal Avance' was more scratch resistant than the Glass w/ AR! Big claim I know. So compared to Alize', Crizal Avance' w/ Scotchgard is now 2 times more scratch resistant than Alize', 20% slicker (making it much easier to clean), includes a hydrophobic/oleophobic coating that is 10 times more durable than Alize' (never rubs off) and finally has an AntiStatic layer that repels dust and dirt.

Second sight

A phenomenon often seen in cataracts is called second sight. What happens is a person who has lost his ability to read without reading glasses suddenly finds it easier to read again. This second sight comes from the lens inducing myopia or near sightedness from the changes. This is often short lived as the lens quickly clouds and it becomes harder to see at all distances.