Eye Doctor Round Rock: 5 Back to School Eye Care Tips for Students, Pa

5 Back to School Eye Care Tips for Students, Part 2

Now that school is back in session here in Austin, you’ll want to make maintaining your child’s vision a priority by learning ways to improve their eye health during the school year and scheduling them for a comprehensive eye exam with our award-winning eye doctor, Dr. Joseph Meyer. As one study shows, taking steps to manage and enhance your child’s vision skills such as visual acuity, accommodation, and visual perception can address early reading-related vision issues before they get worse as your child ages. Here are a few actions you can take to protect your child’s vision during the school year:

Wear Protective Eye Wear During Sports

Even if your child does not actively participate in after school sports, they most likely participate in physical activities during gym class. While sports and games are a lot of fun, and a great way for kids to get exercise, they can also expose your child to the risk of injury, including eye injuries as a result of flailing hands and fingers, flying sporting equipment such as softballs or wall balls, or those incurred during woodshop or art class. To combat activity-related eye injuries, educate your children about the importance of wearing protective eyewear when engaged in these activities. Protective goggles provide affordable protection for all kinds of sports, including swimming, which can protect your child’s eyes from chlorine and germs during swim class.

Encourage Rest

After a long day of working on a computer, reading books, writing down math problems, and notetaking, your child is probably quite tired, mentally; yet their eyes and supportive ocular muscles could benefit from some rest, too. By encouraging rest, parents can help support healthy eye function and improved focus and concentration. Along with rest, parents should limit the time their child spends in front of electronic devices such as computers, tablets, cell phones, and TV screens. Additionally, teach your children to keep a safe distance from electronic screens to help prevent eye strain, blurred vision, and future eye issues down the road.

Prepare Foods that Improve Eye Health

Parents can add to their child’s eye health and improve their vision by preparing foods that strengthen eye health. Foods that are rich in vitamins A and C, such as oranges and tomatoes, provide the most effective antioxidants and nutrients to support strong eyes. Fruits high in vitamin C can help prevent degenerative eye problems which can begin developing at an early age. Green, leafy vegetables are a great source for vitamins A, C, and D, and also provide calcium to nourish the eyes. Spinach is packed with lutein, one of the best antioxidants for strengthening the eyes. Blueberries and grapes can help reduce eye fatigue and are a delicious source for zinc and selenium to improve overall vision.

Schedule a Vision Exam

By adding these practices into a child’s daily and weekly back-to-school routine, parents can help maintain and improve their child’s eye wellness and vision. Additionally, taking a proactive approach to addressing a child’s vision early in the school year can reduce the risk for eye issues later in the semester, or even later in life. To schedule a comprehensive back to school eye exam for your child, call our friendly staff here at Round Rock Eye Consultants. Our award-winning eye doctor, Dr. Joseph Meyer, can recommend corrective eyewear for your child should they have any vision issues related to nearsightedness, farsightedness, or blurred vision. We look forward to working with you and wish all the families in the Austin area a great start to the school year.