Focusing in on kids’ eye health
To mark National Eye Health Week (September 23-29), we look at why it is vital to visit the optician and have your children’s eyes tested
HERE are more than a million children in the UK with undetected vision problems, according to the charity Eye Health UK.
The number of school-aged children who are short-sighted has doubled over the past 50 years and children are becoming myopic at an earlier age than in the past. One-in-five British teens is short-sighted.
Kyla Black, Senior Clinical Services Manager at Boots Opticians says: “There is a strong indication that there is an increase in the need for glasses for young teenagers and children, which can be linked to an increase in prevalence of short-sightedness [myopia] over recent years.”
Kyla says there are a number of factors that can result in myopia, including a strong hereditary link. It is up to seven times more likely to appear in children if both parents are myopic.
However, the current epidemic is thought to be ‘acquired rather than genetic’, says Eye Health UK.
Intensive near work (writing, reading and working on a computer) has been associated with myopia developing in children.
Increasingly sedentary social lives of children and young people may also be contributing to the increase.
Children’s eyes continue to develop until they reach the age of eight, so caring for a child’s eyes in the early years can help lay the foundations for good vision that lasts a lifetime.
Cast your eye over these tips from Eye Health UK:
DIET
EATING a rainbow of colourful fruit and vegetables helps ensure young eyes get the nutrients they need to grow healthily. Foods such as tomatoes, grapes and blueberries as well as fish, eggs and whole grains are packed with eye–friendly nutrients.
GO OUT AND PLAY
THERE is emerging evidence that spending two hours or more a day outdoors can reduce the risk of myopia, even if there is a family history of the condition.
COVER UP
IT’S really important to protect kids’ eyes from the sun. According to the World Health Organisation, 80% of a lifetime’s UV is absorbed into the eye by the time a child reaches the age of 18.
GET TESTED
HAVING regular sight tests – every two years (unless you’re advised otherwise by your optometrist) – is essential to ensure your child’s eyes stay healthy.
Eye tests are free for the under-16s and young people aged between 16 and 18 in full-time education.
■ For more on National Eye Health Week visit visionmatters.org.uk