From 6 months to 106 – everyone needs an eye exam. What can you do to help protect your family’s eyesight? A regular eye exam is a great way to start!

Almost 80% of preschool-aged children never have an eye exam. Many vision screenings in school don’t test for common eye diseases. Many parents think their children’s eye care needs are being covered during school eye checks. In fact, those are simple screenings, mainly checking to see if the child can read a chart. That’s why it’s important to have an eye care professional check your child’s eyes for other problems, including childhood eye diseases.

Prevent Blindness America recommends that children have a professional eye exam at six months of age, before entering school (age four or five) and periodically throughout the school years. Certain eye diseases are linked to heredity and should lead to more frequent exams for the family.

There are certainly ways to determine if your child is having difficulty with their vision, for example, they may rub their eyes excessively, shut one eye, hold objects close to their eyes, squint, have red or watery eyes or complain of headaches, dizziness or double vision.

However, mom and dad shouldn’t be left behind in all of this talk about child eye care,they should have a regular eye exam at least every 12-24 months. Any changes in vision, trouble adjusting to dark rooms, difficulty focusing, difficulty driving at night, double vision, excess tearing, dry eyes or seeing spots should be reported to your ophthalmologist immediately in order to undergo a comprehensive eye examination in search of the proper diagnosis and treatment.

Don’t wait, schedule an appointment today, by clicking here, and starting taking care of your family’s sight.