If there’s one thing you only get one of in life, it’s a pair of healthy eyes! Looking after your children’s eyes is very important, particularly when they are so vulnerable and prone to injuries, and helping and teaching your children to take care of their eyes is key. If your children’s eye health is maintained well into their teenage years then the chances of them enjoying healthy vision for the rest of their lives are much higher. Here are 5 tips to ensure that your children’s eyes remain healthy:
1. Healthy Meals=Healthy Eyes!
Having a balanced diet consisting of red leafy vegetables, carrots, spinach and beet root goes a long in nourishing your child’s eyes and keeping them healthy. Also try and squeeze in pumpkin, squash and mangoes which have huge quantities of carotene and are all beneficial to growing and keeping healthy eyes and vision.
2. Regular Eye Exams
Many eye professionals and experts have their own different opinions on eye exams and vision screening for children. It is best to speak to your doctor about what’s right for your child, but be sure to schedule regular eye exams once you’re given the go ahead. Not only will your doctor be able to identify and potentially correct vision issues early on, you will also give your children exposure to eye care professional and hopefully avoid any anxiety that comes with visiting a doctor.
3. Wear Eye Protection
Ensure that your child always wears the correct protective athletic gear when playing sports such as goggles to ensure better eye safety and prevent any serious eye injury. Provide your child with sun protection when outdoors such as UV coated sunglasses and hats when they go outdoors.
4. Limit Screen Time
Screen time is inevitable in our day and age, but setting screen time limitations is key to protecting growing eyes from too much exposure. Set daily or weekly limits and make sure your kids take adequate breaks by getting outside. Teach your children not to hold digital devices too close to their eyes, such as mobile phones and tablets
5. Teach Healthy Hygiene Habits
Kids get dirty, but teaching them to wash their hands before touching their eyes is important. If you see them rubbing their eyes because If they do feel that they have something in their eyes, then they should not rub them which could make it worse and even scratch their eyeballs. They should ask an adult to wash their eyes out for them.
Bear in mind that timely vision and eye exams at an early age are important to insure that your child has the visual skills they need to do well at school, it is advised that children who have diabetes should undergo a dilated eye exam at least once a year. Vision problems are best treated if identified and corrected as soon as possible while your child’s eyes and vision are still developing.
Author Bio:
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center, an Ophthalmology Center in California. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care.
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