HEALTH EYES
Do the eyes have it?
Doctors recommend that you have your children’s
eyes tested every year, but as Annabel Heseltine
discovers, not everyone is listening
T
eeth, eyes and ears are all based optometrist and winner of the
components of our body Children’s Eye Care Practice of the
which we tend to take for Year Award.
granted until something goes Common eye problems in younger
wrong, but, evidence today suggests we children include squints and lazy
should not be so complacent especially eye, short- and long-sightedness,
where the eyes are concerned. “If astigmatism and binocular co-
a child has wonky teeth,” said one ordination. “It is very important to
mother, “it’s not the end of the world; establish that both eyes are working
they can always wear a brace.” But, together, says Harrold. “It maybe that
as too many parents have found to the child can see very well but one eye
their cost, if defective eyesight isn’t is doing all the work.”
discovered quickly, it may be too late “It’s a great pity when we pick up
to do anything about it. these things at eleven or twelve because
Optometrists recommend that then there is little that can be done and
children should be having annual their vision will never be as good as it
check-ups from four. “Many parents could have been,” he continues. And
feel that if the child cannot read the there can be severe implications. Some
letters then there is no point in having employers like the Royal Air Force
their eyes tested,” says Ian Harrold of require good eyesight as a condition
SH Harrold, who has 21 independent of entry. As the good eye gets older, it
opticians in southern England. “But may no longer be able to compensate.
we can still test them using pictures As children go through growth
and direction techniques. It is very spurts in their teens it is just as
important to catch problems as they important to keep testing their eyes,
are developing – up until the age of which are growing too. “Short sight
about seven – otherwise it may be too doesn’t tend to develop until a child is
late to do anything about them.” five or six or in teenagers when they are
At this stage, the optician is growing at their fastest,” says Harrold.
checking the health of the eye and Parents will often leave it to the
the level of vision. He will carry schools to do the testing but should
out a number of tests to check be aware that it is no longer always
near and distance vision, binocular available and even if it is, your child
coordination, eye movement skills, might not be there on the day. Rarely is
ability to focus, peripheral vision and provision made for later testing. “T_hese
hand-eye coordination. He may ask school tests tend to be very quick
questions about whether your child and not very accurate,” says Harrold.
has headaches and their diet, and how “Children may be able to see very well
much fruit he or she is eating. “Taking but that doesn’t mean there are not
certain food supplements that supply other problems with co-ordination. We
key fatty acids known to help brain send children with a problem to an eye
chemistry helps many children with specialist as they may need glasses.”
either visual or auditory problems, Which needn’t be as expensive
says Keith Holland, a Cheltenham as it sounds. All under-16s are
58 FIRST ELEVEN SPRING 2010 WWW.FIRSTELEVENMAGAZINE.CO.UK
pp58-59FESpr10 Eyes2SMsub.indd 58 28/1/10 18:33:13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84