Help your kids succeed this school year with a comprehensive eye exam at Zion Eye Institute

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CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — With kids returning to class, Zion Eye Institute aims to remind parents of the importance of scheduling routine eye exams for young eyes. If they’re not seeing 20/20, kids can have trouble concentrating, fall behind on schoolwork and struggle to enjoy their favorite activities.

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Zion Eye Institute recommends that kids start undergoing annual eye exams once they enter preschool or kindergarten. If a child is diagnosed with misaligned eyes, amblyopia, refractive errors such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness or any other issue, it’s important to begin treatment as soon as possible to ensure successful vision correction and lifelong benefits.

“For a child, seeing well is such an important part of their life,” pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Joshua Schliesser said. “It’s crucial to their education and development.”

Most schools, as well as some early learning and daycare programs, offer vision screenings at the start of the school year. Still, there’s no substitute for a comprehensive in-person eye exam with an eye care professional. This is particularly true for kids with a family history of vision problems, Schliesser said.

Routine eye exams are especially important for students who won’t receive a vision screening at school. With the rise of remote learning, kids are spending more time in front of phones, tablets and computers than ever before. Eye strain from extended device usage can trigger symptoms such as dry eyes and headaches, all of which are exacerbated if the child needs vision correction.

Many of the obstacles students face in school, including a short attention span, can be attributed to poor eyesight. Learning is highly visual, and kids struggling with vision problems will find it difficult to stay focused while reading or performing tasks that require the use of their eyes for extended periods of time.

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“A big part of succeeding in school is seeing well,” Schliesser said.

Pediatric eye problems are often difficult to diagnose without a thorough evaluation. One of the more common is amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, in which a child only requires a corrective prescription in one eye.

Amblyopia can be successfully treated if detected soon enough, ideally before kindergarten. Left unchecked, the brain will grow accustomed to compensating for the vision deficiency, and the eye is unable to develop properly.

At home, parents should watch for telltale signs of vision problems. Squinting, holding reading materials very close to their face or complaining about things appearing blurry may indicate nearsightedness. If a child begins to lose interest in reading, drawing and activities that require focusing up-close, they might be farsighted.

Zion Eye Institute can assess and treat children at virtually any stage of development. Methods vary from fixation and tracking techniques for nonverbal infants to the more complex eye charts similar to the ones used for adults.

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The eye care professional will determine if a corrective prescription is needed, check eye alignment and test depth perception using 3D imagery. Zion Eye Institute also has specialized equipment to check for issues like cataracts, glaucoma and retina problems. 

“If there’s any question about a child’s vision, it’s best to have it checked by an eye care professional,” Schliesser said. “We can get them seeing as clearly as possible.”

Zion Eye Institute is a multispecialty practice offering comprehensive optometry and ophthalmology services, including pediatric eye care, at four locations in Southern Utah and Mesquite, Nevada. Call 435-334-6643 today to schedule your child’s annual eye exam.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T •

Resources

  • Zion Eye Institute | Address: 1791 E. 280 North, St. George | Telephone: 435-656-2020 or 877-841-2020 | Website.
  • Other locations
    • Santa Clara: 1100 Canyon View Drive, Unit G, Santa Clara | Telephone: 435-674-3502.
    • Mesquite, Nevada: 1301 Bertha Howe Ave., Ste. 11, Mesquite, Nevada | Telephone: 702-346-9175.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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