As children grow and progress in school, they face additional visual demands through increased class work and homework. During these formative years, good vision is the key to success in the classroom. Children’s eyes are constantly in use and when vision quality is lacking, educational motivation and participation can suffer as a result.

The most effective way to identify and diagnose childhood optical problems is by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with your local optometrist. By scheduling regular childhood eye exams, you avoid the adverse effects of visual problems such as headaches, learning problems and self-esteem issues down the line.

Often parents avoid scheduling eye exams because their child passed a vision screening at school. While vision screenings have a place in the school setting, they are not to be taken as an equal substitution for a comprehensive eye exam.

• Screenings last 3 – 5 minutes while a comprehensive eye exam often lasts 30 – 60 minutes. Given the limited amount of time dedicated to a school screenings they are designed to catch obvious symptoms.
• Vision screenings usually only test for nearsightedness (myopia).  A comprehensive exam tests for both farsightedness (hyperopia) and vision distortions (astigmatism).  These conditions are particularly important for children in a learning environment since these conditions can affect a child’s ability to read.

My child just had a vision screening at school and they passed.  Do they still need an eye exam?

Absolutely.  The vision screenings at school can be good at detecting issues (especially myopia, or nearsightedness), but many times miss other very important problems.  It is very common for school screenings to miss hyperopia, or farsightedness, which causes problems with reading and headaches.  We are able to find this fairly easily if we dilate the child.  Astigmatism is another problem that often goes undetected at school screenings.  Another important part of the exam is to make sure that the eye health is normal (eye pressure, iris, lens, retina, etc.), which only a qualified eye doctor can do.  – Dr. May

One of my classmates in Optometry school recently told me about a patient they saw. The child had no vision complaints, but the parents wanted their child to have a comprehensive eye exam. While performing the exam, my classmate noticed the optic nerves were swollen in each eye. This typically indicates elevated pressure around the brain and a MRI was ordered. The child had a brain tumor. How long would that tumor have continued to grow before being detected if an eye exam were not performed? While this is a rare occurrence, it can and does happen. – Dr. Martin

The bottom line is that comprehensive eye exams are much more effective at identifying problems that vision screenings are unable to catch given the obvious time constraints.  Check with your insurance provider, because most medical and vision insurance companies cover the cost of a routine eye exam as a preventative care visit.

It’s difficult to know when your child needs to have an eye exam for the first time. But most experts agree that your child’s eyes should be checked shortly after birth, before starting school and throughout their school years.

Infants at risk (meaning low birth weight and prematurity) should be seen before age 1.  Examination at early ages is important in detecting strabismus, which is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other.  This can cause one eye to develop amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” and if not corrected permanent vision loss can result.  It is important for parents to know that vision screenings at school many times are too late and may fail to detect strabismus. – Dr. Hartman

Vision Problems in Children
Vision problems in kids, such as uneven focus or a slightly wandering eye, tend to emerge between 18 months and 4 years old. While these conditions may not seem alarming, if either disorder goes unchecked, the child’s stronger eye starts ignoring the images coming from the weaker eye, and stops developing the nerve connections leading to it. By the age of 6 or 7, the vision loss in that weaker eye is usually permanent. Both of these conditions can be stopped and reversed, but they need to be caught early with a comprehensive vision screening.

Another issue is that sometimes the eyes are not symmetrical, meaning there are different amounts of prescription in each eye.  This happened to one of my children.  She was completely symptom-free and seeing great, and we just happened to check her eyes one day while one of her siblings was getting checked.  We found a huge difference between her two eyes.  We immediately got her glasses and were fairly aggressive with patching (to help strengthen the weak eye), and now both eyes are seeing equally and clearly.  We found this when she was 4, but if we had waited and found out later (6-7), it may have been irreversible.  – Dr. May

Early Vision Exams
Your child’s eyesight is important for their well-being and self-esteem. Begin a vision exam regiment early to help protect and preserve your child’s health. If you do encounter a vision problem, eye doctors can address vision problems in young children with corrective lenses or minor adjustments.

Most people underestimate the importance of well-fitting frames. In general, children are more active than adults, and they need glasses that will maintain a good fit during various activities. If the glasses are constantly falling off the patients face or sliding down the child’s nose, the child’s motivation to wear the glasses will decrease dramatically. At Johnson Optometric, we take pride in our quality frame selection as well as our expertise in helping the patient select an attractive and proper fitting frame. – Dr. Martin

This is part 4 of a 4-part series written by Johnson Optometric Associates, specifically focusing on seasonal allergies that affect our patient base in Wake County, North Carolina. This post will zero in on contact lens wearers and seasonal allergies.

First and foremost – if you suffer from seasonal eye conjunctivitis, limiting the hours spent wearing contacts may help relieve your symptoms. Contact lenses provide a surface that allergens can adhere to and create discomfort resulting in watery, red, swollen, itchy and burning eyes.

During allergy season, ensure that you are inserting a fresh, pollen-free lens each day. Allergens and histamines can sometimes become attached to the lens and are difficult to remove. If daily lenses aren’t available in your prescription, review your contact lens solution and care regimen with Johnson Optometric Associates.

For those who have more moderate to severe allergies, the best course of action may be to discontinue contact use until your symptoms have subsided. In some cases, you may need to take a mast cell stabilizer/antihistamine eye drop prior to inserting your lenses and after you take them out.

Using a rewetting eye drop 4-6 times a day to flush allergens from the eye can also be very effective. Stay away from products such as Visine or Cleareyes, which are vasoconstrictors. They reduce blood flow to the white part of your eye, which is not healthy.

Allergies are one of the leading causes of chronic disease in the United States, affecting approximately 30 percent of the population (Bielory, 2002). There are almost 40 million contact lens wearers in the United States (Nichols, 2009) and therefore, approximately 12 million contact lens-wearing patients who may suffer from allergies.

If you are a contact lens wearer suffering from seasonal eye allergies and would like to learn more about relieving your symptoms, please don’t hesitate to set up an appointment with Johnson Optometric Associates.

This is part 3 of a 4-part series written by Johnson Optometric Associates, specifically focusing on seasonal allergies that affect our patient base in Wake County, North Carolina. This post will zero in on treating seasonal eye allergies.

Over-the-counter
There are over-the-counter eye drops and oral medications available to help an eye allergy sufferer. This type of medicine is typically less expensive than prescription medications and commonly used to calm mild irritations. Eye drops containing decongestants (and possibly antihistamines), are available to help wash out and soothe the eyes. Oral antihistamines can also be mildly effective in relieving the itching associated with eye allergies. Prolonged use of OTC drops and oral medications may lead to increased swelling and redness that lasts days after discontinuing use of the products.

Prescription
Prescription eye drops and oral medications provide both short- and long-term targeted relief of eye conjunctivitis symptom.

• Antihistamine/Mast Cell Stabilizers – The newest eye drops have both an antihistamine and a mast cell stabilizer to treat and prevent eye conjunctivitis. They are used once or twice a day and provide long-lasting relief of itching, redness and burning.
• Mast Cell Stabilizers – Mast cell stabilizers are eye drops that prevent the release of histamine, which causes allergy symptoms. The drops must be taken before exposure to an irritant to prevent itching.
• Corticosteroids – Steroid eye drops that treat chronic and severe eye allergy symptoms, but continued use of the drops can have side effects, such as a risk of infection, glaucoma, and cataracts.

Allergy shots
If OTC and prescription medications do not alleviate your eye allergy symptoms, allergy shots or immunotherapy may be an option. Tiny amounts of the allergen are injected with gradually increasing doses over time. The shots can actually keep your body from reacting to the allergens. The treatment takes several months to achieve maximum results.

If using over-the-counter remedies are not relieving your symptoms, schedule an appointment with Johnson Optometric Associates to help you find a solution to your seasonal eye conjunctivitis.

This is part 2 of a 4-part series written by Johnson Optometric Associates, specifically focusing on seasonal allergies that affect our patient base in Wake County, North Carolina. This post will zero in on managing seasonal allergy eye symptoms.

Here in Wake County, allergy season is a five-month affair, beginning in April and ending in August. Your first approach to successfully managing eye conjunctivitis should be prevention. Be aware, though, that because many of the allergens that trigger eye allergies are airborne, avoidance is not always possible. With this in mind, here are a few tips for reducing seasonal allergen symptoms.

Avoid the Temptation
Rubbing itchy eyes may provide temporary relief, but this in fact can make things worse. Rubbing your eyes causes the release of more histamines, the body’s chemical reaction that initially caused your eye conjunctivitis. Instead, wash your hands, take contact lenses out (if you wear them), apply cool compresses to your eyes and avoid eye makeup.

Track the Daily Pollen Count
Staying up to date on the daily pollen count in Fuquay-Varina and Garner, enables you to minimize exposure and reduce allergy symptoms. These reports represent the pollen samples taken during the previous 24 hours. Counts are reported as low, moderate, high, or very high. These levels generally indicate your risk of developing allergy symptoms. Weather factors such as air temperature, wind speed, and humidity can greatly affect how much pollen is airborne at a particular moment.

Minimize Your Exposure
When pollen counts are high, wear glasses or sunglasses to keep allergens out of your eyes. In Wake County, tree, grass and weed pollens are the worst offenders during the allergy season. Limit exposure indoors by keeping your windows closed, the air conditioner on and avoiding the use of window fans that can draw pollens into the house. Try to stay indoors between typical peak pollen hours of 5 A.M. and 10 A.M., or at least take allergy medicine before heading outside.

This is part 1 of a 4-part series written by Johnson Optometric Associates, specifically focusing on seasonal allergies that affect our patient base in Wake County, North Carolina. This post will zero in on understanding eye conjunctivitis brought on by seasonal allergies.

Spring has arrived in Fuquay-Varina & Garner, NC bringing with it an array of seasonal ocular irritations. The most common allergic conjunctivitisis a reaction by the immune system responding to grass, weed, and tree allergens. Our eyes respond to these irritants by releasing a substance called histamine, which cause a combination of ocular itching, inflammation, watering and redness. The good news is that unlike viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, seasonal allergies are not spread from person to person.

Like all allergies, they are brought on by a glitch in the body’s immune system. The reaction begins when our eyes come into contact with a harmless allergen that is seen as a threat. The immune system responds by causing your eyes to release histamine. Red, itchy, and watery eyes occur – either alone or combined with nasal allergy symptoms.

Here in Wake County, North Carolina, seasonal eye allergies can have a tremendously negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. Allergy season typically coincides with the start of the spring budding season and runs through late summer/early fall.

While certainly bothersome, eye allergies are not a threat to eyesight with the exception of temporary blurriness. Keep in mind – red, itchy, burning, and puffy eyes can also be brought on by infections and other conditions that pose a threat to eyesight. Seasonal allergic sufferers usually endure a combination of ocular itching, inflammation, watering and redness of the eyes.  Ocular itching is the most distinguishing feature when seasonal allergic episodes occur.