One thing should be common to all: Good eye health is important at all stages in life and should be taken seriously before it’s too late. Unfortunately, for some, getting a routine eye screening or check-up is not thought of until they have a vision problem. Therefore, the American Optometric Association has recognized the month of March as Save Your Vision Month. But what does the “Save Your Vision Month” mean?
Save Your Vision Month is designed to help and educate the public on the importance of taking care of your eyes on a regular basis. This special day is designed to foster awareness and promoting good eye health.
But good eye health encompasses many different things and means different things to different people. Plusoptix supports the American Optometric Association in acknowledging Save Your Vision Month and providing state-of-the-art Vision Screening devices to enable Primary Healthcare Providers to detect vision disorders in children as early as possible.
Save Vision before Problems Begin
Educating the public about eye and vision health could mean the difference between helping a patient with eye care needs before a problem begins. Unlike other health problems we often encounter that hurt, ache, or physically debilitate us, many eye health problems do not have serious side effects (at first) and are often ignored.
We have been programmed to only complain when something hurts. Eye Care Professionals are in the business of fixing vision problems but only after they have been diagnosed and some are more serious than others. Without having regular eye care, we aren’t always aware of the problem. So, what can we do before the problem begins?
Eye Health Taken for Granted
Most importantly, don’t take your eyesight for granted. Most of us do. We take for granted that all we have to do is open up our eyes and we see. We are continually visually stimulated in everything we do all day long. It is a very large part of our lives every day, until something goes wrong.
It isn’t until then that we think about our eyesight and the importance of it. Regular eye care including vision screening and eye examinations are as important as our visiting our wellness physician or dentist. By taking precautionary measures, your sight can literally be saved.
SAVE YOUR VISION MONTH AT SCHOOL
Children are most at risk for possible problematic eye conditions mainly. The reason: A child is unable to determine if what they are seeing is actually in focus or not. They don’t know any differently. They do not have anything to compare it to.
Children may have some signs and symptoms, but rarely do they complain about not being able to see their books or the blackboard. The reason is that they have nothing to compare it to. This is the time when children start to act out in school, fidget, don’t complete their homework, act as if they are bored, and don’t participate in class, just to name a few.
They are not in pain, so they don’t complain. However, if a child’s eyesight is decreasing or becoming faulty, corrective and treatable measures can be taken quite readily. This is a better action to take than having eye strain which creates headaches and other problems. What are some things that can be done right away to avoid continuing problems?
How Save Your Vision Month Can Improve and Save Your Child’s Sight
As we acknowledge Save Your Vision Month during the month of March, becoming aware and getting educated on the importance of vision screening and regular eye exams is a first step.
Detect amblyogenic risk factors starting at the age of 5 months
With the Plusoptix Vision Screener, children at the age of 5 months and up can be vision screened for vision disorders and risk factors that may lead to Amblyopia (lazy eye). Click here for more information about the binocular screening device.
The sooner risk factors are identified, the better amblyopia can be prevented
Amblyopia is the leading cause of vision impairment among children. It affects between 1 % to 4 % of pre-school-aged children. If Amblyopia is undetected or left untreated, children can further develop additional problems into adulthood.
Therefore, detecting risk factors and treating them earlier rather than later is desirable to prevent permanent loss of vision. Identifying risk factors early on that may lead to Amblyopia is of great importance and will result in a better outcome for the child.
What Can You Do During Save Your Vision Month?
During the month of March and beyond, make eye health a priority. Participate in vision screenings when offered at a local church, community center, or school. Get regular eye exams. Don’t wait for something to happen before you take care of your eyes.
Take good care of both your health and your eyes to decrease your risk of vision loss in the future. During Save Your Vision Month, get encouraged, get educated, and take the necessary steps for better eye health and vision care.
Written by MaryAnn Ragone DeLambily, MAS, MPH