Optometrist says schedule eye exams before returning to school
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – In the coming weeks, students will be returning to school.
With all the fun that comes with summer break, students may not realize what they’ve been missing around them, and parents may not realize what could be hindering their child’s educational performance.
Dr. Sherylan Webb at Starkville Eye Clinic says many students will believe they are seeing just fine until their eyes are checked.
“Whenever we start to check them, they’re not reading as far down on the chart as they should,” Webb said. “They have issues with reading and we question about more things and they end up having a lot of headaches, especially when they are doing near-work, and that’s a problem. You should never have headaches when doing near-work. Or when they’re doing near-work, things blur, at times. That should not be something that happens either.”
Once they check, they can normally find what could be holding back their learning.
“It allows them to see the board more clearly whenever they go back and forth from the board or the white screen to their tablets or the paper of their desk, they’re able to see it clearly and quickly so they can keep up with school and the other people in their class,” Webb said.
But it’s not just important from an educational perspective.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that about 11 million Americans over the age of 12 need vision correction.
But there is more behind the eyes.
Getting them checked can help with strain and discomfort, as well as other health problems like eye disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
And Webb said preventative care is key.
“Preventative care is a whole lot better than after the fact and you’re trying to fix it at that point,” Webb said. “If you can find things before them really causing an issue with the eyes, it’s so much easier to treat and take care of than afterward.”
Beyond health and education, Webb has seen how it can boost quality of life and confidence.
Webb said that’s what makes her job so rewarding.
“When they come in, after getting their glasses, and they’ve never had glasses before, and they put them on, and look across the road and say, ‘Oh! I see the trees!’,” Webb said.
Webb said yearly eye exams help them keep track of students’ needs, and changes to their vision so that they can perform to their full potential. She also discussed blue-light glasses as students use lots of technology at school.
Webb said there is not enough research to prove blue light causes harm to your eyes.
However, blue light can interfere with melatonin levels causing problems when you sleep.
She recommends taking a minute break every hour after being on an electronic device.
