Your child’s eyes are precious, and you should want to take steps to protect them. Considering how reliant we are on eyesight and the inconvenience that comes with poor vision, this should be a priority for all parents. In this article, we’re going to give you a few tips to protect and improve your child’s eye health and vision.
Limit Time with Screens Inside
Did your parents ever tell you to not sit so close to the TV or else it would hurt your eyes? It turns out there’s a measure of truth to this. A Korean study found that the more time they spend in front of computer screens and handheld devices, the more likely they are to need glasses. The theory is that the eyes start to adapt to the focal point that is most often in front of them.
The solution is to have the kids outside in the sunlight in more normal circumstances for at least an hour a day. This also reduces the risk of children becoming near-sighted because of other “near work” like reading all the time. According to this article that was published on apextribune.com, older siblings have a 10% greater risk of near-sightedness while it is 20% more likely they’ll develop a severe case. This isn’t completely understood, but you should pay special attention to your first born if you want to prevent vision problems from occurring later on.
Teach kids to take breaks, looking up and around instead of just at what is in front of them, whether a smart phone or print book. Stare for at least 20 seconds at something at least 20 feet away.
Eat Your Vegetables
Your child needs a regular intake of water soluble vitamins like vitamin A. Giving your children a healthy diet reduces their odds of developing diabetes as a major cause of poor eyesight issues later in life. And if your children get in the habit of eating fruits and vegetables containing lutein, there is some evidence this reduces the risk of cataracts later in life. Zinc deficiency is associated with poor vision, while eating it reduces the odds a child will develop poor night vision or macular degeneration.
Wear the Right Eye Protection
Eye protection is critical for sports like archery, fencing, hockey and racquetball. You should encourage your child to wear goggles when swimming to reduce the odds of both irritation from chemicals and eye infections from the faecal matter that contaminates many pools.
If they’re playing paintball, full facial shields should be a must. A paintball to the eye has a high chance of causing permanent blindness. And ensure that your child wears protective face shields and guards for sports like football and baseball. A ball to the face could cause eye damage or just take out a few teeth.
A healthy diet goes a long way towards protecting one’s vision. Getting into the habit of wearing protective eyewear could save your child’s vision at any point over their lifetime. And getting away from the computer screen and out into the world is good for their health in all respects.
