Did you know that one in five school-aged children has an undiagnosed vision problem? This is why it’s important to take your child for an eye test at the earliest opportunity. After the last few years of more learning-from-home and increased screen time, it’s more important than ever to remember to get your children’s eyes tested by a reputable optometrist. Close work and increased time in front of a screen can lead to digital eye strain and myopia (short-sightedness). Even if your child isn’t complaining of specific eye issues, it’s still important to take them for an eye test. Young
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Archives for Children’s vision
Kids’ eye care
Looking after children’s eye health at school Research shows that around 20% of school-aged children have an undiagnosed vision problem. For your child to develop to their full potential both at school and socially, good eyesight is key. The eye is still developing throughout early childhood so if problems are treated early, it can make a lasting difference. It’s never too early to have a sight test and visiting an optometrist will mean you can spot and manage vision problems that may affect your child’s development. How do I know if my child has an eye problem? Some eye conditions
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Children’s vision changes after lockdown
Eye doctors had planned to celebrate 2020 as the year of vision (as in seeing 20/20). Instead, thanks to Covid-19, it will be known as the year that worsened the world’s vision for decades to come. Some optometrists across New Zealand are noticing a spike in children’s vision problems as we emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns. We are seeing even more new cases of nearsightedness, or myopia in children recently, and as has also been reported internationally, some children who were already nearsighted now seem to experience worsening vision at a faster-than-expected rate. Distance learning up close and personal When schools
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Covid lockdowns and myopia in children
Children’s reliance on screens during lockdown makes the battle for digital-free time even tougher Covid-19 certainly doesn’t seem to have helped the running argument in many NZ households: children demanding more screen time, parents wanting less. And it seems parents are right again: studies have drawn a link between lockdowns and childhood myopia. A study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found the eyesight of some children who were already near-sighted worsened more quickly than expected during lockdowns, while other children developed myopia at a greater rate than optometrists had seen prior to 2020 and Covid-19 changing our worlds.
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Safe glasses for children
The smart phone and tablet revolution has transformed our kids’ lives. Many New Zealand youngsters now see much of their world at arm’s length; they are spending more and more time in front of screens than ever before. This has an impact on their vision and overall health. Seeing through their eyes This increased screen time has seen an increase in headaches, eye strain, myopia and quite probably a decrease in overall fitness. Even though we’d love to fix everything that’s wrong in the world today, sadly that’s not possible, even for the marvellous John O’Connor Optometrists team. But we
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Children’s eye care
Most babies begin life with healthy eyes and as children grow, their eyes change quickly and vision develops without difficulty. Good vision is key to a child’s physical development, success in school, and overall well-being. Focussing on children’s eye care can help catch problems early, while kids’ eyes are still developing. Spotting eye issues Eye health and vision problems can occasionally develop and may be difficult to notice, which is why regular eye tests with our optometrists are so important. Research has shown that in New Zealand around 15% of children have problems with their vision. Experts also say that
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Myopia control for children – Hoya MiyoSmart lenses
MiyoSmart® is a new non-invasive myopia management solution for children of all ages. Now available in New Zealand from John O’Connor Optometrists, MiyoSmart lenses can potentially curb your child’s myopia progression by an average of 60%. What is myopia? Myopia, or shortsightedness happens when the eye grows too long. Very simply put, if the eye is too long, the lens of the eye focuses the image in front of the retina instead of on top of it. People with myopia see things that are up close clearly, whereas far objects are blurry. Myopia causes eyestrain, which can lead to headaches and
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Myopia in children
What is myopia? Myopia is blurry long-distance vision, often called short-sightedness or near-sightedness. A person with myopia can see clearly up close – when reading a book or looking at a phone – but words and objects look fuzzy on a blackboard, on television or when driving. Experts across the globe have concluded, with good evidence, that myopia leads to further sight-threatening conditions. Myopia is spreading Research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology showed 10 million people worldwide suffered from myopia in 2010. By 2050, it is estimated that more than 50% of the world’s population will have myopia,
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Keratoconus Subsidy – Need Help?
If you suffer from keratoconus, there is financial help available. What is keratoconus? Keratoconus: progressive thinning and distortion of the cornea causing reduced vision. The cornea is the window of the eye. Light travels through the cornea past the lens to the retina and then the brain to form a visual image. A normal, healthy cornea holds its round shape. However, sometimes the cornea becomes structurally weakened and loses its shape. Instead of a dome, the cornea becomes cone shaped and the surface irregular. This prevents the light entering your eye from being focused correctly on the retina, so a
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Myopia – what you can do
Myopia is the medical term for nearsightedness. Myopia is where the eyeball is too long or too powerful. The result is blurred vision; far away objects become blurry, but vision for close objects is clear within a certain range. 60 years ago, 10-20% of the Chinese population was short-sighted. Today, up to 90% of teenagers and young adults are. In Seoul, 96.5% of 19-year-old men are short-sighted. In USA and Europe, approx. half of young adults are myopic, double the prevalence of half a century ago. Worldwide, it is estimated that 2.5 billion people (roughly 1/3 of the world population)
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