Children’s vision problems go undiagnosed because either they don’t know how to express the problems they are experiencing, or their vision issues are showing up in other ways – such as learning difficulties. That’s why it’s so important for your patients to bring their kids in for regular eye exams early on in their development.
Here are some things to consider when discussing children’s eye exams with your patients.
Use sun season and back-to-school season to start the conversation
Now that we’re in the middle of sun season and summer break, it’s a great time to start the conversation with your patients about their children’s eye health and protection from the sun. With children spending more time outdoors during the summer, you can encourage an eye exam and steer the conversation toward the appropriate sunwear for children.
Kids need glasses that are durable and adaptable to their lifestyle – whether it’s scratch-resistance, anti-reflection, 100% UV protection, or polarized lenses. Talk to the parents about the importance of their kids spending enough time outdoors for both their vision and overall health, while protecting against UV light and intense sunlight.
What about other times of year? As summer comes to an end, that’s the perfect time to talk about “prepping for the new school year” – your patients should schedule an eye exam for their children so they can start the school year strong.
How to encourage children’s eye exams
Apart from using the time of year to start the conversation, the best way to encourage patients to bring their children in for a vision test is by driving urgency and educating them on the risks.
You can explain to your patients that childhood vision problems are not easy to detect. While teachers try their best to notice when children are struggling to see, an optometrist is the one who can catch vision or health defects before they get serious. Remind your patients that they can start taking their child for eye exams beginning at 6 months of age and should continue to take them for regular eye exams as they grow. This will help detect or prevent other conditions or eye diseases that can have lifelong effects.
The most common children’s vision problem, for example, is myopia (nearsightedness). Though myopia doesn’t affect reading, it causes blurred distance and impacts the long-term health of the eye. There are several evidence-based, effective options available to slow myopia progression. HOYA’s MiYOSMART lenses are a popular choice because they are clinically proven over a 6-year study and are easy for parents to understand.
