Outdoors vs. Indoors: What’s the Benefit to your Vision?

There has been a recent movement to get kids off the couch and out the door. From child obesity to the effect on the developing brain, video games and TV are being discouraged in favor of outdoor exercise and free play.

But did you know that outdoor play could also be beneficial to children’s vision? Studies show that being outdoors can significantly reduce the likelihood that a child will develop myopia (nearsightedness).  Up to 50% less likely, in fact.

So how much time does a child have to spend outside to get these physical benefits? It’s recommended they spend 1 hour a day in the wintertime and 3 hours a day in the summertime. Of course, you want to make sure your children as still protected by sunglasses and sunblock (not to mention appropriately supervised).

But beyond the obvious benefits like a lower risk for child obesity and more activity/growth for your child’s brain, it’s interesting to note that being outdoors helps in areas like vision as well.
So get your kiddos off the couch and out the front door! It’s good for their health in a myriad of ways. Do you have thoughts on the advantages of outdoor exercise for children? Share them in the comments below.

Tanning Beds: What’s the Cost to your Vision?

Now that summer vacation is in full swing, many of you are probably working on that perfect summer tan. There’s no doubt a nice tan is a bonus in the summer months, and thanks to tanning beds you can now get that sun-kissed glow year-round.

Much has been made of the damage tanning beds can do to your skin, but what about your eyes? How does the intense UV light affect your sight both short-term and long-term?

Unfortunately, the tanning goggles that you can get from your tanning facility do not offer you total protection from the harm of UV light damage. In reality, it’s best to avoid tanning at all—for both the health and safety of your skin AND your eyes.

Last week I talked about cataracts—remember, UV damage is a large contributor to their development. And skin cancer isn’t your only cancer risk with tanning beds—melanoma of the eye has also been linked of UV light, as has macular degeneration. These long-term effects may not show up until much later in life, when it’s too late to undo the damage.

Photokeratitis is a short-term example of damage from UV light. Photokeratitis is essentially a sunburn on the cornea of your eye (one of the most integral parts of your eye). While only temporary, photokeratitis can be painful, cause swelling to the eye, and even result in blurred vision.

The implications of UV damage to vision are not relegated to only the outdoors. The strong UV light from tanning beds can be even more damaging because of the high concentration of UV exposure. While my advice would be to avoid tanning beds altogether, if you’re going to continue tanning, be sure you are using tanning goggles and keep the amount of time you spend in tanning beds to a minimum. Your eyes (and your optometrist) will thank you!

How Do You Prevent Cataracts?

June is Cataract Awareness month, so I wanted to take a moment to let you know a little more about this important subject.

Cataracts are essentially a cloudiness of the lens of the eye. Normally they occur later in life after a buildup or clumping of protein has developed over time. While age is the main cause of cataract development, there are other risk factors that are entirely preventable which could reduce the likelihood of developing cataracts later in life.

First of all, nutrition is extremely important to your vision. Certain anti-oxidants are currently being studied as a contributor to the prevention of cataracts. Diabetes, of which certain types are preventable through a healthy lifestyle, can be another precursor to cataracts.

Also, make sure you take care to protect your eyes from UV rays. Because we are in the midst of summer vacation, protection against UV rays is more important than ever. Be sure you are wearing polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV exposure.

Still, you can take care to protect your eyes and eat healthy but develop cataracts anyway. If this is the case, surgery can be performed to remove the cataracts and restore vision. The key is to work to prevent cataracts from developing, and if they do develop, seek the treatment needed to remove them safely and restore vision. Be sure you schedule regular exams with your optometrist (me!) to monitor your vision and catch any sign of cataracts before they progress too far. 

Behavior Disorder or Vision Problem?

If you are concerned your child may be suffering from ADD/ADHD, make sure he or she is screened for vision disorders first. Undetected vision problems can masquerade as ADD/ADHD because symptoms can be very similar.

For example, children who suffer from eye teaming disorders like convergence insufficiency and convergence excess will display many of the same warning signs as children who suffer from ADD or ADHD. Eye teaming disorders essentially mean that your child has difficulty using his or her two eyes together for close-up activities such as reading and writing.

When a child is unable to control his or her eye movements, it becomes difficult to focus on print on a page. The words/numbers may appear to jump off or jumble around the page. As a child, this type of eyestrain can become extremely frustrating, resulting in an avoidance of these tasks. So when your child is getting out of his or her seat, taking frequent bathroom breaks, or just generally moving around and fidgeting, he or she could actually be taking a “vision break.”

Children may not understand that they are seeing anything unusual because it’s normal to them, which is why they could have difficulty communicating that they are having difficulty reading or seeing correctly. This is why scheduling an eye exam to rule out vision disorders is essential before seeking an ADD/ADHD diagnosis. Often vision therapy and other forms of treatment can relieve the problem.

If your child is struggling and you are concerned that ADD/ADHD may be a problem, schedule an eye exam with us first. It could be that a vision problem is contributing to his or her behavioral struggles.