In light of Henderson City Lifestyle magazine’s “Kids and Pets” issue, we wanted to highlight a local medical expert to help parents in their preparations for their students going back to school and what they need to do to ensure their children can see what they need to learn.
Dr. Naomie Warner is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist with Nevada Eye Physicians — an ophthalmology practice with eight locations in Southern Nevada. She is a board-certified, dual-fellowship trained ophthalmologist. She specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and the treatment of misalignment of the eyes, double vision, amblyopia, and other pediatric conditions such as congenital cataracts and glaucoma or neuro-ophthalmic conditions. Here are her thoughts on what parents should be aware of for their children’s eye care.
Why is it important for children to get regular eye exams?
Having good vision is often overlooked when your child is struggling in school, but not being able to focus on the board or school assignments can make a difference in their grades. During a pediatric eye examination, conditions such as sight and vision problems can also be detected and treated early. Additionally, diseases and conditions of the eye can develop at any age, so it is a good idea to schedule a complete eye exam each year around the time school begins.
What can a parent expect when they bring their child in for their first eye appointment?
Pediatric eye care exams can include any of the following tests:
Inspection of the Eye – we will inspect the eyes and eyelids and test various muscle movements. The pupils will also be checked, and the reflection of light from the back of the eye will be evaluated.
Corneal Light Reflex Test – we will use a small flashlight to look at the front of the eye or cornea where light is reflected. Ideally, the light should be in sharp focus and centered on both pupils.
Cover Test – This test determines if the eyes are misaligned. While the child is looking into a bright light, the ophthalmologist covers one eye at a time and looks for a shift in the eyes. A shift is called strabismus.
Acuity Test – An age-appropriate visual acuity test may use an eye chart, and the child reads lines of characters, numbers, or letters. Children who cannot read or talk are also tested with Teller acuity cards, which allow the examiner to determine a reliable vision without the patient saying anything at all due to something called preferential looking. Each eye will be tested separately.
What sets Nevada Eye Physicians apart from other pediatric ophthalmology practices?
Nevada Eye Physicians is a comprehensive eye care practice serving residents of Las Vegas, Henderson, and several of the surrounding communities. Our primary focus is to deliver the highest quality of personalized eye care to all patients. Using innovative techniques and technology, our highly trained and experienced physicians provide several procedures and treatment options for a wide array of eye conditions. Patients feel comfortable and relaxed in our state-of-the-art facilities. We understand the importance of eye health and proper vision care, which is why we make it a priority to provide exceptional results for our patients to allow them improved sight and an enhanced quality of life.
What is the most common complaint you hear from children as it relates to being in the classroom or doing schoolwork, and how do you help solve the issue?
Many children are on screens more these days for schoolwork either while at school or for homework at home. While most of the time, screens are not a bad thing, they can cause blurred vision after an extended amount of screen use. This can be due to dryness in the eyes from a lack of blinking or refreshing our tears.
Children often complain of blurred vision or slight eye pain after prolonged screen use. As long as the exam is normal, I recommend taking breaks about every 20 minutes and blinking extra to refresh the tears, using artificial tears if the child will tolerate eye drops, or using less non-school-related screen time in general, if possible.
Never underestimate getting an eye exam as part of overall health and wellness checks. Especially if someone else in the family wears glasses or has any eye problems. Oftentimes, children’s eye problems are preventable with proper diagnoses but are missed due to a lack of an exam until it’s too late.
