Blinks, Squints, or Rubs His Eyes Often; Attention

He shifts the lines while reading or follows them with his fingers all the time… He gets distracted in a short time while reading or writing… He looks very close to the letters… This kind of behavior, which is quite common in children who have just started primary school, can be met as a natural situation by parents because they have just learned to 'read and write'. But beware! These habits may underlie 'vision impairment' such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism! Acıbadem Maslak Hospital Ophthalmology Specialist Prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş warned, “Late diagnosis means delayed treatment” and added, “Correction of visual disorders with glasses thanks to early diagnosis, increases visual acuity in children before the age of 8-9, where vision is learned quickly. If the treatment is delayed, the lazy eye can become permanent. For the early diagnosis of visual impairment, even if children do not have any complaints, they must undergo an eye examination in the first 6 months to 1 year after birth, at the 3rd and 6th ages. In addition, a doctor should be consulted without losing time in complaints that indicate an eye disorder.

Myopia age has dropped!

prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş warned that the age of onset of the problem called 'simple myopia', which is called 'simple myopia', fell from the middle school to the pre-primary school period and said, "The reason for this is that children look at the screen for hours and very closely during the pandemic period. After myopia starts, it increases until the age of 20-25 and the person's eyeglasses number grows. Early onset of myopia results in a larger number in the final. As the number increases in myopia, it brings retinal (nerve layer of the eye) problems. In addition to myopia, prolonged screen use from very close proximity also increased the frequency of eye drooping, often inward squinting, in children. The most effective way to prevent such vision problems is to follow the correct close working rules.

A break every 25 minutes is a must!

• prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş lists the precautions to be taken to prevent the development of visual impairment in children as follows:
• Look at screens smaller than 21 cm from a distance of at least 25-30 cm, and large screens from 50-60 cm away.
• Every 25 minutes, he should take short breaks of 1-2 minutes and look away. Should not use another device with a screen during short breaks.
• After two short breaks, a slightly longer break will be more effective. Preferably outdoor activities should be provided.
• At least 10-14 hours a week, should spend time outdoors when the sunlight is not perpendicular to the earth. Although the violet wavelength of sunlight is claimed to reduce myopia, it can be beneficial as they move away from screens when spending time outdoors.

8 important signals of visual impairment!

Your child's eye examination for the symptoms listed below plays an important role in obtaining successful results from the treatment.

• If he constantly turns his head in one direction while reading or watching television,
• If headaches occur frequently because of constantly pushing himself to clarify the writing on the board at school,
• Has a problem of being distracted or distracted for a short time while reading or writing,
• If there is a decrease in interest due to fatigue as a result of trying to clarify what he sees,
• Blinks, squints, or rubs eyes frequently to sharpen images
• Looking too closely at letters while reading or writing
• If it scrolls or constantly finger-tracks lines,
• If he has difficulty in tasks that require hand-eye coordination, such as tying his shoes, holding the ball while playing or buttoning up, you should consult an ophthalmologist without wasting time.