Month: June 2021

First Eye Exam

When Should My Child Get Their First Eye Exam?

I remember going into my first eye exam as a kindergartner with a TON of butterflies in my stomach. I always associated the doctor’s office with discomfort, intimidation, and fear, but all of this changed once I visited my optometrist. Oddly enough, I actually looked forward to seeing my optometrist every single year!

Turns out, my parents did it right when it came to bringing me in for my first eye exam. We recommend bringing your child in for their first eye exam before they start 1st grade. Why? Our eyes have a critical developmental period that exists within the first 8 years of our life.

During this time, we form important neural connections that enable us to see 20/20 vision. Improper formation of these connections may cause us to never see the world with 20/20 vision, as seen in cases of amblyopia that were diagnosed and treated after this critical period.

Needless to say, the first 8 years of your child’s life is a critical time where our eye doctors may effectively treat your child if he/she/they are at risk for these eye-related vision problems:

  • Myopia (Nearsightedness): Blurry vision for objects that are far away
  • Hyperopia (Farsightedness): Blurry vision for objects that are up close
  • Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): Blurry vision in one eye due to misalignment across both eyes
  • Strabismus (Crossed Eyes): Eyes look at different places at the same time, resulting in either headaches, poor depth perception, or double vision

The Good News: If detected early enough, most of these conditions can be treated through non-invasive methods. With myopia and hyperopia, glasses may be used to help your child clearly see the board in class or a ball while playing sports.

With myopia specifically, Ortho-K contact lenses and Atropine eye drops can be used to slow the progression of it. For amblyopia and strabismus, both vision therapy and patching may be done to realign your child’s eyes, allowing them to see the world clearly.

ipad glasses for blue light protection
Ryan has been taught to always wear his blue-light glasses

The Bad News: If amblyopia and strabismus are not detected early enough, invasive procedures, such as surgery, may be required to help realign your child’s eyes.

If myopia and hyperopia are not detected early enough, your child may struggle to learn in school, simply because they cannot see what is written on the whiteboard or in a book.

You may be wondering “What can my child and I expect for their first eye exam?”. One promise that we can give to you is that we try to make the eye exam as fun and educational as we can for both yourself and your kids!

blue light glasses for kids
Dr. Sophie’s kids Nick and Ryan playing Roblox

We understand how scary the doctor’s office may be for kids, especially since it’s their first time meeting our doctors and staff. Because of this, we promise to not do anything that would make your child cry. Seeing the empathy, care, and impact that my childhood optometrist had actually inspired me to pursue optometry! Who knows, maybe the same will happen with your child too!


call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: CLICK HERE

the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. please seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding your medical or vision conditions.

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

pterygium

Wear Sunglasses to Prevent These 3 Eye Problems

I used to play varsity tennis back in high school, which meant spending countless hours in the BLAZING Southern California sun. Since I was young and healthy, I never thought about wearing sunglasses to protect my eyes.

Fast forward to my first year of optometry school where I’m sitting in as a patient for my classmate to practice on. As I was thinking about what boba drink I wanted to get after class, I heard my friend say “Hey! You have a nevus!” 

Excuse me, a ne-what? Well, that sounds totally not normal. Turns out, a nevus is one of three eye problems that may occur due to excessive sun exposure:

1. Pterygium – A growth over the white part of your eye, which may result in redness, inflammation, and/or reduced vision.

pterygium

2. Cataracts – A cloudiness within the lens in your eye, which results in foggy vision.

cataracts

3. Nevus – A colored growth on/within your eye that may affect your vision, depending on where it grows. Similar to a mole on your skin, it may become cancerous over time.

nevus

Why does this happen? The sun emits three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. The outer layer of your eye does a great job at absorbing all UVC rays. However, it is unable to absorb all UVA and UVB rays.

As a result, these harmful UVA and UVB rays can penetrate past your eye’s protective outer shell and reach your eye’s innermost structures. These innermost structures are oftentimes essential for you to see clearly, so damage to these components may result in reduced vision, irritation, or inflammation.  

So, what can you do to protect yourself? Throw on a pair of sunglasses that block both UVB and UVA rays since your eye cannot fully filter them out on its own. Not only will a cute pair of sunglasses protect your eyes, but they can totally tie your outfit together for a nice day out during this summer!

In addition, we recommend wearing a hat to further protect your eyes from the harmful UVA and UVB rays. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of our doctors or opticians at your next visit. We hope to see, serve, and connect with you soon!


call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: CLICK HERE

the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. please seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding your medical or vision conditions.

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

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