I can remember it like it was yesterday. The first time I wore my glasses. I didn’t realize I was blind until I could see, if you know what I mean. I looked around and around and mostly up because that’s where the most extraordinary things could be seen. The trees had leaves, actual individual leaves. And the stars? I would lie outside at night looking at them. So beautiful, and I’d been missing them.
But I didn’t know it.
Children often don’t. They don’t really know what good vision is. If things are blurry, they don’t know the difference. Or, at least, I didn’t. And, my parents wouldn’t have known either if they hadn’t taken me for a comprehensive eye exam.
And, it changed everything. School became easier because I could see the board. I remember the first time I understood what the coach meant when she said to aim for the corner of the square on the backboard. I had never seen it before.
And, you know what?
I’m not the only one.
One in four children has an undetected vision condition.
And, like me, most of these children don’t realize that anything is wrong because they don’t know what good vision is. It also impacts their education. Because eye health plays a major role in academic growth, it’s common for a vision problem to be mistaken as a learning disability. Not to mention the fact that undetected vision conditions can negatively impact learning development and contribute to frustrated students, poor grades and behavioral issues.
Many experts believe that 80 percent of what we learn is through our eyes, making a comprehensive eye exam one of the most important ways parents can give their child the best chance at success this school year.
Of course, many schools offer in-school vision screenings, but comprehensive eye exams can detect what school vision screenings cannot. While in-school screenings do help identify some vision problems, such as near and farsightedness, they do not test for all of the problems that a comprehensive eye exam does, like diabetes and hypertension – both growing health concerns for children. Also, two of the most common vision problems a screening can miss are eye coordination and lazy eye. These conditions can usually both be corrected as long as they are identified and treated early. To learn more about the difference between a screening and a comprehensive exam, click here.
So as you get your children ready to go back to school, don’t forget that getting them an annual comprehensive eye exam can help them learn and experience life to the fullest.
And, don’t forget to get one for yourself. Annual eye exams are important to your overall health. They allow eye doctors to detect eye conditions as well as early signs of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
To learn more about your eyes, click here.
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This post was sponsored by VSP Vision Care.
About VSP Vision Care (VSP)
As the largest national not-for-profit in vision care, VSP Vision Care reinvests in the things its nearly 66 million members value most – the best care at the lowest out-of-pocket costs. With a network of 30,000 eye care providers, VSP members have the freedom to choose the provider, location and eyewear that’s right for them. It’s easy to see why VSP is consumers’ #1 choice in vision care.
SeeMuchMore.com is a one-stop site for all the information you need about enrolling in vision benefits. The site includes a virtual savings calculator to estimate your savings with VSP vision benefits. There is also helpful information about maintaining healthy vision that can be found at the Learn About Your Eyes section of the site. You can even play an interactive game for a chance to win prizes.
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but the opinions shared herein are my very own, and I’m wearing my glasses as I write this.