Eyecare for Students

Wow, these summer holidays sure have gone by in the blink of an eye!

This is the time of year when parents and students alike begin to frantically order and nervously cover stationery, check for holes in school bags and uniforms (or find that all of last year’s uniform is still in a dirty pile in the bottom of the wardrobe!), argue about how the colour of their pencil case isn’t anywhere near this years’ Pantone colour of the year (coral, in case you’re wondering, because of course you were). With all this happening, it doesn’t seem like there’s any time left to think even about what’s for dinner, however it’s super important to consider other things that can hugely benefit your child’s learning; like their vision and eye health.

If your child hasn’t already had an eye examination, now’s a great time to get their eyes checked, because 80% of children’s learning is done visually. Reading, writing, whiteboard work, and computers and tablets are all hard work if you cannot see clearly. It stands to reason that having clear, comfortable vision is necessary for a child to learn successfully. So many of the day-to-day learning tasks at school require seeing quickly and using visual information.

Same goes for all of the sports they’re bound to ask you to enrol them in and pay for, even though you both know they’ll go to one practise and rapidly lose interest and it will be a battle (that you’ll win, don’t worry) to entice them to each subsequent practise and game. Good vision is required for most sports. With an estimated 42,000 sports-related eye injuries each year*, and almost half of those occurring in children younger than 15 years old, it’s also important to protect those eyes (even though they are rolled at you daily) from harm. Proper eyewear protection is critical for many sporting activities, especially ball and contact sports.

And just when you thought you’d mastered getting your child to and from their sporting event without too much drama, then comes the request (read: whine, plead, demand) for screen time.

The way we look at the world and use our eyes has changed over time. We used to spend most of our time looking at far and intermediate distances. Today we primarily focus on near objects such as computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, gaming devices and books. Most of us don’t realise the harmful effect this shift has on our eyes and vision.

Nearly 60% of us, including our children, are looking at digital screens for 5+ hours per day and it’s taking its toll on our eyes, causing eye fatigue and digital eye strain. Symptoms can include tired eyes, blurred vision, headache and dry eyes. You may even experience neck or back pain, through stress placed on your cervical spine, if you’re spending long periods bent forward looking at a screen.
Spending a large amount of time looking at digital screens (or any near object) means our eyes are constantly exerting more effort to focus. Put simply, our eyes are working harder, causing strain.

HOYA’s Dynamic Sync lenses are specifically designed for people who spend long periods of time looking at near objects such as digital screens and require glasses to see things clearly in the distance. Dynamic Sync’s superior design has your ‘distance power’ for everyday use and a ‘boost zone’ at the bottom of the lens. The boost zone reduces eye strain during up close activities such as looking at digital screens, reading or any ‘near task’ activities. The boost zone allows your eye muscles to relax and focus more easily, helping to relieve eye strain and provide visual comfort. This is even after several hours looking at near distances.

Fortunately, we are able to assess and recommend where appropriate, BlueControl, which is offered in combination with HOYA’s unsurpassed Diamond Finish anti-reflection coating. This durable coating layer offers 75% more scratch resistance than its predecessors and adds even more comfort. Although blue light in itself is a natural phenomenon – it is present in daylight and helps us to stay awake – excessive amounts can have an adverse effect and cause eye strain and fatigue.

Why not talk to us about how we can help your child achieve the best vision and comfort possible? And hey, while they’re having their eyes checked, it might afford you a well-needed time out with a magazine and a coffee!

*According to The Vision Council