Importance of children's eye examinations emphasized before the new educational term
Experts state that as the new academic year approaches, children should undergo a routine eye examination even if they have no complaints.
Prof. Dr. Hande Çeliker, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Biruni University Faculty of Medicine, stated that routine eye examinations of children should not be neglected before the new academic year.
Eye Examination and Early Diagnosis
Emphasizing that children may not notice certain vision problems, attention was drawn to the importance of checks to be performed before school starts.
Routine eye checks contribute to the early detection of potential vision problems even if there are no complaints.
Risk of Amblyopia and Strabismus
Since a child may consider their own vision to be normal, they might not realize that one eye sees less than the other, and if not detected in time, this situation can lead to amblyopia.
Strabismus and significant prescription differences between the two eyes are also among the important conditions that must be evaluated in the early period.
Increased Tasks During the School Period
With school life, the duration of looking at the blackboard, reading books, and working at close range increases.
Although vision problems can become more prominent during this intensive period, the goal is to detect them early through routine examinations before a problem arises.
Myopia Monitoring and Importance
One of the vision problems that needs to be monitored in school-aged children is myopia, which can emerge and progress during childhood.
Especially in myopia starting at an early age, monitoring the progression rate and conducting regular check-ups are of great importance.
Recommendations for Families
The absence of any complaints by the child may not mean that there is no problem with their eyes.
Families are advised to consider their children's eye health as part of routine health checks.