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'The 20-20-20 rule' and other keys to take care of your children's eyes in summer

2021-07-14T03:05:46.459Z


Children's vision needs vacations after the school year and the summer time is a good time to make an eye tune-up, without neglecting protection


Beach, pool, sun.

Summer is a challenge for the eyes of children in summer and also an opportunity to promote eye health with habits that we cannot practice the rest of the year, such as resting our gaze contemplating wide natural spaces or the sea horizon.

When the holidays arrive, children and young students park their school textbooks and the technological devices they use to study.

It is then, when they may notice certain eye discomfort derived from overloading their eyes when studying or staring too long on screens.

More information

  • "There is a rise in learning problems due to vision problems due to the use of screens"

  • These are the keys to know if your child has vision problems

Sight is one of the senses that we use the most;

for which we collect a large amount of information.

School-age children have in their eyes the gateway to much of the knowledge imparted in schools, such as through reading and writing.

For this reason, in summer, it is convenient to inform them about how they can protect their eyes and put their eyes on point for the return of the holidays with guidelines, such as those recommended by the experts in visual health,

Francisco Javier Hurtado, pediatric ophthalmologist at the Rementería Clinic in Madrid, César Villa, Doctor in Optics, Optometry and Vision from the Optometry Department of the Novovision Ophthalmology Clinic and Elena García Rubio, optometrist at the National Institute of Optometry.

  • Take advantage of sunlight in summer to prevent myopia in children

    .

    Experts advise spending between two and four hours a day outdoors because exposure to sunlight is one of the main natural factors in preventing and stalling myopia in children and adolescents.

    Therefore, it is convenient to take advantage of the summer holidays to spend time in nature, the swimming pool, the beach or the playgrounds.

  • Less time with short or fixed vision on screens or books

    . Summer vacations are the ideal time for children to free their gaze towards broad horizons that favor their eye health. It is convenient to remind the little ones and teach them habits by example, such as keeping a distance between the eyes and the reading object of around 30 cm or

    the 20-20-20 rule

    , which consists of, after 20 minutes of reading, look beyond 20 meters for 20 seconds.

  • Protect your eyes from the sun in summer with glasses, hats or visors

    .

    Natural light is good for the eyes, but in summer it is very powerful, so it is advisable to limit direct sun exposure during the central hours of the day to avoid the damage that ultraviolet radiation can cause to the retina or the most sensitive skin surrounding the eyes, such as cataracts and carcinomas or tumors on the eyelids.

  • Proper hand and eye hygiene

    .

    Salt, sand, or chlorine can damage the eye, so proper hand and eye washing (with saline solution) is recommended, in addition to ensuring that children wear diving goggles to avoid eye conditions, such as conjunctivitis. .

  • Avoid air conditioning directly on the eyes

    , because it increases dry eyes and causes discomfort, such as the sensation of grit.

  • Take advantage of the summer holidays to check the eyesight of

    children

    , in order to prevent or detect visual problems, such as myopia, which is estimated to affect 20% of the population under 18 years of age.

  • How Diet Influences Children's Eye Health

    Children's eyes also need a healthy and balanced diet throughout the year to be healthy. The retina contains a large amount of carotenoids, substances that capture sunlight and are powerful antioxidants. They are present in foods such as carrots, oranges, mangoes, tomatoes, squash, cherries, strawberries, tangerines or kiwi and can help facilitate the functioning of the retina. In fact, the deficiency of vitamin A (a carotenoid) causes dry eyes and difficulty seeing at night. In addition to food, which favors eye health, there is visual therapy, an exercise program prescribed by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist, after conducting a study and diagnosing an imbalance in visual abilities.

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    Source: elparis

    All news articles on 2021-07-14

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