Monthly Archives: March

10 Crucial Facts Every Parent Should Know About Children’s Vision

Healthy vision is crucial for a child’s development and learning. Yet, many parents are unaware of important basic facts about their children’s eye health. Here are 10 essential things every parent should understand about children’s vision.

Early Detection is Key

The first few years of a child’s life are critical for vision development. For this reason, regular vision exams should start as early as six months, followed by another at 3 years old and again before starting school. These important exams should continue annually after that, as early detection of issues can prevent potential complications and support healthy visual development.

Vision and Learning are Closely Related

Undetected vision problems can absolutely impact a child’s academic performance. If your child struggles with reading, comprehension, or shows signs of disinterest in learning, an eye examination is crucial to rule out any potential vision issues.

Screen Time Matters

In today’s digital age, children are exposed to screens more than ever. Unfortunately, children’s vision can be affected by this digital screen use. Excessive screen time can lead to digital eye strain and potential long-term issues. Implementing the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds) can help alleviate eye strain.

Healthy Vision is Not Just 20/20

While 20/20 vision is an important indicator of good vision, other factors like eye teaming and focusing abilities are equally important. Regular eye exams assess overall vision health, not just basic clarity.

Always Be Thorough with Eye Safety

Whether engaging in sports or playing at home, protecting your child’s eyes is paramount. Always make sure they wear appropriate eye protection, especially when participating in activities with a risk of eye injury.

Proper Nutrition Can Support Eye Health

A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin A, plays a vital role in maintaining children’s vision. Include foods like carrots, spinach, and eggs to support your child’s eye health.

Certain Signs Can Indicate a Vision Issue

Kids don’t always have the ability to explain the presence of a vision problem. However, there are certain signs to watch out for that can indicate an underlying issue. Some of the most common signs would include squinting, rubbing their eyes excessively, holding objects very close, head tilting, misalignment or abnormal turning of one or both eyes, frequently closing one eye, headaches and light sensitivity. Of course, any symptoms that you have questions about should always warrant a visit to our office for evaluation.

Genetics Can Play a Role in Eye Health

Children’s vision can often be affected by a genetic component. Family history can influence a child’s predisposition to certain eye conditions. Therefore, inform your eye care professional about any family history of eye issues in order to ensure comprehensive and proactive care.

Don’t Wait Until There is a Problem

Regular eye exams are essential for preventative care. Sometimes, the most effective treatments are most successful when applied early. This early detection and treatment can prevent vision problems from impacting your child’s daily life as well as their future.

Family Vision Development Center is Your Partner in Children’s Vision

At Family Vision Development Center, we are dedicated to caring for and protecting the visual health of our patients of all ages. When your child visits our team regularly for vision exams, we are able to closely monitor their vision and quickly detect and treat any issues that may arise. Additionally, we can provide important guidance on issues such as eye safety, proper care of glasses or contacts, or important post-concussive vision care, as well as provide advanced treatment of visual disorders through our effective vision therapy programs. Contact our Aurora office at 630-862-2020 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.

Exploring Binocular Vision and the Powerful Benefits of Vision Therapy

Have you ever wondered why you can catch a ball with ease but struggle to thread a needle? The answer lies in the concept known as binocular vision. Binocular vision affects our ability to perceive the world in 3D, judge distances accurately, and navigate our surroundings effortlessly. But what exactly is it, and what happens when it does not function properly?

What is Binocular Vision

Binocular vision refers to the ability of the human visual system to merge two slightly different images from each eye into a single, three-dimensional perception of the world. Each eye captures a slightly different view due to their unique positions on the face, and the brain combines these images to create a comprehensive and immersive visual experience. This allows you to:

• Perceive depth and distance: This crucial visual skill is essential for tasks like athletic performance (catching a ball, shooting a basket or swinging a bat, for example), driving a car, and interacting with the world around you.
• Enhance visual acuity: Proper binocular vision can ensure focus and clarity, especially for near tasks like reading.
• Boost visual comfort: By reducing eye strain and fatigue associated with misaligned eyes.

Binocular Vision Disorders

While binocular vision functions seamlessly for many individuals, that is not always the case. When the eyes do not work together properly, it can result in conditions such as:

• Strabismus (Crossed Eyes): A misalignment of the eyes, where one eye may turn inward, outward, upward, or downward, disrupting binocular vision and depth perception.
• Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): A condition where one eye has significantly reduced vision, often leading to the brain favoring the stronger eye and inhibiting proper binocular vision development.
• Convergence Insufficiency: Difficulty in coordinating the eyes to focus on nearby objects, leading to eyestrain, double vision, and difficulty with tasks such as reading or computer work.

Vision Therapy as Treatment for Binocular Vision Disorders

The good news is that many binocular vision problems can be addressed through vision therapy. Vision therapy programs involve personalized exercises and activities designed to:

• Improve eye teaming and coordination: Helping your eyes work together efficiently.
• Strengthen eye muscles: Enhancing focusing ability and reducing eye strain.
• Develop depth perception skills: Allowing you to see the world in true 3D.

The Family Vision Development Center professionals have advanced training in the latest vision therapy techniques. Our individualized programs can help to restore proper vision and alleviate the symptoms that often accompany binocular vision disorders, such as headaches, blurred vision, double vision, sore or tired eyes, or difficulty with reading or concentrating. Correcting a binocular vision disorder with a vision therapy program can significantly affect quality of life and make everyday activities more manageable and enjoyable.

Contact our Aurora office at 630-962-2020 to schedule your appointment or to get your questions answered.

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.  We are dedicated to keeping our patients comfortable and well-informed and we will explain every exam and procedure and answer all of your questions.  We accept both scheduled and emergency appointments, and offer convenient financing and insurance options to ensure that high-quality vision care is available and affordable to all of our patients.