Why does schoolchildren's eyesight deteriorate?

You notice that the child constantly squints, bends low over the notebook, quickly gets tired of reading, and then it turns out that he has poor vision. What factors lead to this and how to prevent myopia, says Irina Mogilnaya, an expert in children's ophthalmology, a doctor at the "New Vision" medical center.

Source: freepik

Unfortunately, parents often neglect children's preventive examinations, so they discover pathologies late, which could have been prevented or at least stopped from progressing. That's why it's so important to check a schoolchild's eyesight before or after the school year, during the holidays. Now pediatricians often do this with the help of a plate with letters or symbols.

Iryna Mohylna

 Pediatric ophthalmology expert, doctor at the medical center "New Vision"

However, only an ophthalmologist is able to comprehensively assess the child's visual system and determine whether he is prone to any diseases and how often he needs to undergo examinations. After all, there are diseases that are detected only with a full-fledged diagnosis - with pupil dilation. This way you can see the fundus and you can determine the true refraction, that is, the optical ability of the eye.

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The myth of the first desk for those with poor vision

If the student wears glasses, contact lenses or hard lenses at night, he has 100% visual acuity. Therefore, he can study at any desk. Therefore, it is a mistaken desire to demand from the teacher that the child be seated at the first or second desk. Let him choose where and with whom he feels comfortable.

Prevention

But the useful thing that a teacher can do for vision is to periodically change the location of schoolchildren - to move them to different rows and at a different distance from the board. This is how accommodation is trained - the ability to see well at any distance when the child shifts his gaze from a close object to a distant object and vice versa.

Source: freepik

And also provide good lighting, because it is really important. Of course, natural daylight is considered optimal. The lack of light has a bad effect on the eyes, because the eye muscles and the visual analyzer are overstretched when the child tries to see details, in our case - letters and numbers. Too bright lighting works in the same way - it greatly excites the nervous system. This is especially relevant in the remote format. It is difficult for parents to create all the conditions for safe learning at home, and it is also impossible to avoid harmful blue radiation from gadgets.

Observance of visual hygiene

In general, vision impairment stimulates banal non-observance of occupational hygiene standards. Ideally, writing and reading should take place at a table whose height is matched to the height of the chair. In this way, the correct posture will be preserved and the blood circulation of the student will not be disturbed.

There should be general good lighting in the room, and an additional lamp on the table if the child is not busy during the day. It is installed so that a shadow does not form on notebooks or books: for right-handed people - on the left side.

In order to avoid unnecessary strain on the eyes, the student must take breaks. So, after half an hour of training, you should rest for five minutes, or at least two or three minutes without looking at the screen and switching your gaze from a near object to a distant object and vice versa.

Regarding the use of computers and telephones, there is such a safety rule: use them no more than two hours a day for 20 minutes. We work for 20 minutes and rest for 20 seconds, looking out the window. The "20-20" rule exists around the world and helps stop or delay the progression of myopia.

Source: freepik

When to be careful

However, it should be noted that reduced vision, like many eye diseases, is primarily caused by genetics. Therefore, if the parents also have myopia, it is necessary to carefully monitor the state of the child's health. For example, the teacher must be asked how the first-grader behaves during lessons, whether he squints when he looks at the board, and observe his handwriting. If the letters really protrude beyond the cells and rulers, it is better to consult an ophthalmologist. Or if, after visual stress, the schoolboy's eyes quickly turn red, he rubs them, complains of a headache, he should come to the ophthalmologist earlier than for the scheduled preventive examination.

Top tips from an expert

So, to prevent vision problems, follow a few rules. Dose the visual load so that the eyeball does not stretch. Provide the child with a balanced, full-fledged diet, as well as regular walks in the fresh air - this way he will receive a portion of natural vitamin D and give his eyes a rest. Organize the workplace and make the student warm up from time to time to restore blood flow. And of course, consult an ophthalmologist on time.

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