Time to Schedule a Back-to-School Eye Exam for Your Kids
New clothes? Check! Backpack? Check! School supplies? Check! Now, what about a back-to-school eye exam or comprehensive vision screening to check your kids’ eyes…
August is the time to book a back-to-school eye exam for grade school, high school and college kids. Even if your daughter or son already wears glasses or contacts, ophthalmologists recommend a yearly eye exam. There is no better time to put it on the calendar than before the first school bell rings. A child’s vision can change quickly in only a few months, especially when they are growing so rapidly.
Children need regular eye exams to detect vision problems that may stand in the way of their learning. Experts say that more than 80% of information children receive in classrooms is presented visually. With good reason, vision correction is vital to school success because 1) Students must have good distance vision in order to see words and images displayed on whiteboards and blackboards; 2) Students must have near vision correction that enables them to read from books, smartphones, tablets and computer screens; 3) Students should be free of eye strain and potential headaches that can result from uncorrected vision.
What Will a Back-to-School Eye Exam Cover?
Here at Eye Medical Clinic in San Jose, we offer a comprehensive eye exam that includes evaluation of the anterior portion of the eye and pupil dilation to examine the interior of the eye. Our expert ophthalmologists will look for:
- Myopia – Also known as nearsightedness, is a common condition that can be easily diagnosed. It’s a visual defect in which light that enters the eye is focused in front of the retina instead of clearly onto it so that distant objects appear blurred. Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or LASIK surgery.
- Hyperopia – Also known as farsightedness, is a common type of refractive error where distant objects may be seen more clearly than objects that are near. As a result, your child probably enjoys great distance vision but struggles with vision that is blurry when reading or looking at objects that are positioned close. Hyperopia also is easy to diagnose and correct.
- Astigmatism – This very correctible condition occurs when the shape of the lens in the eye is not perfectly symmetrical or round. It’s simply a problem with how the eye focuses light and a common symptom is blurred vision. Treatments include eyeglasses, contact lenses or LASIK surgery.
- Eye Misalignments – These issues are more common in younger school children than any other age group. Conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye), and strabismus (misaligned or crossed eyes) are easily diagnosed during eye exams. There are a variety of remedies we can discuss here at Eye Medical Clinic.
- Eye Irritants – Summertime is when children are often exposed to irritants, including allergens, chlorine used in pools, sunblock lotions or insect repellents that may affect the eyes. Our experts at Eye Medical Clinic will screen for these problems during your back-to-school eye exam.
What will a children’s eye exam cost?
First, Eye Medical Clinic is committed to making great vision affordable for everyone. Insurance coverage and convenient financing options make it possible. Without insurance, you can expect to pay around $250 on average for an eye exam performed by a private-practice optometrist or ophthalmologist. Also, eye exams for contact lenses or updating an eyeglass prescription nearly always cost more than routine exams to check general eye health. Many vision insurance plans cover a portion of these services, so be sure and check with our office to discuss coverage.
We don’t want you to worry so much about cost, though. For your kids, as students, their eyes are one of their most important learning tools!!
As your kids (and you) say a bittersweet goodbye to summer and hanging with friends— and hello to a new school year with familiar classmates and the clarity to absorb new knowledge—you will have the added confidence in their success. It’s in the eyes.
Make your kids’ eye care a priority. Going back to school is the perfect time to schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Eye Medical Clinic for “kids” of all ages, as part of an overall approach to health. Book your appointment with us today!
