Q&A: Specialist shares perspective on back-to-school eye care
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As children make the transition back to school, factors such as new surroundings, activities and increased digital screentime bring eye-related conditions to the forefront.
Healio/OSN spoke with OSN Pediatrics/Strabismus Board Member Courtney L. Kraus, MD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute, about how parents and teachers can help children properly take care of their eyes.
Healio/OSN: What are the most common eye-related conditions associated with the back-to-school season?
Kraus: The need for glasses, which includes current glasses wearers needing to go to their doctor’s office for a fresh refraction, as well as refractive errors in children becoming more obvious and/or troubling.
For older children, screen fatigue. As more classrooms and teaching modalities make use of computers and other devices, it is important to set limits on those nonacademic screen pursuits after hours.
Additionally, look out for strabismus disorders. In particular, children with convergence insufficiency may find themselves experiencing more eye strain and headaches as they get back to the books after a summer spent outdoors. Parents may notice that kids with intermittent deviations spend more time with the eye out as they come home from school more tired.
Healio/OSN: How prevalent are school-related eye injuries and conditions?
Kraus: Accidents can happen anywhere, and when it comes to children and eye trauma, we know that children tend to have accidental injuries in the places where they spend the most time. So, with the return to school settings, this becomes a potential place for injury. Playground accidents can occur, and parents can discuss safe play with their children, particularly when it comes to projectiles such as rocks and sticks. Especially for younger children, it is important to instill a sense of responsibility when it comes to safe indoor behavior, such as no running with pencils and pens and safe use of scissors. If we can get even one kid to think twice about throwing a rock or running with a pencil, that is one eye injury that may have been avoided.
Healio/OSN: How can parents help their children prepare for these issues?
Kraus: Kids need to be reminded to not be afraid to speak to a teacher or a responsible adult if they see something that they know is unsafe. Making sure kids are well rested, well hydrated and well fed sets them up for classroom success, and this advice extends to the eyes by hopefully avoiding some of the headaches or discomfort that may come with the sudden return to classwork and homework.
Healio/OSN: Is there anything teachers can do to avoid eye-related problems?
Kraus: Accidents happen. Teachers play an important role in setting the tone for a classroom. It is important to start the school year off with a firm policy of no unsafe behavior, especially for those really young ones — again, no running with scissors, no throwing objects at friends. Teachers should know where their eye wash stations are, and students should wear goggles during chemistry class.
In addition, teachers can watch out for children who sit in the back of the classroom and seem uninterested or not focused on the board or who may be squinting a lot. These children may need glasses to correct a refractive error.
For more information:
Courtney L. Kraus, MD, can be reached at Wilmer Eye Institute, 615 N. Wolfe St., Wilmer 230, Baltimore, MD 21205 email: ckraus6@jhmi.edu.
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