Lighthouse Guild offers back-to-school vision tips, hosts Twitter chat

Laura Sperazza, OD, director of low vision services at Lighthouse Guild, said the most important thing parents can do to protect their child’s vision is to make sure they get an eye exam.

Lighthouse Guild issued an announcement offering five healthy vision tips for August’s Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.

Eat your carrots. Encourage children to eat a well-balanced diet loaded with different types of fruits and vegetables, as well as fish.
Speak up. Ask your child to let you know if they notice any vision changes, such as blurring, onset of squinting or if their eyes start bothering them.
Wear your glasses. Help your child understand the importance of wearing eyeglasses. Talk to them about cleaning and storing them.
Rest your eyes. Encourage your child to take a break from staring at the computer, phone or TV screen.
Wear safety gear. Make sure children wear goggles or other types of protective eye wear while playing sports, using chemicals for school projects or engaging in other activities.

Lighthouse Guild and ColumbiaDoctors Children’s Health will also host a back-to-school Twitter chat on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Parents can learn and ask questions about preventing and managing childhood vision loss and preparing their kids for school from experts in the field. Lighthouse Guild’s Twitter handle is @lighthousegld.