Bedford Optician issues reminder to parents amidst awareness week

Donne & Browning’s, an independent opticians in Bedford, are speaking out to remind all parents of the growing concern around the progression of Myopia in children and the links to excessive screen time at close distances.

From September 23rd to 29th, during National Eye Health Week, Susan Pearson, Dispensing Optician at Donne & Browning, has encouraged parents to book an appointment and make it an important part of their child’s annual healthcare routine regardless of whether they are spectacles wearers or not.

Speaking on the importance of eye health and vision in children, Susan commented: “Myopia management aside, good vision can improve performance at school. It can be tough to focus in class if you’re having vision problems, which may contribute to reading and concentration issues.

“Eye examinations can help reveal other issues and offer a pre-emptive strike. Many diseases that affect the eye often do not have warning symptoms but can have severe effects on vision and eye health later on. Eye conditions can often be easily managed when caught early so we’d always encourage parents to ensure they book their children in for their regular NHS funded eye exam.”

The one condition that is increasing in prevalence and particularly affects children is myopia, also known as short-sightedness. Myopia results in poor or blurred vision when viewing in the distance and threatens to affect half of the world’s population by 2050 but can be easily corrected with spectacles or contact lenses that now help to slow the progression down.

Susan Pearson added: “Myopia can increase the risk of several eye conditions such as retinal detachment or myopic maculopathy that could eventually result in visual impairment or worse. We have known for a long time that myopia was increasing but we never knew how to combat this progression. Now we do.”

Spending less time on screens and more time playing outside can also help delay the progression of myopia. Donne & Browning’surge parents to encourage their children to swap mobile phones and video games, for outdoor activities throughout their free time, so they can help keep their vision healthier for longer.

An increase in time outdoors of about two hours per day helps children to use their full range of vision and can significantly reduce the risk of developing myopia, while lots of near vision work without a break can increase the likelihood of developing the condition.

Parents are advised to encourage children to take regular breaks - for every 20 minutes spent on near tasks, take a break for 20 seconds gazing into the distance (20 feet or six metres away).

Early diagnosis and intervention are key to help slow the progression of myopia, with regular eye examinations by an eye care professional recommended.

To find out more information or to book an appointment, please visit www.donneandbrowning.co.uk