IMPORTANCE OF HOME EYE TEST FOR CHILDREN & ADULTS

Vision is a common problem nowadays in every other family. Some eye illnesses tend to get more serious because people are sometimes late for their eye examinations for many different reasons. It is possible to do some self-testing at your home that can help you discover a problem that requires medical attention.

Though home-testing can never substitute a complete medical eye examination by an ophthalmologist. Also “Home eye testing” will not be as accurate as an eye test done by an ophthalmologist. But it can surely help you in certain ways. Serious eye disorders can be cured and corrected if discovered at an initial stage. Children under the age of 3 should get their vision tested by an ophthalmologist.

TESTING YOUR AT HOME

Things needed for testing your eye at home: “a tissue paper or a paper cup to cover your eye, for hanging the test chart of the wall you would be needing tape, scissors, a pencil or pen for recording the results, a yardstick, tape measure, or ruler; a flashlight, if you have any and the well-lighted room must at least 10 feet long and also you will need an accurate testing chart.

PREPARING THE TEST AREA

First of all, select a test chart according to whom you are testing i.e., a child or an adult. Make sure when printing, the largest letter at the top should be under an inch (23mm) tall. Place a chair 10 feet from the wall. Make sure the wall has no windows. After that either tape or pin the test chart on the bare wall. Level your eyes with the person you are conducting your test with.

EYE TEST OF A CHILD (AGE 3 OR OLDER)

You can tell your child that you are going to play a “pointing game”. Use a practice ‘E-card’ to show him or her how to point in the same direction as the E is pointing. Place the practice E-card in all four directions and after a thorough practice of the E pointing card, do the following:-

• Place the chair 10 feet from the chart. Have your child sit on the chair. Cover one eye without any pressure. Make sure the child does not peek. If your child wears glasses, he or she should be wearing one while taking the test.
• If the test chart seems to be too dark to be seen clearly, use a flashlight to illuminate the test chart letters.
• Starting from the top largest E letter point at each of the letters.
• Record the number of the smallest line your child is able to see correctly.
• Now cover the other eye and repeat the eye test with this eye. If your child feels tired, you may continue the test another time.

EYE TEST OF AN ADULT OR AN OLDER CHILD

• Place the chair 10 feet apart from the wall of the test chart. Make sure the test chart is in a straight alignment with his or her eyes.
• Cover one eye of the person who is being tested. If the person uses glasses for a distanced vision then make sure he/she wears them while conducting the test.
• Flash the flashlight on each of the lines of the test chart, while the person reads the letters out loud. Continue the test until the letters become too difficult for the person to read.
• Record the number of lines read correctly by the person who was being tested.
• Now over to the other eye and repeat the test and also record the results.

NORMAL SCORES FOR HUMAN EYES

A normal score for a child taking an eye test is the 20/40 line by the age of 3-4 and the 20/30 line by the age of 5. In case, your child is not able to score this much, repeat the test after a few days, if the problem still persists take your child to a physician. A child older in age should be reading the 20/20 line. If he/she is unable to do so, take your child to an ophthalmologist for an eye examination.

WHY EYE EXAMS OF CHILDREN ARE IMPORTANT?

For the safety of your child’s eyes, eye exams are really important. They help to maintain your eyes in a healthy manner and trace eye problems, if any, that could interfere with school performance and potentially affect your child’s safety. According to experts, approximately 25 percent of school-going children have vision problems that can affect their performance in the classroom. The risk of myopia and progression of myopia continues throughout the school years.

Early eye exams also help children with their visual skills that are essential for optimal learning:-

• Visual acuity at all distances is excellent.
• Eye teaming skills become accurate and comfortable.
• Eye movement skills become accurate.
• Focusing skills also grow and achieve accuracy

WHEN TO EXAMINE YOUR CHILD’S EYE?

Six months is an ideal age at which children should have their first eye exam. Afterward, they need to take an eye test around the age of 3, and then just before they enter their first grade- around the age of 5 or 6.

During the school years, children should be tested after every two years in case no vision problems were detected in the initial tests. Children who need eyeglasses or are already wearing one should be tested annually or as recommended by their ophthalmologist.

SCHEDULING EYE EXAMS FOR CHILDREN

Choose a time when the child is alert and happy while scheduling an eye exam. Children’s eye examinations generally include things like – a health and vision questionnaire, a thorough eye health evaluation, vision testing, testing of eye alignment, and determining if vision glasses are needed. Your eye doctor will be asking if there were any eye problems in the past. Or if the child had gone through any treatments or surgeries. Or if he/she has worn eyeglasses or contact lenses. Also inform the doctor about your family history of refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, or eye disease, if any.

EYE TESTING FOR INFANTS

Babies should be able to develop their vision in terms of focusing ability, color vision perception, and depth perception by the age of 6 months. A doctor can perform a few tests for assessing the eye of your baby:

• Testing pupil responses to evaluate if the eye’s pupil opens and closes properly in the presence or absence of light.

• Preferential looking – It involves the use of cards that are blank on one side and with strips on the other side. It is like this to attract the gaze of an infant to the stripes. Therefore, it helps us to evaluate vision capabilities without the use of a typical eye test.
• “Fixate and follow” testing allows us to determine if your baby’s eyes are able to fixate on and follow an object as it moves.

The best way to treat your eyes is to visit your eye care professional and get your eyes checked regularly. He will be able to assess the best method of treatment for your eye ailment.

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