Dr Nigel Best, clinical spokesperson for Specsavers
All evidence to date has failed to establish any link between screen use and long-term eye problems. However, recent research found that children who are regularly cooped up at home are more susceptible to short-sightedness, compared with those who spend more time outdoors.
“Staring at a computer screen all day can cause several symptoms including dry and aching eyes and headaches. But these symptoms are transient and tend to go away when you stop using the screen. There’s no evidence that long-term screen use damages vision. If you experience symptoms relating to screen work, you should discuss these with your optician.”
Start young with eye-care, some parents don’t realise that the age of eight is often too late to correct eye conditions such as a squint or a lazy eye, which can lead to lifelong problems.
“I recommend an eye examination for all children when they start reception and that they’re re-tested as often as their optician advises. Each child’s eyesight continues to develop right up to the age of eight and a number of eye-care issues can be corrected by an optician if detected before this time.”
Vision screening is being made available at no cost to all 27,000 primary and secondary schools in the UK, through funding.
Source: Vodafone DP
