Add eye exam to children's back-to-school list
Is eye examination on your back-to-school list?
Islamabad, Sep 26: Parents should add an eye examination to their
children's back-to-school list, experts say. Studies
show that 86 percent of children start school without ever having an
eye examination, even though youngsters can't learn if they can't see
properly. According to the American Optometric Association's
2009 survey, which assesses the knowledge and understanding of issues
related to eye and visual health, 88 percent of respondents were
unaware that one in four students has a visual impairment. "Because
a child's vision may change frequently, regular eye and vision care is
crucial to a student's classroom success," said Dr. Michael Earley,
optometrist and the AOA's vision and learning specialist, in an
association news release. "Unfortunately, most parents are not
including eye examinations as part of their child's back-to-school
health check-up." According to the survey, 58 percent of
parents did not take their child for an eye examination before age 3.
The AOA recommends that the first eye assessment takes place at 6
months of age, followed by comprehensive eye examinations starting at
age 3, and then repeat examinations every two years, unless directed
otherwise by an optometrist. Previous studies have found that
60 percent of children labelled as "problem learners" may actually have
undetected vision problems and are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as
having attention-deficit disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, the association noted. Treatment is more likely to be
successful if vision problems are detected and treated early, according to the news release. In
between visits to the eye doctor, parents and teachers should watch for
signs of eye problems. Schedule an eye examination if you notice that
your child: * Loses their place while reading * Avoids
close work * Has a tendency to rub their eyes * Complains
of frequent headaches * Turns or tilts their head when looking at
something * Makes frequent reversals when reading or
writing * Uses a finger to keep their place when
reading * Confuses or omits simple words when
reading * Seems to consistently perform below
potential * Struggles to finish their homework * Squints while
reading or watching television * Experiences behavioral
problems * Holds reading material too close to their face.
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School children fainted because of scorching heat
Rawalpindi: A large number of people including school children in the twin cities
fainted because of ongoing scorching heat and humidity. Eleven
persons including five school children namely Rashid Mehmood of
Kamalabad, Nasreen Bibi of New Lalazar, Ahmed Hasan of Committee Chowk,
Jamila Ikram of Saddar, Muhammad Ramazan of Rawat, Raja Javed Kiyani of
Rawat and school children Muhammad Qamar, Adil Hussain, Farooq Ahmed,
Javed Iqbal and Amna Sheraz fell unconscious because of severe heat on
Friday. Two to three hours loadshedding has again started in
different parts of the city while cold drink sellers have also
increased the rates of their products in the twin cities. Mostly
students remain stuck up in their classrooms even in recess timings
because of scorching heat and humidity, teachers of different
schools said. An official of the Met Office Farooq Dar
said that the heat wave would persist during next 10 days in the
country including Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Presently, the temperature
of the twin cities is 38 Celsius, which might be increased to 42C in
the next few days while the humidity level in Rawalpindi and Islamabad
is 85%, the Met Office informed. The Met Office also informed that
there is a slight chance of rain in the twin cities. Dr Naila
Rehman advised the people, particularly children, to consume more and
more water to improve the deficiency of minerals in their bodies. She
also advised people to avoid scorching heat. She also warned people
against consuming unhygienic food from markets and hotels these days. All
students, particularly of the second shifts in the educational
institutions are the worst sufferers because of the scorching heat and
humidity in the afternoon. Mehwish Riaz, a student of
2nd year, said that she could not walk because of scorching heat. The news
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