Parents are being encouraged to take their children for an eye test before they go back to school.
With August being National Eye Exam Month, Oxford's David Spicer Optometrists is urging parents to take time during the summer holidays to ensure their children's eye health is in check.
Senior optometrist and clinical lead, Amir Chughtai, said: "The connection that eye health has to your overall health, independence, and quality of life is too important to be ignored.
"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."
Early detection and intervention through regular eye exams can help to deal with issues.
Mr Chughtai continued: “Eye exams 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."
One such condition is myopia, commonly referred to as short-sightedness.
It is becoming increasingly prevalent among children and can result in poor or blurred vision when looking into the distance.
It is predicted to affect almost half of the world's population by 2050.
However, spending less time in front of screens and more time outdoors can help to slow its progression.
Mr Chughtai 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 even blindness.
“Current research indicates that both genetics - if one of your parents has myopia, you are three times more likely to develop it - and environmental factors determine whether a child will be myopic. They also play a role in the progression of myopia.”
An increase in time spent outdoors of around two hours per day can significantly lower the risk of developing myopia as it can help children to use their full range of vision.
A lot of near vision work without a break can increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Parents are advised to encourage their children to take regular breaks.
It is recommended for every 20 minutes spent on near tasks, they take a break for 20 seconds gazing into the distance - 20 feet or six meters.
Early diagnosis and intervention are key to slowing the progression of myopia, with regular eye examinations by an eye care professional recommended.
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