Learning difficulties are related to vision problems

Good eyesight for children is certainly a basic requirement for school success. When the child's vision falls short, the same happens with his school performance. According to a recent study, up to 25% of children experience eyesight problems that affect their learning ability.

Learning difficulties is another thing to worry about regarding children of school age. Even though learning difficulties usually appear in children up to 7 years old, they are often not detected until the child goes to school. Many times, however, learning difficulties can be the result of simple eyesight problems. A refractive fault may be the cause of these difficulties in school or a refractive fault can be combined with a learning problem. If your child reversed letters while reading or writing, his writing is sloppy, he doesn't like or has difficulties with reading, writing or mathematics, he often confuses his right and left hand or the opposite, he faces difficulties in oral communication or has frequent antisocial behavior, then you should consult with an expert. Consult with your ophthalmologist in order for him to diagnose a potential vision abnormality and visit your paediatrician in order to get proper information and a recommendation for a specialist.

What are the vision disorders for children of school age?

The most common vision disorders regarding school age are:

amblyopia at about 4%,
strabismus,
myopia , 5% until the age of 8, 26% until the age of 14 and 30% until the age of 20,
hyperopia at about 90% until 5 years of age and 15% over 5,
astigmatism.

What are the signs that should lead us to the ophthalmologist in time?

Parents should look their children in the eyes and observe their reaction in various visual stimuli, since their performance and subsequent success in life is mainly dependent on the proper function of their eyes. If a child that starts school has normal language development, but faces learning difficulties or difficulty in reading, then he might have an eyesight problem.

The symptoms that the parents need to look out for are:

The child always sits very close to the television or reads a book close to his eyes
He loses track of where he is in a text, or skips words and sentences

He uses his finger to follow the words when he reads

He writes sideways

His posture isn't proper when he studies
He easily loses attention and can't concentrate
He squints
He leans his head to see clearly
He is sensitive to light
He rubs his eyes or blinks excessively

He closes one eye to read or watch television
His eyes are unnaturally aligned. Their movement is unnatural
He doesn't easily comprehend what he reads
He is too slow to finish homework
He avoids activities that require close vision such as reading or distant vision such as sports participation or other activities.
He complains about headaches or tired eyes.
He avoids using a computer at school because “it is tiring for his eyes”.
His school performance is decreased compared to the past.

If your child presents one or more of the above signs, you should schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist. This visit to the doctor will usually show that the child has myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. These refractive abnormalities can be corrected very easily with glasses or contact lenses.

How often should the child visit the ophthalmologist?

Expertise and available technology today offers to ophthalmology diagnostic methods, which prevent many problems, before they become damaging. Some eye disorders may exist without any obvious symptoms and that is why children of all ages should do preventive examinations.

Your child should definitely be examined by an ophthalmologist for the first time no later than 6 years of age. All babies, and especially infants, mainly those that are considered “high risk” (premature labor, family history of eye disorders) should be examined by a specialist pediatric ophthalmologist. This examination is done to verify the good health of the eyes and detect potential problems that may be rare, yet important, like congenital cataract, glaucoma, microphthalmia etc. After that, again in the age of 3 and again when he is starting school. Children of school age need an ophthalmological examination once every 2 or 3 years if they present no problems. But if your child needs glasses or contact lenses, you should schedule the visits to the ophthalmologist every 12 months. We should keep in mind that just as the child grows, so does his vision change which results in a need to also change prescription. Furthermore, your visit to the ophthalmologist will ensure that your child can have proper central and peripheral vision, use both his eyes and easily adjust from close to far distances and the opposite.

We should point out that an ophthalmological examination alone is not enough. The paediatrician will examine the child's vision to detect a possible problem, but he can't replace the ophthalmologist. So, while a paediatrician's examination can be useful, there is always a chance for this examination not to show any serious problems. Parents are mainly those who will need to take initiative and schedule the visits to an ophthalmologist, who will examine the vision of the child thoroughly.

Remember:Your ophthalmologist is the best source for responsible answers on issues related to your eyes and their health. Under no circumstances is information taken from our website intended to replace him. Seek your doctor for complete information.

The existence of a refractive abnormality was and still is a reason for rejection from Military Academies. Even if the candidate fulfills all requirements to enter such a school, the existence of a refractive fault, even if it is corrected with glasses or contact lenses (visual acuity 10/10), will not allow him to participate in the examinations.

Each of these Military Academies has its own criteria regarding the required visual acuity and in some of them, candidates will be accepted even if they wear glasses or contact lenses, as long as their corrected acuity is not lower than what is required.

In particular, in the table below you can see the visual requirements for the candidates of every Military Academy. It is worth noting that except for the Hellenic Air Force Academy (Pilots), none of the other schools mention restrictions or exclusions due to correction with refractive surgery.

 

Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 6 diopters (spherical equivalent)

Hellenic Military Academy (Arms)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Hellenic Air Force Academy (Engineers)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Noncommissioned Officers Army Academy	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Hellenic Air Force Academy (Technical NCO School)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Hellenic Air Force Academy (Administrative NCO School)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Hellenic Military Academy (Corps)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 6 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Corps Officers Military Academy
Officers' School of Nursing	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 6 diopters (spherical equivalent)
Naval Cadets Academy (Combatants)	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye without correction
Naval Cadets Academy (Engineers)	Visual acuity without correction 1/10 in each eye, 10/10 with correction, myopia should not be above 2.5 diopters, hyperopia 3 diopters and astigmatism 2 diopters. All candidates for naval schools should not have undergone refractive surgery with radial keratotomy
Hellenic Navy's Petty Οfficers' Academy	Visual acuity without correction 1/10 in each eye, 10/10 with correction, myopia should not be above 2.5 diopters, hyperopia 3 diopters and astigmatism 2 diopters. All candidates for naval schools should not have undergone refractive surgery with radial keratotomy
Hellenic Air Force Academy (Pilots)	Visual acuity in close or in a distance no less than 10/10 for each eye without correction and they should not have undergone any refractive surgery. Their myopia should not be higher than 0.25 diopters, hyperopia higher than 1.75 diopters and astigmatism higher than 0.75 diopters for each meridian. Also, esotropia up to 10 diopters, exotropia up to 5 diopters and hypertropia up to 1 diopter and close convergence point no lurther than 70cm.
Hellenic Police Academy	Visual acuity with or without correction 10/10 in each eye and refractive anomaly should not be above 4.5 diopters (spherical equivalent). Astigmatism should not exceed 5 diopters.

It is evident that even if visual acuity with correction is adequate, the degrees of refractive abnormality are an obstacle for the participation of the candidates in some schools.

In the past, the only ways to correct these refractive abnormalities were glasses and contact lenses. In some of those schools, however, vision should be perfect without correction. In others, even if corrected visual acuity was 10/10, if the refractive anomaly was above the accepted limit, the candidate was rejected.

The problem of refractive abnormalities can now be surpassed with refractive surgery (LASIK and PRK), which are considered routine surgeries in the hands of an experienced ophthalmologist surgeon. The improvement of laser technology and surgical techniques used today provide painless, safe procedures with excellent, predictable and stable in time results. Refractive surgeries are now undoubtedly an excellent application of advanced technology, which can open the doors of a secure profession to many young people who thought their options limited due to the condition of their eyes, while they were fully qualified for a brilliant career.

Remember: Your ophthalmologist is the best source for responsible answers on issues related to your eyes and their health. Under no circumstances is information taken from our website intended to replace him. Seek your doctor for complete information.

All drivers are responsible for their own safety, their passengers' safety and certainly the safety of everyone on the streets. Our ability to see clearly is part of this responsibility. About 85-95% of everything we apprehend during driving comes from our eyes. Poor visual perception means bad driving.

 

How important is good eyesight for safe driving?

The past few decades, more and more people are able to own a vehicle and drive it. Despite the disadvantages of increased traffic, we have to accept the fact that driving gives a feeling of independence to the person who owns and drives it. Also, car use has been proven crucial in many cases. As cars and drivers become more, however, accidents increase as well.

Most countries, aiming towards the common good and willing to decrease the number of road accidents, pose restrictions, among other things, to the driving rights of people with certain disorders. For example, a person with decreased reflexes is a dangerous driver and so incapable of safe driving. One of the most important parameters for safe driving is, undoubtedly, good eyesight. Eye disorders, if left untreated, frequently become a significant reason for the restriction of the driver's abilities. 

 

These results came after comparing them with drivers with no eye disorders. Research has shown that the more severe the eye disorder of the drivers that were in an accident, the more possible it was that they were responsible for the accident. odigisi4

 

 

The solution of the problem initially focuses on raising the widest possible awareness as regards to the problem and secondly on the huge chances of treating the various eye disorders. It should be made clear that the past few years advances in ophthalmology technology offer impressive results, for example, the successful correction of high myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism with the latest laser applications in refractive surgery. Furthermore, there have been many important steps in the treatment of cataract, due to the application of new microsurgical techniques for its removal. With proper information and successful treatment of an eye disorder, driving can be rendered safe both for the driver and the rest of the people.

 

 

 

 

Useful information for drivers

You should know that...

Between ages 40 and 60, vision at night becomes harder. Our pupils become larger, the muscles lose elasticity and our vision becomes less clear. A 60-year-old driver needs 10 times more light than a 20-year-old!
Older people are more sensitive to “glare” from lights, which makes driving at night difficult. A 55-year-old person needs eight times more time to recover after an intense glare than a 16-year-old.
Weaknesses in our visual system increase after the age of 55. We fail to record objects that don't move, like pedestrians waiting to cross the street.
Around the age of 70, peripheral vision presents problems, which results in increased chances of accident. It is important to know that 95% of a driver's ability comes from peripheral vision.
As years go by, colors lose their brightness for a lot of “elderly” eyes, which results in decreased by half ability to see traffic lights, in relation to younger ages.
Another visual ability that decreases with time is depth perception: how close or how far our car is, in relation to an object in front of us. This ability is especially important for someone to judge the speed with which a car comes, in order to overtake it or turn left.
Cataract, glaucoma and diabetes are conditions that affect vision and the drivers that suffer from these should follow the advice of their ophthalmologist.

Useful advice for safe driving

Turn on the lights early in the evening and inside fog. These are the hours where difficulty in seeing and be seen is large. Avoid, if possible, driving at sunrise and sunset since the “glare” may be blinding and make it difficult to distinguish details on the road. But if you do drive during these hours, you should take precautions and keep longer distances from the car ahead. Decrease your speed if you're driving at night.
If your ophthalmologist gives you corrective glasses or contact lenses, you should be wearing them while driving. If you have difficulties in driving at night, you should discuss this with him. Avoid driving at night on roads that aren't well-lit or you're not familiar with. Elderly drivers need more light to see and they should avoid driving at night.
Wear sunglasses during the day. With sunglasses your eyes adjust easier from light to darkness. Don't wear sunglasses when you drive at night.
It is really important for the headlights of your car to be properly adjusted so that they offer proper illumination without blinding the others.
Visit your ophthalmologist at least once a year and ask for a full ophthalmological examination that will allow you to be certain that you fulfill the requirements for safe driving.

Remember:Your ophthalmologist is the best source for responsible answers on issues related to your eyes and their health. Under no circumstances is information taken from our website intended to replace him. Seek your doctor for complete information.

Do computers affect our vision?

Problems caused by computers are the second most frequent reason for young healthy people to visit their ophthalmologist. What happens to people that use computers for long hours during the day is basically what is called “asthenopia”, that is difficulties in vision. The second problem is of course problems caused by repetitive movements of the fingers and of the muscles of the arm.

The consequences of computers on vision and the eyes are still under general observation, but any kind of permanent damage hasn't yet been verified.

More than 50% of computer users suffer from eye fatigue, headaches and blurry vision. These symptoms sometimes affect the person's general health, creating a sense of fatigue, which leads to decreased work performance.

There are also some indications that, in rare cases, people working long hours in front of a computer, face an increased risk for glaucoma.

 

How do computers affect our vision?

When we are viewing a computer screen, what happens is that we lose depth perception, i.e. stereopsis, and our focus is always on a single point. Also, our eye convergence (what happens when we're looking at something really close) is continuously hyperactive and the frequency of blinking is decreased. This is completely different from reading a printed page, since most computer monitors, especially those with a CRT, do not emit a single image, but an image that passes frame by frame and our brain connects it so we can see a continuous image; it is an image with diffused light and has very different contrast and clarity. After using a computer for many hours, what happens is that the cones, the cells we use to perceive colors, are always hyperactive and the image from the cones' hyperactivity stays in our brain, despite the change of image on the computer screen. This is called “after effect” or McCollough effect and sometimes color perception is reversed.

Things that worry us with computer use is if we are exposed to radiation and UV radiation and how much, and if this can potentially lead to cataract. It should be noted that there is proof that the radiation we receive, especially when it comes to UV radiation, is less than that of a fluorescent bulb, so there is no dangerous radiation for the eye and no proof that this can lead to cataract.

 

Ophthalmological symptoms caused by PC use

Headache during and after PC use
Pain between the eyes
Dry and/or irritated eyes
Blurry vision
Slow focus during screen use
After long hours of PC use there is difficulty in viewing distant objects

Occasional diplopia
Poor color perception

General physical symptoms caused by PC use

Pain in the neck and the shoulders
Back pain
Fatigue, maybe even pain, of the hands and wrists
Decreased work performance, frequent mistakes, fatigue

Ways to avoid such symptoms

The computer monitor should be on a lower level than the eyes.
The keyboard should be in such a position that the bottom of our arms and wrists is parallel to the ground.
The seat should be adjustable, so it can cater to the user's needs.
The thighs, like the arms, should be parallel to the ground.

Contrast and brightness of the screen should be adjusted to the desired setting, so that the user feels comfortable and doesn't tire his eyes.
The lighting in the room must be three times brighter than the monitor.
A screen filter should be used

It is important to work on a big screen, so it isn't tiring to read or write a text
The screen shouldn't reflect light from a window or another light source
It is necessary to clean your screen regularly.
Adjust the font size on your screen, choosing a setting which is comfortable, if the software gives you that choice.
Adjust brightness and contrast on your screen.
People who use computers all the time may experience some refractive anomalies, like slight myopia, slight astigmatism, slight hyperopia; if this is corrected with the use of glasses or contact lenses, it will help them use these devices easier.
Use of artificial tears may help with xerophthalmia that long hours in front of the PC might cause, due to the decrease in blinking speed and frequency; proper moisturizing of the atmosphere, in which the person works and uses the PC, may also help.
The most important thing of all is to have short and frequent breaks of 2-3 minutes every 15-20 minutes of work or 5 minutes for every 30 minutes or 10 minutes for every hour.

 

What problems can excessive PC use cause during childhood?

The past few years in America, Europe, even in Greece, children spend 1 to 3 hours daily in front of a computer screen, either for their school work or to play. Many times, it is the parents who encourage their children from an early age of 2 or 3 to access the PC at home or at school.

Many pediatric optometrists believe that excessive use of PC during childhood can increase the risk of myopia. They refer to studies that have been done and which show that computers have a negative impact on a child's vision.

Particularly, various studies claim that:

25% of the children that use computers need corrective glasses in order to work on the computer with comfort and without danger at home or at school.
The percentage of children in the first stage of myopia has increased from 12% to 20% from 1995 until today.
The percentage of children between 7 and 9 years of age with myopia has doubled the past three years, reaching 34%.

Twenty years ago, most children played in open spaces and their distant vision was more important. Today, most children work in front of the PC either at home or at school. Sitting in front of the PC, looking intently at the screen creates problems that weren't known a few years ago. With PC use, the child's visual system is more focused and more pressured than with other activities. PC use requires high-level skills from the eyes of small children, whose visual system has not yet been fully developed. Only when it is mature enough, can the child manage the pressure and stress caused by PC use.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the impact of PC use in childhood includes the following factors:

Children have a diminished degree of self-protection. They can work in front of the PC for hours with little to no breaks. This extended activity can cause focusing and attention problems.
Children are especially adaptive. They believe what they see and the way they see things is always the norm for them, even if they have eyesight problems. That's why it's important for the parents to monitor the time their children spend in front of a PC.
Children are by definition smaller than adults. Most of the times, the work space in front of the PC is designed to be used by adults. This may change the children's visual angle. PC users should keep the monitor at a lower lever than their eyes, by about 15 degrees. Also, as a result of the difficulty with which the children reach the keyboard or touch their feet on the ground, they may feel pain in the neck, the shoulders or the back.

 

Advice to avoid problems from PC use in childhood
Many pediatric optometrists claim that children who use a computer long before their visual system is fully developed are at the heart of the problem known as “computer vision syndrome”, which is a visual syndrome caused by excessive PC use.

In order to protect your children from this syndrome, you should follow the following advice:

Before school starts, every child should have already had a full ophthalmological examination, including tests for distant and close vision.
Work space for the computer should be adjusted for a child, not for an adult.
Suggested distance between the monitor and the child's eyes is 50-60 cm. Looking at the computer screen from a closer distance endangers their vision due to excessive visual adjustments.
The time children work in front of the PC should always be monitored and, if possible, discontinuous, so that there are breaks when the visual and the musculosceletal system may rest.
Parents and teachers should recognize every behavior that shows possible problems such as: red eyes, frequent eye rubbing, head leaning or other unusual body stances and, finally, complaints about blurry vision or tired eyes. If any of this is observed they should immediately visit their ophthalmologist.

 

Remember:Your ophthalmologist is the best source for responsible answers on issues related to your eyes and their health. Under no circumstances is information taken from our website intended to replace him. Seek your doctor for complete information.