 | Jon Herrscher
has worked as an optician for nearly 30 years, beginning his career with a part time after school job in a Garden City Optometrist's basement lab where they literally made eyeglasses by hand using a glasscutter & cribber. In 1989, Jon left Kansas for Houston, Texas to teach young opticians the trade, returning to Wichita in 1996 to be closer to family. In August 2003 he purchased Myoptix Fashion Eyewear, an optical boutique, located at 4714 East Douglas in College Hill. Jon can be reached at (316) 651-0887. |
Eyewear & Fashion
2004-08-01 08:22:00
Eye exams for ‘back to school’
ANSWER: All children should have their eyes checked by the age of four, and once a year every year after that. If there is a family history of vision problems, then the child's eyes should be examined earlier. Teenagers without any eye problems should get their eyes examined once in every 2 years. Contact lens wearers should have a follow-up done every six months and a proper eye exam should be scheduled every year. One of the biggest problems with determining if a child has visual problems is that they are unlikely to speak up about it. Here are some common signs to watch out for: • Holding objects very close to the eyes • Excessive rubbing, blinking or squinting of the eyes • Tilting the head to one side • Moving the head (and not the eye) when reading • Headaches after reading • Red or watery eyes (which could also be a sign of allergies) • Poor hand-eye coordination (this may also reflect muscle problems)If a visual problem is detected and your child does require glasses, here are some tips:• Choose glasses with cable temples that wrap around the ear so they can't come off easily, especially good for playground and gym class! • Durable, malleable metals and hard plastics are likely to withstand all the punishment a child can muster. • Light-weight eye wear is best for children, as heavier glasses often leave red marks on the nose. This will also help keeping the glasses on the child instead of in their desk! • Bright, colorful frames are especially popular with children.Just a tip from one parent to another: if your child does require eyeglasses to improve their vision, it's nobody's fault. There is no reason to experience guilt, or to access blame to any of your child's habits for causing less than perfect vision. Here are a few "old-wives tale" fallacies that you may enjoy:• Failure to use proper glasses will hurt your eyes! Eyeglasses or contact lenses are needed to be able to see correctly; however, wearing a pair with wrong lenses, or not wearing glasses at all, will not physically damage your eyes.• Sitting too close to the TV, movie or computer screen can harm your eyes! Sitting too close does not harm our eyes. There is, however, a greater likelihood of experiencing eye fatigue or a headache.• Eat your carrots! It will improve your vision! It is true that carrots are rich in Vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin for our eyes. However, we require only a small amount of this vitamin for good vision. A well- balanced diet, with or without carrots, will provide all the Vitamin A needed for good vision.• He got his poor eyesight from his mothers/fathers side of the family! Ok, this may be partially true. Studies have shown that heredity is the most contributing factor to nearsightedness; however, it is not the only factor that can affect your vision. If your relatives have vision problems, you or your child may also experience vision problems. Make sure to get yours and your child's eyes examined regularly.
