vision Archives - Health Beat

How Often Should You Have Your Vision Checked ?

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Andrew Rubin

March is Save Your Vision Month
How often should you have your vison checked?
A) Every year
B) Every two years
C) Every three years
D) Only when something is wrong
According to the American Optometric Association a healthy person should have a regular eye exam once a year. People who have any conditions that may affect their eyesight, for example diabetes, glaucoma, macula-degeneration, should be examined more frequently.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at Flushing Hospital, please call 718-670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

National Save Your Vision Month

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

The month of March has been designated as “National Save Your Vision Month” by the American Optometric Association as a way to promote good eye health. This year, the campaign wants to bring attention to eye problems that can occur at work. More people are using electronic devices for both work and for pleasure than ever before and this can lead to eye problems for some people. This year the campaign wants to bring attention to eye problems that can occur at work.
People who use computers all the time, especially at work, should be aware of developing dry eyes, blurred vision and eye strain. This is because the eyes are focused for long periods of time on an object that is at a fixed distance rather than seeing objects that are moving or at varying distances which allow the muscles of the eyes to constantly move. Also, people who use computer screens for long periods of time don’t blink as frequently and this can lead to dry eyes. To alleviate some of these problems it is important to take a break from time to time and look out a window or at least look around the room.
Some tips for good eye health include keeping the computer monitor about twenty inches from your eyes, keeping the top of the screen tilted a little below eye level, the screen should be kept clean to avoid anything that can blur the images. It is also important to eat a healthy diet which will keep the eyes well nourished.
Regular eye exams can detect problems before they become serious. Correcting faulty vision early this can prevent the problem from becoming serious later on. If you would like to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at Flushing Hospital, please call 718-670-5486.

Does Your Child Have a Vision Problem?

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Joann Ariola

When a child can’t see well, you might expect them to verbalize their inability to see clearly or complain of headaches, but a child may not say that they are having trouble with their vision because they don’t realize that the world isn’t supposed to be blurry.

Surprisingly, as many as one out of four children in school have vision problems and a large number of children with vision problems go undetected. When vision impairment goes undiagnosed, their behavior can be misdiagnosed as a learning disability.

Some common signs of vision problems are:

Omitting letters, words or phrases
Writing that is difficult to read, crowded or inconsistent in size
Mistaking words with similar beginnings
Miscalling or omitting “small” words
Losing place while reading
Misaligning digits in columns of numbers
Writing uphill or downhill
Reversing letters (d for b) or words (saw for was)
Rereads or skips words while reading
Lip reading or whisper reading to reinforce comprehension

Parents and educators may assume that when a child passes a school vision screening, there is no vision problem. However, school vision screenings often only test for visual sharpness. A child who can see 20/20 can still have a vision problem.

If your child exhibits any of the signs and symptoms listed above, you may want to make an appointment for an eye exam with an Ophthalmologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ophthalmology Center. For an appointment, call 718-206-5900.