Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Birmingham Ophthalmologist on Children’s Eye Problems

Birmingham Ophthalmologist Tyler Hall, M.D. of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center commented on children’s eye problems and the need to school eye exams. “As we get back into the new school year, parents want to be aware that if your child is having trouble seeing the blackboard or the words in a book, learning as well as participating in recreational activities can be impacted,” commented Dr. Hall. “As part of our children’s eye exams we like to carefully examine kids for problems such as amblyopia or a lazy eye, strabismus or crossed eyes, ptosis or drooping of the upper eyelid, color deficiency or color blindness and of course the more common refractive errors including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.”

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham wishes to announce that Prevent Blindness America has designated September as Children’s Eye Health & Safety Awareness Month. Eye and vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school aged children. Parents should be aware that it is possible for their children to have a serious vision problem without even being aware of it. Infants should be screened for common eye problems during their regular pediatric appointments and vision testing should be conducted for all children starting at around three years of age. If there is a family history of eye problems or if an eye problem is apparent, it is important to bring it to the attention of and eye doctor so that they can advise the parents about when and how often their child’s eyes should be examined.

“You also have to protect your child’s eyes from the danger of eye injuries. Be sure that the toys your child plays with are appropriate for his or her age and maturity level. Avoid toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts. Participation in any type of sport also could endanger your child’s eyes, so make sure he or she wears appropriate protective eyewear,” said Dr. Hall.

If you have questions or concerns about children’s eye problems, health & safety and would like to schedule an eye exam please call 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.