Back to school eye care tips

• Importance of eye health in children
• Book an eye test
• Balanced diet
• Limit screen time
• The 20-20-20 rule
• Eye care tips for young adults and working professionals
• Invest in eye care products
• Opt-in to Auto-Replenish
• Save money

One of the most awaited times for kids – summertime! During summer break, children tend to spend their time on a combination of indoor and outdoor activities. However, nowadays, a lot of children spend more time on digital devices than on outdoor activities. This is also highlighted in a study that says kids spend 56% more time on technology(computer, television or mobile phones) than playing outside which leads to various vision problems.

Importance of eye health in children

Eye health in children is pivotal for their academic success and overall development. It’s not just about having 20/20 vision but also about processing and comprehending what they see. As children grow, their visual demands increase, especially in an academic environment.

The print size in textbooks gets smaller, and the time spent reading and studying increases significantly. As a result, kids might experience constant eye strain. Without comprehensive eye test, many vision disorders may go undetected or even be misdiagnosed as ADHD, dyslexia, behavioural issues, or learning disabilities.

Listed are some vital visual skills every child needs for effective learning:

• lear visual acuity- the ability to see clearly at various distances
• Eye focusing- the ability to maintain clear vision as the distance between objects changes
• Eye tracking- the ability to keep the eyes on target when looking from one object to another
• Eye teaming- the ability to coordinate both eyes together to judge distances and see depth
• Eye-hand coordination- the ability to use visual information to guide hand movements
• Visual perception- the ability to organise images into letters, words, and ideas and understand and remember

Children who struggle with vision-related learning problems often experience headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue. If any of the above visual skills are lacking or not functioning properly, parents should book an eye test as this could help with the development of their child.

Book an eye test

Healthy vision corelates to success in the classroom and beyond, which is why it’s crucial to put an eye examination on your back-to-school/work ‘to-do list’. When studying or at work, reading from a textbook or looking at a computer screen, we face increasing strain on our eyes, so, it’s important to book regular vision screenings.

A comprehensive eye examination is essential before the start of the school year. It can detect a range of vision problems that may otherwise go undetected and misdiagnosed such as dyslexia, ADHD, a behavioural problem, or a learning disability. If detected in time, there might be a risk of carrying these labels into adulthood. This can affect many things, including employment opportunities, education levels, social interactions, and confidence in various areas of life.

Young children may find it challenging to explain their difficulties with their eyesight and may not be aware that they have a problem. Conditions such as squint and amblyopia (lazy eye) can be treated more effectively if picked up at an early stage, which could make a massive difference to your child’s eye health. Early detection can be treated with glasses/eye patches, or both, which should be started as soon as possible to help your child begin school with the best vision possible.

In young children, signs of vision problems could be:

• Having to sit very close to the TV
• Holding books very close to their face
• Excessive squinting
• Headaches
• Complaining of sore eyes

If your child is under the age of 16, then he/she is entitled to a free eye test on the NHS.

Balanced diet

A healthy, balanced diet is one of the best ways to keep your child’s eyes healthy. Foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants are particularly beneficial for eye health. Encourage your child to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, nuts, and oily fish.

Limit screen time

While screens have become a necessary part of modern life, limiting your child’s screen time is important. Encourage regular breaks, outdoor play, and non-screen hobbies. If screen use is unavoidable, ensure the device is at a safe distance from their eyes and that the lighting is adequate.

The 20-20-20 rule

To help reduce eye strain from prolonged screen use, teach your child the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, they should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This gives their eyes a much-needed break and helps to reduce strain.

Eye care tips for young adults and working professionals

Adults going to school or university and working professionals are also prone to eye issues. However, with these handy eye care tips they can safeguard their vision.

Shield your eyes with sunglasses

When out in the sun, remember to wear UV-protective sunglasses. Exposure to UV light can cause conditions such as cataracts and blurry vision. Along with accentuating your overall look, UV protected sunglasses not only keep your eyes protected, but also help protect the area around your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

Go for good quality glasses

For both university-goers and working professionals getting good quality blue light glasses is an excellent idea. Even if you know your prescription, it’s important to go for regular eye tests as constant screen time might affect your vision and sometimes you won’t even notice! You can also consult your optometrist for suggestions on what type of glasses you should go for. For example, acetate frames are good for high prescriptions. Choose a frame size that fits your face and makes you feel comfortable.

Feel Good Contacts has a wide range of designer frames to choose from, such as Ray-Ban, Superdry, Versace to name a few. If you’re looking for a lower price range, you can shop from our Feel Good Collection, premium quality at affordable prices.

Choose the right lenses

Ensuring you choose the most suitable glasses lens coating for your lifestyle is essential. For example, if you find yourself sitting at a desk on the computer all day long, you may want to invest in blue light glasses. These glasses can help to filter out blue light from computer screens and mobile devices and are said to reduce eye strain and headaches. Lenses with an anti-reflection coating can also be beneficial for computer use.

Alternatively, if you happen to work outdoors, you may wish to opt for transition lenses or sun tints. With transitions, enjoy the best of both worlds, these lenses will provide you with both sunglasses and glasses in one, as they are clear indoors and darken when exposed to direct UV light, whereas sun tints are your prescription in sunglasses. Both provide 100% UVA and UVB protection to ensure that your eyes are protected when spending time outside.

Stock up on contact lenses

You may also wish to stock up on contact lenses but before you do, make sure you book an eye exam for contact lenses. Remember, a contact lens prescription is not the same as a glasses prescription.

Contact lenses are an excellent choice for those who find themselves engaging in lots of physical activities such as sports. They provide freedom to run around without having to worry about glasses slipping off your face, and they rarely fall out.

Daily disposable lenses are great for those with hectic lifestyles as they do not require solutions or a cleaning routine and can be thrown away at the end of each day.

Extended wear contact lenses can be worn day and night continuously (without needing to be removed) for a fixed amount of time, although these lenses do pose a higher risk of infection and should only be worn under the supervision and advice from an eye care practitioner.

It is always best to consult your optician before choosing contact lenses to ensure that they suit your eyes and individual needs.

Invest in eye care products

The working world can take a toll on our eyes, as can the effects of modern-day living, so it's essential you pay attention to symptoms such as dry eye, eye strain and fatigue to maintain your eye health.

Additionally, spending long hours in the office or classroom with heating or air-conditioning can cause dry eyes and so can staring at a computer screen for hours. However, you can relieve dry eye symptoms by using dry eye treatments such as our comfi Soothe Drops, which come in a small 15ml bottle, perfect for taking with you on the go.

Opt-in to Auto-Replenish

At Feel Good Contacts, we don't want the task of re-ordering your contact lenses to be a hassle in addition to stocking up on school/work supplies, which is why we offer our Auto-Replenish service. Auto-Replenish is a quick and easy way of receiving your contact lenses and eye care products without having to remember to go online and re-enter your order. In addition to this, you'll get 5% OFF every order when you opt-in to Auto-Replenish.

Save money

Being a student is expensive enough, which is why we offer UNiDAYS and Student Beans student and graduate discounts, so you can get up to 20.15% OFF and save money on your contact lenses, glasses, sunglasses, solutions and eye care essentials.

If you’re not a student, you can still get 10% OFF your first order with Feel Good Contacts and 5% OFF every order when you use the Feel Good Contacts App.