With the alarming number of vision-related problems in kids, you will be looking for ways to ensure your child’s healthy vision and best eyesight from toddler to college years. The lack of time outdoors along with the increased use of technology are the leading reasons for the eyesight problems faced by children. Spending too much time watching television, scouring the internet on a computer, playing games on mobile phones or reading on digital tablets can be harmful to your child’s health and especially affect their eyesight.
With some timely measures and precautions, most of the eyesight-related problems that are common among young children and adolescents can be curbed. You can suspect that the eyesight of your child is at risk if they are having difficulties while reading or watching TV. When you notice any changes in your child’s vision the first and best thing to do is to schedule an eye exam for your child. A children’s eye specialist can rule out any vision problems and suggest some best ways to treat them naturally.
Ways to Improve your child’s eyesight naturally
There are many natural ways to protect and improve the eyesight of your child especially ensuring them a healthy diet and lifestyle. Adequate nutrition, exercise and regular examination at the best eye doctor near me are some of the simple ways to tackle the poor eyesight of your child.
Look at three important ways to improve your child’s eyesight:
1. Ensure a balanced diet
A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish oil and whole grains helps in maintaining good eye health for your child. Vitamin C which is essential for healthy eyes can be obtained from citrus fruits like oranges, guava, lemon and tomatoes. Fruits like mangoes, papaya and apricot are a great source of Vitamin A which can help prevent night blindness. Apricots can be given to your kids as they contain carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene while blueberries and grapes contain anthocyanins that help improve night vision and easily adapt to the dark.
2. Exercises to improve eyesight
Regularly engaging your child in some exercises such as moving eyes up and down will go a long way in improving eyesight.
Here are some exercises that help improve the eyesight of your child:
1. Practising the 10-20 reps focusing while moving his eyes in different ways, looking up at the ceiling, looking down and then looking to the sides. Your child’s head shouldn’t be moving while doing this fun eye exercise.
2. The simple and basic exercise of frequently blinking eyes is effective for kids as much as it is for adults in keeping eyes moist.
3. Repeated action of gently rolling the eyes clockwise and anti-clockwise
4. Fluttering eyelids about 30 times followed by resting them close for a couple of minutes.
5. Regularly practising 10 reps of the eye-shift exercise which involves focusing on a distance object followed by changing focus to a nearby object can also help improve your child’s eyesight. Your child’s arms should be kept straight with thumbs or a finger raised in front so that they can easily shift focus from a painting or photo on a distant wall.
6. Track the to-and-fro movement of a ball swinging on a string without moving the head.
7. Help relax your child’s eyes by massaging the area around the eyes or even the neck with your fingertips.
8. Stimulating your child’s eyes by massaging the eyelids with light pressure using your fingertips while the eyes are kept closed.
3. Make them follow healthy habits
Better vision and eyesight can be ensured for your child by making them follow some healthy habits. This includes ensuring adequate natural lighting while reading or learning, limiting screentime and encouraging them to take breaks at regular intervals. It is also important to provide them with a healthy diet and try to avoid junk and processed food items, aerated drinks and refined sugar as much as possible. Adequate sleep and proper rest are as important as good nutrition and exercise for keeping your child’s eyes healthy. Good eyesight comes only with a healthy body which can be achieved through a healthy lifestyle.
Ensure regular eye examinations
With regular eye examinations for your child by the best children’s eye doctor near me, you can be free from any concerns about their eyesight. This helps in ensuring timely action through eyeglasses or effective vision therapy exercises and even identifying any underlying health conditions. Making these simple changes to the habits and lifestyle of your child helps you ensure that their eyes are safe from eyesight problems that are common in today’s times.