Vision Screening

There are special vision screening programs assigned for both adults and children. Regular exams are essential to your overall vision and well-being. Vision problems can change and worsen with time. It's important to start at birth and to continue going for vision screenings throughout your life.

Small children with vision disorders don’t realize they have them. That’s why it is very important to detect and treat any vision problems at an early age. If this is not fixed in time, it may lead to learning difficulties or vision loss down the road. Prevent Blindness America is a web-based vision screening program dedicated to help people to find and locate vision screening facilities in their state.

General vision screening is not an eye doctor's exam; however, it greatly helps to identify people that have any eye disorders and vision problems. Usually a vision screening takes about 10 to 15 minutes. They can find out if you’re near or farsighted, as well as your eye's ability to focus on things in your field of vision. The doctor will ask you several questions about your age, medical history and visits to your eye doctor. The screener will tell you the results obtained from screening and make recommendations on whether you need to get an eye exam.

It is highly recommended to perform a vision screening for your child. Starting from the first year of life, all children should be routinely screened for vision by their pediatrician. Only routine vision screening can detect any hidden eye abnormalities. Also, it is much easier to prevent and treat problems discovered at an early age because most of them are preventable. The most common signs of vision problems for infants can be constant eye rubbing, extreme light sensitivity, poor visual tracking (following an object), chronic redness, tearing of the eyes, etc. Be sure to visit your doctor if your child shows any of these signs. Make sure you get your own eyes checked as well. After all, you're probably the one driving the the eye appointment.