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Preventing cvs in children
Many doctors today agree that early onset of nearsightedness in children is fast becoming an epidemic. Children are starting to use the computer at earlier and earlier ages, spending hours in front of a pixelized screen and putting too much stress on their eyes. Children, however, don’t yet have fully developed visual systems able to withstand such stress and the problems cropping up in relation to this epidemic are becoming widespread. This is now a public health issue in much of the Western world. The first and most obvious thing to do is to take your child to a pediatric doctor for a comprehensive eye exam to see if general vision is normal and needs no corrective glasses. This examination should include near-point distance, which is the appropriate distance from a book or computer screen, as well as distance testing. We recommend you test your child’s sight once a year, preferably before the school year begins and the child is further exposed to computers screens in school. If your child is already spending a lot of time in front of the screen, get them to a computer vision specialist to be tested for eye fatigue and other typical symptoms of CVS.
Another simple way to prevent potential problems is to adapt the computer workplace to a child’s dimensions so that they won’t have to overcompensate. Changing the viewing angle of the screen to a comfortable, fifteen degree angle, placing some support and raising the level of the floor for the feet and aligning the keyboard for easier access for children can also help. The recommended distance between the monitor and the eye for children is 18-28 inches. By viewing the computer screen closer than 18 inches, children risk straining their eyes.
The most important factor for parents is probably just being aware of the hours your children spend in front of the screen. Ask them whether they suffer from the typical ailments, such as headaches or shoulder and neck aches. Red eyes, odd postures, blurred vision, complaints of any kind related to eyesight should give you the clues you need. Also, the time spent in front of the screen should be regulated, and regulated breaks for resting should be maintained.
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