Take advantage of this time to make sure your child’s eyes are healthy.

About one in four school-age children have problems with their vision. These problems can inhibit a child’s learning. They can also affect his personality and adjustment in school.

Color blindness makes distinguishing colors difficult, for example. A lazy eye—or eye that doesn’t get enough use—can reduce vision. A child struggling with far- or nearsightedness gets fatigued. His eyes can get too tired to concentrate or study.

Schools check for eye problems, but they don’t always detect them. So it’s up to you to watch for signs that your child might have an eye problem. Symptoms include:

• Inflamed or watery eyes.
• Rubbing eyes or blinking a lot.
• Shutting or covering one eye while reading or looking in the distance.
• Tilting head forward. Or holding objects close to eyes.
• Squinting or frowning to see.
• Dizziness or nausea after close-up work.
• Complaints of headaches.

If your child has one or more of these signs, seek the opinion of a professional eye care specialist. Ask your family doctor for recommendations.

Sometimes even healthy-looking eyes can have problems. So it’s recommended that kids have periodic eye exams throughout their school years.

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