How to Improve weak Eyesight in Children?

July 6, 2021January 28, 2023 | Rupali

Eye is the busiest organ as it starts working from the moment you wake up till the moment you close your eyes. Eyes are not only used for seeing but children absorb the world around them through their eyes. Any information that your brain receives is initially processed through your vision. A child’s progress in academics and sports depend widely upon their visual abilities. So it is important to take all required precautionary measures for eye health. You have to know that which food will improve eyesight so that you can add it in kids diet from very beginning.

From reading to writing, from classroom to playground, a child’s eyes are constantly at work. With the ongoing pandemic, kids are not able to attend school and they are sitting at home without friends, screen came to their complete rescue. With a sharp drop in physical movement (outdoor activities), and increased screen time due to online classes and pleasure viewing, leads to many health related concerns especially affecting eyesight. Bad eyesight is most commonly caused by a refractive error like nearsightedness (myopia), foresightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Below are some reasons for weak eyesight in kids:

Also check, What are some common eye disorder in kids?

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Reasons for weak Eyesight in kids;

1.Too much screen time:

Basically screen time is the time your kids spend watching TV and using computers, tablets, and smartphones. However these digital devices can provide endless educational contents and unlimited hours of entertainment, limitless screen time is adversely affecting the eyesight of kids. With the ongoing pandemic, this has become more serious, both kids and adults are spending more and more time using screens for everything from office to school, from entertainment to socializing.

Also check, How to reduce kid’s screen time?

2. Genetics:

Your genetics can be the reason for your poor eyesight. Kids with a family history of poor eyesight are at higher risk of weaker eyesight than those who don’t have any family history of eye issues.

3. Poor diet:

Eating habits should be taken care of from an early age, as eating low nutrient food can lead to many health issues and weak eyesight is one of them. Take care of your kid’s diet and include some foods that are good for eyes from their early age to avoid weak eyesight.

4. Sunlight:

Just like UV rays affect our skin, it too affects our eyes. Photo keratitis is a type of sunburn on the surface of the eye. So don’t allow your kids to play for long hours under the sun or ask them to wear sunglasses.

5. Lack of sleep:

Sleep affects the overall growth of the child. A decent night’s sleep can make a positive impact on your child’s entire day. If there has been continuous lack of sleep it may cause eye fatigue and strain. Your eyes also get continuous lubrication when you get enough sleep.

Also check, How to improve your child’s sleep cycle?

6. Studying in dim light:

If your child used to study in dim light, it may have the same effect as using a screen for a long time. Eyes have to work harder to focus in dim light and continuously studying and working in dim light leads to weaker eyes. So please take care of the lighting in your kid’s study room.

7. Rubbing eyes:

Rubbing your eyes can break the fragile vessels around the eyes. It may give you a moment of relief but the after effects are really bad. So next time when you feel something in your eyes instead of rubbing, wash it with water or try to blink your eyes rapidly so that tears wash it away.

It is very important to take proper care of your kid’s eyes, especially those under the age of 3 years, as their development is happening rapidly. Following are some tips which can be used to improve eyesight.

Tips to improve weak eyesight:

Reduce the screen

Reducing the screen time of your kids is the first step. No screen time before 2 years and after that, 2 hours of screen time, that too for watching educational contents only.

Nutrition

Nutrition is the key for better vision. Since birth, take care of your child’s diet. For this you have to know that which food will improve eyesight of your kids. Make sure you include a lot of Vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and omega 3, as they all support eye health.

Lighting

Take care of proper lighting in your kids study area so that there is less strain on their eyes.

Frequent breaks

If your kid’s eyesight is weak, ask your kid to take frequent breaks between studying, readings or while using any sort of screen.

Hydration

Encourage your child to drink a lot of water and wash their eyes with clean water regularly to avoid any infection. (How to keep your child hydrated?)

Regular eye checkup

Get your kid’s eyes checkup in regular interval , this will help you to trace out any problem related to their eyesigh

Exercise

Along with outdoor exercise which helps to develop muscles responsible for far vision, also engage your child in some indoor eye exercise like make your child focus on pencil tip or asking them to shift their vision from pencil tip to look at a particular number on the calendar repeat this eye shifting exercise for at least 10 times. Next you can ask them to focus on something that is 20 feet away, for say 20 seconds every day. Moving eyes clockwise and anticlockwise also strengthens eye muscles.

If your child continuously complains of headaches or eye pain, constantly rubbing his/her eyes, Redness or tears in the eyes and difficulty in focusing, you must consult an eye specialist. Also add these nutrients and foods from an early age in your kid’s diet to avoid any such situation. These foods also help to improve weak eyesight to a great extent.

Which food will improve eyesight?

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision by maintaining a clear cornea, which is the outer covering of your eye. Rhodopsin, a protein present in eyes that helps to see in low light is component of vitamin A. Orange- colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, mangoes, apricot, and sweet potatoes are high in bête-carotene, a form of vitamin A that helps your eyes to adjust them in darkness and improves night vision. It is key to protect your kid from any children’s eye disease.

Also check, How to cook vitamin A food to retain nutrition?

Vitamin C:

It is a powerful antioxidant that protects eyes against damaging free radicals. It produces collagen which is important for eyes. Connective tissues in eyes are maintained by collagen. It holds them together and protects them, which helps in preventing any kind of eye disorders in children. Citrus fruits like oranges, guava, lemon and vegetables like tomatoes are the major contributors of vitamin C. Broccoli, sprouts, and capsicum are some other rich natural sources of vitamin C.

Also check,Easiest food source of meeting 100% Vitamin C requirement

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E is an antioxidant which protects certain parts of the eye. It has been known to lower the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataract, two age-related conditions. Including almonds, pistachio and walnuts in the child’s diet can preserve his/her eyesight. Studies also show that eating nuts daily is an effective home remedy to control myopia (a condition in which far objects don’t appear clear).

Also check, Some easy food sources of vitamin E

Zinc:

Eye contains high level of zinc. It is also involved in the formation of visual pigments in the retina. Zinc deficiency can result in night blindness. Chickpeas, beans, nuts are some food sources of zinc.

Also check,How does zinc help in treating mouth ulcers?

Omega 3:

There are many clinical studies, that omega 3 fatty acids are essential for infant vision development. DHA and other omega 3 fatty acids are found in mother’s milk and also present in some formula milks to support eye development in infants. These essential fatty acids also help to protect an adult’s eye from macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome. Fish, nuts, seeds like chia seeds and flax seeds are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Also check,Importance of omega 3 for kids

Antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin:

It helps to protect eyes from harmful bright light waves like ultraviolet rays in sunlight by absorbing excess light. Studies suggest that high levels of both in eye tissue can give better vision in dim light. These work to protect eyes from free radicals. Natural food sources of these two are green or yellow vegetables like spinach, carrot. Non vegetarian sources include egg yolks.

Also check, Why antioxidants are necessary?

Herbs:

Herbs like triphala and ginkgo biloba promote better eyesight. Triphala is an ayurvedic formulation made from amla, haritaki and bibhitaki. It is very efficient in treating many eye disorders and improving eyesight. Ginkgo biloba is a strong antioxidant with many benefits, it improves the blood circulation around the eyes and is used in improving conditions for live glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Also check, Importance of herbs

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Children Screen Time: Major Concern for Eye Health

June 24, 2021December 5, 2022 | Rupali

Since the invention of smartphones, every parent’s main concern is their kids’ increased screen time and worried for eye health of their kids as today’s generation is growing up with a variety of electronic devices at their fingertips. Basically screen time is the time your kids spends watching TV and using computer, tablets, and smartphones. However these digital devices can provide endless educational contents and unlimited hours of entertainment, limitless screen time is adversely affecting the overall health of kids specially those under the age of 3 years, as their development is happening rapidly.

With the ongoing pandemic, this became more serious, both kids and adult are spending more and more time using screen for everything from office to school, from entertainment to socializing. There is no hard and fast guidelines for how much screen time kids can have, but according to the American Academy of pediatrics advice kids below 18 months should not be allowed for any screen time and after 18 months kids should be allowed only one hour and teens not more than 2 hours of screen time, that too for watching educational contents. In today’s scenario it becomes more important take precautionary measures for eye health as screen time has increased beyond limits.

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Effects of increased screen time in kids:

Effects on brain:

According to the data from National Institute of Health (NIH) indicates that kids who spent more than 2 hours a day on screen scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex (the area of brain related to critical thinking and reasoning). Excessive screen time may reduce the child’s ability to observe and concentrate. There are also some evidence that kids who watch a lot of TV or smartphone during early years perform less well in school on reading tests and may show a deficit in attention.

Also check, What are some foods helps in brain development?

Effects on eyes:

the first organ which is directly affected by the excessive screen time is your baby’s eyes. Too much screen time can lead to digital eye strain, which can include burning, itching and tired eyes along with headache, fatigue and double vision, loss of focus. Because of continued screen time, the muscles around the eye get tired and hamper their vision. In early years excessive use of screens can have potential harm to their visual development.

Also check, What are the common eye issues in kids?

Chances of obesity:

Many studies have found that increased screen time is directly related to obesity, children who spend more time watching and playing with screens are more prone to obesity than children who spend less time with screen media.

Also check, How to deal with Obesity in kids?

Effects on sleep:

The widespread use of portable electronic devices and other screen media in the bedroom includes a high risk of insufficient sleep, affecting a majority of adolescents and 30% of toddlers, preschool and school age kids. The light emitted from the screen interferes the sleep cycle in the brain and may lead to insomnia. Limited screen time and avoiding mobile phones by kids at least an hour before bed time for a better sleep.

Also check, What are some foods help in sound sleep?

Hamper family time:

Increased screen time of kids and adults is hampering family life these days. The more time kids spend watching TV or computer, the more likely they find it difficult forming a relationship or emotional bond with their parents.

While screen time may keep your kids busy and provide a lot of educational content, excess use is creating many health issues in kids. Now it is high time to reduce their screen time to create a healthy lifestyle for children. Have a conversation with your kids explaining to them about the danger of unlimited screen time and online predators. Here are some tips for parents on how to reduce the use of screen by their kids:

Tips to reduce screen time:

Set an example

Before asking your child to reduce their screen time, first you should reduce yours. Keep track of your screen time. Apart from work or online meetings avoid scrolling your social media now and then. What you do your kids will follow, so set a good example. Instead for using smartphones and laptops in your free time, read some books and make your children realize that books are equally entertaining.

Step by step

First check the total screen time of your child in a day. Then start to cut that time, day by day like half an hour every second day, as it is impossible to ask children to completely cut down all the electronic devices at a time, but if they reduce gradually soon they will use only for their recommended time.

Set a schedule

Your success depends upon your plans. Always plan the screen time with the concern of your kids and set the schedule. Like allowing screen time only after doing their homework or other studies and works. Make screen time a privilege rather than a right.

Stick to the rules

Whatever rules you have made, just stick to the rules. Always remember that you are the boss and you make the rules. There can be some conflicts initially but make them understand the importance of limiting screen time.

Screen free bedroom

Make your bedroom screen free. Using electronic devices just before sleep affects your sleep cycle, making it hard for you to fall asleep at night. And if kids do not have proper sleep at night they will wake up tired and don’t have energy to do activities during the day. Rather place the TV, computer, laptop and phones in some central location, and ask your child to use any device in that location only, so that you can better monitor the screen time of kids.

Encourage other activities

Encourage kids for other activities like reading, craft work, indoor games and doing puzzles. You can also engage them in some household works like helping you in gardening, cooking and cleaning, this will also strengthen your bond with your kids.

Outdoor activities

Outdoor playing and exercise is essential for overall well being of kids and a best way to keep them away from screen. Engage them in some sports like summing, badminton or any game of their interest.

Screen free zone

Establish a zone in your house where any type of screens are not allowed. Make some time for your family when the screen stays off like at meals and before bed time.

Foods to reduce effects

Along with reducing screen time of kids with these tips, you can also reduce the effects of screen time on kids by changing their eating habits and taking care of their diet, including some foods that help to protect their brain and eye from the adverse effects of electronic devices. Here is the list of some foods that support your kid’s brain and eye health.

Nut and seeds

All the nuts like almonds, walnuts, pista, cashew, brazil nuts, hazel nuts, and Pine nuts are rich in vitamin E and help in boosting memory. They are also antioxidants which protect against cell damage. Walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and are a valuable substance for brain function, memory and thinking abilities. This fatty acid also encourages cognitive functions. Apart from nuts, seeds like flex, chia, melon, sesame and pumpkins also contain powerful antioxidants like vitamin E that protect the brain from free radical damage. If you are looking for eye health concerning food, Nuts and seeds are best.

Also check, why to include nuts and seeds in kid’s diet daily?

Cocoa powder

Pure cocoa powder (unsweetened) contains brain boosting components as it is packed with a large number of antioxidants molecules, the main is epicatechin helpful to improve cognition in studies and also contributes for eye health.

Brahmi

This Ayurvedic herb is believed to sharpen the brain by protecting cells and increasing chemicals associated with learning and memory and hence it is a child brain development food. It has shown to improve spatial learning and retaining power. Brahmi is also very beneficial for eye health.

Also check, some more herbs helps in brain development

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision by maintaining a clear cornea, which is the outer covering of your eye. Rhodopsin, a protein present in eyes that helps to see in low light is component of vitamin A. Orange- coloured fruits and vegetables like carrots, mangoes, apricot, sweet potatoes are high in bête-carotene, a form of vitamin A that helps your eyes to adjust them in darkness and improves night vision. It is key to protect your kid from any children’s eye disease. So it is best to include vitamin A rich foods in kids diet for eye health.

Also check, How to cook vitamin A food to retain nutrition?

Zinc

It is one of the most important mineral for eye health. Eye contains high levels of zinc. It is also involved in the formation of visual pigments in the retina. Zinc deficiency can result in night blindness. Chickpeas, beans, nuts are some food sources of zinc.

Also check, Zinc foods that help in treating mouth ulcers?

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A GUIDELINE TO CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH

April 10, 2021December 21, 2022 | Rupali

Year 2020 (corona pandemic) has shown us many ups and downs. More or less we adjusted ourselves according to the situation and learned to survive. The worst hit emotionally and physically from this situation are the kids. From not being able to attend school to sitting at home without friends, screen came to their complete rescue. With a sharp drop in physical movement (outdoor activities), and increased screen time due to online classes and pleasure viewing, it has led to many health related concerns. One organ being way more stressed than others is the Eye. Just like any other part of the body, eyes also need ample rest and care. Rather than giving supplements to kids, it is better to look for eye health food and include it in their diet from very beginning to prevent eye diseases in the future.

Eyes continue to grow and develop as a child ages and the eye muscles become stronger. For most of the children, as they grow, they have good eyesight and do not need to wear glasses. However, if a child develops any eye diseases or eye disorders and it is not diagnosed at an early age, it may lead to reduced vision in one or both eyes. First of all we need to understand the common eye disorders.

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Common Eye Disorders in Children:

Amblyopia (lazy eyes):

It is a kind of poor vision that happens in one eye. It develops when there is a breakdown in how the brain and eye work together. Common cause of this condition is an imbalance in the muscles. It prevents both eyes from working together. Over a period of time the brain relies on the stronger eye and vision in the weaker eye gets worse.

Strabismus (crossed eyes):

It is a condition in which both eyes do not line up in the same direction. The eyes are unable to look at the same place at the same time. It causes when the brain receives different visual messages from each eye and ignores signals coming from weaker one. It is one of the most common eye disorders in children, affecting 4% of kids under the age of six year.

Chalazion (sty):

Stye is a small, red lump that occurs at the base of the eyelash of your kid, usually on the lower lid. It can cause swelling around the eyelid and can be quite painful. Children can have many styes on their eyelid at one time and can happen in both eyes. This is one of the eye diseases in children caused by an infection of oil glands in the eyelid.

Conjunctivitis:

It is commonly known as “pink eyes”. Conjunctivitis is an infection in the outer membrane of your eyeball. It can be caused by allergies or a bacterial or viral infection. It is extremely contagious and can spread by coming in contact with an infected person.

Dry eyes:

Some factors that can cause dry eyes in kids are dry weather, smoke, or pollution. Allergies or contact lenses are also responsible for irritation and dryness in eyes. It can affect kids to perform well in school. Burning, itching, constantly blinking are some of the symptoms.

Symptoms of eye diseases in CHILDREN

Child is constantly rubbing his/her eyes
Poor focusing
Abnormal movement of eyes (after 6 months of age)
Redness of the eyes
Tearing of eyes
Tilting head and covering one eye
Sitting too close to television or keeping book too close while reading
Complaining of headaches or eye pain

Essential nutrients & vitamins for children’s eye:

Vitamins play a very important role in developing and promoting children’s eye health. Though a large number of kids eyesight products are available in the market, the best way to provide the essential vitamins for children’s eyes is by giving them nutritious food which will support their eye health in the years to come. However, if your child suffers from any of the eye concerns mentioned above, check with your doctor if any additional supplements or kids eyesight products like eye drops or capsules are required. Let’s understand which vitamin is good for the eyes.

FOODS FOR EYE HEALTH: