Watch this Important Video Regarding Back to School

Would you send your child back to school without shoes? Of course not!
Beat the Back to School Rush – Schedule Your Kids’ Vision Exams today!
Back to school often means a busy shopping schedule – new clothes, school supplies, etc. Get their vision exams done over the summer, before your schedule fills up with all the back-to-school preparations. Our doctors can catch vision problems before they interfere with academic performance. Give us a call at (860) 434-2509 to schedule your child’s appointment!

Headaches – Time for Tylenol or An Eye Exam?
Headaches can often be a sign of a vision problem, even if you aren’t aware of any changes in your vision. In some cases, eye strain can trigger a headache and even a migraine. Uncorrected vision disorders can cause headaches.

There can also be a connection between dry eye and migraines. One study found that when dry eye was treated in more than 200 patients who also complained of headaches, not only did the dry eye symptoms get better, but the majority of the headaches disappeared.

Some signs of eye coordination and tracking problems include a headache associated with driving, reading or working on computers or digital devices and other activities which require staying focused.

Additional signs and symptoms of vision problems can include the following:

* Avoids reading or homework
* Understands reading materials better when someone else reads to them out loud
* Tilt or turn the head at an angle when reading
* Find that comprehension gets worse as more time is spent reading
* Inconsistent performance in sports, academics or behavior

Any one of these may be a sign of a vision problem that can typically be corrected. Be sure to schedule an exam with one of our doctors to make sure a vision problem isn’t holding you or your loved one back from achieving their potential.

Preparing for Back to School: Help Struggling Readers
Struggling students typically become convinced they are just stupid and that is why they cannot read when all their peers are reading fluently. As each year goes by, it becomes harder to help them. Some of these children can fall through the cracks, especially when they are the bright underachievers.

However, here is a key question you can ask your students:

What do the words do when you are trying to read?

If your student says some are black and some are gray or fuzzy, or the words are moving around on the page, these are red flags that the child has an underlying eye coordination or eye movement problem.

Something else you can do is to observe how your student interacts with the printed page:

* Does the child cover one eye or tilt his or her head?
* Does the child seem to squirm in the chair while reading?
* When writing is there a lot of body movement?
* Does the student continue to struggle despite how easy the text is?
* Do they continually lose their place?

If any of these signs are present, there is a good chance they have a correctable eye coordination or eye movement problem. Remember, vision screenings and eye exams by most eye doctors do not test for these types of vision problems. Be sure to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors as soon as possible, it could make all the difference.