The
Lions Club of
Bowmanville shares the Vision Screening equipment with three area Lions
Clubs,
Courtice,
Why screening is important?
• 85%
of a
child’s learning is related to sight.
• When
vision
problems begin in early childhood, a child does not know he/she has a
problem
because the brain compensates for the poor vision. Therefore, the child
with a
vision problem won’t complain, and he/she may not have
symptoms that parents
would notice.
• Early
detection is important.
• Some
vision
problems must be identified before the child reaches the age of five to
ensure
successful treatment. This is true of Amblyopia (lazy eye), which if
left
untreated, can lead to permanent vision loss.
The test is non-invasive. A special
camera called an Auto
Refractor is placed about 2 feet from the child. No eye drops or
physical
contact with the child is needed.
Vision problems can be detected
through a simple vision
screening tests that takes less than five minutes. If a problem is
found, a
professional eye examination is recommended.
Common
Vision Problems:
Early treatment of
children’s vision problems is important
because it can provide children with added potential to learn and
develop.
Amblyopia (lazy eye): Reduced vision
in one eye.
Anisometropia: Both eyes are
nearsighted or farsighted but
in different degrees.
Astigmatism: Distorted vision
Hyperopia (Farsightedness): Objects
blurred at close range.
Myopia (Nearsightedness): Objects
blurred at a distance
Refractive Error: A defect in the
optics of the eye results
in lack of precise focus of light rays on the retina, causing blurred
vision.
Strabismus (crossed eye): Eyes that are not straight, eye muscles are not working together.
Committee Chair: Lion Jim Cryderman
Committee Members: Lions Tom Bennett, Linda Duffie, Billie Kemp, Jim Hilborn, Ron White