School, Pink Eye, and What You Should Always Have in Your Medicine Cabinet

So school starts and you notice your kid has a red eye. Should you send him to school? Keep at home? Or take him to the doctor’s?

What is “Lazy Eye” and How Do I Prevent It?

Many people have heard of a “lazy eye”, but aren’t exactly sure what it is, how to avoid it or how to get rid of it. The medical term for a “lazy eye” is amblyopia, which refers to a person who has reduced vision in one eye that is not associated with eye damage or disease. Amblyopia occurs during childhood and is usually due to either an eye that turns in or out (also known as strabismus), or a person who has a very strong glasses prescription in one eye only. While amblyopia is preventable, it is also the most common visual impairment among children and occurs in ~2% of the population¹. The most significant word of that previous sentence is preventable. So what can you do?

Back-to-School Eye Care

August is the month when many families are working through their checklist to ensure their kids are ready to start school. In honor of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, please let me emphasize how important comprehensive eye exams are for children (and all ages, but let’s focus on kids for now).