Educating Yourself about Vision Care

Recently, the boys and I had our annual vision care appointments.  This was not the first time for them going to get their eyes checked.  However, D was a bit apprehensive after having a not so great experience a few years back.

Oh, how I wish I’d had some good resources to prepare him for that visit when we still lived back in Maryland!

I now know that there is a place to learn more about vision care on-line, Zeiss educational tools compliments of Zeiss. 

What kind of information will you find on the site:

Facts to know about vision and lenses

Tips for selecting an eye doctor

Questions to ask at your next eye appointment

Facts to know about age-related vision changes

I learned some interesting facts that will be influencing how we approach our vision care.

The biggest change is when to bring the kids.  I don’t remember going to the eye doctor until it was obvious that my vision had changed and needed correction.  Just from the page sharing some facts about vision, I learned that the ideal schedule is to bring a child at 6 months, 3 years and again when they are entering kindergarten.  After that point, it is every 2 years if there is no concern. 

Well, none of the boys have had such early appointments.  The time when we lived in Maryland was the first for them and I had ages 11, 8, and 5 at the time.   P and R both went in late 2010 and then again last month.  D went for his second time last month.  But, I’m now going to be making an appointment for J when his 3rd birthday comes around this fall.  He’s actually excited about it!

I was also impressed with the list of what to look for in a lens.  I’ve always done the anti-scratch coating, but there are far more options than that.  There is even a list of questions to ask at your next appointment that I plan to bring along with me.

As for the recent appointments, the three boys all ended up with prescriptions that were not especially strong.  However, the optometrists they saw agreed that for reading at a distance (aka a board in a classroom setting or road signs) it would be beneficial.  Just this afternoon, we picked up their new glasses and I tried to snag a few quick pictures with the cell phone camera.  A sunny day did not make for the best setting for those photos….

Disclaimer ~ This post was sponsored by Zeiss as part of an educational outreach through Mom Select.  All opinions are my own.

Corporate Overview:

Carl Zeiss Vision (www.vision.zeiss.com) is a global leader in precision optics. With a full line of advanced customized lenses, advanced performance coatings, i.Scription® by ZEISS diagnostic technology and a national laboratory network, Carl Zeiss Vision is dedicated to creating a better visual experience for patients and greater success for eye care practices.