August is Back to School Eye Health Month – CDC Urges Children and Teens to Get Regular Eye Exam

Expert ophthalmologists at Beverly Hills Medical Center in Kuwait offer insight into a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevent initiative to raise awareness of the importance of proper eye and vision care among teenagers and parents.

In an effort to raise awareness for the serious and potentially vision impairing consequences of poor eye care, specifically among teenagers and school aged children wearing contact lenses, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has launched an awareness campaign culminating in “Back to School Eye Health Month” in August.

Contact Lens Health Week

In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Academy has also declared August 24th to 28th Contact Lens Health Week, during which proper eye hygiene and lens care will be stressed in order to help prevent the incidence of contact lens related infections and eye problems currently seen in as many as 25 percent of children and young adults’ eye- related emergency room visits.

Contact Lens and Eye Care Tips

At Beverly Hills Medical Center Kuwait, we make it a point to stress the importance of getting your children into the habit of regular ocular care, which starts with regular eye exams, as soon as children reach school age. Parents are strongly encouraged to help their children establish and maintain healthy and long lasting eye care habits from an early age. The basic points to consider include:

Changing contact lens cases on a regular basis is critical to prevent bacteria buildup and contamination. A good rule of thumb is every three months, or at the beginning of every new quarter. Waiting longer than three months can significantly increase the risk of infection.

Water is a no no. Whether through swimming, showering, or running under the tap to “clean,” exposing contact lenses to water can cause introduce bacteria that can lead to serious and potentially vision impairing infections. Always clean contact lenses with the appropriate solution.

It’s never OK to sleep with contact lenses in! Don’t ignore symptoms of eye problems or infections, such as redness, burning, itching, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light, as they can signal a problem that requires immediate attention from an experienced ophthalmologist.

Serious eye conditions like infectious keratitis and corneal ulcers can and do result from being careless with contact lens care and hygiene. By taking a little time to instill good habits early on, parents can help their children establish a lifetime of proper ocular care that can help to save their vision.

About Beverly Hills Medical Center Kuwait

Beverly Hills Medical Center-Kuwait features ophthalmology, plastic surgery, head and neck surgery, dermatology, dentistry, and bariatric surgery departments staffed by some of the best physicians in the world. BHMC offers the most technologically advanced facility in the Gulf, and was designed with outstanding patient service in mind. Because our patients deserve nothing but the best, our facilities are equipped with the latest technology. We are proud to share this incredible place with both patients and visiting VIP physicians.