Back to School Tips for Healthy Eyes President of the American Optometric Association, Dr. Ronald L. Benner, Discusses Back-to-School Eye Safety Tips and the Importance of In-Person, Comprehensive Eye Exams
New York, NY
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August 01, 2023 10:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time
With the back-to-school season underway, it’s time to take an important look at your child’s eye health. Recently, the President of the American Optometric Association, Dr. Ronald L. Benner, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss back-to-school eye safety tips and the importance of having in-person, comprehensive eye exams with a doctor of optometry.
A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/_wkZ4uuCvmg
Since the pandemic, children have spent more hours using computers and digital devices for remote learning. This increase in screen time can be extremely taxing on the visual system and have long-term consequences for vision and learning. It also increases the likelihood of developing myopia (nearsightedness), eye coordination issues, eyestrain, dry eye, and exacerbated existing eye conditions.
Eye and vision disorders can lead to problems in a child’s normal development, school performance, social interactions, engagement in athletics, and self-esteem. Vision disorders that occur in childhood may manifest as problems well into adulthood, affecting an individual’s level of education, employment opportunities, and social interactions. In addition, undiagnosed vision issues are sometimes misdiagnosed as learning disorders.
Vision screenings, such as those performed in schools or pediatrician’s offices,are not a substitute for comprehensive eye exams performed by an optometrist. Annual in-person, comprehensive eye exams are one of the most important, preventative ways to preserve vision and overall health.
Optometrists are America’s primary eye health care providers, and are on the frontline of eye and vision care. They examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. In addition to providing eye and vision care, they play a major role in an individual’s overall health and well-being by detecting systemic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. Eye exams safeguard overall health by enabling doctors to detect more than 270 serious health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Eye Deserve More is a multi-faceted national campaign to take a stand that every American deserves in-person comprehensive care from an AOA doctor of optometry as part of their eye health and overall health and wellbeing. As part of the campaign, to further combat serious eye conditions, AOA developed Blink Land, a single-player mobile game that educates gamers through engaging mini-games and interesting trivia to empower them to focus on their eye health. Download Blink Land on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
For more information, visit aoa.org/eyedeservemore
About Dr. Benner
Ronald L. Benner, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association Board of Trustees at the 118th Annual AOA Congress & 45th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting® in June 2015 and elected to the office of President during the 126th Annual AOA Congress & 55th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting in June 2023. In addition to his duties as President, Dr. Benner serves as chair of the Executive Committee, Agenda Committee, and 401(k) Committee. Dr. Benner is also the liaison trustee to the American Academy of Optometry, the AOA Political Action Committee and the National Optometric Leadership Conference. His board assignments also include the Advocacy Committee, the Meetings & Member Experiences Committee, the Faculty & Student Membership Liaisons Committee, the Future Practice Education Task Force and the Advocacy Roundtable Committee. He also serves as a liaison to affiliate associations in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin and is the trustee liaison to optometry schools including Chicago College of Optometry, Illinois College of Optometry, Indiana School of Optometry and Michigan College of Optometry—Ferris State University.
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