Looking after your eyes

1. Looking after your eyes

2. Can you see properly? • Eyes don’t usually hurt when there is something wrong • Your eye is still growing so checking your vision now can help you later on too • Anyone can have eye problems • If there is something wrong you might not know

3. Why get an eye test? • Good eyesight is important - at school and at home • If there are squints and lazy eyes in your family you might have them too • Signs of problems could be: headaches, sitting too close to the television and rubbing your eyes a lot

4. Eye fact • More than 80% of the information that we use to learn comes through our eyes

5. What happens? • You go to the optician’s for an appointment at a specific time • You go with your parents • Most opticians are on the high street or in your local shopping centre • The main part is a shop with lots of spectacles on the walls • You see an optometrist in a separate room

6. Who do you see? • The Optometrist is the person who tests you eyes • The Dispensing Optician or assistant help you choose spectacles if you need them

7. Eye fact • During the day your eyes use as much energy as your legs would need to walk 80 kilometres (50 miles) - about the same as walking for 16 hours without resting

8. Lots of questions... • You will be asked lots of questions but they are easy to answer! • The optometrist needs to know your name, age, health, family, hobbies and sports that you do

9. Healthy eyes • The optometrist checks your eyes inside and out • They use an ophthalmoscope to shine light into your eye • They use other lights to look at the outside of your eye • And lenses to check if your vision can be improved

10. Colour vision test • Some people can’t see different colours • They may confuse red and green • They might not be allowed to do some jobs such as a pilot or train driver

11. Eye fact • Goldfish see colours much better than cats

12. 3D test • Measures whether your eyes work together • Makes sure you can see 3D • Good 3D vision helps you see the world properly as well as movies and 3D television

13. Eye fact • A chameleon can look in different directions at the same time but because its eyes are on opposite sides of its head it can’t see in 3D

14. Results • If you don’t need spectacles you come back for a check up in 1 or 2 years • If you need spectacles your optometrist will tell you when you need to wear them – perhaps for reading or watching television

15. What if I do need spectacles? • Choose cool frames • Wear you spectacles when you optometrist tells you to • Get regular check ups when your optometrist tells you to

16. Look after your eyes • Get outdoors – for a minimum of 1 hour a day • Eat healthily and drink water

17. Eye fact • Eagles can see up to 1 kilometre (1,000 metres). Their eyes have special retinas that allow them to see 8 times better than humans

18. Sun protection • Protect your eyes from the sun – never look directly at the sun • Always wear good quality sunglasses giving 100% UV protection

19. Eye fact • A camel’s eyelashes are up to 10cm long to protect its eyes from wind-blown sand in the desert

20. All children are entitled to a free NHS sight test • Up to the age of 16 (or 19 if still in full-time education) • Plus an Optical Voucher help towards the cost of spectacles or contact lenses

21. For more information: • Visit www.aop.org.uk/childrenseyehealth • Emailchildrenseyecare@aop.org.uk • Telephone 020 7202 6659

22. Thank you