Girl Scout leaders have you heard? There is now an eye health patch that your Girl Scout troop can earn! The Colorado Optometric Association and Girl Scouts of Colorado have worked together to create a Vision Awareness Patch Program.

Scouts and scout leaders that are interested in this program will get connected with a Colorado Optometric Association (COA) member doctor who will help facilitate the activities for the troop.  This patch program is aimed to show the importance of eye health through annual comprehensive eye exams. During these activities, the troop will learn that optometrists are not only able to correct poor vision with glasses and contacts, but they can also help diagnose over 270 different diseases! Learn about getting connected here.

While being connected with a doctor of optometry, the group will complete two activities in order to earn their Vision Awareness Patch.

These activities could include:

1. Not everyone has 20/20 vision. This lesson teaches the girls about nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and how glasses or contacts can help.
2. Poor vision and the effects on academic success. Children often experience vision problems that are not easily detected. Learn how important vision is for school activities and how a doctor of optometry can help children succeed.
3. The month of March is The American Optometric Association’s National Save Your Vision Month. Troops can work to make posters for schools that promote eye health and good vision practices.
4. What does it take to have a career in optometry? Learn about the details on how to take the next steps to become a doctor of optometry, including schooling, licensing, pay and more!
5. Run an Eyeglass Donation Drive. Work with a local service organization that collects eyeglasses such as the Lions Club. Visit http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/health/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php for additional information.

6. Try “activities in the dark.” Groups will learn what it is like to live and complete everyday tasks with a vision impairment. Then discuss how it felt to experience this and what would you do if you were to meet a blind person.

After completion of the two activities, scouts will receive the Vision Awareness Patch!

This program will allow the scouts to take away how important keeping one’s vision in tip top shape is by getting an annual comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist. It is also a great way for the scouts to get exposure to a career in the profession of eyecare and could also encourage the possible future study of science and technology. For additional information about this program, please reach out to the Colorado Optometric Association, at coa@visioncare.org, or learn about getting connected here. 

Do you need an annual comprehensive eye exam? Find an optometrist near you to schedule an appointment!

Summer is nearly here, and kids are excited to go out and play! But with this we need to ensure that their eyes and vision are kept safe. Eye injuries are a major cause of vision loss in children. In fact, there are some sports that have your child’s eye safety at higher risk than others. According to the National Eye Institute¹, sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, field hockey, and paintball amongst others, can put kids at risk of a major eye injury. Sporting equipment moving at a high velocity or high contact sports can increase eye trauma, pain, vision loss, or disease. So, check out our tips for keeping your kids safe when they are out playing!

Proper Eye Protection

Ensuring that your child wears eye protection when playing their sport (or sports) of choice will help to keep their vision safe. This eyewear could be sports glasses or safety goggles made from polycarbonate that can prevent serious eye diseases such as retinal detachment which could potentially result in vision loss². These safety glasses can be fitted with your child’s prescription, so they are seeing clearly while being protected. Even if your child wears contact lenses, a pair of safety glasses is a good idea to keep them safe from a traumatic eye injury. If an eye injury does occur, be sure to contact your optometrist right away as they can treat you quickly without having to visit the ER!

UV Protection

Keeping your child’s eyes safe from harmful UV rays is always a good idea, especially in the Colorado Summer. The lens of a child’s eye allows 70% more UV rays to enter it than an adult’s eye lens. The sun and UV rays can cause burns and even permanently hurt your child’s vision if you are not properly protected³, so wearing sunglasses can keep your child’s vision in tip-top shape! Sunglasses should²:

• Block out 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
• Screen out 75 to 90% visible light.
• Have lenses that are perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection.
• Have lenses that are gray or brown depending on the preference.

Be sure that the lenses your child is using are durable and made of a strong material like polycarbonate so that they can withstand the impact associated with sports. If your child needs vision correction, consider visiting your optometrist for an annual comprehensive eye exam to have sunglasses made with their prescription, or be fitted for a brand of contact lenses that offer UV protection – perfect for everyday use!  

Vision Exam

To ensure your child has the best chance of enjoying sports and being safe when playing, take them to visit an optometrist for their annual comprehensive eye exam! If a child is not seeing everything clearly, the risk of injury is increased. Optometrists can offer your child vision correction through stylish glasses or contacts that should be worn during play and regular life. Did you know that optometrists not only check vision and offer corrective lenses as needed, but they can also screen for over 270 diseases, keeping your little one healthy? An optometrist visit is the perfect way to ensure the whole family is able to play on this summer! If you are in need of an optometrist near you, click here to find one!

References:

1. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/nei-for-kids/sports-and-your-eyes
2. https://icrcat.com/en/eye-health/athletes/#:~:text=How%20should%20athletes%20protect%20their%20vision%3F,-Protection%20against%20sunlight&text=The%20use%20of%20protective%20sunglasses,the%20retina%20or%20the%20macula.
3. https://www.abckidseyes.com/blog/protecting-your-childrens-eyes-from-sun-damage
4. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y

A total solar eclipse¹ will cross the United States on April 4, 2024, passing over Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. It will be a partial eclipse for us in Colorado, weather permitting!  

It will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044! So, let’s get those peepers prepped for viewing.  

Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it’s not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. 

Use approved solar eclipse viewers.

The only safe way to view a partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses“² or viewers that meet international standard ISO 12312-2 for safe viewing. Sunglasses, smoked glass, unfiltered telescopes or magnifiers, and polarizing filters are unsafe. Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use – if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device.  

Technique of the pros.

Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up. After viewing, turn away and remove your glasses or viewer — do not remove them while looking at the sun. If you normally wear eyeglasses, wear your eclipse glasses over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them. 

Totality awesome.

Only within the path of totality—and once the moon completely blocks the sun—can eclipse viewers safely be removed to view totality. Once the sun begins reappearing, however, viewers must be replaced. This will not be the case here in Colorado, so your viewers should be worn the entire time.  

Visit your doctor of optometry.

If you should experience discomfort or vision problems following the eclipse, contact an optometrist immediately to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Some common symptoms include:  

• Loss of central vision, or solar retinopathy, 
• Distorted vision, and  
• Altered color vision.  

Keep in mind, eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses – regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun. 

For any more information on how to keep your eyes protected and healthy now or any other time of the year, reach out to an optometrist near you! 

1. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/solar-eclipses?sso=y&ct=c94edf9584b44610ba7ae1bc74b70d6223bba8ebcb421938372d771ae0de052c60404ea518bca2cd4af2a39de8249e2d816baaf19a6945bc4471812028d08858 
2. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters