Terrassa School of Optics and Optometry. FOOT

Visual Health

Your surroundings are important!
What is the place where you study like? Big, small, light, dark, well ventilated, closed in?
How near do you have to stand to the chart?
How do you sit in a chair?
How many of your classmates wear glasses?  
How long do you spend each day looking at things close up (reading, looking at a computer screen, studying, etc.)?
Do you get tired when you are studying? How do you feel after 15 minutes of looking at something close up?

 

 

Test

Answer the following questions and score yourself based on the following scale:
 
1- Never or almost never    2- Sometimes        3- Almost always
 
  • Do you have blurred vision and/or see double when you read or study?
  • Do you suffer from headaches and/or do your eyes hurt when you read or study?
  • Do you ever squint and/or have to cover one of your eyes when you read or study?
  • Do you lean very far backwards or forwards when you read or study?
  • Do you move your head a lot to follow a text?
  • Do you blink a lot and do you have to rinse your eyes because they sting?
  • Do you find it difficult to concentrate and/or are you easily distracted when you read? Do you take a lot of time and/or do you find it difficult to do your homework?
  • Are you easily distracted when you do your homework?
  • Do you find it difficult to understand what you are reading and/or the questions in examinations?
  • Do you skip lines and/or get lost when you read or write?
  • Do you confuse similar words and/or do you mix up letters or words when you read or write?
  • Do you find it difficult to write and/or to copy things from the blackboard?
  • Do you find it difficult to do sports and/or to find your bearings (do you mix up left and right)?
 
If you scored between:
 
14-18 points: You have good eyesight!
19-26 points: You seem to be experiencing some difficulties. You may have a problem with your eyesight that is affecting your performance at school. We recommend you see an optometrist.
27-42 points: You should see an optometrist to find out the cause of your eyesight problems, which may be affecting your performance at school.
 


PRIMARY PREVENTION is all about…
Detecting eyesight problems before they affect academic performance or the ability to work properly. The EUOOT deals with this issue on the three levels described below.
  1. By performing annual eye tests in Barcelona’s primary and secondary schools.
  2. By making people aware of the basic standards of eye care:
    1. Keeping a suitable distance away from objects used close up. A minimum distance of 35-40 cm is recommended for reading and writing, and 45-40 cm in front of a computer.
    2. Looking at a point in the distance for 5 minutes whenever concentration is required for prolonged periods for reading or working in front of a computer screen. This should be repeated every 30-40 minutes for working up close.
    3. Using proper levels of lighting for working up close. It is recommended that sunlight be used during the day and good direct lighting during the night, which should be three times brighter than natural light. Lights should not be reflected in computer screens or make shadows on paper.
    4. Watching TV at least 3 meters away from the set with proper lighting that does not make reflections on the TV screen. It is not recommended to watch TV for more than two hours at a stretch.
    5. Avoiding unsuitable postures such as leaning too far backwards or forwards to read, watch TV or work at a computer screen. It is recommended that an upright seated position be adopted and lying on a sofa or bed should be avoided.
 
3. Designing and preparing eyesight training exercises to prevent the appearance of myopia, problems in focusing, binocular coordination and reading difficulties in schoolchildren.


 Eyesight is a complex process that is essential to the ability to learn. Two thirds of the information that pupils receive is given to them through their sense of sight. The development of eyesight includes the ability to use both eyes at the same time effectively in order to identify, interpret and understand visual information. If the visual system does not develop properly, it will hinder the learning process with age.
 
Students must be taught good visual habits, which will enable them to read faster and understand what they read better. If problems arise in the ability to process visual information, pupils will have to make a greater effort to concentrate, which in the long-term will translate as a lack of attention or motivation to read and write, and as poor reading comprehension. Eyesight problems appear due to the poor coordination of the two eyes or to a problem in focusing that prevent pupils from following the words and sentences in a text effectively without stopping.
 
Optometrists are professionals who are able to diagnose eyesight problems and to prescribe the most suitable treatment in each case. Full eye tests are recommended as soon as children reach 3-4 years of age. They should be performed at least once a year, both whether a child has symptoms and before they actually appear.