Eye Health and Why it Matters from a Young Age

By Brandi Swieter 

Eye health is a lesser known topic for most people. While people understand the benefit of having healthy eyes, not many realize the options they have for keeping them as such. Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month occurs every year in August, but should truly be thought about all year round. Starting from a young age, everyone should understand how vital it is to eat foods that improve vision and take vitamins that keep eyes strong. Eye health matters from a young age because the things children do now affect them as adults later. Poor eyesight as a child will not get better. It will only worsen as that child ages and becomes an adult, leading to a decrease in vision far before old age is reached.

Eating Right During Pregnancy

Expectant mothers can do well for their children’s eyes from the start. By eating right during pregnancy and getting plenty of folate and vitamins, a baby’s eyes will be as healthy as possible. Poor nutrition during pregnancy can have a major impact on eyesight and cause long-term damage.

Toys That Encourage Visual Development

Not all toys are created equal. Many are simply fun to play with yet provide no real educational value. Parents should be sure to get their children toys that encourage visual development. Options that are educational while also being colorful are best. Building blocks is one option as kids must use their vision to see and stack the blocks accordingly, which improves hand-eye coordination.

Children’s Vitamins

Giving a child a vitamin can be a huge help for eyesight, especially for those kids who don’t get adequate nutrition throughout the day. Many young eaters struggle to eat a healthy diet that provides all the nutrients needed for good health, including eye health. Multivitamins contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, folic acid, and zinc, all of which is beneficial for vision. Combined with additional vitamins and minerals, just one or two vitamins a day, depending on what the dosage chart details, is beneficial for keeping children’s eyes seeing well.

Parents should learn about eye health themselves so they can teach it to their children. Kids need to keep their eyes healthy so they remain healthy as long as possible. Preventing potential blindness and other eye-related diseases and health struggles should be on the never-ending goal list for all parents.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Roseville, Calif.

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