Resume the routine with a renewed vision

Returning from vacation is a good time for the annual eye check-up for both children and adults.

With the arrival of September, many families prepare to resume their daily routines related to school and work. But there is something that is often overlooked: checking your eyes. For both children and adults, good eye health is essential to face the new school year. At Miranza, a leading ophthalmology group with nearly 40 centers in Spain, eye care experts emphasize that prevention and early diagnosis are key to preserving vision.

Early detection improves performance

Academic performance doesn’t depend solely on effort—it also relies on good vision. That’s why experts recommend that all children from the age of 3 undergo comprehensive eye exams annually, especially when returning to school. This allows for the early detection and treatment of visual problems that, if left unaddressed, could irreversibly affect their visual development.

Among the most common visual problems in childhood are refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, which currently affect 20% of children, and amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” a condition that causes reduced vision in one eye due to various causes such as strabismus, uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, and more.

If these visual issues are not diagnosed and treated in time, they can lead to learning difficulties, eye strain, headaches, and poor academic performance.

Rising myopia

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the world’s population is expected to be myopic by 2050. This vision problem has no cure, but there are effective treatments that can slow its progression. The most commonly used today is low-concentration atropine eye drops, applied at night over extended periods, which help control the accelerated growth of the eyeball—the main cause of the condition.

There are also other options, such as special eyeglass lenses (DIMS – Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments and HAL – Highly Aspherical Lenslets) or multifocal contact lenses. These solutions not only correct vision but also help control the growth of the eye, which is what causes myopia to progress over time. They are comfortable and safe treatments, designed for use in childhood under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.

Dr. Ana Wert, a pediatric ophthalmology specialist, points out that factors contributing to the development or worsening of myopia include reduced exposure to natural light and an increasing amount of activities involving digital devices or prolonged close-up vision. Genetics is also a risk factor that concerns many families, especially when at least one parent is myopic.

Additionally, the expert recommends paying attention to signs that may indicate a vision problem in children:

• They get very close to books, screens, or the television.
• They have difficulty maintaining attention, especially during class.
• They blink frequently or rub their eyes habitually.
• They avoid outdoor games or activities that require distance vision.
• They often complain of headaches or show signs of eye strain.

Eye health isn’t just for children

For adults, it is also essential to have regular eye check-ups, especially if there are risk factors such as family history, intensive screen use, high blood pressure, diabetes, or prolonged sun exposure. Additionally, after the summer, many people experience eye discomfort related to dryness, irritation, or even changes in the skin around the eyes caused by the sun, chlorine, or saltwater.

According to Miranza specialists, the most common eye conditions during this time are discomfort caused by foreign bodies in the eyes, the effects of ultraviolet sunlight, and the action of chlorine, which can lead to conjunctivitis—an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the transparent mucous membrane that covers the eyeball. Symptoms include sticky eyes, redness, a gritty sensation in one or both eyes, light sensitivity, tearing, or eye discharge.

Additionally, there are serious eye diseases, such as glaucoma, which do not show obvious symptoms in their early stages. Visiting an ophthalmologist should be part of regular medical check-ups, especially for people with risk factors such as ocular hypertension, diabetes, myopia, or a family history of eye diseases, in order to enable early diagnosis and prevent irreversible vision loss.