THERE IS AN important conversation to be had with mom and dad during the exam that should always include the cognitively aware child or tween patient. It is your version of The Magical Wonder Story Of Your Eyes! This well-crafted story you’ve developed helps children visualize the value of keeping their eyes healthy so they might always see clearly. When you help them visualize why they’re keeping their eyes healthy every day, then you can prescribe what they will need to protect them every day. Do this and the child/tween will be more engaged and likely to follow your advice.
It’s even better if you “show and tell” with images. It is a fast, efficient way to make points with youth, or any cognitive thinking age group. This process of educating — while including the patient and their parents — leads them to agree with you … And more patients, and moms of patients, will purchase when they understand why, as opposed to just hearing things like “Avoid sun damage!”
Parents buy emotionally but will apply logic when they understand what they stand to gain and what they stand to lose. It’s important to appeal to a parent’s protective side. Mama bear will always protect baby bear.
Here is what we prescribe:
Photochromics
- Outdoors, photochromic lenses effectively filter out 80 to 95% of specific blue wavelengths (HEV), whereas clear-only lenses filter out ZERO blue.
- Research reveals digital screens interrupt circadian cycle rhythms, and decrease melatonin levels, often leading to fatigue, unrest, and sleeplessness. Photochromic lenses filter blue from digital screens.
- Effectively managing excessive light during the sunlight hours leads to sharper contrasted vision in low light, dark and digital screens.
- Children focus on computer screens, smartboards and whiteboards, all with reflective surfaces.
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Sunglasses
- Moms often resist buying their children sunglasses, fearful they’ll get lost or broken. When the cognitively aware child understands the value of sunglasses, they will often engage mom or dad in debate that “the doctor said I need it because…”
- It is a product category and process worth developing and measuring at a very high level.
Bump lenses
- For children (and most pre-Presbyope patients) to reduce near/digital eye strain, the best single vision solution is a Relaxed Vision “Bump” lens including Photochromic and AR.
- Most children can accommodate and see at near without added plus power, but their muscles must work hard when focusing for long periods at near like for smartphones; “Ultra Near Vision” as it’s regarded. Prescribing a low power “plus bump” lens is helpful in relaxing these eye muscles with a tiny ‘boost’ to aid accommodation and reduce muscle fatigue brought about by periods of focusing so much at near. Young adults also benefit from these lenses. After all, the young adult begins losing near accommodation about the ripe old age of 12 or 13.
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It is only in our modern era that people young and old have spent countless hours focusing for long periods at near on digital devices suffering Digital Eye Strain. The amount of time focusing at near is like weightlifting for hours at a time; muscles get sore when they are over-exerted.
In short, Photochromic Bump lenses are the best solution for protecting a child’s eyes. But many big box and internet eyewear retailers do not have these Bump lenses available … What a great differentiator!
