Your infant learns to see the same way he or she learns to walk and talk. Unfortunately, not every child is born with the vision capabilities they need to develop properly. A child’s ability to focus his or her eyes is what allows him or her to move with accuracy.

Processing Visual Information is a Learned Skill

From the moment your child is born he or she will start exploring the world with his or her eyes. Before they learn how to reach out and grab things, their eyes teach them. This is why your child’s vision is so important to his or her early development.

Vision and eye problems can cause significant developmental delays in children. This is why an important part of being a parent is knowing how to spot problems with your child’s vision.

The Steps in Which Your Infant’s Vision Develops

When your child is born, he or she will not be able to see as well as you do because their eyes have not had time to develop yet. During their first few months of life, there will be a significant improvement to how well they can see.

Newborn to Four Months

Until your baby is at least 3 months old, you should not expect him or her to focus on anything that is not very close to his or her face. From the moment your child is born, he or she will be consumed with visual stimulation. Everything will be fuzzy and overwhelming. It will take your child a while to adjust.

It is normal for your baby’s eyes to appear to wander or become crossed until about two months of age. If this continues into your baby’s third month, you should express concern to a doctor. At three months, you should notice your child’s interest in starting to follow moving objects.

Five to Eight Months

It is not until a child is five to six months old that he or she will start to develop depth perception. It is also believed that a child does not see color very well until the age of five or six months. Babies who learn to walk a lot earlier do not get the same vision development benefits of a baby who spends a lot of time crawling. This is because crawling helps develop your child’s hand and eye coordination better than walking does.

Nine to Twelve Months

Between nine and ten months is when the average baby learns how to pull him or herself up and start to cruise along objects. Even at twelve months, it is still a good idea to encourage crawling in order to help your child really develop his or her hand and eye coordination. By this point in your child’s development, he or she should have no trouble judging distance.

12 to 24 Months

By the time your child is two, he or she should have developed strong hand and eye coordination. He or she also should have great depth perception. Your child should not have any trouble recognizing objects he or she is familiar with.

Spotting Vision and Eye Problems

Eye and vision problems are uncommon in an infant, but they do happen. Some of the signs your infant has an eye and vision problem includes:

Lots of Tears: If your child sheds a lot of tears, it could mean his or her tear ducts are blocked.

Red Encrusted Eyelids: Sign of an eye infection.

Frequent Eye Turning: Problem with controlling eye muscle.

Noticeable Sensitivity to Light: Sign of too much pressure in the eye.

White Pupil: Sign of eye cancer.

If you notice any of these signs, you should take your child to a pediatrician or optometrist for an examination as soon as possible.

How Can You Help Your Child

Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to help your child’s vision develop properly. This can include frequently changing the position of your child’s bed and putting a nightlight in his or her room. This also includes introducing your child to toys that can enhance your child’s find motor skills.

Even if you do not notice any vision or eye problems in your child, you should still schedule your infant for an eye examination after the age of six months. The optometrist will check for eye health issues, nearsightedness, astigmatism, farsightedness, and movement abilities. Chances are pretty good you have nothing to worry about because of how rare vision and eye problems in infants are. However, it is always better for you to find the problem early to help with the development of your child.

Ultraviolet or UV light, is a necessity in this world. Plants rely on this light to exist, and humans and animals alike also require it. By now, you’ve heard all of the warnings about the dangers of unprotected exposure to sunlight. It can cause skin cancer and a number of other skin maladies. However, while you lather on that sunscreen, you’re probably not thinking much about how your eyes can be affected by UV light.

What Is UV Light?

As mentioned, UV light is that which emanates from the sun or other bright light sources. A few different kinds exist. UVA radiation has the most expansive wavelength and further breaks down into UVAI and UVAII wavelengths. UVB radiation then does not expand as far as UVA radiation can and does not have any other subtypes. UVA and UVB radiation can be harmful to both your eyes and your skin.

The third type of UV radiation is called UVC light. Unlike UVA and UVB radiation though, UVC radiation tends to exist on an ozone level only, where the ozone layer there prevents the radiation from ever affecting life on earth. Therefore, you only need to concern yourself with UVA and UVB radiation.

How Does UV Light Harm Vision?

If you’ve ever been warned never to look directly at the sun, then you’re aware that UV light can harm your eyes. The more that your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, the better the chances are that you could develop a number of eye conditions and disorders. Cataracts are a common result of too much sun exposure to the eyes. UVB radiation tends to be responsible for causing cataracts. Photokeratitis also goes by the name of corneal sunburn, which should be self-explanatory. This condition can lead to vision issues and very sore eyes. It too is caused primarily by UVB radiation.

Pterygium is caused by either UVA or UVB radiation. When you have this condition, a pink deformity appears on your eye whites, detracting from appearance and vision. The condition also goes by the name of surfer’s eye. You could also develop macular degeneration from too much sunlight. This condition is also caused by either UVA or UVB radiation. You can even develop skin cancer on your eyelids if you spend too much time outdoors without taking the proper precautions.

Of course, more than just sunlight puts you at risk of developing these vision disorders from UV radiation. If you go tanning a lot, work outside, live by or spend time in a mountainous area, take medications that alter how you react to light (such as sulfa medications, diuretics, tetracycline, or birth control), you’ve had cataract or other eye surgery, work with electronic circuit boards that emit bright light, you’ve had retinal issues in the past, or you live in the Sunbelt in the United States, you’re at increased risk of experiencing eye damage from UV radiation.

How Do You Protect Your Eyes from UV Light?

While you can apply sunscreen on your skin, you cannot do the same for your eyes. Your best protection from harmful UV rays from the sun or other sources is to wear UV sunglasses. You should read about the sunglasses before you purchase them and ensure that they do indeed block out both UVA and UVB light so that you know you’re getting the best vision protection. If you already wear glasses, speak to your eye doctor about your options. You can always order a pair of prescription sunglasses. Some types of lenses on regular glasses can change to become tinted when exposed to light, giving you another option.

You should also remember to wear a hat if you plan on spending a lot of time outside. For women, large sunhats will keep your face and thus your eyes protected, while for men, large-brimmed hats or even baseball hats (when the cap is positioned in the front) will provide adequate protection. You should wear a hat with sunglasses for the most protection.

Also, watch the times that you go outside. UV radiation changes with the rate of sunlight, so when the sun’s at its strongest at around 10 o’ clock in the morning until about two o’ clock in the afternoon, you should try to limit your time outdoors. As mentioned above, mountainous regions put you more at risk of UV radiation exposure due to their altitude. Lower altitudes mean less UV radiation. If you live close to the equator, your chances of UV exposure increase. In these cases, you may want to consider moving or at least limit your time outside.

Retinal detachment is by far one of the most severe eye conditions that you can experience, and one where you must act quickly to preserve what’s left of your vision. It’s important to understand what retinal detachment is, what the symptoms are, what you’d experience if your retina did detach, and how to quickly get help.

What Is Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment, as the name suggests, occurs when your eye’s retina somehow detaches or separates from its blood vessels. The retina itself is just tissue and is positioned far back on the eye. When your retina detaches from the blood vessels, it no longer gets the oxygen required for your eyes. This leads to vision loss.

What Causes Retinal Detachment?

You should also beware of the various causes of this dangerous condition. If you already have an eye disorder, particularly one in which the eye has become inflamed, your chances of a retinal detachment do increase. If you have an eye injury, it’s somewhat likely that the retina could detach. More advanced stages of diabetes could also cause problems with your blood vessels, leading to pressure that causes the retina to detach. Lastly, your eyes’ vitreous can become smaller. This is a smooth, jelly-like portion of your eyes that can influence the retina. You’re mostly at risk of vitreous problems as you begin to age.

What Are the Symptoms of Retinal Detachment?

Perhaps the scariest part of retinal detachment is that you may not feel anything at all if your retina does indeed separate. The process surprisingly does not hurt, so you may not notice that your retina has separated until it begins to negatively affect your vision. Look for the sudden onset of vision disturbances. For example, you will probably see bright light suddenly in what’s been called a flashing motion. It will look like lightning claps in front of your vision.

You may also notice floaters where none have ever existed before. If you already have floaters, these may be worse. Instead of just looking like tiny dots, they may also be longer and string-like. These will occur suddenly as well. The most obvious symptom is a darkening of your field of vision, often described like a shadow of darkness. This is indicative of the severity of retinal detachment and will continue to get worse if you don’t get immediate help.

What Do You Do If You Believe Your Retina Tore or Detached?

If you believe that you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms of retinal detachment, it’s crucial that you don’t wait to get help. As mentioned, retinal detachments are emergency situations, and any vision loss that occurs when suffering from one often cannot be restored. Therefore, calling for and receiving medical attention is the best way to preserve your vision.

Once you visit with your eye doctor, they will likely perform a series of tests to determine whether or not you really do have a retinal detachment. An ultrasonography displays sounds on a screen. Your eye doctor will use sound waves to reach your retina, reflecting the waves off of it and displaying the results on the screen. Alternately, your eye doctor may suggest an ophthalmoscope test, which uses a type of device with 3-D capability that easily picks up on a retinal detachment. Both tests will probably be used in conjunction with one another to make a full and proper diagnosis.

How Is Retinal Detachment Typically Treated?

Once your eye doctor determines that you have a retinal detachment, there are many ways to treat the condition. These surgical treatment methods vary depending on the severity of the detachment. If your retina only tore but did not fully detach, then cryopexy may be suggested. This procedure requires that a surgeon accesses your retinal tear and freezes it with a probe. This secures the retina in place. Photocoagulation uses lasers to secure the retina.

If your damage has progressed to a retinal detachment, surgery is still the answer. However, the procedures are often more intensive. Cryopexy and photocoagulation may also still be recommended. Retinal detachments can be treated with a scleral buckling, in which the surgeon adheres a piece of sponge or rubber to your eye’s sclera to reduce retinal pressure. A pneumatic retinopexy treats the eye’s vitreous through inserting gas or air bubbles into it to heal the retinal detachment. A vitrectomy will leak out any excess fluid or vitreous to reduce pressure on the retina.

You have likely heard that certain food can maintain your vision. These edible items, like quinoa, various types of fish, and sunflower seeds, tend to contain minerals and vitamins within them that make them healthy for your vision. If you don’t want to chow down on these foods, you can always turn to a list of definitive vitamins that help your eyes stay as healthy as possible. Most of these are available as daily supplements.

Eyebright

Euphrasia, known better as Eyebright, is an herbal vitamin that comes in pill form. It treats a variety of conditions of the face and head, such as earaches, allergy symptoms, headaches, the cold, and even pink eye. Eyebright can reduce bacteria in the eyes and other parts of the face and head.

Bilberry

Another addition that you should consider for maintaining your vision is called bilberry. This is actually a type of berry, as the name would suggest. It’s similar to a blueberry in appearance. It’s an anti-inflammatory and it contains antioxidants which can, over time, possibly help prevent the development of eye conditions such as macular degeneration. It can also provide relief from retinal inflammation. You can always eat bilberries whole if you can find them, but if you can’t, then bilberry extract works just as well.

Glutathione

You actually already have glutathione within you. Animals and humans alike produce this antioxidant within their bodies, but you won’t be able to find it in any foods you eat. Even better, glutathione has been shown to be able to prevent a number of eye conditions, such as vision loss, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal disease, and macular degeneration.

However, just because your body produces glutathione on its own doesn’t mean that the levels are sufficient enough. You may need supplements for the best eye health. It’s wise to discuss this with your eye doctor before starting any supplements like this.

Rutin

Also found in meals like buckwheat, green or black tea, or citrus fruits, rutin is a type of bioflavonoid that makes a wonderful supplement for vision maintenance. Rutin allows the blood in your eyes to move properly and even leads to more durable capillaries. By taking rutin supplements, you keep eye conditions like retinopathy at bay since your blood flow will improve and you can keep your eye pressure on an even keel.

Quercetin

Quercetin is considered a phytonutrient and a flavonoid. You can find it in many different types of meals. Its anti-inflammatory abilities can possibly prevent eye conditions like macular degeneration, and it can also treat a number of other medical issues like eczema, fibromyalgia, and asthma.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba has a history of being used for more than 5,000 years in China. Even today, you can still find that this supplement benefits your vision. Ginkgo biloba comes from a type of leaf, the ginkgo leaf, and can prevent against a number of eye disorders and conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and the very dangerous retinal detachment. This trusted means of treating your vision makes a wonderful supplement option for anyone getting older and concerned about eye disorders.

Vitamins A, C, and E

Vitamins are great for health. They improve bone, hair, and skin appearance and function and prevent against health conditions like high blood pressure or respiratory issues. These vitamins can also go a long way towards keeping your eyes healthy. Vitamin A, for example, contains beta carotene, which you know is in carrots and is a well-known eye helper. This vitamin can prevent the discomfort of dry eye, keep inflammation at bay, and possibly even reduce your chances of developing macular degeneration.

Vitamin C, which you find most commonly in citrus fruits and in orange juice, can also possibly prevent eye disorders and conditions such as visual acuity loss, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Of course, it helps if you take vitamin C with other nutrients in order to get the best protection from these disorders. Taking a supplement or getting vitamin C naturally can lead to better capillary health.

Don’t forget about vitamin E either. This antioxidant, which you can naturally consume if you eat sweet potatoes, nuts, and cereal, can also combat cataracts and macular degeneration. In order to prevent cataracts, it’s best to take vitamin E in addition to supplements like zeaxanthin or lutein. You can also eat foods with these nutrients as well. Macular degeneration can possibly be prevented if you combine vitamin E with zinc and vitamin C.

Eye health isn’t something to be taken for granted. Like the rest of your body, you need to take care of your eyes and practice healthy lifestyle choices. There are numerous ailments out there, and as we grow older we’re at more risk of serious problems, like macular degeneration, retinal disorders and other issues that can compromise your vision.

Eye health is often about just taking simple steps. Read on to find easy tips for keeping your eyes as healthy as they can be.

See Your Eye Doctor

Your eye care professional is the only person that can help you with finding and treating eye problems. You need to get a comprehensive eye exam, which includes having your pupils dilated. When doctors dilate your pupils, they use drops to open up the pupil wider than it usually is. They use this technique to look in your eye and observe if there is any damage or diseases. While it’s recommended you get your eyes checked at least once a year, some people may need to see their eye care professional more often. If you have diabetes, a concerning family history of eye problems, or have been diagnosed already with an eye problem, you need to see your eye care professional more often.

If you wear eyeglasses, you need to keep getting examinations because your prescription might be out of date. This could be hard to notice because you’re used to using the eyeglasses you have, so you might not realize your vision is growing more blurry, and this can be dangerous. Also, never feel hesitant to talk with your practitioner if you have questions or concerns about your eye health. That’s why they’re there: to make sure your eyes are as healthy as they can be.

Focus On Your Diet

This might sound redundant, but diet does mean a lot to your health, and your eyes aren’t exempt. Vitamins like A, C and E are essential to keeping your eyes healthy and free of ailments. Luckily, you can find these vitamins in lots of fruits and vegetables, like oranges, kiwis and carrots. But eat leafy greens, too, like spinach, collard greens and kale – these foods have been shown to make a real difference in promoting eye health. Fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids are also very important, so try adding more salmon, halibut and tuna into your meals.

Control Your Weight

Like having a good diet, maintaining a healthy body weight prevents serious eye problems. When people gain weight or become obese, they are at great risk of developing disease and other dangerous systemic conditions. This is linked to lots of eye problems that can greatly endanger your sight, like diabetic eye disease and glaucoma.

Quit Smoking

This shouldn’t be surprising. Smoking is awful for your body, and now there are plenty of studies that have shown smoking links to age-related macular degeneration, a serious eye problem that can lead to complete loss of central vision when you get older. That’s not all, though. We now know smoking causes cataracts and even optic nerve damage. So ditch the smokes, no bad habit is worth seriously damaging your eyes.

Know your family history

Many eye problems can be genetically passed on, such as retinal detachment. This is a serious condition that can happen quite suddenly and lead to blindness if not treated in time. There are other problems that could be in your family history, as well, like macular degeneration. If you do find something concerning in your family history, don’t hesitate to speak with your eye care practitioner. Knowing what you may be at risk of is a crucial step to prevention and especially treatment, should you ever run into that eye problem.

Use those sunglasses

Ultraviolet rays from the sun wreak havoc on the eyes. They can cause serious damage both in the short term and the long term. Sunglasses are affordable, comfortable, effective and stylish, so why not use them? Plus, you can even get eyeglasses that have photochromic lenses that automatically shift from an indoor transparency to a shaded tint, protecting your eyes whenever you enter sunlight. This way you don’t need sunglasses, you can just have your eyeglasses play both roles.

Wear Protective Eyewear

Never neglect the mantra of protecting your eyes. Whether you’re playing racquetball, operating a weld or working with copious chemicals or fumes, you need to make sure you have your eyes protected. That’s why so many workplaces enforce requirements for wearing eyewear on the job, but only you can control your decisions. Make the right choice: protect your eyes.

Take care of your contact lenses

Infections can happen if you don’t keep your contact lenses clean. Always wash your hands and thoroughly disinfect your lenses before you use them.

Don’t strain too much

There’s nothing dangerous about reading in the dark, staring at a computer or sitting close to the television – but these things can lead to eye strain. When you focus on something, you’re less likely to blink, so your eyes can get dry and irritated, too. The best way to deal with this is to follow “the 20 rule”: Every 20 minutes, take a little 20 second break, looking at other objects in the room. This reduces eye strain, letting your eyes relax and refocus.

So there’s lots of ways to take care of your eyes. These are all easy and effective, so make an effort. Your eyes are your windows to the world – don’t neglect them.