Dubai Health Authority's smart clinic discusses important of regular eye screening.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 21, 2016: The Dubai Health Authority discussed today the importance of regular eye screening especially in childhood to ensure early detection and treatment of eye diseases.

Dr Abdulla Naqi, consultant ophthalmologist and head of the ophthalmology department at Dubai Hospital said, “The first eye screening after the one at birth should take place between three to five years, the next one should be between 10 to 12 years. These are the two main screenings recommended for children. If any defects are spotted, doctors will advise regular follow-ups.

“However, certain situations require immediate examinations. If a child aged 2 months or more, cannot trace his mother’s face or if a child age 6 months or more experiences vibration in the eyes or if at any age a child experiences squinting or if when photographed, a child does not show red reflux but instead shows yellow or white reflux in one or both eye, these are all conditions that require further investigation.”

In pre-schoolers aged 2 to 5 years, parents need to be alert for the presence of vision problems like crossed eyes or lazy eye. These conditions often develop at this age. Crossed eyes or strabismus involves one or both eyes turning inward or outward. Amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, is a lack of clear vision in one eye, which cannot be fully corrected with eyeglasses. Lazy eye often develops because of crossed eyes, but may occur without noticeable signs
Naqi said in addition, parents should watch their child for indication of any delays in development, which may signal the presence of a vision problem. Difficulty with recognition of colors, shapes, letters and numbers can occur if there is a vision problem.

He added that research shows that the chances of developing short sightedness increases in children who do not keep sufficient distance between their eyes and a book, tablet PCs and television. In fact, dry eyes is an emerging problem in children who excessively use tablets and other such gadgets.

Naqi said, “This is new challenge. Excessive use of such devices have caused newer eye problems in this age group, which we did not see in the past. Dry eyes is one such problem. Parents often ask me the difference between reading a book and using smart devices such as tablets. The different is that tablets are  more interactive, therefore the blinking reflex of the eye reduces dramatically because you need to concentrate more and your eyes gets exposed for a longer period of time, this leads to dry eyes. In the longer run, especially for children aged 3 to 10 years, concentration on small objects in the tablet, over a prolonged period of time can lead to short-sightedness and there have been several studies to prove this.”

Al Naqi said nowadays, how to limit the use of smart devices among children, is a common dilemma most parents face. “Solving this issue, needs determination.  Smart devices such as tablets should not be readily available for children and it should be given only for a certain period of time after children have done their regular activities and outdoor play.”

Al Naqi added, “It is recommended that children play in open areas like outdoor or indoor playgrounds that are wide since wide spaces are known to aid in the development of healthy vision. It’s very simple, we need to make sure our children spend time in open  spaces for several health reasons- one of them is to reduce the chances of wearing glasses.“

“There are sensors in the retina that sense natural light which helps in the circadian rhythm which refers to our internal, approximately 24-hour cycle of biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes. Regulating this rhythm has multifold health benefits and one of them is that it is good for the eyes. In fact, kids should be exposed to daytime light at different times- early morning, during the day and early evening so that they can develop a strong circadian rhythm. 

Of course you need to take precautions are avoid peak sunlight hours particularly in the summer months in UAE but in general exposure to daylight and outdoor green spaces not only benefits the eye but the benefits extend to psychological health.”