As summer begins to wrap up, parents and students are preparing for the return to school. Pencils, pens, notebooks and paper are necessities, and so is scheduling a comprehensive eye exam. A child’s vision can change frequently as they go through school, so regular eye exams with an optometrist are vitally important.
The Appalachian Center for Advanced Eye Care at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) proudly offers a wide range of Optometry services for adult and pediatric patients. For pediatric patients, it’s important to catch any potential problems early and to resolve any issues before they risk impacting the child’s development, especially in school.
To provide parents with a convenient and high-quality option for care, PMC developed a dedicated Pediatric Optometry Clinic, which is held weekly on Wednesdays from 8am-3:30pm. This clinic allows parents a convenient way to make appointments and bring their child in for check-ups and eye exams.
Kentucky requires all children entering preschool, Head Start or public school for the first time to have an eye examination no later than January 1 of the school year.
In addition to being good practice, bringing young children in for eye exams also allows potential problems to be caught earlier. According to the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, there are two common childhood eye problems not usually detected. These are strabismus and amblyopia, which affect an estimated three to five percent of all children. These common conditions, if detected early enough, can be reversed.
Early eye exams can help detect these and other conditions sooner, therefore allowing treatment to begin sooner.
PMC Pediatric Optometrists are accepting new patients. To learn more about the services provided or to make an appointment, please call 606-430-2209 or visit pikevillehospital.org/optometry-clinic/.
