From the moment when a child becomes a schoolboy, his vision begins to be subjected to increased stress, which is complemented by watching cartoons and prolonged computer games. During this period of life, the development of not yet fully formed organs of vision is very easy to disrupt, especially if there is no work and rest regime. As a rule, this is what happens: according to the statistics of the World Health Organization, every fourth child of school age has one or another eye disease, among which myopia is the most common. According to doctors, vision problems are only in some cases hereditary – most children suffer through the fault of parents who have incorrectly built a daily routine.
To keep a student's vision sharp and reduce the risk of eye diseases, ophthalmologists advise taking into account a few basic rules.
1. Do not send your child to school before the age of 7
Experts do not recommend exposing children to school loads before the ciliary eye muscle is formed, which is responsible for the ability to see objects at different distances. Its development, as a rule, ends by the age of 7–8, and before this age it is not worth testing it for strength. Indeed, according to statistics, among children who became first graders at the age of 6, there are twice as many nearsighted people than among schoolchildren who went to first grade at 7 or 8 years old.
2. Limit eye contact
In the absence of vision problems, the child should take a break from classes every 40 minutes, and with myopia – every half hour. During the 10-15 minute rest period, do not watch TV, read, play computer games, or engage in other eye strain-related activities. It is better to play mobile games.
The duration of home lessons for elementary school children should not exceed 1 hour, for middle classes – 2 hours. If the child attends additional classes, it is worth remembering that they should not last more than 1,5 hours on school days and 3 hours on weekends. At the same time, electives should not start earlier than 8:00 and end later than 20:00.
To strengthen the immune system, it is advisable for the child to be outdoors every day, playing outdoor games or playing sports, but traumatic sports should be avoided. Head bruises of varying severity can cause myopia or aggravate it if it already exists.
3. Set a computer schedule
Computer games are a favorite pastime of modern children. If you do not control such leisure, computer vision syndrome may occur: a disorder that is expressed in dryness, redness of the eyes, frequent blinking, difficulty focusing vision at different distances, etc. Prolonged eye strain, including due to light pulsation of the screen, often becomes the basis for the development of a spasm of accommodation or lengthening of the eyeball and, as a result, myopia.
To prevent eye fatigue and related diseases, the child must comply with the norms of continuous work at the computer (SanPiN):
- for junior classes – 15 minutes;
- for middle classes – 25 minutes;
- for seniors – 40 minutes.
The "cunning" of the computer lies in the fact that, having carried away the game, children do not notice fatigue, although it has been established that the first symptoms of visual fatigue (absent-mindedness, decreased blinking frequency) occur after 15 minutes of work, and after 25-30 minutes, certain signs of a violation vision can already be recorded by a specialist.
Parents who are concerned about the health of their child should not allow him to play on the computer for a total of more than 1 hour a day, if possible, the student should be distracted by other activities.
4. Organize the student's workplace
The workplace of the student should be well lit. In addition to natural lighting, the room needs artificial light sources – the main (chandelier) and additional (40-60 W table lamp). It is better to place a table lamp for a right-handed child on the left, for a left-hander, on the contrary, on the right. At the same time, it is important to correctly combine light sources: in the dark, it is unacceptable to practice only under the light of a chandelier or lamp, and during the day it is advisable to turn on only the lamp.
The optimal distance to the eyes when reading and writing is at least 35–40 cm, which must be taken into account when choosing a desk for a child. In addition, during work, he should not slouch, so the chair should not be too high and soft.
Proper organization of the workplace while the child is working at the computer will reduce the load on vision:
- the child's line of sight should be in the middle or upper half of the screen;
- the optimal distance to the computer monitor is 60–80 cm. It is advisable to choose a monitor that completely eliminates screen flicker;
- the monitor should not be exposed to light and direct sunlight;
- you can not work at the computer in the dark or twilight. It is better if the light source is to the left of the child.
5. Enrich your diet with vitamins
It is no secret that a strong, hardy body is less susceptible to diseases, including eye diseases. A diet rich in vitamins and trace elements will provide optimal conditions for the retina and support vision. The most useful for these purposes are cottage cheese, kefir, beef, rabbit meat, foods high in vitamin A (carrots, apricots, pumpkin, citrus fruits), boiled fish, as well as berries (blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries) and greens (dill, parsley).
6. Exercise for the eyes
In between classes, it is advisable not only to relax, but to perform a few simple exercises for the eyes. Gymnastics will prevent the appearance of myopia, and in short-sighted children – to prevent its further development. Five-minute exercise improves blood circulation, relaxing the eye muscles and relieving eye fatigue. Gymnastics is as follows:
- close your eyes for 2-3 seconds, then open for the same time. Repeat 5-7 times;
- turn your eyes alternately left and right. The head must remain motionless;
- put your finger at a distance of 30-35 cm from the eyes. Look at its tip. Lower your hand. Repeat 3-5 times;
- close your eyes, massage your eyelids. Above – from the nose to the outer edge of the eye, below – vice versa.
It is important that the exercises are performed with pleasure and without stress. Then daily exercise will be an excellent prevention of vision problems in a student.
7. Take care of your child's healthy sleep
Sometimes eye fatigue occurs due to lack of night sleep, the child simply does not have time to rest and recover. It is important that the student does not go to bed later than 22:00 and does not get up before 7:00. In some cases, a lack of nighttime sleep can be compensated by daytime rest after school.
So that eye fatigue does not come into the life of a child along with long lessons and computer games, parents should organize his daily routine, alternating sleep and wakefulness, outdoor play and lessons, sports and passive recreation. If you plan the day correctly, filling it with interesting leisure, the student will not have vision problems.
Source: neboleem.net
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