Overall Health Through Regular Eye Exams (NAPSA)—In addition to helping ensure optimal vision, regular eye examinations can reveal signs of other health problems. For this reason, an educational program has been developed to boost awareness of the importance of annual eye exams. “People don’t realize that signs of high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and even multiple sclerosis can appear through the eyes, and Eye Care Professionals are trained to check for these signs at the same time that they look for vision problems,” said Dr. Donald Brideau,assistant clinical professor, Department of Health Sciences, George Washington Medical School. “Through a comprehensive eye examination, Eye Care Professionals can detect potential health problems even before a patient notices any symptoms.” The AcuVUE Eye Health Advisor Program is educating parents on the importance of regular vision checkups for their children. Vision plays a substantial role in growth, development and performance, with the Vision Council of America reporting that 80 percent of all early childhood learning is acquired through visual processing of information. However, according to the American Public Health Association, 10 percent of all preschoolers and 25 percent of students in kindergarten through sixth grade L Regular eye exams protect vision—and can help catch other health problems early. have vision deficiencies. Since school vision screenings identify only five percent of chil- dren’s vision problems, studies recommend comprehensive vision examsfor children before kinder- garten and continuing through high school. The ACUVUE” Eye Health Advisor Program encour- ages parents to bring their children in for back-to-school eye exams to ensure that their children are ahead of the curve. With incentives such as stickers and tattoos, the program helps to make visits to the Eye Care Professional more fun for kids. The AcuvuE’ Eye Health Advisor Program was developed by VistaKon, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
