Health Watch is a public service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

School supplies and fall clothes are showing up in stores. It may still feel like summer, but a new school year is right around the corner. This week on Health Watch, we'll offer some tips for getting yourself and your kids ready to go back to school.

One thing you may want to schedule for your kids before school starts is an eye exam. Dr. Dwight Cavanagh, an ophthalmologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, says there are many people who have vision problems that haven't been detected or corrected. Teenagers are among the groups most likely to need corrective lenses. Children should have an eye exam before starting kindergarten, and then at least every two to three years — more often if the child has vision problems or shows symptoms such as headaches, difficulty reading or difficulty seeing the board in school.  

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August 2006

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