Alex Gage, owner of two practices in Crosspool and Woodseats, said although children have eyesight tests at school, eye care sometimes gets over-looked in comparison to dental health.
Alex Gage said: “With free NHS eye tests available for children up to the age of 16, there is no reason why children should not have their eyes tested every year whilst growing up.
“A lot of children do not realise that what they are seeing might be different to everyone else but even if it appears they are not suffering, it is worth getting tested annually as the results can be surprising to parents and children.”
Children from the age of three can be tested at Alex Gage Family Optometrist. For younger children, pictures instead of letters are used to test eyesight.
According to research conducted by Sight Care, a support network for independent opticians, around one in five children either do not have regular eye tests or have never had one, and this may have an impact on a child’s ability to learn.
For more information please contact Alex Gage at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool on 0114 266 7066 or at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582.