Sight & Hearing

Summer 1998

Back-to-school checklist should include an eye exam

Back-to-school means new notebooks, bright white tennis shoes and 180 days of reading, writing and arithmetic. But before the kids head back to the classroom, make sure to check one more thing off your list: an eye exam.

The Sight & Hearing Association, along with experts at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recommends that school-age children have a complete medical eye exam by age 4 and routine eye exams every two years thereafter.

In Minnesota, it's mandatory for children entering kindergarten to have both their vision and hearing checked. However, statistics prove the earlier the child is tested the better. That's the reason behind the Sight & Hearing Association's Preschool Screening Program. Screeners from the Sight & Hearing Association test 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in the 13-county Twin Cities metro area for vision and hearing problems. Often, if problems are caught before the age of 6, they can be treated.

According to Dr. Evan Ballard, a pediatric ophthalmologist with Associated Eye Physicians and Surgeons in St. Paul and SHA advisory board member, parents should be aware of signs that may indicate their child has vision problems, including wandering or crossed eyes, a family history of childhood vision problems, disinterest in reading or viewing distant objects, and/or squinting or turning the head in an unusual manner while watching television.

Those signs may indicate one of the following eye problems common in children:

refractive errors - eye conditions that can cause eye strain or a decrease in vision. They are corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. Hyperopia (farsightedness or the inability to focus on objects at close range) can cause children to cross their eyes. Myopia (nearsightedness or the inability to see clearly at a distance) is relatively uncommon before a child reaches fourth grade.

amblyopia - commonly called "lazy eye," this condition occurs when vision develops abnormally during early childhood. Amblyopia is when one eye develops good vision while the other does not. It can result from a number of underlying causes and is often difficult to detect without a screening. Glasses or eye-strengthening patches are used for treatment.

strabismus - a misalignment of the eyes, which causes them to point in different directions. Strabismus is a common condition, affecting about 4 percent of all children in the United States. Glasses or an eye patch are used to treat strabismus, but surgery may be required in some cases.

Often, however, children do not show any signs of a vision problem. An eye exam is the best way to ensure your child is ready to learn.

Board Profile

This issue’s Board Profile features Budd Appleton, M.D. In November, Dr. Appleton will retire from SHA’s board of directors. He is a veteran of the board, having joined SHA nearly 20 years ago. We publicly thank Dr. Appleton for his commitment to the Sight & Hearing Association and his willingness to share his expertise in the area of vision loss prevention. Dr. Appleton lives in St. Paul with his wife Linda.

How long have you been involved with SHA?
Since 1979.

Why did you become involved with the organization?
I believe strongly in the mission of the organization. Robert Monahan, M.D. was a colleague of mine and recommended I join.

There have been many changes to the organization over the years, but one thing has always remained our mission of prevention. What do you see as some of our greatest successes over the years?
A few things come to mind: the Adult Home Eye Screening, our nurses seminars, the Preschool Screening Program and Know Noise. [Know Noise is SHA’s hearing conservation curriculum for elementary school children.]

As a retired ophthalmologist, what is your greatest area of concern in regard to prevention of vision loss?
Undetected glaucoma in the African American population. The odds ratio is 5:1 compared to those of Caucasians.

Although you’re retired, it is well known that you keep very busy. What do you like to do in your spare time?
Gardening, fishing and political activity. I also have an eye clinic for the homeless at the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul every Wednesday.

Any last words?
I urge our public to support our activities because, as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. People need to be aware of preventive activities.

Grand Prix roars through town; SHA raises nearly $4,000

As the rubber hit the road in the streets of downtown Minneapolis June 27-28 for the Sprint PCS Grand Prix, the Sight & Hearing Association jumped in the driver’s seat to protect race fans’ hearing with ear plugs.

The cars emit 115 decibels of sound, enough to risk hearing damage in 15 minutes if ears are left unprotected. Volunteers from SHA sold 3,940 pairs of ear plugs during the two-day event.

A special thank you goes to 3M for donating the ear plugs and to the 50 volunteers who sweated out two 90-degree days. Volunteer George Traynor earned top honors by selling 315 pairs of ear plugs. Congratulations!

Believe it or not...

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported in its Aug. 8 edition that Sir Paul McCartney, formerly of the Beatles, was upset about animal experiments being performed at the University of California-San Francisco.

Six anesthetized monkeys at the university are to be exposed to high-frequency, high-decibel noise to discover why millions of rock-music fans suffer hearing damage.

McCartney told the London’s Sunday People tabloid, It’s a gross intrusion into the rights of harmless creatures. Isn’t it about time that we as a society started to show some respect to innocent animals?

While the Sight & Hearing Association respects McCartney’s concern for animals, we wish he were as worried about innocent concert-goers.

Useless fact: If you could save all the times your eyes blink in one lifetime and use them all at once you would see blackness for 1.2 years. (Source: Discover Magazine)

Dial 651 for SHA

In July, the Sight & Hearing Association was one of thousands of businesses and residents affected by the addition of Minnesota’s newest area code.

The Twin Cities region served by Minnesota’s 651 area code was split into two different area codes on July 12: 651 (for St. Paul and its surrounding communities) and 651 (for Minneapolis and its surrounding communities). Local callers in the 651 area code must dial a 10-digit number, 651-645-2546, to reach the Sight & Hearing Association. Our fax number also changes to 651-645-2742. One number that remains the same is our toll-free line at 1-800-992-0424.

In the News

On June 30, Julee Sylvester, SHA’s director of public relations and marketing, was interviewed on WCCO-AM’s The Patty Peterson Show regarding fireworks and eye injuries.

On July 24, SHA Advisory Board member and audiologist Ann Napp appeared live on KSTP-TV’s (Channel 5) morning news program. She spoke about hearing safety; SHA’s telephone number was offered for people to call for more information.

The August issue of Mpls. St. Paul magazine featured an entire section focused on vision and hearing issues. Mpls. St. Paul magazine worked with the Sight & Hearing Association in developing story ideas and content. (Free copies are available from SHA by calling 651-645-2546.)

On Aug. 5, USA Today featured an article on loud movies and hearing. The article reads: The decibel level in an action movie like Armageddon can easily range from 95-105 dB, according to the Sight & Hearing Association in St. Paul, Minn., a nonprofit organization that works to prevent unnecessary vision and hearing loss.... The Sight & Hearing Association’s Noise Thermometer decibel information also was used as a graphic for the article.

On Aug. 27, the Sight & Hearing Association will be featured on KARE-11’s Extra segment during its 10 p.m. newscast. The segment will cover loud noise.