From one of the ump-teen crappy news sites (with some comments in red.  don’t know how those got there):

The importance of children’s eye exams

LAWTON, Okla._School starts in just a few days, so a local civic club is doing their part to get kids prepared by screening their eyes to see if they need glasses.

svreening -> glasses.  

not:  screening -> assess lifestyle -> prevention talk -> if absolutely necessary, glasses.  

Lawton Lions Clubs helped examine the kids at the Armed Services YMCA Child Care Center. The results of the screening, which shows if the child is nearsighted or farsighted, are then provided to the parents, so they can schedule a more detailed exam.

exam sales consultation

Desiree Devine brought her three young children in to get their eyes checked because astigmatism runs in the family.

ohhh, does it

“My daughter has had glasses since she was in preschool. And then my middle son does have an astigmatism, but doesn’t need glasses yet. I don’t know, we will see today. And then my little one, we wanted to make sure because we have a history of family eye care,” Devine explained.

sales, sold early, more sales, sales, sales.

Dr. Justin Cocheran says that’s why it’s so important to not just rely on a screening. Things like an astigmatism can be missed.

Dr. J makes piles of monies selling progressively increasing prescriptions.

“They should bring their kids in every year for an eye exam, because things can change too. You could be really good and then the next year need glasses all of a sudden,” Dr. Cocheran said.

I need a new BMW all of a sudden.  Runs in the family.

Dr. Cocheran says some students need a little help to do their school work and to see the board.

BMW.

“It is really sad when they do have eye problems and they never get eye exams, because it definitely puts them behind in school and makes it really hard for them to concentrate, sit still and learn anything when they can’t see,” Dr. Cocheran said.

It’s really sad when … BMW. 

Dr. Cocheran says there are signs parents, like Devine, can watch out for in their children to know if they are having trouble seeing.

SIGNS, kittehs

“If they are squinting a lot, or if they are getting really close to the TV or holding up things really close is one way that people catch it. So, you definitely want to bring them in for that,” Dr. Cocheran explained.

Some truth.  But let’s not overthink it.

Devine says she has learned with her children to bring them into the optometrist, because he is the best judge of the help her kids need.

into the optometrist”  …  adds some appropriately ominous flavor

“I can’t say if he needs glasses or not and he can’t tell me,” Devine said. “So, it is easier for me to come to the doctor and let the doctor decide if that is something he needs.”

Trust your sales guy doctor.

This weekend, there will be another free screening put on by Lawton Lions Clubs at the Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 8, at Elmer Thomas Park. Screenings will start at 9:00 a.m. and will run until 11:30 am.

How do these people do anything besides sell ever increasing prescriptions?  Why is still stuff called “screenings”, instead of just what it is, being sales?  And why are doctors encouraged to profit from selling prescriptions?  Can we possibly get health advice to benefit us, with this massive conflict of interest?

From KSWO (source).

Almost nobody is malicious, or ill-intentioned.  The optometrist believes that story.  The crappy newspaper believes whatever advertisers pay them to.  People believe it, because they’re told to.  Most of the people in the lens manufacturing industry don’t even think about the big picture science.  

There are  a couple of weirdos who will tell you that glasses are bad.  

You can find them in the profession, they usually call themselves “behavioral” optometrist.  If they haven’t been sued out of business, or their license revoked, they are the weirdos who question glasses.  And on the Internet of course, weirdos of all shapes and sizes.

Whatever actual insight is out there,  is trampled by the stampede of fancy titles and a billion ad dollars.  And instant gratification, no-guilt consumerist self-ignorance.  In the end, it’s what people want.  Quick fix, no blame, on to consume something else. 

It all just sort of happened then, the massive myopia epidemic of today.  And people have bills to pay.  Myopia pays a lot of people’s bills.

And before we’re done with preaching to the choir …  know what else “eye exam” reminds me of?

eye-exam

Maybe it’s just the big capital letters …

Cheers,

– Jake