Why You Should Have A Yearly Eye Check-Up

Why You Should Have A Yearly Eye Check-Up

• 09 Mar, 2023

The eyes are among the most sensitive organs of the body and are considered to be one of the most important senses. Despite this, taking good care of our eyes is often ignored, resulting in many people losing their sight. The importance of annual eye exams goes well beyond just making sure your vision isn't blur but important because having your vision corrected can improve the quality of day-to-day life, would help detect certain eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which could lead to sight loss.

More than 75% cases of blindness are preventable if identified in time. Many of the ocular symptoms and conditions, once developed fully, are irreversible or very difficult to cure at a later stage. Therefore, thorough examination of lens, retina, and optic nerve are pivotal parts of a regular full eye check-up. Did you know that many people first learn they have serious health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even cancer from a routine eye exam? These conditions are all visible by changes in the appearance of the terminal blood supply and blood vessels. During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor can observe and evaluate the health and condition of the blood vessels in your retina, which are a good predictor of the health of blood vessels throughout your body.

Eye exams help children succeed in school. This one is for you parents. Did you know that 80 percent of what children are expected to learn in and outside the classroom which include the increased amount of screen time kids are exposed to these days. However, as a rule of thumb, children need less frequent comprehensive eye tests compared to adults, who should be checked at least once in two years for their overall ocular function. Doctors recommend more frequent eye check-ups during old age.

The individuals whose job is heavily demanding in terms of visual engagement such as persons that use the computer for prolonged period of time, factory workers that work with heavy duty machines in the sun, persons whose eyes are exposed to heat, dust, certain chemicals and lasers are also advised to get their eyes fully checked more often than once in two years.

Vision screenings are no substitute for an eye exam. Too often, parents are led to believe their child is seeing perfectly well because she passed a school vision screening. Or adults think they see perfectly because they pass a vision screening at the motor vehicle department. Frequently, neither of these assumptions are correct. Vision screenings are just that, they screen out individuals who have serious (and usually quite obvious) vision problems. Screenings can identify apparent problems a person might have with specific visual tasks, such as seeing a chalkboard clearly in the classroom or recognizing road signs and other objects from behind the wheel. Only a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist can ensure your vision is as clear and comfortable as possible — and that you're free from potentially serious eye diseases that don’t have obvious early symptoms, including glaucoma and even eye cancer.

Even if you think you have perfect vision, an annual eye exam can be one of the best things you can do to protect the overall health and wellness of you and your loved ones. Do not put it off any longer. Contact an eye doctor near you for an eye exam today.