Visiting the doctor and the dentist are all part of maintaining your health.
But what about going to your optometrist? – Also essential!
Eye checkups at all ages and stages of life can help you maintain good eyesight.
Many individuals believe their eyesight is perfect until they get their first pair of glasses or contact lenses, and everything from fine print to traffic signs becomes clearer.
Improving your vision is important—about 11 million South Africans over the age of 12 require vision correction—but it is only one of several reasons to have your eyes inspected.
Regular eye exams are also essential for detecting eye disorders early and maintaining your eyesight.
Only your eye doctor is certain.
Eye problems are widespread and can go undiscovered for a long time—in some cases, there are no symptoms at all.
An optometrist or ophthalmologist (eye doctor) must do a full comprehensive eye exam to detect eye illnesses in their early stages, when therapy to prevent vision loss is most successful.
Visual acuity (sharpness), depth perception, eye alignment, and eye movement are all assessed throughout the exam.
Eye drops dilate your pupils, allowing your eye doctor to view inside your eyes and look for symptoms of health concerns.
Other diseases, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, may be detected by your eye doctor before your primary care physician.
Vision Care Does have the Potential to Change Lives
Early detection and treatment are vital in preventing the following common eye illnesses from causing permanent vision loss or blindness:
Cataracts (lens clouding), the most common cause of visual loss in the world.
Diabetic retinopathy (damage to blood vessels at the rear of the eye) is the main cause of blindness in people in the United States.
Glaucoma – The silent thief of vision (a group of diseases that damages the optic nerve)
Macular degeneration as we age (gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye)
Only half of the estimated 93 million US individuals at high risk of vision loss saw an eye doctor in the previous 12 months.
Regular eye care may have a life-changing influence on millions of people’s eyesight preservation.
Cataracts (lens clouding), the most common cause of visual loss in the world.
Diabetic retinopathy (damage to blood vessels at the rear of the eye) is one of the main causes of blindness in people in the world.
The importance of regular eye-care.
Glaucoma – The silent thief of vision (a group of diseases that damages the optic nerve)
Macular degeneration as we age (gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye)
Only half of the estimated 93 million US individuals at high risk of vision loss saw an eye doctor in the previous 12 months.
Regular eye care may have a life-changing influence on millions of people’s eyesight preservation.
Eye Exams: How Often?
Children’s eyes should be evaluated by an eye doctor or pediatrician on a regular basis.
The Preventive Services Task Force of the United States
External icon suggests that all children be screened for amblyopia or risk factors for the condition at least once between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
Diabetics should receive a dilated eye exam once a year.
Some persons are more likely to develop glaucoma and should undergo a dilated eye exam every two years:
People aged 40 and above.
All persons over the age of 60.
People with a glaucoma family history.
Other Reasons to See Your Eye Doctor
If you experience any of the following eye concerns, don’t put it off until your next appointment—see your eye doctor right away:
Vision impairment
Eye irritation or redness
Eye ache
Dual vision
Floaters (tiny specks that appear to float before your eyes)
Halos (circles) surrounding lights
Lightening strikes
Diabetes and Your Eyes
Diabetic retinopathy is a frequent diabetic condition.
High blood sugar affects the blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive region of the eye), causing scarring that can lead to irreversible vision loss.
Diabetes-related retinopathy is also one of the most avoidable causes of visual loss and blindness.
Early identification and treatment can avoid or delay blindness due to diabetic retinopathy in 90% of diabetics, however 50% or more do not get their eyes tested or are detected too late for effective therapy.
Diabetics are also more likely to develop other eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts.
If you have diabetes, you should undergo an eye checkup every year to maintain and preserve your vision and eye health.