Why Regular and Comprehensive Eye Checkups required?

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 and needing glasses.

Unlike other parts of our bodies, our eyes don’t always tend to hurt very much when there is something wrong. For both adults and children alike, eye exams are an important part of one’s general health maintenance and assessment.

Regular eye health exams will not just ensure that you are able to see as best as possible but also check for signs of eye disease or conditions that can affect not only your vision but your overall health.

Important things you need to know about a comprehensive eye checkup:

1. Eye exams help us detect eye diseases in children before they can complain about it.

Children usually cannot tell if they can see clearly or not, more so if they have never seen clear image since birth. Refractive errors are most common cause of treatable vision loss in children out of which myopia (nearsightedness) is increasing in numbers very fast.

Vision and eye health is a critical part in learning and development. Children who become nearsighted very early in life tend to experience a worsening and progression of nearsightedness that continues throughout childhood — and this puts them at a significantly greater risk of very serious and potentially sight-threatening eye conditions later in life including cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment.

A comprehensive eye exam is the only way to ensure your child is seeing clearly and comfortably to succeed in the classroom. It’s also the only way to know for sure if kids are seeing their best for sports and other activities, too.

2. Regular eye checkups help us identify silent diseases before they cause irreparable damage.

According to the World Health Organization, a massive 80% of all blindness is preventable and having a simple eye test on a regular basis really does make all the difference.

Early detection of glaucoma by checking eye pressure and Optic nerve, early detection of diabetic retinopathy or age related macular degeneration by periodic examination may well prevent permanent vision loss in the future.

By further examining the blood vessels in the eyes, we can spot high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tumors, cancer, autoimmune disorders, thyroid disorders and many other diseases in initial stage which may affect the whole body, so an eye test really is a thorough check up – not just for your vision but for your whole body.

3. Frequency of eye examination.

A regular eye checkup should be scheduled depending on your age and other associated diseases. On an average you should be seeing an eye doctor at:

• Age 6 months

• Age 3 yrs

• Age 5yrs or 6yrs – before joining the school and every two years after that

• Age 18 to 40yrs – at least every two years

• Age 41yrs and older – at least every year

• If you have diabetes or hypertension, you will need a comprehensive eye exam at least annually.

• If you are a contact lens user, you may also need regular exams with the eye doctor to review your prescription, annually.

• If you have a refractive error more than -5 Diopters, you will need an annual eye examination, regardless of your age, even if you have undergone a refractive surgery/ LASIK.

• In case you are on certain drugs for arthritis, tuberculosis, and depression, more frequent eye tests should be scheduled to monitor the side effects of medication on your eye.

4. Vision screening or visual acuity test are no substitute for eye examination.

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. However, there is much more to a complete eye examination than visual acuity tests.

A comprehensive examination is done by a trained ophthalmologist who includes:

• A detailed history taking to know the risk factors of different diseases

• Visual acuity test

• Examination for eye alignment, eye pressure

• Slit lamp examination for early signs of eye diseases

• A dilated retina checkup.

• Specialized tests if considered necessary.

In addition to regular yearly eye exams, it is important to be aware of any changes in your eye health and vision. Also know your potential risk factors as well as your family ocular and medical history. Over half of the vision loss worldwide is preventable with proper treatment and care.

At MeeraSight we believe it is vital to maintain your eye health so we are committed to provide our patients with the benefit of returning to us for their annual eye examinations after their treatment.

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