‘Foresight is better than no vision’.
People generally do not appreciate the importance of good vision and its impact on their daily life until the vision is compromised. People usually wait till the problems arrive and then get themselves tested. It is necessary to have solutions when the problem arises, but for hassle-free life, it is important to target the issues priorly. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE. The regular eye-checkups will not just give you a brief idea about your vision but will also give an idea about the overall health parameters such as blood pressure, blood sugar control etc.
Scheduling eye - check-ups
A routine eye check-up takes 1 hour depending on the nature of the issues you are facing. Time duration can vary depending on the need for a detailed examination and requirement for specific tests/scans. In young patient’s eye-checkups are usually done in two years if there is no eye problem.
Frequency of your eye-check ups
Eye check-ups moreover depend on your vision, health as well as your age. Individuals under the age of 40 years with healthy eyes can go for eye-checkups which can be annually done. Patients aged more than 40 years may need frequent visits to their ophthalmologist. For people above 60, the chances of glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration increase and so does their frequency of eye visit increases. They should go for six-monthly check-ups.
Irrespective of their age, people with diabetes need annual eye check-ups done as their chances of vision deterioration due to diabetic retinopathy is very high compared to non-diabetic patients. This can also help them in guiding the diabetologist to titrate and adjust the treatment of diabetes.
For younger children, it is necessary to go for once a year eye-checks as they have frequent changes in their physiology as well as food habits which can cause changes in their vision. Usually, it is recommended to annually visit an ophthalmologist but for children and old age people the frequency of visit is high. Your ophthalmologist can provide you with a more specific schedule.
List of things included in eye-exams
1. Basic eye health history of the family.
2. Evaluation of near and distance vision.
3. Test for checking the coordination of both the eyes.
4. Examination of the optic nerve and eye pressure test.
5. Cataract test.
Colour blindness test – It is a screening test to rule out colour blindness. Usually, it helps the doctor to detect the severity of colour blindness in an individual.
Refraction assessment– The test includes the prescription from doctors' side. It is used to determine the level of myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism and presbyopia. During the test, a refractor is placed in front of the eyes which shows a series of lenses.The doctor decides the lens power based on the patient’s answers.
Glaucoma test– This is done by measuring the pressure inside the eyes. A commonly used test is the Non-contact Tonometry (NCT). The chin is placed on the machine and a puff of air is directed at the eye. Based on the resistance of the eyes to the puff of the air, the intraocular pressure is calculated. High intraocular pressure signifies the risk of developing glaucoma. An eye examination consists of a physical evaluation which is interlinked with your eyes.It targets the abnormalities in each test and aims in evaluating the different aspects of vision.
The general eye exam consists of external examination followed by various tests for visual acuity, pupil function and the function of the extraocular muscles. Eye exams help in detecting the diseases of the eye, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases, any tumors or potentially blinding diseases.
Regular eye exams are most efficient as eye problems are moreover asymptomatic and which takes a lot of time to be taken into consideration. Eye examinations when done regularly can be treated with lesser time and money.
“Changing vision may take a lifetime but changing your eyesight will just need a step forward.”