Regardless of your age or physical health, regular comprehensive eye examinations will help to detect any eye conditions at an early stage when they are most treatable. We hear people ask us all the time whether or not they need an eye examination and our answer is always a resounding yes! The simple reason is during a comprehensive eye examination an optometrist will not only determine your prescription for spectacles or contact lenses but they also do an eye health examination, to check your eyes for certain diseases. A good optometrist will also assess how your eye work together and can get a good idea of your overall health by examining your eye health.
We know that some people visit the eye unit at the hospital for regular screening for specific eye problems or diseases, it is still important that people who have regular vision screening done at the hospital also attend regular eye examinations. This is because vision screenings include brief vision tests and their main purpose is to identify changes, at vision screenings there will rarely be a prescription issued and the physician will only concentrate on finding changes for the specific condition you are being screened for and it is for this reason that other eye problems could be overlooked. So if you attend regular screenings for glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy please make sure you also come in and have a regular comprehensive eye examination a vision screening once a year is simply not enough.
Anyone is able to have an eye examination there is no minimum age limit, adults should have regular eye exams to assess their prescription and check for early signs of eye disease, and for children regular eye exams can play an important role in learning and development. It is easy to think that maybe a child would be too young to have problems with their eyes, but think about it this way, how would they know any different if all they have ever known is poor vision? If your child is performing badly at school or has slow development in reading or writing make sure you book them in for an eye examination to rule out an underlying visual cause, it could be something as simple as them needing a pair of spectacles.
No matter who you are regular eye examinations are important for seeing more clearly, preserving your vision for life and ensuring your overall health and wellbeing. So if you are due one make sure you arrange an appointment, or if you have any queries relating to your own eye health give us a call (029 20709 526) and our friendly team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.