Regarding eye health and keeping your vision sharp, ensuring everyone in the family gets regular eye exams is probably at the top of your list.
1 in 7 Canadians will develop a serious eye disease in their lifetime. However, eye diseases can be caught in the early stages through regular comprehensive eye exams. Catching any issues early can save not only time but your eyesight too!
May is Vision Health Month in Canada, so let’s discuss why regular eye exams are important and how they help keep your family’s eyes healthy.
What Happens at an Eye Exam?
Eye exams are a routine part of maintaining your health and can help detect vision problems early on. During an eye exam, several tests are done to evaluate the health of your eyes.
At Henderson Vision Centre, our eye exams start with preliminary testing, which includes:
- An Autorefractor: Takes a measurement of the shape of your eyes.
- Visual Field Testing: Evaluates your peripheral vision.
- Digital Retinal Imaging: Photographs the back of your eye.
- Tonometry: Measures the pressure of your eye.
- Ocular Coherence Tomography: Views the layers of your retinae in high resolution.
After the first set of tests, your optometrist will perform manual tests like a slit lamp test to examine your eyes for any abnormalities, and a refractive test to find out which prescription you will need to see clearly, if any.
Your optometrist will also discuss the results of the eye exam with you, and they will be there to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
How Often Do You Need an Eye Exam?
Adult Eye Exams
Your eye doctor will tell you how often you need an eye exam, but most adults between the ages of 19 and 65 should visit their optometrist at least once every two years.
Adults over the age of 65 should visit their eye doctor once a year since older people are more at risk for developing vision-threatening issues like glaucoma and cataracts.
Your eye doctor might recommend you visit for an eye exam more often if you have a higher risk for eye disease, like if you have diabetes or a family history of eye disease.
Children’s Eye Exams
Children should have their very first eye exam before they are 6 months old. After the first visit, Henderson Vision Centre recommends that children see their eye doctor once a year until they are 19 years old.
However, if your child is undergoing vision therapy or already wears corrective lenses daily, they made need to visit the eye doctor more often.
Benefits of Regular Eye Exams
Regular eye exams are an essential part of maintaining healthy vision and a healthy life. Many people might think that once their eyesight is corrected with glasses or contacts, they no longer need to see an eye doctor.
However, an eye exam can detect more than just refractive errors. It can also uncover serious conditions, including:
- High blood pressure
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Thyroid disease
- Certain types of cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Detecting ocular issues early can help prevent vision loss and potentially save your eyesight. Through comprehensive eye exams, optometrists can look at your blood vessels and optic nerve to determine ocular health issues along with other issues in your body.
So, even if you think your vision is perfectly fine, it’s still important to schedule regular visits with your eye doctor.
Book Your Family’s Eye Exams with Henderson Vision Centre
Regular comprehensive eye exams can spot potential vision problems that may not be noticeable at first.
At Henderson Vision Centre, we provide personalized service and care for our patients, ensuring that all your eye care needs are met. From an eye exam to diagnosing an eye disease, our team is highly equipped and experienced to handle it all.
Book an appointment with us today!
