Blog

Jun
15
Importance of Regular Eye Checks and the Check-Up Procedure
By Sunil Khatri

Our eyes are one of the most sensitive organs of the body, yet taking good care of them is often ignored. This results in many children and adults alike losing perfect vision and needing glasses. Many eye problems have no symptoms, which means that you are unlikely to realize there is a problem until you notice your sight has begun to diminish. It is, therefore, rather important to schedule an eye check-up at least once every year to maintain healthy eyes and good vision.


Importance of Eye Check-Ups


Optometrists and ophthalmologists administer eye examinations to check proximal vision. In addition to checking a person's sight, an eye doctor also looks for any health issues such as astigmatism and myopia.



  1. Eye examinations help young kids: This one is for all you parents out there. If your child's school does not conduct annual eye exams, you will probably do good in scheduling one for your child. An annual eye examination is the only way to ensure your child can see clearly and comfortably in the classroom.

  2. Preventing myopia: The number of young children contracting myopia is growing. Are you wondering why this is a concern? Well, children who develop nearsightedness very early in life tend to experience a progression of the condition that puts them at a greater risk of contracting other eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataract, and retinal detachment. An annual eye examination can help detect myopia in the early stages, and controlled measures can be followed to slow down the progression of myopia.


  3. Vision screenings cannot substitute an eye examination: It is not uncommon for many parents to believe their children can see perfectly well simply because they passed a vision screening in school. Adults also tend to assume they can see perfectly because they passed a vision screening at their local DMV. In most cases, neither of these assumptions are correct. Vision screenings are meant to screen out persons who have serious sight problems. These screenings can identify obvious vision problems associated with specific visual tasks such as reading off a chalkboard or recognizing road signs. On the other hand, a comprehensive eye exam ensures that your vision is good and that you do not have any serious eye diseases. These examinations also screen for eye conditions such as glaucoma and even eye cancer.

  4. Annual eye exams can help detect other serious health ailments: It is not uncommon for many people to first learn that they suffer from serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and even some forms of cancers at a routine annual eye exam. Our eyes are a window to our overall health. During an annual eye examination, your optometrist or ophthalmologist will evaluate the health of the blood vessels in your retina, which is a good indicator of the health of the blood vessels in the rest of your body. Health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels are all visible by changes in the appearance of retinal blood vessels and blood supply. Routine eye exams are also especially important for diabetes patients or those at higher risk of contracting the disease due to family history, obesity, or other reasons. Timely diagnosis can help patients control their sugar levels, prevent glaucoma and even total blindness.


If you are looking for an experienced optometrist for an eye exam near you, look no further than Bullock's The Eye-Opener. We offer comprehensive eye examinations and quality eyewear and eye care products at highly competitive rates. Walk into our store today or call 604-739-2015 to schedule an appointment with our optometrist.