Why Regular Eye Exams Are Important
Whether you are young or old and regardless of your physical health, regular eye exams are important. It isn’t just about determining whether or not you need glasses and giving you a prescription. When your eye doctor gives you a complete eye exam, he will check your eyes for common diseases check to see how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.
Eye Exams and Children
Eye exams are an essential part of health maintenance for children as regular eye check-ups can plan an important role in normal development. How children learn is closely linked to how they see the world. If they are having trouble with their schoolwork, it could be because they are having trouble seeing or interpreting what they see.
Often, children won’t complain of vision problems because they simply don’t know what “normal” vision looks like. If your child shows signs of a reading or learning problem, an eye exam will either confirm or rule out an underlying visual problem.
What the Eye Doctor Checks For
Your eye doctor will check for diseases and other issues that could lead to vision loss, in addition to evaluating whether or not you have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
Some examples of conditions that your eye doctor looks for include:
- Strabismus is the term used for turned or crossed eyes. The doctor will check the alignment of your eyes to be sure that they are working together. This condition causes problems with depth perception, which in turn can lead to amblyopia.
- Amblyopia occurs when the eyes are uneven or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other eye. The brain ‘shuts off’ the image from the weaker eye and, left untreated, this condition can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, resulting in permanent sight impairment. Amblyopia is often treated by patching the stronger eye for a period of time.
Vision Screening vs. a Complete Eye Exam
A vision screening is a general eye test that is meant to help identify people who are at risk for vision problems. It includes brief vision tests performed by a school nurse or a pediatrician. Another example of vision screening is the eye test you take when you apply for a driver’s license. A vision screening does should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam. It can only indicate that you need to see your eye doctor.
Only an eye doctor can provide a complete eye exam. A comprehensive eye exam will involve careful testing of all features of your vision. Based on the results, your eye doctor will recommend a treatment plan for your individual needs. This may include a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, eye exercises, medical treatment for eye disease or surgery for muscle problems. Sometimes, the doctor will simply recommend that you have your eyes examined again within a year or another specified period of time.
Regular eye exams are an essential part of your overall health plan.
