How often do you visit your optician? Most people will only need an eye appointment every 1-2 years. Keeping on top of your appointments allows your optician to map out your eye health and pinpoint any changes or areas of concern.
Not only are they looking at the health of your eyes, which is the primary reason for your eye examination but signs of other issues that can only be identified via an eye test, including diabetes affecting your vision, brain tumours, strokes and much more.
Why Should You Get Your Eyes Check Regularly?
Age Related Vision Correction
Firstly, we have to look at the benefits of having your vision corrected. Our eye health and vision will change over the years. As you get older, the chances of you needing to wear glasses or contact lenses will increase and keeping on top of your scheduled appointments can help your optician identify if or when you will need to wear glasses. You may find you are long-sighted or short sighted as you get older or require bi-focals or varifocals to help you see both distances and things up close. Your optician can advise you on the best course of action. Typically your eyesight is most likely to fluctuate around your 40s.
To Remain Legal
Regular eye tests are crucial if you drive. You need to be able to see 20 metres away with or without glasses or contact lenses to pass your driving test. If you cannot prove you can see this distance, you may be at risk of points on your licence, a fine, or even losing your licence altogether.
Suppose you cannot see properly and you are driving. In that case, you can cause an accident, so making sure you know your prescription and wearing appropriate prescription eyewear, if applicable, can help you to stay legal when driving.
To Prevent Illnesses
How often have you had headaches or sore eyes from staring at a screen? Many people spend a good part of their day in front of a screen and can notice a rise in headaches, migraines and dry eye issues. Often, this can be rectified by wearing prescription blue light glasses, but your optician can alert you to a myriad of health conditions that can be causing these issues and more.
Your eyes can be literal windows into the rest of your body. Upon examination, your optician can notice changes that can help your GP diagnose conditions such as a brain aneurysm, Lyme disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and so much more. If you have diabetes, you need to prioritise your eye appointments as diabetes can lead to vision loss if complications are not caught early.
Plus, as your eyes rarely hurt when something is wrong with them, going for regular checkups can alert you to any optical concerns or problems and get the proper treatment.
While it might not seem important to have your eyesight checked regularly in the first instance, there are many benefits to doing so, even if you do not need to wear glasses.
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