When you are suggested to have routine eye checkups every year, you may wonder if it is really necessary. Well, if you are above the age of 50, you may consider regular eye exams, but if you still in your 20s or 30s, you wouldn’t care, especially if you don’t have any eye problems or refractive error yet. But, you may be wrong here. If doctors suggest that you should have a regular eye checkup, at least once a year, they wouldn’t be wrong, would they? So, you should definitely have an eye exam every 6-12 months, at the least, and make sure to stay on top of your appointments, even if you don’t think you have a problem, because you never know when a problem may arise. Now, let us see why a few reasons why a regular eye exam is important.
Eyes always change with time
If you have a refractive error, you may already know that your number changes with time. It could increase or decrease, but it constantly changes every few months or years. However, even for those who do not have a refractive error, our eyes continue to change with time, as we age. Not is it just the vision and clarity that changes, but also there could be changes in the various tiny parts of the eye. You should always be on the lookout for even the slightest damage or error in any one part, which will affect the entire eye.
Certain eye diseases don’t cause early symptoms
You may think that if your eyes fall into some problem, it will bring symptoms like blurred vision, headache, itching, redness, or dryness. But, this is not always the case. There are certain eye diseases that don’t cause obvious symptoms. Even the most serious conditions like glaucoma and cataracts show almost no symptoms in the beginning. So, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the symptoms to think that your eyes are absolutely healthy, and then fall in for serious problems later. A regular eye exam will help the doctor know for any changes, even if the slightest, so that the most effective treatments can be executed even at the most initial stages to avoid future problems.
Other health problems can be identified
Do you know that eye vision can prove to be a great indicator of the overall health? Certain health conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions can be detected with eye changes. Thus, if you undergo regular eye checkups, such symptoms and conditions can be immediately identified, and appropriate treatments can be thus taken. After all, prevention is always better than cure.
You can’t rely on kids’ vision screenings at school
If you think that your child’s school is taking care of his/her eye checkups every year, hold on! The school is only providing your child with a vision screening every year. Vision screenings can help, but they are not capable of replacing yearly eye exams. Passing a vision screening does not mean that your child may not have an eye problem. Thus, you need to get him yearly eye checkups from professional eye specialists at a reputed eye hospital in Mumbai, one like Arohi Eye Hospital.
Dr. Shradha Goel
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.