Prevention is always better than the cure.
Regular eye exams keep your vision at its best, but they also are used to detect eye exams early – many of which could go unnoticed for a long period of time.
During a routine eye exam, your optometrist will check your:
• Visual Acuity: How clearly you can see
• Eye Alignment: Where each eye is looking when you focus on one spot
• Eye Movement: How your muscles move your eyes around
The following are signs you need an eye exam, even if you think you don’t.
1. You Don’t Remember When Your Last Eye Exam Was
Typically, you should go for an eye test every 2 years. If you are predisposed to certain risk factors or are above the age of 65, this could change to every year.
Many eye diseases have no obvious symptoms at first and they may go unnoticed and continue to worsen over time. Regular eye exams can help lead top getting treated sooner and avoiding a worst-case scenario.
Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for treating common eye diseases such as:
• Cataracts: The clouding of the lenses in your eyes, which can lead to vision loss
• Glaucoma: A disease that damages your optic nerves
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): The gradual loss of tissues in your eye that use light to see
• Diabetic Retinopathy: Damage to blood vessels in the back of your eyes, which can cause blindness
2. You Are At High Risk For Eye Diseases
Like with other aspects of your health, there are certain factors that can increase your risk of developing eye diseases – some of these, however, are out of your control.
You should get your eyes checked every year if you:
• Have a personal or family history of eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.
• Have diabetes, which can potentially lead to diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, or cataracts.
• Have had eye surgery or an eye injury in the past.
• Have a job that’s visually demanding, such as working on a computer all day.
• Are of African American or Mexican American descent.
• Wear contact lenses.
• Have eyesight that continues to worsen over time.
3. You Have Allergies
If your eyes are often red and irritated, but you don’t see anything in them, you’re probably suffering from allergies. You might not get the telltale signs of sneezing, sniffing, or a blocked nose, but you may have eye allergies if you’re experiencing:
• Redness
• Burning
• Itchiness
• Clear, watery discharge from the eyes
Eye allergies can be caused by a range of things including:
• Outdoor allergens such as grass, trees, pollen, weeds
• Indoor allergens such as pet dander/fur, mould, dust mites
• Irritants such as smoke or perfume
Depending on the severity of your allergies, your optometrist might recommend you use over-the-counter or prescription eye drops and medications.
4. You Notice Your Vision Getting Worse
It might seem obvious, but if you notice that you’re struggling a little more to read road signs or this blog post on your screen, then you need to book in for an eye exam. It’s easy to say it’s not a big difference and you can still cope, but catching changes in your vision early is important for long lasting healthy vision.
Vision problems can make it difficult to go about your daily routine, but eye strain can also cause headaches. This happens when your eyes aren’t focusing as they should causing them to work harder than normal.
Most often, a headache caused by eye strain will occur after you’ve used your eyes for fine, concentration work such as reading, working on the computer, or sewing.
5. Difficulty Adjusting Your Vision Between Distances
If you find it increasingly difficult to adjust your vision when transitioning from near to far objects or vice versa, it could be a sign of underlying vision issues.
Yours eyes should be able to adapt smoothly to varying distances. Difficulty in doing so might indicate problems like presbyopia or other vision changes.
6. Having Trouble Seeing or Driving at Night
Night vision problems, including glare from headlights, halos around lights, or trouble seeing road signs and pedestrians in low-light conditions, can indicate various eye conditions.
Poor night vision can pose a significant risk, especially for driving, as it impacts your ability to react promptly to road hazards. Meeting the standard vision requirements for driving as set by the DVLA is essential for road safety.
Book yourself in for an eye exam before heading back out on the road.
7. You Have Diabetes
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that affects the blood vessels in the retina.
Regular eye exams are essential for the early detection and management of diabetic eye complications. For those with diabetes, having an eye exam every year is often recommended.
For more information on diabetes, your eyes, and diabetic retinopathy, read our blog here.
8. You See Flashing Lights or Large Floaters
Floaters are those tiny squiggles, circles, or line that you sometimes see floating in your field of vision. Although they appear to be in front of your eyes, they are actually the shadows cast by microscopic fibres in the vitreous fluid inside your eyes.
Seeing flashing lights or floaters occasionally is normal and you will see them more as you age.
However, if you see an unusually large number of flashing lights or floaters, you may have had a retinal tear or detachment.
9. You’re Extra Sensitive to Light
It’s normal to experience some degree of light sensitivity (photophobia) as your eyes transition from indoor lighting to outdoor sunshine.
However, if you’re eyes are sensitive to light, this could be a sign of serious eye conditions such as a corneal abrasion, cataracts, or keratoconus.
It’s always worth checking with your optometrist.
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Is it time to schedule yourself in for an eye exam? Book yourself in for a comprehensive eye exam with D. I. Blow Opticians today to ensure that you have lifelong healthy vision.
