Why are eye tests important?
Whether you are struggling with an eye-related problem of your own, things are starting to look a little blurry, or you want to set up your children for a lifetime of healthy vision, a thorough eye exam may be in order. At My Optometrist, we are here to help.
In children:
For kids, routine eye exams are essential for several reasons. Just like the rest of your body, your eyes grow and develop with age. Much of the learning that happens for school-aged children relies on clear vision. If your child has difficulty seeing, it can impact their education, overall social and mental development, and their ability to ever see well. An eye test is bulk-billed to Medicare and only takes 30 minutes, but may be the key for ensuring life-long vision.
In adults:
If you’re an adult with healthy eyes, annual appointments aren’t necessary until you reach your 60s. From then, yearly eye checks are advised, as many eye conditions are much more common at this age. If you aren’t sure if you need an eye check, remember that monitoring your eye health at least every 2 years is essential for detecting any eye health issues in their early stages, which is vital for preserving vision. Waiting too long between appointments can let a vision problem go undiagnosed or untreated for longer, allowing it to do more irreversible damage.
What do we do during an eye test?
If you’ve never had one before, the idea of an ‘eye test’ can be frightening, but we promise it’s not scary! During an eye exam, we check your vision and measure any prescriptive correction, for far distance, close-work and anything in between. Our optometrists also assess the health of your eyes, both the front and the back, with or without pupil dilating drops. We look for any eye turns or coordination issues, measure your peripheral vision, check your eye pressure, develop plans to maintain or improve your sight, and advise you of any actions you can take to reduce your risk of future eye disease. If our optometrist is concerned about anything, they may ask you to return for further tests, such as visual field assessments or optical coherence tomography, or refer you to one of our trusted specialists.
What eye health issues can we diagnose?
75% of vision loss is preventable, and we strive to keep you seeing your best.
In addition to routine eye exams, we can also perform glaucoma screenings, diabetic eye examinations, macular degeneration screenings, cataract assessments, dry-eye and conjunctivitis management, neurological disease diagnosis, fitting for glasses and contact lenses, and more. Make sure to tell our optometrists if you have any concerns with your eyes and vision.
