Seeing is Believing: The Benefits of Regular Eye Tests

The eyes, they say, are the windows of the soul. A person’s innermost feelings can be ascertained merely by looking into them and whether they are tired, angry, happy or pensive, the eyes can often reveal what’s going on in someone’s mind.

But from a health point of view, eyes are also indicators of someone’s physical wellbeing and can be used to determine a myriad of medical conditions.

Of course, many people will go for periodic eye check-ups to establish if their eyesight is deteriorating and whether they need new glasses or not. Similarly, those who have never needed glasses before may start to experience headaches which are often a tell tale sign that glasses are needed and a simple trip to the optician can help determine whether specs are the remedy to the problem.

Besides eyesight, optometrists are also able to spot the early signs of eye disease such as glaucoma, which is the collective term for a group of diseases that affect the optic nerve and often results in loss of some peripheral vision and reduced colour clarity. These early symptoms can become permanent if left untreated.

Similarly, cataracts – a clouding that develops on the lens of the eye – can cause complete vision-loss if left untreated.

However, eye specialists can also spot non-eye related medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure through performing a simple eye test, so even those with perfect vision can still benefit from visiting an optometrist from time to time.

For the most part, however, the majority of people will visit eye specialists for issues they are having specifically with their eyes and, with an estimated two thirds of the UK adult population wearing glasses or contact lenses, that is rather a lot of people.

Whilst opticians deal mainly with the testing of eye-sight and the provision of glasses based on existing prescriptions, optometrists deal more generally with eye health and can diagnose and treat disorders and diseases.

When carrying out eye tests, optometrists will often perform detailed lifestyle evaluations which involve asking questions on issues such as diet, exercise and any other existing medical conditions. They may also carry out focimetry, autorefraction and tonometry exams to determine the overall condition of someone’s eyes and eyesight.

The frequency of eye tests should vary from person to person and will depend on individual needs. At least every two or three years is recommended for most people though, and this will go some way towards ensuring that any lingering issue is dealt with whilst it’s still treatable.