To a healthy New Year: see to your eye health and those of your loved ones

Each holiday season is a celebration of the present time that appeals to all our senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell… At the heart of the holidays is also to take the time to care for oneself and our loved ones. Between sharing and bonding, wishes of a healthy resolution return each year. Take this opportunity to remember to book a complete health checkup including a comprehensive eye exam in an optometry clinic – this is the best gift you could give yourself, especially if there is a history of eye disease in your family.

Diseases that affect sight

Comprehensive eye exams also help detect many illnesses allowing early treatment to avoid further complications. By learning more about your family history, your optometrist will pay special attention to certain conditions during your visit. Here are some examples of diseases that can be discovered while performing a complete eye examination:

Brain Injuries and Neurological Diseases

These disorders can affect the parts of the brain that control eye coordination. During your visit, as a preventative measure and to check that they are working properly, your optometrist will ask you to follow a light or the tip of a pen. 

High Blood Pressure

The optometrist will pay special attention to the evaluation of the retina’s fine blood vessels, deep within the eye. This will allow him to detect certain risks of stroke or heart attacks and, based on the gravity of the situation, refer you to a medical doctor for preventive or emergency treatment. 

Diabetes

This disease, which also causes damage to the retina’s blood vessels, can be detected by the optometrist during a routine examination, even before it is diagnosed by a health professional. This quick screening can significantly reduce the risk of vision loss and avoid other complications resulting from poorly treated diabetes.

Cancer

During the exam, the optometrist will also assess the quality of your peripheral vision as well as the proper functioning of your eye muscles. These tests make it possible to discover the presence of tumours in the brain. 

Furthermore, seeing as the epidermis around the eye is very fragile, it is not uncommon to detect skin cancer. Should this be the case, there will be visible signs of basal cell carcinoma on the eyelid. 

Thyroid Problems

In a person with a thyroid disorder, the optometrist may detect evidence of inflammation of the eyeball tissue, which may also cause bulging eyes. 

How often should one visit an optometrist?

Many serious eye diseases are without symptoms. Based on the diagnosis made by your optometrist during the eye exam, he will be able to determine the frequency of your visits to your optometry clinic. However, in general, here is the recommendation depending on the age of the patient:

• Children : the first eye exam should take place between the ages of 6 and 9 months and the second between the ages of 2 and 5. Then, eye exams should be performed annually. 

• Adults : eye exams should be performed every two years.

• As of 65 : an eye examination should be carried out every year. 

It is important to visit an optometrist regularly regardless of your age. End or begin each year with a health check, this also applies to your eye health. Do not wait to book your comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist at the OptoPlus clinic near you!