When did you last go for an eye exam? For most people who have great vision, the answer to this is never. Eye exams are a form of preventive care the same way going to a dentist once a year is. They are a great way to ensure that your vision stays in good shape.
Eye exams are several tests that check for ocular conditions and evaluate your visual acuity. The eye doctor at Cleburne Eye Clinic will employ various medical instruments to observe your eyes. They might ask you to look through a series of lenses and shine bright lights into your eyes. Every test during the eye exams is meant to give results for a different dimension of your vision.
Most eye conditions are treatable when they are detected early. This is one of the reasons eye exams are important. They are also an excellent way to let your eye doctor help you adapt to changes in your vision. The eye doctor will also often give you tips on caring for your eyes. In addition, the eyes usually show early symptoms of other conditions that might be developing in your body.
Some factors determine how often you should visit the eye doctor. These include the high chance of developing eye conditions, age, and health. Here are some guidelines:
Children can get comprehensive eye exams at the ages of three to five. When you take your child to the doctor, they will most likely give your child an eye checkup. They will check on eye development and prevalent childhood eye issues. These issues could be misaligned eyes, lazy eyes, and cross eyes.
It would help if you had your child’s eyesight checked before kindergarten. The eye doctor will recommend how often they should visit depending on the results.
If you do not have vision issue symptoms and are healthy, you do not have to have an exam until you are 40. At 40, most eye conditions and vision changes begin to occur. Depending on your exam results, the eye doctor will recommend how frequently to have exams. If you are 60 and above, you should have eye exams once each year or once every two years.
It would be best to have frequent eye exams if you:
Have prescription eyewear
Have a chronic condition that predisposes you to eye disease like diabetes
Have a family history of vision loss or eye conditions
Take medications with significant side effects
These eye doctors give complete eye care, from comprehensive eye exams to prescribing eyewear. They also diagnose and offer treatment for serious eye diseases and perform surgery.
These doctors offer many of the same services as ophthalmologists, although they do not perform surgery. They will most likely refer you to an ophthalmologist if you have a complex condition.
Opticians primarily deal with prescription eyewear. They do not provide comprehensive eye exams to their patients.
For more about eye exams, visit Cleburne Eye Clinic at our office in Cleburne, Texas. You can call (817) 645-2411 to book an appointment today.