Many people ignore changes in their vision. Some even wait until it starts to affect their lifestyle before they decide to visit an eye doctor. But, eye problems do not always show signs. That’s why you need to have your eyes checked on a yearly basis if you want to avoid vision problems.
According to American Academy of Ophthalmology, you need to get a baseline eye examination at the age of 40. This is also the age when early signs of common eye diseases or changes in vision can start to manifest. Similar to screening of other diseases such as diabetes or cancers, reaching 40 is a reminder to everyone to be more active in taking care of both their eye and overall health. Visiting an eye specialist in Singapore can help check for signs of eye diseases before it worsens.
While 40 years of age is the suggested age to get an all-inclusive eye exam, there are possibilities when you need to have it at an earlier age. If you already have an eye injury or eye diseases, you must see an eye specialist in Singapore more often.
During the examination, your eye specialist will help you learn more about your eye condition. This examination even allows the doctor to check if you have any other eye diseases and assess how your eyes work together. The eyes are also good indicators if someone has chronic health problems, which include diabetes or high blood pressure.
You only need about 40 minutes to an hour to complete an eye exam. This will cover the following:
- Medical history – after evaluating your vision and overall health, your doctor will check your medical history. This is for him or her to have a better knowledge of the causes of your eye problem. Your eye doctor also needs to know if you have had any eye injuries before. Even your previous eye prescriptions should be discussed during eye exam.
- Visual field testing – loss of side vision may be caused by However, some persons do not know that they have lost their side vision until they visit an eye specialist for an exam.
- Pupils – during the eye examination, your doctor will also evaluate your pupils. He or she will check if it responds to light by using a beam light through the pupils. Your pupils should constrict or become smaller during this test. If it dilates or there’s no response, then this is an indication of an eye problem.
- Dilated fundus examination – eye drops will be instilled to enlarge your pupils. This lets the doctor to check the retina for any bleeding, swelling, or retinal tears or holes.
- Visual acuity – this is when your eye doctor will ask you to read a standardized eye chart to check how well you see at various distances. It will be done 1 eye at a time.
Your eye doctor may suggest further eye tests to see how your eyes are using other specialized techniques. These eye examinations can be helpful in diagnosing a disease in early stages so your doctor can detect if there are abnormalities in any areas of your eyes.
After these tests, your doctor will explain to you his or her findings. Don’t hesitate to inquire or jot down notes to make sure you understand about your eye’s health.
Don’t wait until you have trouble watching TV or seeing objects close up. Visit Atlas Eye to have your eyes checked by a professional. Check out their site for more details!
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