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• Why it’s Important to Get Your Eyes Checked

“Why fix something that isn’t broken?” This popular adage briefly sums up our lackadaisical attitude towards our eye health. Many people believe that eye tests are simply a test of our vision and as long we can see clearly there is no point in visiting an optometrist. However, it is just as much checking your overall eye health as its checking on your vision.

More than just a test for vision.

On top of vision, an optometrist checks for eye muscle imbalance, vision disorders and other eye diseases that can potentially lead to the loss of eyesight. Few of the eye diseases and vision problems detected early through regular eye tests include;

Glaucoma
Diabetes Retinopathy
Cataracts
Conjunctivitis
Age-related macular degeneration
Choroidal Melanoma
High blood pressure
Myopia /Hyperopia/ Astigmatism
Amblyopia
Strabismus

Waiting till it’s too late to ‘see’ the problem.

Many of the eye diseases do not give off any symptoms and by the time you feel any discomfort, it would have progressed to an advanced stage thus potentially threatening your vision. As such it is important to undergo an annual eye exam to ascertain the healthiness of your eyes.

Besides helping the early detection of various eye diseases and vision problems, here are 3 potentially life-saving benefits of having regular eye tests.

Establishes a health baseline – Regular eye test can help develop a baseline of your eye tissues so changes can be detected rather easily.

Identifies potential health problems – Our eyes help identify various potential health problems in other parts of the body. This is so because our eyes offer a clear view of the blood vessels, nerves, and connecting tissues. Some of the many health problems that can be detected via an eye test are – brain bleed, autoimmune diseases, stroke, head trauma and sexually transmitted diseases among others.

Helps treat vision issues – Regular eye tests also help with fixing any problems you might be having regarding clarity of vision, so you can enjoy a better quality of life.
Potential Health Risks of not taking regular Eye Tests
Still not convinced? Here are a few potential pitfalls you inadvertently expose yourself to.

To begin with, those who do not go for regular are always at a higher risk of losing partial or complete vision due to varied eye diseases.

Moreover, several eye diseases are silent meaning they don’t give off any early symptoms and by the time your eye problem is detected, it might be too late to reverse them. Some of these silent vision killers are – glaucoma, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, and macular degeneration.

Hopefully, by now, you can see the importance of eye examinations, and get your eyes checked regularly. Keep an eye out on the blog for when you should go for an eye checkup!