Why you should NEVER miss an eye check-up
A well-balanced diet and regular exercise provide a solid foundation for living a healthy, happy life. Together with those crucial lifestyle factors, getting regular health screening tests are important to ensure that any abnormalities found in any part of the body can be examined and dealt with quickly before potentially becoming something much more serious.
Around 444,400 Australians aged 55 or more are visually impaired, representing 9.4 per cent of the 4.7 million Aussies in that age group, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. So, for eyes, regular health checks by an optometrist are important.
It’s not just about checking for whether your glasses are up-to-date but vital in checking on the health of the eye. As people get older, particularly once they turn 40, it’s normal to experience changes in your vision. From here, it can also mean a much higher risk of certain eye conditions, many of which can be easily treated if detected early. However, if left untreated, these conditions can get progressively worse and even lead to significant loss of vision or blindness.
You’re probably thinking what common symptoms you should be aware of? Many of you may have already experienced these symptoms before and sought treatment or advice from an optician, however, as general advice, you should always look out for blurred text and the need to read your book or newspaper the further away from your face, such as at arm’s length; poor concentration, eye strain, headaches or tiredness; and, any unusual changes that may affect your eyesight or ability to go about your daily routine.
For this reason, regular eye checks are crucial. An eye test can pick up eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts, as well as general health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Eye examinations are quick and simple and can ensure you have long-lasting vision despite the ageing of the eye. No matter your age, it’s important to schedule check-ups every one to two years, to ensure any changes are picked up early. However, that’s not to say, if you notice a difference in vision, pressure or comfort within your eye region, consult your optometrist right away.
The best way to look after your eyes between optometrist check-ups is to understand your eyes. Each time you look in the mirror, study them. If you see any sudden changes, it’s time to seek professional help.
While reaching your 60s doesn’t automatically mean you’ll succumb to these serious age-related eye problems, it does mean being more aware and vigilant in your eye health. Here are some of the signs to keep in mind.
Are you having difficulty reading? If you’re finding that you’re holding the pages of your novel or newspaper a little farther away than ever before, it could be presbyopia. After the age of 40, you may have noticed difficulty focusing on objects up close. This is a normal part of ageing due to the hardening of the lens inside your eye. By the time you’re 60, you may need separate reading glasses or an addition to your prescription lenses – biofocals or varifocals.
What’s that floating bit in my eye? It could be just one speck or spot, or several, but these “floaters” are normally harmless and appear once we get a little older. The gel-like vitreous in the eye as we age begins to liquefy and pull away from the retina, causing spots or floaters. However, it can also signal the beginning of a detached retina, which can cause blindness, so if the spots persist, see an optician.
Should I be worried about cataracts? These are cloudy areas in the lens inside the eye, which is normally clear. While they are easily detected in an eye test, they can cause blindness, so it’s best to consult a professional if you’re worried.
It’s also important to attend regular eye examinations to ensure any irregularities are picked up as soon as possible. The gradual clouding of the eye’s lens is extremely common in over-60s, but a simple operation can restore sight. This is often best done before cataracts have become too advanced.
What’s that pressure in my eye? If you’re having any difficulty with your vision or feel uncomfortable in your eye region, consult your optician immediately. This is important if you start to feel an increase in pressure in the eye, which could be glaucoma. This is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, with one in 10 Australians over 80 developing it.
Glaucoma is a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball, which, if left untreated, leads to tunnel vision and blindness. However, if detected early, these complications can be avoided with eye drops. The risk of glaucoma increases with age, particularly with each decade after the age of 40.
Why are regular eye checks needed? To ensure early detection of severe vision impairment among people over 40 years, which is when changes to the eye and sight occur more noticeably. One of the conditions that can lead to significant loss of vision is age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of untreatable blindness in developed countries.
The condition affects the macular region of the retina, which is used for direct sight. This means the sight used when you’re reading a book, writing, looking at detailed objects and colour vision. There are a couple of different types of macular degeneration: dry or wet.
Dry is the most common and results in a gradual loss of central vision while wet is less common and can lead to sudden and significant changes in vision. The common symptoms for this include: a gradual decline in the ability to see objects clearly, distorted vision, dimming of colour vision or visual hallucinations.