The Importance of Periodic Eye Exams, When is the Right Time?
Similar to dental health and the health of other organs, conducting eye exams is important to do periodically. Although there are no disturbances or complaints, eye health experts recommend us to regularly checking our vision and health regularly.
An International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) study in 2020 stated that there are 1.1 billion people in the world who have lost their eyesight. These problems range from mild severity, severe to total blindness. And most of the people with this vision problem are women, which is about 55 percent. This data also indicates low public awareness to have their eyes checked.
In fact, the Hello Health survey in 2021 showed that 45% of Indonesians have never had their eyes checked, they only feel the urgency to have an eye exam if they experience problems, myopic vision, and other symptoms that they may not be used to.
In conducting an eye exam, a series of tests aimed at evaluating vision and determining the eye disease suffered. The ophthalmologist will conduct an examination that covers several aspects, especially those related to vision ability and general and special eye health conditions.
Why do we need to do this series of checks regularly? This is done to help us detect problems earlier, so that these abnormalities and vision problems are easier to overcome and treat. Meanwhile, having regular eye exams can also make it easier for your ophthalmologist to correct, provide tips on treating eye health and provide appropriate treatment if there are changes in your eye vision.
Then, when is the right and recommended time to check the eye health? Ophthalmologists and the Chairman of the Indonesian Ophthalmologists Association said that people under the age of 40 are recommended to have their eyes checked every two years. Meanwhile, people aged 40 and older should get their eyes checked once every year or two.
Here are the general guidelines for eye exams:
- Children 3 years and under
For children under 3 years old, your pediatrician will likely look for the most common eye problems such as lazy eyes, crossed eyes or non-straight eyes. If there are such eye problems or symptoms, the examination can be carried out immediately at that time regardless of age. Your child can undergo a more comprehensive eye exam between the ages of 3 and 5.
- Children and adolescents of school age
Check your child's vision before entering first grade. If it turns out that your child has no symptoms of visual impairment and no family history of visual disruption, get your eyesight checked again every year or two. If there are symptoms of visual disruption and require correction of glasses, periodic eye examinations can be done between 6 months and every 1 year.
- Adult
In general, if your eyes are healthy and have no symptoms of visual disruption, get your eyes checked on the following schedule:
- Every 5 to 10 years old in your 20s and 30s
- Every 2 to 4 years from 40 to 54
- Every 1 to 3 years from 55 to 64
- Every 1 or 2 years after the age of 65
- Every 1 or 2 years after the age of 65
- Get your eyes checked if you are often:
In addition to being measured by age, you should also have your eye health checked more regularly if you are:
- Eyeglass or contact lens wearers
- Have a family history of eye disease or vision loss
- Having chronic systemic diseases that put you at greater risk of eye diseases, such as diabetes mellitus
- Taking medications that have serious eye side effects, for example various kinds and forms of corticosteroids
Generally, several factors can determine how often you need an eye exam, including age, the presence of systemic diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, etc.) that can cause complications in the eyes, or already have eye diseases. So, make sure you always schedule regular eye exams to the nearest ophthalmologist in your city!
