" A stitch in time saves nine". It is important to
have a routine eye examination regularly to not only detect any eye disease at an early
stage but also to maintain good eye health.
Routine Eye Examination should be done as per following
schedule:
- At Birth: to rule out any congenital eye
disorders (e.g., cataract, glaucoma,etc).
- At 1 year: to rule out any developmental
disorders of the eye (e.g., cataract, squint, retinoblastoma, etc.)
- At School Admission: to rule out refractive
errors (need for spectacles), amblyopia (lazy eye), squint, etc.
- Then Every 3-5 years till the age of 40 years
- Every 1-2 years after the age of 40: to detect
presbyopia, glaucoma, cataract, effects of any other disease of the body (e.g., Diabetes
Mellitus), etc.
More Frequent Eye Examination
Frequent eye examination (more than recommended above) is
required if you have any of the following:
- Refractive Error: every year
- Any other Eye Disease: as advised by your
ophthalmologist (eye surgeon)
- Diabetes Mellitus: as advised by your physician
or yearly if there is no eye changes of diabetes and at least every 6 months if eye
changes (especially diabetic retinopathy) are present.
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Every year
- Thyroid Disease: as advised by your physician or
endocrinologist
- Arthritis: as advised by your orthopedician or
rheumatologist.
In systemic diseases affecting the eye it may help if the
physician and the ophthalmologist constantly communicate with each other.
Protocol
A good comprehensive routine eye examination includes the
following:
- Visual Acuity (ability of the person to see)
- Refraction (assessment of the need for
spectacles)
- Orthoptic Examination (assessment of eye muscle
coordination and strength)
- Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy (detailed microscopic
examination of the eye)
- Fundus Examination (examination of the retina)
- Intra-ocular Pressure (eye pressure)
- Any other test required if any problem is
detected during the course of above examination.
Who Should Conduct Routine Eye Examination?
Only a qualified eye surgeon (ophthalmologist) can carry out a
comprehensive routine eye examination. In India most ophthalmologists have one or
more of the following qualifications:
- MBBS (all eye surgeons have MBBS as their basic
qualification before specializing in eyes)
- MS
- MD
- DO
- DNB
- FRCS
- FRCOphth
- Board Certification from USA
Optometrists are qualified to test visual
acuity, refraction and Orthoptic test. B.Sc. (Optometry) or B.Sc. (Ophthalmic Science) are
the two main degrees that qualify optometrists.
You can contribute to the dream of "Vision
for All for Ever" by spreading the importance of Routine Eye Examination among your
friends and the loved ones. We all know that "prevention is better than cure",
but we all need to do something about it.
Consult your Ophthalmologist today for a Routine Eye
Examination. Author - Dr. Sanjay Dhawan
Last Update -
02 March, 2005 |
