HEALTH AND WELLBEING: Seeing clearly

WE all rely on our eyes and good eyesight in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Access to information through reading or television depends on clear vision, while life itself can depend on the ability to see properly while driving, or just walking in

Part of the reason is that eyes, unlike teeth, don't normally let you know in an obvious way when something is wrong. Often, because sight deterioration can be very gradual, people genuinely don't notice that they are not seeing as well as they could. Regular examinations are important as the sooner a vision problem is detected, the greater the chance of successful treatment - this is particularly true with young children and the elderly. More than just identifying whether your eyesight needs correcting, the eye examination can reveal a number of other underlying health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. It is a vital health check that should be part of everyone's normal health regime.

Unless otherwise advised, you should have an eye examination every two years. It may be necessary to have them more frequently, depending on your age and medical history. An eye examination is carried out by an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner and usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

Your eyes will be examined both internally and externally. This will enable an assessment to be made of the general health of your eyes and identify any other underlying medical problems. The interior of your eye will be examined using an instrument which shines a light through the pupil, allowing a detailed examination of the internal structures. Other tests frequently carried out are, for example, those for glaucoma or colour vision deficiencies.

Measurements will be taken of your vision when you are not wearing spectacles or contact lenses to assess the extent of any visual error. If the examination shows that you could benefit from vision correction the practitioner will ask you to look through a variety of trial lenses and ask you to express an opinion on the effect that the lenses have on the quality and clarity of your vision.

Additional information which will help your practitioner to make an accurate assessment of your requirements is, for example, your occupation, whether you play sports or have any hobbies. Your practitioner will now have a detailed knowledge of the health of your eyes, how good your vision is, and any special requirements you may need. This information will be explained to you, but remember, if you don't understand anything or require more information please ask your practitioner who will be delighted to help.