The Importance of Regular Routine Eye Examinations

You might ask – why should I get my eyes tested when my vision is fine and I’ve had my cataracts done? A recent case illustrates why it is important.

A gentleman came in for his routine annual check. He doesn’t use glasses for distance, and only hobby glasses for reading following his cataract surgery in 2015. He was not noticing any changes in his vision or having any problems.

On his scans, we picked up a slight change, and subsequently did visual field testing. This revealed a significant defect. Following referral, it was found to be due to a pituitary tumour that was not causing him any other noticeable symptoms. We were fortunate to have previous baseline scans from his routine checks that were used to pick up the changes and diagnose the issue.

So, this is an example of why we recommend regular checks of your eyes to make sure they, and you, remain healthy. This is important even after cataract surgery as other eye conditions can be present.

It is also important if you are younger, this gives us the baseline when you are healthy so we can monitor change or pick up on issues you may have been unaware of.

Glaucoma and macular degeneration are other conditions that may have no symptoms in the early stages, but we will pick up signs of them in an examination. We can then advise you on what you can do and can also keep a closer eye on these so you can retain your good vision and keep an eye on the world!