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The retinal disease burden in India is on the rise. While 35% of the Indian population needs some form of vision correction only 25% of those have had their vision corrected. This is mainly since retinal diseases can go unnoticed for a long time, as some have no symptoms at first. A comprehensive eye exam by a retina specialist or ophthalmologist is necessary to find these diseases in the early stages, when treatment to prevent vision loss is most effective.

Eye examinations includes test visual acuity, depth perception, eye alignment, eye movements and eye pressure measurement. Eye drops are used to make your pupils larger so your eye doctor can examine the retina and also check for signs of health problems. An ophthalmologist may be the first to detect conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, sometimes before your primary care doctor does.

Eye Exams: How Often?

Eye checkups are advocated, as a routine, for all children before the age of 5 years and there after once a decade till the age of 40 years. During the presbyopic years it is advisable to have checkup every 2-3 years. Children with glasses need checkup after 6 months till end of schooling. People with specific eye ailments like squint, Glaucoma, Uveitis, retinopathies require closer follow-ups as advised by the ophthalmologist. People with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam every year.

Better managing eye health

The most important step in an eye disease treatment is its early diagnosis. The patient must adhere to the four-point vision loss prevention program that includes regular eye examination, good control on your diet, a healthy lifestyle, and keeping an eye on vision problems.

In a similar manner, diabetic patients are required to monitor their blood sugar levels. Keeping a regular check on their diet, post-lunch sugar levels, and following doctors advice can help maintain the ideal HbA1c levels. Antidiabetic medicines coupled with lifestyle modifications such as, a healthy diet plan, exercising, and smoking cessation is the path towards efficiently managing diabetes. It is key to manage diabetes to halt the eye diseases that come with the territory.

A diabetic patient is simultaneously required to be a key observer of their vision aberrations. If vision suddenly changes or becomes blurry, spotty, or hazy, contacting an ophthalmologist immediately will prove beneficial. Ensuring an early detection of Diabetic Retinopathy & Diabetic Macular Edema, and an early diagnosis allows effective treatment and prevents complications like irreversible vision damage. A regular eye check-up is crucial for a diabetic to avoid any delay of treatment and hence vision loss.

Vision care beyond treatment

The technological and medical advancements today have brought in a number of treatment options that can be availed, such as focal laser treatment, anti-VEGF injections, surgery etc. Whats important is to understand and adhere to regular check-ups. Visiting the doctor every 6 months allows the patient and doctor to catch the condition in its early stages and find an accurate treatment for it. Ensuring a regular contact with the eye doctor to find correct medication, treatment options, treatment process, and care should be a priority for the patient. Treatment helps immensely, but following up on scheduled appointments, ensuring that your eye health doesnt derail again is equally important.

The COVID pandemic had a devastating effect of the health of the people worldwide. The repeated long periods of lockdowns, reduced access to healthcare facility and restricted transport resulted in majority of patients with co-morbidities not seeking medical aid at an appropriate time. While some were lucky to avoid lasting side-effects to delayed treatment, many had to pay a heavy price for the delay.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Original post:

Regular eye examinations, are key to early stage disease detection: Dr Girish Rao - Times of India

This entry was posted on April 11, 2022 at 6:17 pm and is filed under Eye Medical Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |