Yes, you should make sure you have your eyes checked as frequently as your Optician recommends. People with diabetes are susceptible to certain eye conditions and your eye test will be able to spot if any of these develop. If you have diabetes all your eye tests will be free under the NHS.
Your eyes are vulnerable to harmful UV light, just like your skin. Wearing sunglasses will help you avoid any potential damage. Protecting your eyes from UV light can also slow the onset of cataracts.
If there has been a sudden deterioration in your vision, or you have experienced visual distortions, such as tunnel vision or flashing lights, then you should see your Optician or GP as soon as possible. It may not be anything to worry about but should be investigated just in case it is something more serious.
Visit your Optician at your earliest opportunity. They will be able to find out what’s wrong and recommend a solution, or refer you to your GP if necessary.
The short answer is every 2 years.
Even if you don’t need glasses it’s important to have your eyes checked every two years. You may not be suffering from any eye health problems at the moment, but a regular check-up can detect any underlying problems early on as well as any changes to your vision.
Conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma can all be detected with an eye test. If they are spotted earlier on they can be treated more effectively.
However, an eye test does much more than detect problems with vision; it can also detect medical problems such as high blood pressureand diabetes. In these cases, your optometrist will notice changes to the blood vessels at the back of your eyes and refer you to your GP if they find anything that may need addressing.
Optometrists also recommend that children under 16 have their eyestested annually. This is to help diagnose problems (if any) early. The sooner problems are detected the greater the chance of developing optimal vision.
Your optometrist may recommend that you have eye tests more frequently, if for example, you have a history of eye problems. Optometrists also recommend that people over 70 years should have their eyes tested once a year.
To recap;
Children under 16 years of age should have their eyes tested once a year.
Adults should have their eyes tested once every two years.
Adults over 70 should have their eyes tested once a year.
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