An eye exam isn’t only about whether you need glasses. It is also a health check: your optometrist looks at the inside of your eyes for early signs of conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and damage from diabetes or high blood pressure. Many of these cause no pain and no change in sight until they are advanced.
A simple guide
- Adults: every two years if your eyes are healthy.
- Children: a first full test before starting school, then once a year. Children rarely say they can’t see well.
- Over 60s: every year.
- People with diabetes: every year, to check for diabetic eye disease.
- Family history of glaucoma, or aged over 40 with high blood pressure: every year. Glaucoma is more common in people of African descent and often runs in families.
- Contact lens wearers: a check every year to keep your eyes healthy.
Book sooner if you notice
- blurred or double vision, or difficulty seeing at night;
- frequent headaches or eye strain;
- flashes of light, new floaters or a shadow across your vision (come in the same day);
- a red, painful or injured eye (call us straight away).
What happens in an eye exam
A comprehensive exam at V-Wealt takes about an hour. We ask about your health and any symptoms, check how well you see near and far, measure your prescription, test your eye pressure and examine the front and back of your eyes. Sometimes we use drops to widen your pupils for a better view, so bring sunglasses. We explain everything we find in plain words.
