It's true to say that nobody likes going to a medical professional and will avoid such a visit unless they feel that they have to. This certainly covers routine visits to the dentist, as well as regular checkups by an optician. It seems that people realise that they should be going to the dentist periodically, but don't think that a visit to an eye doctor is as important. What are they risking with this type of approach?
What Your Eye Can Tell
You may not realise it, but the condition of the eye can tell a skilled optometrist or optician a great deal about your general health. There are a very large number of blood vessels in the eye, and the state of these vessels can often shed light on potentially serious issues elsewhere. Opticians are trained to look for such issues and this is why a routine eye check is so important, periodically.
Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes is certainly one of the conditions that they will be looking for during this check. This disease is prevalent in Australia due to the typical diet and an optician may be able to see warning signs during the eye exam. This may be indicated by a very small leakage of blood from a vessel, which is said to be caused by a high ratio of glucose in the system.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can cause haemorrhaging in the eye and once again this could be evident during a checkup. It's also possible to see high levels of cholesterol within some of the blood vessels and on many occasions an individual may not realise that they had this condition.
Risks to Eyesight
As well as a list of conditions that may be affecting you elsewhere in the body, the eye test will of course look for risks to your eyesight. One of the big challenges, especially as people age, is the onset of glaucoma, a condition that causes damage to certain nerve fibres inside the eye. Early diagnosis is very important here, as the condition will gradually cause a buildup of pressure and this can lead to deterioration and vision loss.
Time to Pick Up the Phone?
Hopefully, you will now be aware how important it is to schedule a visit to your optician, at least once every year. A specialist may well be able to see some warning signs, even though you feel as if everything is perfectly okay. Early intervention may be all that you need, in order to stave off issues down the road.