The goal of ‘health screening’ is to detect problems early so that you can live a longer and healthier life. Your eyes are a window to your general health and an eye examination can detect many changes happening elsewhere in your body. eg diabetes or high blood pressure.
Having a routine eye check every two years is recommended to discover early changes that you may not notice now but might lead later to vision loss. It might also discover other health issues that need investigating.
Your best defense is to have regular checkups, because eye diseases do not always have symptoms.
Some eye problems run in families. If you have a family member with an eye disorder ask them about it and discuss this with your Eye Specialist. Your Eye Specialist will outline a review program to minimise the risk of problems in the future. This can vary from vitamin supplements to regular tests (eg pressure checks.)
Vision and eye symptoms need urgent attention. See an eye care professional or Doctor right away if you have a sudden change in vision, if everything looks dim or if you see flashes of light. Other symptoms that need quick attention are pain, double vision, fluid coming from the eye and inflammation.
Keep an eye on your eyes!