The arrival of a new year raises the desire among people to set goals, have financial planning and also take care of their health. And when it comes to taking care of your body and mind, most people end up not paying attention to eye health care. Having an eye check-up is also very important, as it helps identify vision problems and also indicate diseases in other areas of the body.
Ophthalmologist Allan Luz, vice-president of the Sergipe Society of Ophthalmology, explains that scheduling an appointment for an eye health check-up can help identify existing problems, prescribe treatments, and adjust glasses prescriptions, if necessary. In some cases, the patient notices signs of vision problems, but in other situations, these problems will only be detected in offices.
“Normally, a person who has myopia will notice the signs. Hyperopia and astigmatism are cases that are usually only discovered in the office. When routine exams are carried out, intraocular pressure, among other conditions, is observed, which is the main risk factor for glaucoma, which can cause irreversible visual loss. Some type of tumor and keratoconus can also be detected in a general ophthalmological examination”, he explains.
The specialist, who is also coordinator of the medical residency at Hospital de Olhos de Sergipe,
reveals that ophthalmological exams can also help identify other diseases, which are not directly linked to the patient’s vision and which have silent symptoms. “When you go to an ophthalmologist, the first concern you have is the grade. However, the person may have signs, for example, of high blood pressure or diabetes, which end up being detected in the general ophthalmological examination. Many people were diagnosed with these diseases during an ophthalmological examination and this saved part of their lives, as it enabled correct treatment and prevented serious problems”, he details.
The ophthalmologist emphasizes the importance of seeking a specialist doctor, regardless of age, for routine consultations. “A child of school age can now go through the entire assessment to find out how their eye health is. The recommendation is to undergo routine exams once a year if there is no family history or symptoms. If the person has any other illness, an evaluation needs to be carried out between four and six months”, he advises.
Allan Luz also warns against non-medical professionals who promise to prescribe prescription glasses. “We are living in a context where non-medical professionals are starting to enter the market to do medical work and we need to be very cautious. The recommendation is to always seek a specialist doctor first to carry out tests, diagnose diseases and recommend treatment, aiming to preserve vision, he concludes.
Source: Press Office
