If you are concerned about the health of your eyes, visiting an optometrist should be an immediate priority. Many people believe that their eye doctor is only able to assess how good your vision is. In fact, optometrists are specialists in eye health and can accurately assess the health and overall condition of your eyes as well as determining how clearly you can see. Statistics by The American Optometric Association have found that Doctors of Optometry provide more than two-thirds of primary eye care in the United States, both scheduled and emergency.

What is included in eye health screening?

Eye health screening is usually performed at your annual or bi-annual eye test appointments. However, if you believe that there is something wrong with your eye, you may also have any or all of these tests performed as part of the diagnostic process. Checks normally included in eye health screening include:

• An examination of the external parts of your eye including the iris, pupil, whites of the eyes, eyelids, and eyelashes.

• A test of the pressure inside of your eyes, known as the intraocular pressure, which can help determine if you are at risk of glaucoma.

• Digital retinal photography which will enable us to see the back of your eyes and potentially spot any signs of retinal diseases. We will also be able to see the head of the optic nerve. This type of imaging enables us to detect ocular and general health problems including macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, and even high blood pressure.

• Visual field testing. Visual field testing assesses how wide your field of vision is and is usually performed annually to check for glaucoma. However, it can also detect other issues including macular degeneration, diabetes, and stroke.

What constitutes an eye emergency?

Eye emergencies can take many different forms and with your sight potentially being at risk, it is generally safer to consider that something is an emergency than to put off visiting your optometrist. Nevertheless, some types of eye emergency are more common than others. Some of the eye injuries that we most often see include the following:

1. Chemical burns to the eye. This can include touching your eyes after handling chemicals such as cleaning products, nail polish remover or pesticides, or accidentally spraying chemicals into your eyes.
   
   

2. Foreign object in the eye. It is very easy for foreign objects to get lodged in our eyes, and something as small as a splinter of wood can have serious consequences for our eyesight if it isn’t dealt with properly. You should avoid rubbing your eye and get seen by our emergency optometrists as soon as possible.
   
   

3. Corneal abrasion. Better known as a scratched cornea, this problem can happen quite easily if you are to get something abrasive in your eyes. This includes sand or dust being blown into your eyes, or even if you are accidentally poked in the eye.
   
   

4. Sudden loss of vision. Vision loss doesn’t need to be total for it to be classed as an emergency. If you see any of the following you should arrange to see our expert optometrists immediately:
   
   

5. Black spots or flashes of light
   
   

6. Seeing halos or rainbows around lights
   
   

7. Loss of peripheral vision
   
   

8. Sudden hazy or blurred vision
   
   

9. Total vision loss

   
   
   
   

If you suddenly lose your vision you should always visit your emergency optometrist. There can be several reasons for sudden vision loss, but it is important that you don’t delay in seeking immediate assistance from a professional. Doing so could see your vision successfully returned.

If you are even remotely concerned about the health of your eyes, our experienced and skilled optometrists would be delighted to assist you. We offer a comprehensive optometry service, including emergency care. Please don’t hesitate to contact our offices today to schedule your appointment.