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PATIENT INFORMATION |
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This section deals with providing information for most common ophthalmic conditions like Refractive Errors, Cataract, Glaucoma, AMD, Blepharitis etc. This section is aimed at giving a bird’s eye view of the ophthalmic problems to patients. For full details and advice, it is preferable to seek a consultation with an ophthalmologist or eye care professional.
Before, going into the details of various conditions given here, please read the following information about the importance of regular eye check ups/examinations.
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Importance of regular eye check ups
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Eye is an organ which functions like a window to the body. By performing regular eye check ups we can know a lot about the general health.
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Eye check ups and Refractive errors
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It is recommended to have children’s eyes examined routinely at regular intervals. If any child’s vision is affected due to refractive error i.e need for the glasses, it is recommended to do eye test every 6 months. It is always essential do a repeat eye test 6-8 weeks after the first examination when a child is given prescription for glasses to assess the improvement. 6 monthly check ups are needed upto the age of 12. After that, once a year examination is recommended if any child has refractive error. Children with reduced vision despite the correction of refractive error requires orthoptic assessment and measures such as patching etc. to improve the vision due to Amblyopia. Each visit requires thorough examination and change of glasses if needed. Uncorrected refractive errors can result in a condition called “amblyopia” (lazy eye), it is only reversible upto the age of 9 years, after which it may become permanent and difficult to treat.
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Glaucoma and Eye Examinations |
Any patient with a family history of glaucoma needs to have their eyes checked from glaucoma point of view once a year, as glaucoma is a silent disease and can cause damage to the vision without the patient noticing. It will also need regular visual field assessment in addition to the pressure checks if there is a family history.
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Diabetes and Eye Examinations
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Diabetes can affect the entire body as it is a disease primarily affecting the blood vessels. By examining the eye vessels on fundoscopy(visualization of the back of the eye by a special device) we can assess the extent of the retinopathy caused by diabetes and treat it with laser if needed, before it can cause irreversible damage to the vision. All diabetics need yearly check ups, even when there are no symptoms. More frequent examinations may be needed depending on the severity of diabetic retinopathy.
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Eye examinations and other conditions
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Regular eye examination is also needed in other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis where it is treated by hydroxychloroquine as this medication can cause irreversible damage to vision called “Chloroquine Retinopathy” at high doses. Patients on heart medication like Amiodarone can develop corneal deposits. Cornea may also be affected in a condition called “Wilson’s disease” which is a condition associated with liver damage.
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