How often should you see the eye doctor after a LASIK procedure?
Most people are misinformed or think that after getting a LASIK eye surgery, there is no need of ever seeing your eye doctor. However, this is not the case. It is important that you keep seeing your eye doctor after the LASIK procedure. This is important especially since the doctor is in a position of examining if you are responding well to the procedure, or you are experiencing any difficulties. Therefore, it is important that you continue with regular eye checkups after LASIK, and checkups with LASIK MD are not substitute for these.
Why do I need Eye Exams?
Eye exams are important since the doctor can tell whether or not the patient is having underlying eye problems. In addition to measuring refractive doctors, eye doctors also perform different eye tests to check for any eye disease. Some of the examples of these eye test include the following.
- The Swinging-flashlight test
This type of eye test is the most commonly used in different eye clinics. The doctor shines a light in each eye successively. When this is done, both pupils are expected to constrict similarly. If they do, then the eyes are in perfect condition, and if they don’t constrict similarly, it may be a sign of an optic nerve damage.
- The air-puff test, or non-contact tonometry
This test is done in such a way that a strong puff or air is directed at the eye. The aim of doing this is to measure the internal pressure of the fluid in the eyeball. The results of this test can help the doctor to check for glaucoma. In addition to that, the test can also be done with physical contact, which is known as rebound tonometry.
- The ocular-motility test
In this test, the doctor puts his or her finger near the patient’s eyes, and tells the patient to follow the finger around the periphery of the patient’s vision. Also, the patient needs to move his or her eyes quickly from one location to the other. The doctor is conducting this test to watch for symmetry between the eyes, smoothness, range and speed. When the results come back poor, it is an indication of a wide variety of problems.
Benefits of regularly visiting an eye doctor
- To confirm if you have a healthy eyesight. The life that we live now is completely different from that which we lived when we were younger. For most of us, we spend most of our time starring at the computer either working or responding to emails. You may end up suffering from digital eye strain, which is a common eye problem in the digital world.
- Correcting visual impairment. Most of the time, we will not notice that we are straining our eyes or that we have an eye problem until the situation gets worse. However, if you regularly visit the eye doctor, this problem can be determined early before it becomes too late, hence saving your eyesight. This problem can be corrected by using highly advanced equipment and optometrists can also provide you with corrective eye treatment to reduce the risk that is associated with loss of vision.
- An eye test is important especially since it helps in revealing underlying health problems. When the eye doctor looks at the overall condition of your eyes, the appearance and the structure of the eyes, shape of the pupils and the pigmentation in the eyes is a representation of underlying health issues such as thyroid disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, liver disease, high cholesterol, cancer and tumors among others.
- Also, your vision may not look as good as you think. Everything may be going on so well, and you may not experience any problem with your vision, but the doctor is able to determine an alarming eye problem.
- If you are experiencing underlying eye problems, the only way that you will get help is if you visit your eye doctor. Eye exams helps in detecting serious eye problems at the earliest stage when they can still be treated.
How often should I see and Eye Doctor
There is no specific number of times that you should visit the eye doctor. In addition to that, if you recently or have ever underwent a LASIK procedure, you have probably gotten used to visiting the optometrist once a year. This is to make sure that the prescription you were given is correct. Also you want to make sure that you refill a contact lens prescription, or get new glasses. According to the 2011 report from the Canadian Association of Optometrists, after you have had a LASIK procedure, you may not need to get an eye exam every year. This report includes different recommendations by the doctor, based on the patient’s age.
-Infants: receive their first eye exam between six and nine months.
-Two to five years old: they receive at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five.
-Six to 19 years: they receive one eye exam every year.
-20 to 39 years: this age bracket receives one eye exam every two to three years.
-40 to 64 years: they receive one eye exam every other year.
-65+ years: receive one eye exam annually.
In addition to that, you will also want your eyes checked especially if you wear contact lenses, glasses, have a family history of eye disease, or have a chronic disease such as diabetes that puts your eyes at risk. Moreover, for kids that are under the age of three, a pediatrician can look for common childhood problems such as lazy eyes or crossed eyes. You can have your kid’s eyes checked before they enter first grade to ensure that they are set and have no underlying eye problems. Choosing the best eye doctor is also important especially since you do not want to be examined by a fake doctor. Look for an optometrist who is a licensed professional, and not a medical doctor, and mostly performs eye exams and vision tests.
