Introduction
Eye check-ups are as important as any health care check-up. Just like any other organ of our body, the eyes, too, at times develop issues and which is why it is very important to get a regular eye test. Even if you believe there is no problem with your eyes or notice no changes, undergoing a regular retina examinationis crucial.Doctors often recommend scheduling regular visits to the doctor and including retina examinations. This is to pick early signs of eye conditions before having any symptoms of it. Most of us do not go for regular eye tests without noticing any symptoms. This results in serious problems and eventually causes the deterioration of vision. A thorough retina test which includes a series of tests, evaluates vision and eye health. The test helps detect eye problems at an early stage and especially when they are treatable. Retina problem is something, if ignored, can lead to complete blindness. Hence regular eye check-ups is a must to diagnose such problem.
So, let us today learn and understand what retina examination is and why a retina test for the eyes is important?
What Is a Retina Examination?
A retina examination is an eye test or an eye examination wherein the doctor tests to check for any eye problem. Using bright lights and various other testing tools, the doctor examines the optic nerve, retina, and blood vessels and ensures there are no problems.
For the retina examination, the Doctors use an ophthalmoscope to look at the back of your eye, allowing the doctor to get a better insight into your eye health. In the process, retinal imaging techniques are adopted that takes a digital image of the back of your eyes. This gives the doctor a better view of the retina. This technique of testing may be a part of the regular eye examination or regular dilation, which adds to the accuracy and precision of testing. A retina examination lets your ophthalmologist look at the back of the eye to check for any diseases or check the health of your eyes. The process of retina examination includes the following-
- Dilating Eyes – This is the first or initial step in the testing process. Here the doctor will dilate your eyes with drops that cause the pupil to widen. This allows more light to enter and provides a clear view of the inside of your eyes. It is often the first step in any eye test procedure.
- Tonometry Test – Tonometry test is the evaluation or measuring of the eye pressure from inside the eye. This helps ophthalmologists look for signs of glaucoma. Regular eye tests like these can help detect early signs of glaucoma.
- Visual Field Test – Visual field tests to check for any blind spot in the vision. The test measures the scope of vision which includes testing the center and peripheral fields. The test will also verify whether the person can maintain a straight-ahead vision. It measures how far the eye sees in a direction and how sensitive the vision will be in different parts of the visual field.
- Visual Acuity Test – The visual acuity test involves reading an eye chart. It is a very common and well-known eye test. The test helps examine and check how well and detailed can a person read from a distance. It measures the way how the eyes distinguish shapes and sizes in an image.
Who needs to undergo a retina examination?
Retina examination isn’t just meant for an individual with eyeglasses. It is vital for everyone, especially for those who have crossed the age of 45. This is because, after a certain period, your vision won’t remain the same as at the age of 20’s-30. Just like your physical health reduces with age, so does the visual strength of your eyes starts to decline. For those wearing glasses undergoing retina examination frequently is essential.
Moreover, those who are 45 and above must also consider routine eye exams at least once every year as the risk for retina disorder and glaucoma increases. So, one must get a dilated examination and complete a test for retinal diseases. If you wear contact lenses or glasses, you have chronic diseases like diabetes, which increases the risk of eye disease, and even those individuals who have a family history of eye disease.
When should you get a retina examination done?
Apart from the reasons mentioned above, an individual facing the following symptoms must also undergo a retina examination. So, if you are experiencing any of the below-mentioned unusual eye problems, then it is time to get your eyes checked right away-
- Vision Disruptions: If you are experiencing sudden movements across your eyes or flashes of light, then it is time you seek immediate help from an eye doctor. The disruptions can be due to serious issues such as retinal holes or detachment.
- Difficulty in Focusing: If you are experiencing a scenario wherein you suddenly are not able to focus on specific objects, or you are experiencing blurry vision when trying to focus on a specific object, then that is the time you visit a doctor at Eye Align immediately for an eye test. Scenarios of difficulty in focusing objects may be linked to severe eye conditions that could impact your vision significantly.
- Blood Pressure and Diabetes- If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, then testing your eye frequently should be a mandate. Diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure can result in retinal problems. Further, in cases where the problems are severe, it can result in total blindness.
- Night Blindness: For those experiencing issues such as sudden problems in seeing clearly at night, which was earlier non-existent, then it’s time to get your eye checked. This could be the result of night blindness or other vision problems. While this may initially seem like no harm but it does have an impact on vision and eyesight eventually.
- Blurry vision: Blurry vision is a common symptom that should never be ignored. Blurry vision means loss of sharpness and making the vision and object in focus appear hazy and blurred. Blurry vision may be caused due to many reasons, including injury or medical reasons, but having blurry vision may also be a symptom of serious eye problems. So, visiting an eye doctor and undergoing a retina test for the eyes is essential.
Why is a retina test important?
The retinal disorder may be caused due to aging, diabetes, other diseases, or even for those having a family history. Retina diseases can be a silent killer because, many times, they do not show any symptoms at the initial stage. For these reasons, people ignore or avoid undergoing retina examinations. However,regular eye tests can prevent the development of various eye problems at an early stage itself. Retinal diseases and delays and treatment have been one of the main reasons for blindness and irreversible loss of sight in adults. Therefore, timely detection of retinal diseases is important for eye care. Early detection helps in the treatment of the problem at an early stage. This also facilitates quick cures and recovery from treatments. That is why a retina test for the eyes is important and should be performed regularly.