It's so important to get your eyes checked! Here's why

We tend to take our eyes for granted. The fact of the matter is that it's important to protect your eyes in order to maintain the best vision. 

Here's why you should get an eye exam at every stage of life:

As soon as babies are born, eyesight starts to develop allowing them to distinguish faces, simple shapes and the colours black and white. But most people don't know that optometrist visits should start in infancy—between six and nine months.

There are certain problems that if left untreated could lead to lazy eye and possibly surgery. An eye exam can determine early intervention that can completely correct the problem. 

Toddlers and school-aged children (six to 18) should also have regular checkups with the eye doctor. Vision issues can arise during these years, but it may not always be obvious that eyesight is the problem.

Parents should watch their children for complaints of headaches, rubbing of the eyes, short attention span or difficulty concentrating. All could be signs that a youngster needs to be fitted for glasses.

School-aged children should visit an optometrist annually, as studies have shown that up to a quarter of children that age have vision problems, which, if untreated, could lead to avoidable learning difficulties in important subjects such as reading. 

From young adulthood onward, people should be vigilant in both keeping up with checkups to ensure serious vision difficulties and diseases are detected. During an exam, optometrists check the front of the eye for changes that can occur to the lens, which can then be corrected by updating prescriptions or contact lenses, and the retina, or back of the eye.

After age 40, the risk of eye disease increases. One such silent eye ailment is glaucoma, which is caused by too much pressure in the eye. There are no warning signs for the condition which is why it is vital for adults to have regular vision checkups.

Visiting an optometrist regularly as you get older can also help detect other serious diseases which can lead to vision loss, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancerous tumours of the eye or high blood pressure.

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