Why should I have my eyes tested?

I have so many people, too many actually, when they find out what I do for a living that say to me “well my eyes are great, I can see everything so I don’t need my eyes testing”. 

Such a bold statement and a claim very rarely levied at other professions – dentistry for example. People seem very content to go and have their teeth checked every year, or even on a six-monthly basis, but do not feel the need for regular eye checks. I always wonder why people do not want to have their eyes checked, is it because the way our shops are arranged with the frames at the front and they feel like we are trying to sell them spectacles they do not need? Is it because they genuinely do not realise the importance of having regular eye checks and the importance of healthy eyes? Do they fear some potential bad news and so it is preferable to ‘bury their head in the sand’ as the expression goes? Maybe it is because we run an appointment system and so with already busy lives people do not want to have to squeeze something else in.

I do not know the answer. Maybe it is a combination of the above and it is certainly different for every person, but the thing that I do know is that everyone, from young children all the way through life, everyone should have a regular sight check. As a simple guide the NHS allow anyone under 16 to have an eye check for free every year, and they recommend a maximum of two years for anyone over 16 (with many exceptions, including: people with family history of glaucoma; people with diabetes or glaucoma themselves; people who are sight impaired or severely sight impaired; people with known history of ocular problems to name a few).  

So, why should I have my eyes tested? 

So much of what we do in our daily lives has some visual requirement. You couldn’t read this blog or the instructions on your food packets without your eyes and obviously wouldn’t be able to see the TV. You wouldn’t be able to recognise friends and loved ones (only recognition would be from their voices) and you wouldn’t be able to walk across the road, let alone drive. All this should makes for a compelling argument as to why you should look after your eyes.

At the specsplace all our appointments are booked for at least 30 minutes long, even if the appointment is quicker we want to ensure we have enough time to give you the best care possible. We take a thorough history and symptoms, to establish why you are here and what you want to get out of your eye check. From there we check your vision to see if any spectacles or contact lenses would be recommended, and if so, explain our recommendations clearly to you. Then we check the eye muscles and the health of the eyes because, as stated above, if nothing else the whole reason to come and have your eyes checked is to make sure they are healthy. 

You should come and have your eyes checked regularly, as regularly as recommended by your optometrist, and you should not fear being sold anything unneccesary – at the specsplace we will always explain and, if possible, show you why we recommend what we do. If you fear some bad news, well, problems with your eyes will not improve without professional help so why wait? For all we know the problem you have been having is nothing serious and we can help get it under control, so come in and see us. If you have never stopped to think what life would be like if you had a problem with your eyes or your vision, or you have just been “too busy” to make time to have an eye check then my advice is simple: 

Make time to come and have your eyes checked because life would be far more difficult without them. Your vision is precious, don’t take it for granted. 

If you have any questions about eye checks, what exactly is done or any concerns or questions you may have just get in touch via the contact form on the website and talk to us before you come.