Regular sight tests are essential to maintaining healthy vision but Specsavers in Kings Heath is reminding customers that they can also be an important health check, helping to pick up on a range of other medical conditions you might not be aware of.
Keeping your eyes in check
Popping in to see the team of opticians in-store is a quick process that can help to keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear. As well as telling you what your level of vision is and if you need glasses to correct it, your optician will also examine the area around your eye to check for signs of disease or abnormality.
‘Our vision impacts almost every aspect of our lives, so making sure we keep our eyes healthy is key to a great quality of life,’ says Peter Squire, store director at Kings Heath Specsavers. ‘Sight tests will primarily tell you if you require glasses or if your current prescription needs updating, but they also include a general health check.
‘As your eyes don’t normally hurt when something is wrong, a sight test can pick up on common conditions such as glaucoma or symptoms of high blood pressure, which might otherwise go unnoticed, enabling them to be treated if found early enough.’
Routine sight tests every two years
‘Ideally, we should all be getting our sight checked at least every two years to make sure our vision is healthy. But in some cases we might recommend them more frequently, for instance if someone suffers from diabetes.
‘For children, those regular check-ups are just as important. Around 80% of everything children learn is through their vision so it helps if they have their first sight test by the age of three, allowing most minor eye conditions to be corrected quite easily.’
Following a sight test you’ll be told whether or not you need glasses to correct your vision or if your prescription has changed since last time. If the optometrist has picked up on abnormal symptoms during your sight test, you might be referred to your GP or an eye clinic for further assessment.
A healthy lifestyle
As well as visiting the opticians every two years, there are other steps you can follow to take care of your eyes.
‘Our lifestyles play a big role in our overall health and it’s the same story for taking care of our eyes as well,’ adds Peter. ‘Exercising regularly and ensuring we’re eating well with a healthy and balanced diet can make a huge difference. Even taking regular breaks from looking at the computer screen can give your eyes a little time to relax, reducing eyestrain, blurry vision and headaches.’
The dedicated team at Specsavers in Kings Heath is on hand seven days a week, so to find out more or to book a sight test, please visit 132 High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7LG, call 0121 441 1322 or visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/kingsheath