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Many Canadians skip regular eye exams. What are the risks? – Whole country

Many Canadians skip regular eye exams despite having insurance, fearing the risk of illness and long-term complications, according to a new poll.

Nearly 50% of respondents will not have vision health insurance by the end of the year, even though they have insurance through their employer or state health authority, according to a survey by optical retail chain Specsavers released Wednesday. He said he has no plans to use it.

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Ignoring eye health can lead to bigger problems down the road

According to one of two online surveys conducted by Specsavers, one in four Canadians who don’t wear glasses haven’t had their eyes checked in over a decade. Each survey involved more than 1,500 Canadians and was completed in September and November.

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Financial reasons (33%) and lack of complaints of vision problems or symptoms (22%) were the main reasons for not having regular eye exams every two years.

Doctors say they are concerned because many eye diseases and disorders can progress without people noticing changes in their vision, and a delay in diagnosis puts them at risk of long-term damage.


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Understanding the Importance of Vision and Eye Health


Brad Macario, an optometrist in British Columbia, said, “Regular, routine examinations can help detect eye disease early so that it can be treated at a time when it can produce some positive effects. It is a really necessary means for

A Canadian study found that 75% of visual impairment is preventable if detected and treated early.

That should motivate people enough to check their eyes, Macario said.

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“If things aren’t detected early enough, we won’t be able to intervene as effectively as if we had regular annual check-ups,” he told Global News.

What is a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

Eye exams can begin as early as 6 months. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that an infant have their first examination 9 months before her.

Preschoolers aged 2 to 5 should be screened at least once, and annual screening is recommended for school children aged 6 to 19 and adults 65 and older.

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For adults ages 20-64, the CAO recommendation is every 2 years.

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A comprehensive eye exam not only determines your prescription for glasses or contact lenses, but also checks your overall eye health and identifies risk factors for blindness.


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A noninvasive imaging test called optical coherence tomography (OCT) makes a 3D scan of the eye and looks at anatomy and tissue well beyond what the human eye can detect, Macario said. says.

He explained that the test helps detect all kinds of vision-threatening diseases.

Eye movements, intraocular pressure, lens, cornea and retina are also checked during routine exams, says Dr. Phil Hooper, president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Association.

“All of these aspects are very important for catching the disease early if it is present, and hopefully at that stage, it is more likely to be treated.”

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Risk of skipping an eye exam

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many Canadians to delay or forgo eye exams amid concerns about the spread of the virus, doctors say.

“We have a huge gap where people are completely putting testing aside and not prioritizing it,” Macario said.

Early on, stringent lockdowns limited access to eye care in some jurisdictions. But now more people are coming for routine checkups, he said.

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Putting eye tests back on the to-do list: Eye doctors see more vision problems in children after more screen time

Increased screen time during the pandemic is also increasing eye problems in children, according to optometrists.

A majority (57%) of Specsavers survey respondents said they would get their eyes checked more often as their vision deteriorated over time.

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However, many people wait until they have a problem before undergoing a health check-up. Diagnosed conditions, abnormal vision problems such as blurring or mottling, and eye pain were other main reasons for having an eye exam.

If you have an underlying problem, such as diabetes, there is “a huge impact of delaying” screening, Hooper said.


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He said the blurred vision could be the result of developing diabetic retinopathy.

The likelihood of glaucoma, the loss of peripheral vision, also increases with age, and this may go undetected as symptoms do not appear in the early stages of the disease.

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“If you wait with glaucoma until symptoms appear, you’re already severely disabled from the start,” Hooper told Global News.

A recent survey by the Canadian Academy of Ophthalmology and the Canadian Association of Optometrists found that 41% of people experienced or were diagnosed with one or more changes in their eye health in the past two years, requiring a comprehensive examination.

A report released in October found a lack of awareness about eye health and disease among Canadians.

Hooper said getting the message across requires a broad approach across different forums and a joint effort from the state and federal governments.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.



Many Canadians skip regular eye exams. What are the risks? – Whole country

Source link Many Canadians skip regular eye exams. What are the risks? – Whole country

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