At first look
As the corporate sales manager for Smart Employee Eyecare (SEE), Jamie Ramage understands the importance of regular eye checks.
However, like many others over lockdown, Jamie hadn’t had an eye test for some time so decided to pay a visit to his local Duncan and Todd practice in Aberdeen, Belmont Street North.
With no complaints of vision changes, or other warning signs such as headaches, blurred vision or dry eyes, Jamie was pleased to hear that his eyesight was still in great condition. However, when the optometrist was taking a deeper look into Jamie’s eyes, a couple of signs were noted that needed further investigation.
Under the lenses
Elspeth Mitchell, optometrist, explains: “I found a tiny little leaking blood vessel on Jamie’s retina and while looking at the arteries and veins of the retina, where the two crossed over one another, they looked a little compressed.”
An optician can spot many general health problems and early signs of eye conditions before you're aware of any symptoms, many of which can be treated if found early enough.
Elspeth added: “Compression can appear in perfectly normal eyes, but it can also be a sign of high blood pressure. The little burst blood vessel could also be a symptom of this, and so I referred Jamie to his GP for further tests.”
A positive outlook
A follow up appointment with his GP found that Jamie’s blood pressure was normal.
Jamie said: “It was a great relief to learn that although there were some potential warning signs in the structures of my eyes – these were all perfectly harmless and my vision, and general health was all in good working order.”
It’s important to remember that regular eye examinations can help prevent the development of serious vision problems, but also detect life-threatening health conditions, through warning signals picked up within the eye itself. This can include high cholesterol, leading to coronary heart disease and high blood sugars –associated with diabetes.
Just as you look after your body by eating well and exercising, your eyes deserve to be looked after and maintained properly too.
Whether you feel you have perfect vision or think your eyesight may be deteriorating, it’s important to get your eyes tested regularly because it is not simply a question of how well you see.
