Every year, the second week of October marks World Sight Day, a key time to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and prevention of vision diseases. Around the world, millions of people live with vision disorders that could be prevented or treated through regular checkups.
Vision is one of the most important senses, but it is often neglected until obvious disorders appear. Problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia can arise gradually and worsen over time. Similarly, more complex conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, or age-related macular degeneration, can develop silently and irreversibly if not diagnosed in time.
Even in children, early screening is essential: undetected visual difficulties can negatively affect school learning, motor development, and quality of life.
The main international guidelines recommend regular preventive eye examinations at least every 1 to 2 years after age 40, but for those over 60 it is useful to have annual checkups to monitor for degenerative conditions. As mentioned, however, regular checkups are also very important for children especially if they are of school age.
When it comes to prevention in the field of ophthalmology, another health figure plays a crucial role: the orthoptist.
The orthoptist is a professional who specializes in the evaluation and rehabilitation of visual function, particularly related to ocular motility, binocular vision, and coordination between the two eyes. He or she works in close collaboration with the ophthalmologist, but focuses on specific aspects of visual function that, if neglected, can compromise the quality of vision, especially in children.
In the preventive setting, the orthoptist can intercept strabismus, amblyopia (lazy eye), convergence difficulties, or vision-related problems in reading and writing at an early stage; assess visual efficiency in preschool and school-age children, helping to prevent cognitive and postural discomfort related to poor vision; and in adult patients, detect ocular motility changes that can cause symptoms such as diplopia (double vision), visual fatigue, or ocular headaches.
Take the opportunity of World Sight Day to take care of your eyes and those of your family members. A simple visit can make the difference between seeing well today and continuing to do so tomorrow.
Life Clinic stands by its patients and to celebrate the importance of prevention offers free consultations to the first 10 people who book by communicating the code OCU25. Contact us to learn the details of the initiative and make an appointment.
