Natural Health October 2017

PREVENTION & Remedies
What are the signs that
you may need glasses?
Aside from age ruining the “no glasses
party”, there are some other warning
signs you should be aware of. Simple
vision problems that are left untreated
can spiral out of control and become
more serious. Here’s a list of warning
signs you should watch out for that could
indicate a problem:
1. You have a hard time seeing objects
both at a distance and up-close. This
is a sign that you may
have astigmatism.
2. Blurred close-up vision, which can be
a sign of hyperopia, also know
as farsightedness.
3. Objects at a distance are out of
focus. This is usually diagnosed as
myopia, or nearsightedness.
4. Your eyes take longer to adjust from
dark to light surroundings and
vice versa.
5. Your eyes don’t adjust to the dark at
all and you have difficulty seeing
at night.
6. Squinting all the time, especially
when reading, working with small
objects or working in front
of a computer.
7. Painful eye strain or eye fatigue,
especially when driving, watching TV
and playing video games.
8. Frequent headaches, especially when
exposed to bright light.
9. You see halos around light sources.
10.You’re seeing double.
Having one or more of these symptoms
doesn’t always mean you have an
eye problem and need to wear
glasses. Nonetheless, when you notice
any of these symptoms, schedule
an appointment with an optometrist
immediately to ascertain what ails your
eyes. Who knows, you might be lucky
enough to add a fancy new accessory
to your daily attire.
A refractive error can be diagnosed
during a routine eye examination. Testing
usually consists of asking the patient
to read a vision chart while testing an
assortment of lenses to maximise a
patient’s vision. Special imaging or other
testing is rarely necessary.
Refractive errors are commonly treated
using corrective lenses, such as
eyeglasses or contact lenses. Refractive
surgery (such as LASIK) can also be used
to correct some refractive disorders.
It is vital that you know the reason your
vision is changing. If your vision changes
as a result of a disease or disorder,
delaying your eye exam could have
severe and permanent consequences. A
common and dangerous misconception
is that if you are seeing well then you
don’t need to have an eye exam.
Many eye diseases have no early
warning symptoms or cause any early
changes to your vision. An oculo-visual
assessment by a licensed professional is
the only way to truly know if your eyes
are in fact healthy. And healthy eyes
are the key to maintaining good site
throughout life. On the other hand, if
your vision changes are not due to an
eye-health related issue, maximising your
vision can go a long way to improving
your quality of life and productivity: you
won’t struggle to read the newspaper/
computer screen, no more squinting to
recognise faces or see road signs as
you travel. It is important to note that an
optometrist just doesn’t aim for 20/20
vision, but rather clear, comfortable
binocular vision.
It is not uncommon for people who
would benefit from vision correction
to not even be aware of it. They have
become accustomed to substandard
vision as has slowly declined over time.
Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84
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