According to US figures, 5-10 per cent of preschoolers and 25 per cent of school-aged children have vision problems.
With Specsavers Portlaoise offering a free eye exam for children over four years of age as part of the Portlaoise Healthy Town initiative, I thought it the ideal opportunity to bring the 11-year-old for a check-up. He has had school screenings and hadn’t complained of any problems so it was just to be sure, to be sure.
Having established that Colin isn’t on any medication, experiencing any headaches or double vision and with family history of cataracts age-related, optometrist John Egan put him at his ease as he led him through a series of tests.
First there was the exam for 20:20 vision as Colin read out the letters he saw on the wall. Then John checked the muscle balance in Colin’s eye, making sure that both eyes were aligning perfectly. He shone a light into the eyes to look at the pupils and to check the prescription.
“We get the prescription first, then we hone in on the finer details and make minor changes to obtain the best vision possible with spectacles,” he explained. Colin’s 3D vision was also checked. This, John said, is a good indication of how the vision has developed.
Colour vision - the ability to distinguish certain colours - was also examined at and this is an important area for adults and children - especially males - to be aware of, especially those considering careers in the Garda and the army or those who want to work as electricians, John said.
A slit lamp exam probed the health of the front of Colin’s eyes. The cornea, the iris or coloured part of the eye, the lens and the lids, were all looked at by John. He then checked the back of Colin’s eyes, taking images of them. Any abnormalities that surface here are referred to an ophthalmologist or the family GP.
Eye tests, John outlined, can indicate a variety of health issues. “We can see changes in the retina and pick up on high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. We can’t diagnose, but we can refer onwards. It is so important for children to have their eyes tested as optometrists can pick up on prescriptions that the child may not know they have. Sometimes these prescriptions can lead to Amblyopia, which is a decrease in vision in an eye that appears otherwise normal.”
Thankfully Colin’s eye test didn’t throw up any problems. “The muscles in his eyes are all working perfectly; his vision is beyond 20:20 and the front and back of his eyes are very healthy. There is a slight longsighted prescription there but glasses wouldn’t be recommended at this stage. If he experiences any problems seeing the board in school, he should come back,” John said.
Images of Colin’s eyes were stored on the digital retinal photography system, which will facilitate comparisons in the future. “With conditions such as glaucoma, we can see the changes that have taken place. We can also identify signs of macular degeneration,” said John. Diet and vitamin supplements and injections can help slow its progression, he outlined.
Glaucoma has been in the news recently with Bono saying it’s the reason he wears sunglasses all the time. Said John: “Glaucoma is often referred to as the ‘thief in the night’ as those affected can lose pockets of their peripheral vision without being aware it’s happening.”
The good news for Colin is that all is fine with his sight. He will be called back in twelve months and meanwhile, he has no excuse for not scoring lots of goals in soccer and GAA. If there are any misses on the pitch, at least they can’t chant “Should have gone to Specsavers.”