Eye checkup – window to employee health
An eye examination is not just to check vision but many medical conditions can be detected through a routine eye examination by a well-trained optometrist.
A corporate eye-care plan can provide benefit that ranges from safety to eye health and beyond.
The following eye conditions can be detected by a routine eye examination:
- cataracts
- conjunctivitis
- glaucoma
- keratitis
- age-related macular degeneration (dry and wet)
- retinal detachment
- optic neuritis
- corneal thinning, eg keratoconus
- uveitis
- ocular tumours
- dry eye
- macular hole
- eyelid skin cancers
- amblyopia (lazy eye)
- strabismus
What is less known is that the optometrist can monitor the entire body by doing a routine eye check:
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- raised cholesterol
- cardiovascular disease
- brain tumours
- migraine
- thyroid problems
- arthritis
- cerebro-vascular accidents (stroke)
- brain aneurysms
- temporal arteritis
- pituitary tumour
- cranial nerve palsies
- multiple sclerosis
During an eye examination the optometrist will use an ophthalmoscope to examine the retina at the back of the eye. Using this simple torch-like device, the optometrist can view the small blood vessels (capillaries) in the back of the eye, to see if they have thickened, narrowed or burst. This may indicate changes in blood pressure.
The eyes are the only place in the body where these capillaries can be viewed and any problems here are often repeated in the small blood vessels in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, which cannot be viewed without more invasive action.
Be aware – an eye checkup is a window to your health beyond just vision!
