Sydney is known for its majestic views like the Blue Mountains, Manly Scenic Walkway, Royal Botanical Gardens, or The Gap. Then you have iconic architectural wonders like the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, NSW Conservatorium of Music, NSW Art Gallery, and St. Mary’s Cathedral. There is a reason why Sydney is one of the most visited cities in the world, as tourists marvel at the sights and take these memories with them when they go home.
However, you can’t expect to enjoy the attractions with blurry vision. Like in the rest of the world, ageing is one of the most causes of vision problems in Sydney and the rest of Australia. For instance, government data revealed that about 10% of 55 years old and above are categorised as visually impaired. (Ultram) A little more than one per cent are totally blind.
Everybody knows that they should visit a dentist twice a year for checkup and cleaning. Not many people are aware that you should also visit an optometrist in Sydney regularly every year.
According to a Sydney Morning Herald article, more than 3 in 10 Australians do not go to the eye doctor regularly. What is more disturbing is that more than 1 in 10 hasn’t gone to an optometrist throughout their lifetime.
How Often You Need to Visit an Eye Doctor
There is no simple answer to the question since it depends on several factors. To make it easier, here are the recommendations from an optometrist in Sydney that could become your guide:
- For Australians aged 20 to 39 years old, they should go to the eye doctor every five years
- For those between 40 and 54 years old, they should visit the optometrist every two to four years
- For those between ages 55 and 64, they must go to the clinic every one to three years
- Those who are already 65 years and above must visit every 1-2 years
The recommendation only covers those whose eyes are perfectly healthy and not wearing prescription glasses.
Meanwhile, Australians wearing prescription glasses need to go back to the optometrist for a checkup every 1-3 years. The optometrist might change their prescription or recommend taking them out of corrective lenses once their vision improved.
Meanwhile, those categorised as “at-risk” must schedule an annual visit with the eye doctor.
The “at-risk” group includes:
- Individuals with chronic conditions like high BP and diabetes
- Those with a genetic disposition to failing vision. If both your parents and grandparents are wearing prescription glasses, you may suffer the same fate if you are not careful
- Those who suffered an eye infection or injury
- People who work in hazardous conditions like welding or any other visually demanding tasks
- Family history of vision problems like cataract and glaucoma
- Those who are taking maintenance medicines that could pose a risk to their vision as a side-effect
Just like your dentist, you need to visit a Sydney optometrist to take care of your eyes. Everybody takes for granted the importance of having their vision tested while the consequences are more devastating than losing a few teeth. While there are ways to regain your beautiful smile, vision problems can lead to permanent blindness if you are not careful.
