Annual Eye Exams for Children

Over the weekend, I took my 4 1/2 year old son into our Columbus, IN office for his annual eye examination.  This is his second exam and I have on my calendar an annual reminder that he needs to see one of our eye doctors.  This seems like a rather routine thing for me now, however prior to working for an optometry practice, I wouldn’t have thought like this.  Growing up, my parents didn’t take me to the eye doctor for annual exams.  An eye exam was thought of as something you needed when you were having trouble seeing and you needed glasses and lenses or contact lenses.

The problem is that most people don’t realize that an eye exam should be thought of in a manner that is closer to a dentist than a regular doctor.  Many people go to their dentist for a 6 month or annual check up to make sure their teeth are in good condition, whereas most people go to a doctor only when they are sick.  The mindset needs to change from one of reactionary care to one of preventative care.  We as vision care providers need to do a better job educating patients on the values of an annual eye examination, which should start for children at the age of 3.  The truth is that a routine eye exam can uncover problems which frequently either have no detectable symptoms or come on so slowly that they are missed without a thorough exam by an eye care doctor.

The doctors at Dr. Tavel are specifically trained to detect signs of diabetes, High Blood Pressure, cataracts, and glaucoma in addition to writing corrective prescriptions for eye sight.  So while I don’t think my son has a vision problem and he appears to see just fine, it is important for me and for him that I know for sure.