Eye Spy: When to See Your Eye Doctor

Though vision is one of the great gifts of life, we often take our eyesight for granted. Here at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU), we believe that staying on top of your eye health is the key to staving off blindness and visual impairment. In this article, BJU's Chair of the Eye Clinic Dr. Lan Wang teaches you how to be proactive about your eye health in order to keep your vision healthy. 

How often do you need to get your eyes checked by a doctor?

     Children under 3

Your pediatrician will likely look for the most common eye problems – lazy eyes, crossed eyes, or walleyes. Vision screening with a special refractive machine can rule out severe eye problems. Normally, at the age of around 3, children are able to do regular vision checks and need to see an eye doctor for routine eye checkups. 

     School-aged children and adolescents

Have your child's vision checked before he or she enters the first grade. At most schools, vision screening is done regularly. If you find your child’s vision is abnormal or you find any signs of abnormal vision, see an eye doctor. For nearsighted or farsighted children, schedule eye exams based on the advice of your eye doctor – normally every six months or one year. 

If your child has no symptoms of vision problems and no family history of vision problems, have his or her vision rechecked every one to two years. 

Depending on your child's willingness to cooperate, he or she could undergo a more comprehensive eye exam between the ages of 3 and 5.

     Adults

In general, if you're healthy and have no symptoms of vision problems, have your eyes checked on this schedule:

• Every five to 10 years in your 20s and 30s;

• Every two to four years from ages 40 to 54;

• Every one to three years from ages 55 to 64;

• Every one to two years after the age of 65.

Have your eyes checked more often if you wear glasses or contact lenses, if you have chronic eye diseases or systemic disease, or you have risk factors of eye disease (e.g. family history of glaucoma, etc.). 

What will the doctor look for in my routine eye exam?

The doctor will check your vision and may need to do a refractive exam, take your eye pressure, check for macula, and examine your conjunctiva, corneas, anterior chambers, pupils, lenses, retinas, and optic nerve. 

Is it normal for my glasses prescription to change?

In general, before the age of 20-22, nearsighted patients may experience a yearly change in their prescription. This process varies from person to person. After this age, although a small group of people's vision may still get worse, most people’s prescription stays the same. 

If my glasses prescription changes and I get new glasses, can I still use my old glasses that have my old prescription?

It is better not to use your old glasses because your daily work and life may be affected because of the wrong prescription. For small children, it is especially important because sometimes glasses are for treatment of lazy eyes or crossed eyes. 

Is it important to go to an eye doctor if I get sudden changes in my vision? (Sudden loss of vision, sudden onset of blurry vision, floaters, etc.)

Yes, it is important to see a doctor right away. Prescription changes take years or months. Sudden changes could be a sign of eye disease and should be evaluated as soon as possible. 

The BJU Eye Clinic has qualified expert ophthalmologists, including glaucoma and cataract specialists, retina disease specialists, and pediatric eye disorder specialists. We provide direct, easily accessible, comprehensive, and specialized eye consultations and surgical procedures for our local and international patients. Our clinics have been providing eye surgeries over 10 years. 

Our staff can diagnose and treat various eye disorders. This includes, but is not limited to：

• External ophthalmology (ptosis, entropion, ectropion, trichiasis, chalazion, hordeolum, obstruction of lacrimal passage, and dacryocystitis);

• Cornea and conjunctiva disorders (conjunctivitis, keratitis, dry eye syndrome, corneal foreign body, corneal degeneration, and corneal leukoma);

• Cataracts (congenital cataracts, age-related cataracts, traumatic cataracts, and metabolic cataracts);

• Glaucoma (angle-closure glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma);

• Vitreous and retinal disorders (vitreous opacities, retinal detachment, macular holes, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetes-related);

• Pediatric eye disorders (neonatal dacryocystitis, strabismus, amblyopia, OK-lens fitting); and

• Others (orbit tumors, orbit fracture, etc.).

Our surgeons are experienced specialists and we have been cooperating with Beijing TongRen Hospital for years.

Beijing United Family Hospital's Eye Clinic provides great service in a comfortable environment, as well as convenient location and hours. Our ophthalmologists and optometrists provide a high level of personalized services. 

Dr. Lan Wang is the Department Chair of the Beijing United Family Hospital Eye Clinic. She is also a highly experienced Ophthalmologist. To make an appointment with her, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.

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