What is an Eye exam in Dubai?

An eye exam is full evaluation of your vision and eyes. It is different from seeing an optician who will only check your visual acuity. A full eye exam is done by either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, using numerous techniques and devices to determine the health of both your eyes.

The eyes are of paramount importance to live a carefree life, but they are also easily affected by internal and external factors. Diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of glaucoma or age related macular degeneration, and your lifestyle determines the health of your eyes and vision.

It is important that you see your ophthalmologist, or optometrist regularly to detect and avoid serious conditions related to the eye. For young children, its best to have them tested at least twice before they turn six: once at the age of two and then again before they attend grade one. Teenagers will need to get an eye exam in Dubai once every two years, and adults every four or five years. People over the age of 60 should have a yearly exam as they are prone to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.

Regular eye exams helps diagnose conditions early, and may even help you avoid complicated surgery later on.

A general eye exam will check eyesight, peripheral vision, colour blindness, examine the structure of the eye for any abnormalities, and for any sign of retinal disorders, AMD, cataracts, and glaucoma.

A paediatrician will check the vision of infants and toddlers and look for common problems like lazy eye, crossed eyes, and squints. It is advised to do a follow up examination by the time he or she reaches five years of age. Children are prone to depreciating eyesight, especially if they are constantly on the computer, playing video games and watching TV. Furthermore, most children are not fond of fruits and vegetables, which contain most or all the nutrients needed for good vision.

Teenagers who use laptops and computers, play video games, or play outdoors in the sun without protective eyewear are exposed to ultra violet radiation, which damages the eye significantly over time. It is good practice to check the eyes of teenagers more frequently like once every two years.

Whether you wear prescription glasses or not, adults should have their eyes checked every four or five years. Conditions like high blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol affect the health of your eyes and should any of these conditions be present, your eyes must be checked more often.

Your eye exam will consist of different stages where your vision, colour vision, outer surface, and inner structures are systematically checked for any abnormalities. Each eye is checked individually and your Dubai eye doctor discusses the results with you in detail. Should you require treatment or need preventive care to avoid problems, you eye doctor will relate the options available to you.

If you were contact lenses or prescription glasses, bring them along to your appointment, as your doctor will confirm their correct prescription.

10 reasons to see an Eye Doctor

Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center, a specialized Dubai eye clinic with a team of experienced eye surgeons and ophthalmologists led by Dr. Hani Sakla. All our doctors are certified with years of experience and are dedicated to promoting healthy vision in Dubai. Ebsaar’s team of Cataract specialists and Lasik eye Surgeons Dubai, have many years of specialized experience in treating patients with visual difficulties.

The eyes are sensitive organs that guide you through your day. Many people, wear prescription eyeglasses, from as early as age three. Diminishing eyesight is a common problem faced by many in recent times due to daily exposure to UV Radiation, bad nutritional habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking.  

10 reasons to see an eye doctor

Blurry vision

Blurry vision is sign that your eyes are having difficulty focusing on objects correctly. When your eyes are weak, they lose the ability to properly view objects. If you experience blurry vision, and it is not related to any other physical ailment like low sugar, pressure problems and lack of nutrients, you are advised to seek medical attention immediately, so an eye doctor can diagnose and treat the problem in its early stages.

Air Floaters

We have all experienced this at one point or the other in our lives, usually occurring when we’ve bumped our head, close and open eyes to quickly or move between two different light intensities. If you experience persistent floaters regularly and are unable to solve the problem with a few blinks, it’s a sign to see your optometrist.  

Headaches

Low vision is sometimes responsible for headaches. You will notice the headache apparent behind the eyes near the forehead. People report having these headaches, when reading or working on a computer. Straining, weakens the eyes and you will need to seek advice to have it resolved as pain medication will only temporarily reduce the ache, but cure the problem.

Difficulty Reading

People automatically know the distance they need to keep, between the eyes and reading matter. Weak vision will prompt you to change your reading distance by adjusting the length between the eyes and what you read. Speak to your family eye doctor who will check your eyes and prescribe eyeglasses to help reverse the problem.

Distance Misjudgement

Your eyes help you judge distances between your car and another, in activities like playing pool, walking to a store etc. Misjudging the distance distance is a symptom of bad vision that needs correction by an eye doctor urgently.

Premature Eye Tiredness

Your eyes are generally the last to get tired. Your brain and eyes function on one clock, and unless you are physically tired and have had a very long day, your eyes should keep up. If your eyes tire more quickly, they should be examined.

Delayed Accommodation

Your lens muscles are constantly working together to allow just the right amount of light through. This happens when moving from dark light to bright lighting and vice versa. It takes a fraction of a second. If it takes longer and it affects you while driving, there are treatment options that will help your eyes accommodate to different lighting effectively.

Constant Tears

Excessive tears throughout the day mean your eyes are either infected or has a disease. Tears are your eyes defence mechanism against foreign particles, if they are shed excessively, they are literally crying out for help.  

Not seen your eye doctor in two years

Your eyes require the same amount of care and treatment as the rest of your body. If you have not seen a qualified optometrist in a long time, may be its time you do.

Healthy Vision Dubai

Sunglasses are more than just a fashion accessory and wearing the right pair is important in the prevention of many eye diseases. Many people confuse sunglasses as fashion accessories and therefore, buy them based on the fashion statement they make. It is important to understand the protective feature of the pair you buy, and know how effective a pair of sunglasses can be in prolonging good eyesight until old age.

Sunglasses protect your eyes from receiving harmful Ultraviolet Radiation

Ultraviolet radiation is a negative catalyst in the development of premature visual problems which includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. In addition, the skin around the eye is the thinnest and prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays, can cause premature aging. UV rays have been known to age the skin around the eyes, causing wrinkles and fine lines. It is important to buy a good medically approved pair of sunglasses to prevent the onset of these diseases and aging signs. A high quality pair of sunglasses will block 100% of UV rays from coming in contact with your eyes and the skin around it.

Wearing sunglasses reduces glare

Most surfaces reflect and amplify light. Roads surfaces, water, snow, glass buildings, and sand all reflect light back creating a glare. This is especially dangerous while driving or if you’re involved in any type of sporting activities. Polarized sunglasses protect your vision from being distorted; preventing extreme glare. There are many fake sunglasses that claim to be polarized and it important to ensure a good high polarized pair of sunglasses is used for these activities.

Sunglasses reduce headaches caused by fatigued eye muscles

The pupil of the eye dilates and constricts to allow just the right amount of light to the retina. In extremely bright conditions, the pupil will find it difficult to constrict further to prevent bright light from entering the eye. This will force the person to squint, which means your eyelids too will start to close up, further reducing light intensity. The eyelids and pupils are both controlled by tiny muscles in the eye, which show signs of strain when overworked for long periods. This inevitably leads to eye straining and headaches. Sunglasses are designed differently for different purposes, and therefore you need to use the correct pair depending on the time of day and environment.  

Prolonged Healthy Vision

Wearing the correct pair of sunglasses is important in maintaining good eyesight for as long as possible. You will need different pairs depending on the varying activities and environments you are exposed to. You may need to have different pairs, made specifically for each activity or sport. The right pair of sunglasses or protective glasses while working on the computer is also necessary to prevent future visual problems and eye diseases.

If you would like to know more about buying the correct pair of sunglasses talk to your doctor at the Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center and we will be happy to give you any advice you need.