Take an active role in protecting your eyes
If you only make and keep one New Year’s resolution in 2010, make it this: have your eyes examined this year. Taking an active role in protecting your eyes could help you detect an eye condition before it becomes a problem, making it easier to manage. Think about what you could lose by neglecting your eyes.
According to Lynda McGivney Nolan of the Association of Optometrists Ireland, it is vital to have an eye exam every two years.
“You should have an eye examination every two years. Your spectacles may not need changing or, indeed, you may not even need spectacles at all, but an eye examination will not just evaluate what your vision is like and whether or not you need spectacles, it will also evaluate the health of your eyes. Your optometrist can detect conditions which can threaten your vision such as glaucoma, age related macular degeneration, cataracts, and problems with the back of your eyes relating to health issues such as diabetes and blood pressure. Early detection of any problem with your eyes means early management and treatment which in turn means a better outcome for your vision and eye health,” explains Lynda.
“If you wear spectacles, it is important to have the prescription checked every two years. A recent study indicated that one of the leading causes of impaired vision was down to people wearing out-of-date glasses, the wrong glasses and not wearing glasses at all when they needed them. If you drive you have an extra responsibility to ensure that your vision meets the required standards for driving. Good vision is essential for driving because it not only affects what you are seeing, it affects your responses and your hearing; good vision means you hear better and you react quicker. This makes your driving safer for you and for other road users.”
If you hold a medical card or have PRSI you are entitled to a free eye examination every two years. Following changes made in Budget 2010, PRSI employees will no longer be entitled to free glasses or contact lenses under this scheme. Privately, an eye examination will cost you around €35 for a 30-minute examination with a fully trained and qualified professional. If you require further investigative procedures such as dilation, fundus photography, field testing and certain types of glaucoma testing, there may be an extra charge. Your optometrist will discuss this with you should the need arise.
“They say the eyes are the windows to the soul … but your eyes are also your window to the world around you. An eye examination once every two years can be enough to save your sight and keep your eyes healthy and seeing their best. How important is that?” asks Lynda.
Free eye care
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is obliged to provide optical services free of charge to:
- Medical card holders and their dependants.
- Pre-school children and national school children referred from child health service and school health service examinations.
- People with Hepatitis C who contracted the disease through the use of Human Immunoglobulin-Anti-D or from the receipt within Ireland of any blood product or a blood transfusion and who have a Health Amendment Act Card.
Optical Benefit
This scheme was changed in Budget 2010 and will now be restricted to free eyesight examinations. This means that people who have sufficient PRSI contributions may qualify for a free eye exam only; free spectacles or contact lenses will be longer be available.
Employees
Irish employers are required to provide eye tests for staff that use computers for more than one hour a day. Find out more from the Health and Safety Authority at www.hsa.ie.