When to have an eye exam and why check your eyesight even if you can see well

When to have an eye examination? It is necessary check your eyesight even if you are young? Even those who see well must make periodic visits? To protect the health of the eyes it is necessary to take care of them at all ages, from an early age. In children, for example, it is essential to understand as soon as possible if they need glasses or if they have the so-called lazy eye, i.e. amblyopia. This visual disorder is curable if diagnosed in childhood, while correcting vision when the child has grown too much can leave the eye “lazy” for life and cause visual impairments as adults.
Ophthalmologists agree: undergoing periodic visits is a good habit at all ages, even for those with good eyesight.

Prevent eye diseases without symptoms

The eye exposed to many stresses every day. Some eye diseases involve a slow, gradual, symptom-free vision loss: when you notice the problem, the damage could be irreversible. Hence the importance of periodic visits to preserve eye health from the risk of disease. The president of the Italian Ophthalmological Society, Matteo Piovella, reiterates it once more: In less than ten years the number of blind people set to double; amblyopia, cataract, retinal detachment, maculopathies and vision defects are the main objectives of the ophthalmologists’ commitment to safeguard eye health. “To see, let yourself be seen” – advises Dr. Piovella -. He means undergoing an eye examination, respecting a precise calendar.

The calendar of visits based on age

But what do ophthalmologists recommend? Given that people who have eye disorders they have to contact a specialist as soon as possiblethat’s when periodically carry out eye examinations even if you can see well and have no problems, according to the Calendar of specialist ophthalmological medical examinations prepared by the Italian Ophthalmological Society:
– at the birth;
– within three years;
– The first day of school;
– from 8 years to 15 years for the prevention of myopia (today there is an exponential increase);
– from 40 to 60 years old a visit every two years;
– after 60 years
I visit once a year
or.
Those who, on the other hand, underwent eye operations such as cataractglaucoma, refractive surgery, retinal surgerystrabismus or other, after having done the pre-established post-surgery checks, he must perform a eye examination once a year.

How to book the visit

To do the eye examination paid by the National Health Service (paying the ticket or for free if you are entitled to exemption) just the prescription of the attending physician on the prescription of the NHS. If there are no particular eye problems that require a quick visit, the doctor will indicate on the prescription the P code, i.e. scheduled visit (to be carried out within 120 days). In case of disturbances, however, the attending physician will indicate it priority over the recipewhich corresponds to the maximum wait to access the service: U (Urgent) to be guaranteed within 72 hours; B (Short) within 10 days; D (Differable) visit within 30 days, diagnostic tests within 60 days.
Dr. Piovella says: It would be advisable to carry out a specialist visit which, with a single access (without being postponed to other appointments for any diagnostic tests), allows the ophthalmologist to diagnose, prevent and prescribe glasses and the right treatment.

View bonuses

From the beginning of May, it is possible to request on the appropriate form web platform The sight bonusstate contribution for the purchase of eyeglasses and corrective contact lenses (info about Ministry of Health website). They can benefit from it people with ISEE not exceeding 10 thousand euroswhich they can choose from two ways to access the contribution: voucher worth 50 euros for each beneficiary, to be spent within 30 days of issue at registered commercial establishments; refund of 50 euros for the purchase of eyeglasses or corrective lenses already made (from 1 January 2021 until 4 May 2023) to be requested by 3 July 2023. The “sight bonus” can be requested only once, for each member of the family unit to which the ISEE refers.