Vision Screening

Getting a vision screening is a very important part of caring for your eyes. You must also realize that it is not the be all and end all in terms of exams. Vision screenings are designed to detect vision problems; they may not be able to find more serious physical eye problems. This is why you should have a full eye exam done each year in addition to vision screening.

Children as well as adults should be tested. Most children will be tested by their schools every year. An adult has a screening done to renew their driver's license or maybe as a regular check-up at the doctor's office. The test will take only about 15 minutes. During this time you will be asked about your health history and take a series of small tests. You will be asked to identify letters and numbers from a chart, and if the screener does think that there is a problem, then you will have to notify your eye doctor for a full exam.

By finding out if there is something wrong from a screening, you may be able to save your vision. For instance, a screening can detect slow-developing conditions like glaucoma that often go unnoticed until it is too late to save the person's vision. Your eyes are a very important organ and should be treated as such. With yearly screenings, many small eye illnesses, whatever the severity, can be detected early and treated. Most of the time you can find a free screening at school or hospital fairs.