In the UK, people with eye or vision problems are encouraged to have an eye test every two years. One of the reasons behind this is that regular eye tests could save you a lot of troubles in later years if you really do so.

On the one hand, eye tests can help you ensure that your vision correction prescription – your glasses and/or contact lenses – is up to date. Without right prescription, not only can your sight suffer but the condition of your eyes can deteriorate overall. It means that bigger problems which could be rectified in advance simply by taking an eye test may be arisen in the future. On the other hand, eye tests serve as a method for optometrists to monitor any early signs of eye diseases. Like other diseases, the earlier a disease is identified, the sooner it can be treated – with a higher possibility for success than left alone to worsen. Diseases like glaucoma and cataracts can be identified far earlier and solved in a comparatively easy way.

During an eye test, your optometrist will adopt several measures to determine the condition of your eyes and the quality of your vision, including the measurement of spectacle power, eye pressure which is a key to discovering glaucoma – auto refraction to help with your base prescription and your visual acuity, as well as a discussion on your health and lifestyle. It determines how well your vision works based on near and far distances, usually by reading letters on an eye chart. Besides, there are many other tests with which your optometrist determines any other problems you may have, which check the general condition of your eyes, including the strength and flexibility of the surrounding muscles.

It is far more likely for you take regular eye tests which can save yourself from future pain and discomfort due to the greater chance of identifying any sign of diseases before they worsen and ensure your prescription is completely up to date so that you are not at risk of entailing any other damage. As the same time, your optometrist will recommend a course of treatment, new glasses or LASIK laser eye surgery for corrective purposes. So it’s very important to make regular eye tests an essential part of your routine health checks.

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State legislators today are set to vote on a bill that would require certain elderly drivers to pass eye exams every five years for a license renewal and would give medical professionals immunity from reporting problems with any drivers.

The bill would also ban the dangerous practice of text messaging while driving and would prohibit 16- and 17-year-old drivers from using any type of cell phone or mobile electronic device while behind the wheel.

The bill to ban texting was introduced last week. On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to add a provision to the bill that would require drivers 75 and older to appear at the Registry once every five years for an eye exam and license renewal, according to a committee spokesman. Right now, all drivers must appear at the Registry every 10 years and pass an eye exam to renew a license, according to Registry regulations.

In an interview on a Boston radio station, Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the bill doesn’t go far enough. He again voiced support for legislation that calls for vision and road tests every five years for all drivers 85 and older. “We should have been moving on this before now,” Patrick added.

Rep. Rosemary Sandlin, D-Agawam, a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said she could support eye exams every five years for drivers 75 and older, but she would oppose a bill that would include road or computer tests for elderly drivers.

The Ways and Means Committee also changed the bill to allow physicians, nurses, chiropractors and other health care providers to report to the Registry any patient 16 or older who has a cognitive or functional problem that could affect the patient’s ability to drive safely. A provider would be immune from civil liability that might otherwise result from making a report or failing to make a report.

Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, said he could support eye exams for license renewals every five years for drivers 75 and older.

“People’s vision is very likely to change incrementally over time,” Wagner said. “I don’t think it’s an unreasonable measure.”

John W. Bennett, 79, of Agawam, president of the Springfield chapter of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, said he saw no great harm in requiring eye exams every five years for people 75 and older who are renewing a license.

“It’s not a major problem for seniors provided they can get to the Registry,” Bennett said.

The bill comes after two fatal accidents late last year involving elderly drivers in Western Massachusetts.

An 88-year-old Springfield woman who was riding in a car driven by an 85-year-old Springfield man died of injuries following a Nov. 30 accident on Parker Street in Springfield. Police said they cited the driver.

In early December, a 73-year-old Townsend driver died in a Massachusetts Turnpike accident in Ludlow after he crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a guard rail and then another vehicle.

Last week, Wagner and Sen. Steven A. Baddour, D-Methuen, the Senate co-chairman of the Transportation Committee, unveiled the bill that would outlaw text messaging while driving. If approved, Massachusetts would join Washington, D.C., and 19 other states with a ban on texting while driving.

The bill would also ban drivers younger than 18 from using any type of mobile telephone or mobile electronic device, even with hands-free technology.

A so-called junior operator who violates the ban would have a license or permit suspended for 60 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second offense and one year for a third or subsequent offense.

Adult drivers who break the texting ban would be fined $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense.

Many people can not realize that their vision is actually declining gradually that a pair of eyeglasses is needed or there should be a change of eyeglass prescription. It is highly recommended by most eye doctors that individuals should visit an eye doctor for regular eye tests. Actually an eye testing is more than offering prescription check or update. Comprehensive eye exams are also capable of detecting early signs of eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts. Other vision-related health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure can also be monitored.

Eye test is just a basic concept and there are a variety of eye tests. Each one has its own feature and function, which in most cases can not be replaced with another. In this case, people who are planning to see an eye doctor for an eye exam should keep clear in mind the difference of the kinds of eye tests and what they can get from certain tests.

A focimetry exam is always conducted by the doctor to determine the current prescription strength if the patient is wearing eyeglasses. To ensure the stability of the prescription, the eye doctor is also likely to give refraction, which can also verify the current prescription. In detail, an auto-refraction will first be used to determine the baseline prescription. And a second light-based exam named slit lamp exam can examine the patient’s cornea, conjunctiva, lids, iris and lens using a microscope and a small beam.

For additional information, the patient can also receive an ocular muscle assessment, which can evaluate the strength and flexibility of the eye muscles. Moreover, a tonometry exam is sometimes carried out to measure the eye pressure, which always helps in diagnosing glaucoma. At the last, the internal eye may be tested through a retinal exam, in which case eye drops are needed.

Regular vision examination is only one of the services that are enabled by consulting a health professional for everything checks. These doctors’ visits are indispensable actions to maintain a healthy lifestyle, in addition to exercising, taking vitamins, eating healthily and refraining from smoking and so on.

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