Keeping ‘an eye on’ turning 50

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/10/2019 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I realize there are some health matters that I should pay better attention to as I turn 50. Last month I shared my first mammogram experience, and this month I will share my experience of having my first eye exam.

I can see just fine, so I didn’t realize that I should have an eye exam. However, I have noticed the printing on bottles and in cookbooks looks smaller these days.

When I arrived at Henderson Vision Centre, optometric technician Noreen started with a number of eye tests. First was the auto refractor, which took an estimate of my natural prescription. Next, the non-contact tonometer blew a small puff of air into my eye, which tests the internal eye pressure and checks for glaucoma. Then, for the frequency doubling technology, I held a clicker in my hand and had to press it whenever I saw something in my peripheral vision. For the ocular coherence tomography (OCT), I stared at a star while the machine checked for ocular nerve health. The last step was an optomap, which took a 200-degree digital image of my retina to look for signs of retinal tears, amongst other abnormalities. These tests took only a few minutes and the results were given to my optometrist.

Dr. Christian Peloquin performed additional testing, including reading the eye chart — now here was an eye test I remembered from elementary school.

We discussed my eye health, looked at photos of my retina, and I asked a list of questions that included the effects of using technology, such as computers and mobile phones, on eye health. Dr. Peloquin says that using technology is strenuous on the eyes and recommends the ‘20/20/20 rule’: “For every 20 minutes of technology, look away 20 feet for 20 seconds. This gives your eyes time to refocus, and will give your eyes an opportunity to blink, as they may be dry from staring at the screen.”

Here’s what I learned that I didn’t know before:
• Manitoba Health covers some (or all) for eye exams for children 0-19 and for seniors 65 and over. Check with your optometrist’s office for further info;
• My drug store reading glasses are fine to use for reading, and Dr. Peloquin said I should return to his office every two years to monitor my eye health (you should consult with your own optometrist for a recommendation on how often you should revisit);
• Eye health is about a lot more than just my vision.I don’t know why had I waited so long to visit and optometrist. 

My grandpa was blind due to glaucoma, so I seriously understood the value of my vision. I am thankful for having 20/20 vision at my age and glad I have created a baseline for future eye exams. 

Thank you to the team at Henderson Vision Centre on Henderson Highway.

Wendy Hrynkiw is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email her at wendyhrynkiw@shaw.ca

Wendy Hrynkiw
East Kildonan community correspondent

Wendy Hrynkiw is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email her at wendyhrynkiw@shaw.ca

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