Keith D. Gordon, Ph.D.
Senior Research Officer, Canadian Council of the Blind
Many Canadians missed essential eye exams and treatments during the pandemic, and now it’s time to get back on track.
If you’re like most people, you and your family haven’t managed to keep your regular appointments with your ophthalmologist or optometrist during the pandemic. You’re not alone. A study conducted in 2021 estimated that nearly three million fewer visits to optometrists were made across Canada in 2020 compared with the previous year. In addition, almost 70,000 fewer injections of the treatment for age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy were administered and 143,000 fewer eye surgeries were conducted in 2020.
Now is the time to take care of your personal backlog. Eye doctors across the country are working extra hard to overcome the backlog that the pandemic has created, so it’s possible to get an appointment for that essential treatment or eye examination.
Many eye diseases can only be detected through a complete eye examination, and it’s estimated that 75 percent of vision loss can be prevented or treated if diagnosed early enough.
A regular, complete eye examination is essential for your eye health. Many eye diseases can only be detected through a complete eye examination, and it’s estimated that 75 percent of vision loss can be prevented or treated if diagnosed early enough.
Very few children have had an eye test of any sort during the pandemic and many have also spent an inordinate amount of time in front of screens. As our children return to school, it’s important to make sure that their vision is the best it can be and that there’s no underlying condition that may lead to vision loss.
If for some reason, you’ve had a break in taking regular eye drops for an ocular condition such as glaucoma, it’s essential that you recommence taking your medication and, if you’ve missed getting your regular eye injections or have postponed your cataract surgery, make an appointment with your ophthalmologist right away to make sure you haven’t lost any vision and to ensure you get the treatment you need.
As we arise from the slumber of the past couple of years, taking care of our eye health needs to be a priority for us all.
