Day in and day out almost each person is glued to the screen of their mobile phones, laptops, personal computers, or television making our pair of eyes one of the most used, if not abused, parts of our body in recent years. What is sad about this is a lot of people overlook taking good care of their peepers and only remember to visit an eye doctor in Singapore when something is off with their vision. If you are guilty of this, talk to Dr Claudine Pang.
Dr Claudine Pang is a reputable eye doctor in Singapore specialising in the fields of medical retina and vitreoretinal surgery. She has over 15 years of experience in ophthalmology, as well as cataract and retinal surgeries. She is the head of Asia Retina Medical Centre, an institution that provides the most advanced and innovative eye treatments in Singapore.
If you have not set foot inside an eye clinic yet and are totally clueless about what services an eye doctor can give, then you are in luck! This article covers these topics:
- What is an ophthalmologist?
- How is an ophthalmologist different from an optometrist?
- What are the services that an ophthalmologist can provide?
- What conditions affect the eyes?
- What are the signs and symptoms that warrant a visit to an eye doctor?
- What are the common eye conditions that can critically affect the vision and require surgery?
- What happens during a consultation with an eye doctor?
- What are the different types of eye exams?
- How often should you visit an eye doctor?
Ophthalmologist vs. Optometrist
“Eye doctor” is a general term that can refer to two types of specialists: an ophthalmologist and an optometrist. When looking for an eye doctor that can medically or surgically treat a specific condition or disease that affects the eyes, then you should go for an ophthalmologist. For concerns about your eyes’ primary health care, you can go to either an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
| Services provided by an Ophthalmologist | Services provided by an Optometrist |
| ● Eye examinations
● Eye care for medical conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, myopia, macular degeneration and other conditions that are related to diseases that affect the body ● Surgery for eye injuries, cataracts, crossed eyes, glaucoma ● Vision tests ● Vision therapy |
● Eye examinations
● Eyeglasses and contact lenses prescription ● Treatment and management of some conditions like glaucoma or dry eyes ● Vision tests ● Vision therapy |
What conditions affect the eyes?
There are a variety of conditions that can affect the eyes. Some have similar signs and symptoms, which need an eye doctor’s expert assessment for proper diagnosis. Get a consultation when any of these arise:
- Abnormal discharges, bleeding, pain, inflammation, and redness in one or both eyes
- Headaches
- Challenges in eye movement
- Eye sensitivity to light or low light
- Itchy, burning, or very dry eyes
- Difficulty in opening the eyelids
- Light flashes, cloudy or dark spots in the vision
- Vision changes
What are the common eye conditions that can critically affect the vision and require surgery?
Aside from eye trauma that may need surgery, the most common eye conditions that can critically affect the vision and require surgery are:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
Cataracts. A cataract occurs as a result of the breaking down of proteins in the eyes’ lens that blocks the vision with a cloud-like substance. Symptoms include:
- Blurry vision
- Seeing colours in yellow or faded hues
- Double vision
- Difficulty in seeing at night time
- Light sensitivity especially at night
Glaucoma. This disease occurs when the eye’s front part gets flooded with fluid that puts pressure in the eye and eventually causing damage to the optic nerve. One type of glaucoma does not have any signs, but for others the symptoms are:
- Blind spots in the line of sight
- Blurry vision
- Extreme headache or pain in the forehead
- Halos or rainbows seen in the vision
- Nausea
- Severe eye pain
- Vomiting
What happens during a consultation with an eye doctor?
During a consultation with an eye doctor, be prepared to be asked for your general and family’s medical history. You will also be subjected to a routine eye diagnostic test that includes the following:
- Alignment
- Cover test
- Pupillary Reactions
- Refraction
- Retinoscopy
- Visual acuity
- Visual field
Other tests that you may be asked to do are:
- Glaucoma
- External Exam
- Pachymetry
- Slit Lamp
- Retinal examination
- Direct exam
- Indirect exam
The results from these tests will be assessed by your eye doctor and used for treatment planning.
How often should you visit an eye doctor?
Visiting an eye doctor will vary among persons. This will be highly dependent on the condition of your eyes, your medical background, overall health, and age. It is recommended that for people who are not diagnosed with any eye condition or disease and are below 40 years old to get checked by an eye doctor at least every two years. People above the age of 40 should undergo routine checks every one to two years. For people with specific diagnosis, the recurrence of your visit should be at least once every year or as recommended by your doctor
Eye care: Why should you care?
The eye is a very complex and fragile organ. It is crucial to our daily lives as it allows us to see. It is important that we keep our eyes healthy because if we fail to do so, then we may be at risk of getting various conditions, diseases, and injuries that can damage our eyes and make us lose our eyesight. Imagine the impact that a permanent vision loss can do not only to your life, but also to those close to you.
Do not wait for the worst case scenario to make that decision to visit an eye doctor. Visit Asia Retina and let Dr Claudine Pang take excellent care of your eyes.
Asia Retina Eye Surgery Centre
#15-10 The Paragon
290 Orchard Rd
Singapore 238859
+65 6732 0007 | +65 9118 0007
