Carrie (F/12) came for eye check, she has worn her current spectacles for one year. While optometrist aunty Chaw was wiping the instruments & wiping out risks, aunty chit-chatted with Carrie first to warm up and ask if she cannot see things far away, words on her books/phone become blurry, or whether she has headache especially when she is on phone or reading story books. Carrie said that she cannot see things far far away… eyes no pain, no itchy & no headache too.
[Prompt complaint]
[Refraction – Check Eye Power]
Aunty will put an arm of a machine in front of your eyes, it holds lenses of all different power inside the machine’s arm to check your eye power. Once it is locked, it won’t move. Aunty will shine some light into your eyes to estimate your eye power. After that, aunty starts checking your right eye (while covering your left eye) by asking you to read out some alphabets.. this will let aunty know you can see until which line on the chart. Aunty will also be asking you to compare two lenses.. whether you see better with lens number 1 or you see better with lens number 2. We will repeat the same with your left eye now. And yayyy, we are done with far vision.. now we move on to read alphabets/numbers on a book to check your near vision as well as your colour vision and to check your 3D vision in a book in which you tell aunty which is the one ball that is popping/coming up among 4 balls.
[Check Colour Vision]
[Check 3D Vision]
[Check Eye Stamina]
Next, if you have headache or see blurry on book/on phone sometimes, we will have a super long black ruler.. this is to check your eye stamina. Eye stamina is like your body stamina. When we go for running or jogging, we need our stamina in order for us to run. Same thing goes to our eyes. Our eye needs to have enough stamina in order to continue seeing clear on your book/phone. When eyes lack stamina, you will see blurry a bit.. you blink blink, then you see better. When you continue to see your book/phone, you see blurry again. If you keep forcing to see after few rounds of blurry.. blink blink.. blurry, then you may start to feel headache. If you feel like this, please tell mummy about it. Mummy will bring you over to aunty’s shop here, aunty helps to check your eyes.
[Check Eye Alignment]
After that, aunty will check your eye alignment by asking you to look at one letter on chart, while having a black spoon to cover & uncover your eye. We will do the same again, now looking at aunty’s one finger, this is to check your eye alignment at near.
[Check Eye Muscles]
Then, aunty will check your eye muscles, in which you follow aunty’s finger. We will go to many different directions like a big H.
[Check Side Vision]
Also, aunty will check your side vision, while covering one eye & looking just at aunty’s eye, this checks whether you can notice aunty’s fingers moving at your side vision, while keep looking at aunty’s eye.
[Check Eye Health]
Now, we will check whether your eyes are healthy using an instrument, a microscope in which you rest your chin on it. We will see enlarged image of your eye and we will take some photo of your eyes, and tadaaaa we are done! And you can see the photo of your own eyes, your beautiful sparkling eyes! If you want to keep the photo of your eyes, aunty can WhatsApp you too!❤️
Carrie’s eye power has increased 075 in one year. We would want power increment to be less than 075 in one year. Imagine if power increases 100 a year, the power can easily reach 1000 before a child finishes school. Last time, we were all okay as our lifestyle was mainly outdoor running here & there with no phone/tablet at all, only television. These days, children’s lifestyle has moved very much indoor, on digital devices be it for learning or leisure. Therefore, in prolonged near work, it is important to maintain proper visual hygiene, and also what we term it as SARANGHAE. In caring our eyes these ways, we would be putting our eyes in the best environment to minimise power progression. Researches have also shown that two hours of outdoor play a day acts as prevention and control of myopia.
[SARANGHAE Proper Visual Hygiene]
[Outdoor Play Slows Myopia/ShortSighted]
Carrie’s old glasses (1 year)
R: -2.00/-0.25×180
L: -3.00/-0.25×170
New glasses
R: -2.75/-0.25×180
L: -3.75/-0.25×170
Carrie’s power progression of 075 is on the borderline. We emphasise on proper visual hygiene SARANGHAE and we will continue to monitor her up until she finishes high school. Meanwhile, we will see her back 6 months later.
Thank you Carrie and Mr & Mrs Lee for your trust & support!????