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In your article "Eye Health" (October), I was surprised to read the advice given to adults aged 20 to 40: "Healthy adults who don't notice anything wrong with their eyes only need to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist once every 10 years." I believe this information comes from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, but, in my opinion, this statement devalues the service of eye health professionals, and offers false reassurance to readers. I'm sure there are many conditions that don't present symptoms that would be noticeable to the average person. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that adults have their eyes checked every one to two years, and that's the advice I plan to follow.
Note: The Canadian Ophthalmological Society guidelines state that a healthy, asymptomatic adult should see an eye doctor at least every 10 years. (Note: This is for non-spectacle-wearing patients with no risk factors.) That said, it is excessive to screen a perfectly healthy 20- to 40-year-old annually without a reason. And the perception that many eye diseases can be detected in asymptomatic individuals is not supported by the evidence. Most eye conditions have symptoms, with the main exceptions being glaucoma and early diabetic retinopathy.
– Dr. John Lloyd, staff ophthalmologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto
