Ophthalmologist Dr. Oksana Kuznetsova points out that many people believe visual acuity means their eyes are healthy. However, normal visual acuity alone does not rule out the presence of underlying diseases.
According to her, there are at least three eye diseases that can develop without showing obvious symptoms in their early stages: glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. In other words, a visual acuity test alone will not detect these serious conditions.
She pointed out that the common belief "I can see the last line, therefore my eyes are fine" is based on a misconception, as a person may be able to read the letters on an eye chart clearly, while at the same time suffering from pathological changes that cannot be detected by measuring visual acuity alone.
She explained that this examination determines the clarity of vision at a given moment, while the ophthalmologist's task is to assess the overall health of the eye and compare the results of a range of examinations, rather than waiting for a problem to arise that affects daily life.
She said: "Glaucoma may not show symptoms in its early stages, but without timely diagnosis and treatment, it can lead to complete vision loss. Therefore, measuring eye pressure, examining the visual field, and assessing the condition of the optic nerve are just as important as reading an eye chart."
She added that age-related macular degeneration may not cause symptoms in its early stages either, but as the disease progresses, a person may notice distortion of straight lines, loss of some letters while reading, or a decline in vision.
She pointed out that diabetic retinopathy can also develop without obvious symptoms, despite ongoing changes in the retina. Therefore, medical guidelines recommend regular eye examinations for diabetic patients at least once a year, and for type 1 diabetic patients starting five years after diagnosis, even in the absence of symptoms.
She stressed that periodic checkups do not replace an urgent visit to an ophthalmologist when certain signs appear, such as seeing flashes of light or "lightning" in front of the eyes, the sudden appearance or sharp increase of floaters, the sensation of a "curtain" or "shutter" covering part of the field of vision, distorted images, or a sudden decrease in visual acuity.
