Why Eye Exams Can Save Your Vision
October 9, 2023
Going to the doctor regularly for routine check-ups is an integral part of staying healthy. Similarly, seeing an eye doctor regularly for eye exams is necessary to keep your eyes and vision healthy.
The importance of regularly scheduled eye exams increases with age. Getting older increases your risk of developing certain eye conditions like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration.
Many of these age-related eye conditions can cause vision loss, making it especially important to have them diagnosed and detected early during an eye exam. Keep reading to discover why having eye exams can help save your vision!
Just like you need to see your primary care physician regularly, you also need to see your eye doctor on a regular basis for eye exams. Seeing the same eye doctor means seeing someone already familiar with your vision.
Seeing someone familiar with your eyes and vision makes it easier to monitor your eye health for any unusual changes. It also makes it easier to keep up with regular eye exams.
Your eye doctor can tell you when you should come in again for your next eye exam. How often you should schedule eye exams with your eye doctor at Omni Eye Specialists depends on several factors.
These include age, personal risk for eye conditions, family history, and other factors determining how often you should have eye exams. Your eye doctor will recommend how often you should schedule eye exams based on your unique qualifications.
Remember that each patient and their needs are different, so you may need to come in more or less often than someone the same age as you.
Risks to Your Eye Health
Risks to your eye health and how healthy your eyes are exist for everyone, regardless of age or how healthy you think you may be. However, people most at risk for eye conditions are usually older.
But that's not to say that you're only at risk of developing eye conditions once you're older, because that's not true. You should make your eyes and their health a priority at any age.
However, it is essential to know that once you're over 40, your risk of developing certain eye conditions increases. Common age-related eye conditions include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
Most of these conditions cause permanent vision loss, which is irreversible and permanent. Symptoms from these eye conditions are also likely permanent and significantly affect the ability to see clearly. This is one reason why it's so important to have eye exams.
Comprehensive Eye Exams
A comprehensive eye exam allows your eye doctor to see any early signs of damage to parts of the eye caused by certain eye conditions. These internal signs often present long before you can notice any symptoms yourself.
An eye exam can save your vision because it's one of the only things besides an eye doctor to spot signs of these conditions early. With early diagnosis and detection, your Omni Eye Specialists ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate treatment to slow the progression of the eye condition.
Early detection is key to delaying and potentially preventing future vision loss. During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will measure your eye pressure.
Elevated eye pressure is often an early sign of glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in adults over 60 that has few discernible symptoms before permanent vision loss occurs. During the exam, your eye doctor may also dilate your pupils.
Dilating your pupils allows them to look inside your eye and examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other retinal diseases. Some ophthalmologists also use imaging equipment to see the inside of your eye in even greater detail.
By looking thoroughly at all structures of your eye, your eye doctor can ensure that your vision is healthy. If there's something wrong, they can quickly diagnose it to ensure prompt and effective treatment.
When to Have an Eye Exam
When to have an eye exam varies depending on your age, if you have refractive errors and need to wear glasses or contact lenses, or are considered high risk for certain eye conditions. However, to ensure your eyes stay healthy, you should have a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years, especially after you turn 40.
If you're over 60, you should see an eye doctor at least once a year. Remember, these are only general guidelines.
Depending on your risk for eye conditions, you may need to have eye exams more regularly earlier in life. Luckily, your eye doctor can help assess your risk and recommend how often you should have an eye exam.
All you have to do is be open and honest about your health and medical history and follow your eye doctor's recommendation!
Risk Factors for Eye Conditions
Besides age, several things can increase your risk for eye conditions. These factors include:
- A family history of eye conditions
- Smoking
- Consuming a high-fat diet
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Frequent UV exposure without proper protection
- Severe nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Diabetes
You may also be at higher risk for certain eye conditions based on your ethnicity. For example, you're at higher risk for macular degeneration if you're Caucasian and at higher risk for glaucoma if you're of African, Hispanic, or Native American descent.
What's important is to know your risk. Knowing your risk helps you understand what conditions and warning signs or symptoms to look for. Being honest about your medical history allows your eye doctor to assess your risk and better monitor your visual health.
The Key to Long-Lasting Visual Health
You can stay active. You can wear sunglasses with sufficient UVA and UVB protection from the sun whenever you're outdoors.
But the best thing you can do to keep your eyes healthy is to have regular eye exams. Eye exams can keep your eyes healthy and your vision strong even as you age!
Are you ready to make your vision a priority? Take the first step towards better eyesight by scheduling your eye exam at Omni Eye Specialists in Baltimore, MD, now!