A recent study found that one in four adults hadn't had an eye exam in the past two years, and the same proportion was unaware that an eye exam could prevent them from losing their sight. Even if you've had laser vision surgery or have naturally good vision, you still need an annual eye exam.
The Optometrist will determine the next time you should have your eyes checked. During your exam, your eye doctor will look for eye muscle imbalance, vision disorders, and eye disease that could potentially cause future problems.
1. Eye exams help children succeed in school.
2. Myopia is becoming epidemic.
3. Vision screenings are no substitute for an eye exam.
4. Discovering silent eye conditions without symptoms such as Glaucoma.
5. Annual eye exams can detect other serious health problems.
Comprehensive eye exams differ from vision screenings because eye exams not only test the patient's visual acuity but also include a comprehensive examination of the eyes and their internal structures, looking for proper function and potential early signs of eye disease and conditions, such as:
1. Your eyes are red, dry, itchy, or you are seeing spots, flashes of light, or floaters.
2. You have diabetes or another health condition that affects your eyes. Also, if you have a family history of conditions like diabetes or glaucoma you may need exams more often, especially as you move into your 50s and beyond.
3. You can't remember when you last had an eye exam. If it’s been longer than a year, you’re overdue.
4. You have difficulty driving at night and seeing street signs in the dark.
5. You experience eye strain, headaches and/or blurred vision after spending an extended amount of time in front of a computer screen.
6. You get motion sick, dizzy, or have trouble following a moving target.
7. You hold books or the newspaper further away from your face and squint or close one eye to read them clearly.
8. You notice any changes in your vision, especially after an incident of head trauma.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world.
A cataract starts out small and at first has little effect on your vision. You may notice that your vision is blurred a little, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impressionist painting.
Glaucoma is a group of related eye disorders that cause damage to the optic nerve that carries information from the eye to the brain.
In its early stages, glaucoma usually has no symptoms, which is what makes it so dangerous — by the time you notice problems with your sight, the disease has progressed to the point that irreversible vision loss has already occurred and additional loss may be difficult to stop.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the most common refractive error of the eye, and it has become more prevalent in recent years.
In fact, a recent study by the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows the prevalence of myopia grew from 25 percent of the U.S. population (ages 12 to 54) in 1971-1972 to a whopping 41.6 percent in 1999-2004.
Though the exact cause for this increase in nearsightedness among Americans is unknown, many eye doctors feel it has something to do with eye fatigue from computer use and other extended near vision tasks, coupled with a genetic predisposition for myopia.
Dry eye syndrome is caused by a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. Consequences of dry eyes range from subtle but constant eye irritation to significant inflammation and even scarring of the front surface of the eye.