Regular eye checkups are essential to maintain optimal vision and overall eye health. Whether you wear glasses or contact lenses or have no previous vision concerns, scheduling annual eye examinations offers several significant benefits that promote early detection, prevention, and treatment of various eye conditions. Here’s why prioritizing annual eye checkups is crucial for preserving your vision and eye wellness:
Prescription Updates for Corrective Lenses
For individuals wearing glasses or contact lenses, annual eye checkups ensure that corrective lens prescriptions are accurate and up-to-date.
An eye exam is a comprehensive evaluation of one's visual health and ability. It involves several tests to assess different aspects of vision and eye health. This article aims to provide an understanding of what typically goes into getting an eye exam.
Initial Consultation: Discussing Vision Concerns and Medical History
The eye exam begins with an initial consultation. Here, the optometrist discusses any concerns about vision or eye health. They also gather information about medical history, including any current medications, family history of eye disease, or previous eye treatments.
When you have a cataract, the natural lens of your eye becomes cloudy, and because of this, the lens is more difficult to see through. Cataracts can cause blurry vision, seeing double, and problems with night vision. You may also notice that bright colors appear dull. Another common symptom of cataracts is dim vision, which makes it seem like the lights have been dimmed in the room. Here are some options that may help treat your dim and blurry vision if you have cataracts.
If you've been to the eye doctor in recent years, you may have noticed that they test your eye movement as part of the exam. This is called visual acuity testing, and it's an important way for doctors to assess your vision and overall eye health.
Visual acuity is crucial to your ability to see things around you. It's how clearly and sharply you see objects, and it's measured by your ability to identify letters on an eye chart.
Experts suggest that adults aged 60 and above should undergo an eye exam at least once every two years. Although the primary purpose of the tests is to identify any conditions that can compromise your vision, your eye doctor is also searching for indicators of other serious health problems.
Discover two conditions that could compromise your eye health.
Diabetes
When your blood sugar level is extremely high, the small vessels in the retina may start to leak.