Sight is very important, but most of us never give it a second thought so long as there aren't any major problems. As far as the eye are concerned, there are a number of conditions that can develop without any symptoms which may lead to visual difficulty or even blindness. Aside from these severe clinical conditions, if you suffer from regular headaches you should get your eyes checked; headaches are often caused by severe strain to the eye. We should always check our eyes every year if you're over 60 years of age.
Your Eyes Can Be Even Better
You might have perfect vision (or even better!) and not feel the need to see an ophthalmologist to check your vision regularly A real comprehensive eye exam can allow an optometrist to give you a prescription and fix problems you didn't even know you had. If you thought you saw well before a visit to the eye doctor, you'll be amazed at what you've been missing. Additionally, leaving even slight impaired vision unchecked, may cause loss of vision for you. It is better to correct a smaller issue than allow it to be compounded simply because you didn’t take the time to see an optometrist.
Glaucoma
One of the eye diseases that affects you is glaucoma. A regular eye check-up is needed with a primary care doctor looking into your eyes can't detect glaucoma until it's fairly advanced. People with a history of glaucoma in their families, especially African-Americans, need to be especially wary of this disease. Even people with perfect vision can be at risk. An optometrist can check the fluid pressure in your eyes quickly and painlessly as part of a thorough eye checking with a trained eye doctor.
Diabetes
Diabetics have an extra reason to regularly see the eye doctor. This illness, when unchecked, can damage the retina, but an eye exam can detect the damage before it affects your vision. Your eye doctor can prescribe methods to reverse it. In some cases, an eye exam will reveal the presence of diabetes while the diabetic is still without symptoms. Diabetics, and people who are susceptible to diabetes should get a comprehensive eye exam at least once per year.
Macular Degeneration
Another eye disease that tends to arrive without major symptoms is macular degeneration. The central area of the retina, known as the macula, sometimes begins to deteriorate, ending in blind spots and blurring. Since this might only occur in one eye. it is sometimes difficult to spot, because the good eye will compensate for the one having difficulties. This is a condition most likely to happen to those who are over 50 years, particularly chronic smokers, and in those who are very overweight.
Cataracts
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in people over 55, but they are often easy to cure, if treated early enough. While most people have some lens clouding once they reach a certain age, a cataract can build up around the lens of our eye, resulting defective. An eye surgeon can usually remove cataracts and restore the clarity of your vision, so long as the condition is dealt with in time. This is why regular checkups are important.
High Blood Pressure
Many diseases unrelated to optical health can be determined just through eye examination. A cursory eye examination might detect the early signs of stroke or a brain tumor. A deeper look could even reveal signs of high blood pressure, far before your doctor diagnoses the condition. Unnoticed increased blood pressure can cause damage to our retinas, something that can be ascertained by looking into the eyes with an ophthalmoscope. The eye doctor may be the first one to realize you have a condition that needs to be treated.
Eye Alignment
Normally, the eyes work together perfectly. When one eye turns, the other should turn with it. When the eyes don't work as a team, the brain will often shut off the image from the unaligned eye. In a large number of cases, it's easy to tell, because one eye looks off in a different direction or the eyes are crossed. But sometimes, the eyes are just slightly out of sync, resulting in severe headaches or other problems one may not necessarily associate with vision. An eye examination is the first step to correcting the misaligned eyes you might not have even known you had.
Contact Lenses
Do you wear contact lenses? That's reason enough to get your eyes checked, but it should be more than once every two years. Your prescription may need to be updated, we should have a yearly eye checkup. Contact lenses need maintenance to make sure they are allowing the proper amount of oxygen into your eye, or to orient the curvature of your cornea.
Looking Good
Sure, eye examinations should be about seeing well, but it doesn't hurt to also look good in the procedure. Really, the glasses you're wearing now could be out of fashion in two years. Your local eye doctor will not only have the prescription you need, but the latest style in frames and updated lens. Why wear overly thick lenses with glare when the new lens is lighter, scratch resistant and do not reflect the light in distracting ways? Additionally, sunglasses are a fashion accessory, and there's no reason why your prescription lenses can't also make a statement.
Emily Hunter is the contributor of this Article & is associated with Eyecare2020
