Keep Your Vision Strong with Regular Eye Exams
Regular eye exams throughout life are an important part of keeping your vision strong. Many people think their eyesight is just fine, but then they get their first pair of glasses or contact lenses and the world comes into clearer view - everything from fine print to street signs. Improving your eyesight is important - about 11 million Americans over age 12 need vision correction - but it’s just one of the reasons to get your eyes examined. Regular eye exams are also an important part of finding eye diseases early and preserving your vision.
Eye diseases are common and can go unnoticed for a long time - some have no symptoms at first. A comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist (eye doctor) is necessary to find eye diseases in the early stages when treatment to prevent vision loss is most effective. Your eye doctor may even spot other conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, sometimes before your primary care doctor does.
Early treatment is important to prevent some common eye diseases from causing permanent vision loss or blindness. (1) Cataracts is clouding of the lens and is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. (2) Diabetic retinopathy causes damage to blood vessels in the back of the eye and is the leading cause of blindness in American adults. (3) Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the optic nerve. (4) Age-related macular degeneration is the gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye. Each of these diseases is best treated when caught early.
Vision exams should start early. All children between ages 3 to 5 should have their vision checked at least once to detect early vision loss conditions.
For adults, screening recommendations vary. If you are healthy without any visual changes and have a low risk of eye diseases, screenings have generally been recommended every 5 years up until age 40, and then every 1-2 years after age 40. However, recently updated recommendations from the American Optometric Association in 2023 now recommend an eye exam every year for all adults.
Certain individuals should definitely have an eye exam each year due to higher risk, including people with diabetes, people with a family history of glaucoma, African Americans over the age of 40, and all adults older than 60.
Five basic tips for healthy vision that everyone should follow include: (1) Get regular eye exams, (2) Eat a healthy diet, including leafy greens such as spinach and kale, (3) Know your family’s eye health history, (4) Wear sunglasses that block out 99% to 100% of UV-A and UV-B radiation (the sun’s rays), and (5) Quit or don’t start smoking. Keep your vision clear for years to come by taking care of your eyes each day!
The information in this article was adapted from information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community.
