From age five, every person should have an annual eye exam. Even if you think you have perfect vision, an annual comprehensive eye exam is an investment in your overall health and wellness.
As eye clinics open, scheduling your eye exam can seem like a low priority in the age of coronavirus. Here are three reasons not to miss your annual vision check!
Protecting Your Health
Annual eye exams check for serious health issues such as:
Stroke: Sometimes eye doctors can detect blood vessel blockages in the back of the eye, which pose a high stroke risk. A regular vision exam can help detect a stroke before it happens, especially in older individuals.
Diabetes: Diabetes affects the small capillaries in the retina of the eyes. These blood vessels may leak blood or a yellowish fluid, and this may be discovered in an eye exam. If your eye doctor notices this condition, you may have a condition called diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. An early diagnosis followed by treatment dramatically reduces this risk.
Autoimmune Disorders: Eye doctors can often detect signs of autoimmune diseases. For example, inflamed eyes are a sign of Lupus or another autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Cancer: Different types of cancer can be detected during comprehensive eye exams. For example, your eyes can indicate if you have skin cancer, retinal bleeding can indicate leukemia, and brain tumors can be detected based on vision changes.
High Blood Pressure: Arteriovenous nicking or bulged veins at the back of the eye can signify high blood pressure. The blood vessels are fragile and often can be affected by uncontrolled high blood pressure first.
This list doesn’t include vision-threatening eye problems like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Since the eye is the only place in the body where a doctor can have an unobstructed view of our blood vessels, nerves, and connecting tissue, optometrists can spot several health issues during a comprehensive eye exam. Many people can find themselves leaving the eye doctor with a referral to another specialist because of their eye exam.
Ensuring Comfort
Thanks to coronavirus, people are spending more time than ever in front of a screen. This includes:
Computer screens
Cell phones
E-readers
Televisions
Tablets
Prolonged use of digital screens has led to an increase in vision problems and eye discomfort. The greater the amount of digital screen use, the greater the level of discomfort.
This is known as Computer Vision Syndrome, more commonly called digital eye strain. Symptoms of digital eye strain include:
Dry eyes
Pain in the shoulder and neck
Blurred Vision
Fatigue
Headaches
Eye pain
Unfortunately, in today’s world, spending long periods of electronics is now the norm. Computer glasses, such as Blue IQ™ glasses, are a way to reduce eye strain, red eyes, blurred vision, and other symptoms of digital eye strain.
It’s important to consult your optometrist to determine which type of computer glasses best suits your needs.
If you find yourself becoming accustomed to vision-related problems at the end of the workday, it might be time to speak with your optometrist about these special blue light filtering lenses.
Helping Your Children Succeed
Healthy vision is critical for your son or daughter’s academic success. Vision issues can affect your child’s classroom performance (both in-person and virtual).
If your child is repeatedly and excessively squirting, having reading difficulty, or showing signs of ADD or ADHD, they might require corrective vision. With an eye exam, your optometrist can check for:
Depth perception issues
Farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism
Strabismus (crossed eyes), or amblyopia (lazy eyes)
Visual clarity, sharpness, and visual acuity
If your child is struggling academically while exhibiting these warning signs, make an appointment with your local eye doctor. An optometrist can determine if a vision problem is the root of the issue.
Our Clinic is Open!
Dr. Oker and the staff here at Eden Prairie Eye Care look forward to seeing you at your annual eye exam!
Our team is dedicated to keeping you safe and is following a strict safety protocol per state, county, and CDC regulations. Please remember that all visits to Eden Prairie Eye Care will be by appointment only.
Schedule your appointment by calling (952) 944-2792 or through our online scheduling service.
