Seeing the World through different Eyes

If you don’t wear glasses, you may think that getting your eyes checked is a waste of time. Part of keeping your eyes healthy is prevention; and prevention only happens when you visit your optometrist. Your eyesight is crucial to your quality of life and eye problems don’t always show themselves early on. It’s your job to make sure your eyes are healthy.

Here are some reasons why you should have regular eye exams:

Updating Your Prescription

If you have contact lenses or glasses, you will probably need changes in your prescriptions after some time. Your eye condition and eye shape changes with age, and will require slight alterations to your prescription.

Children

Routine eye exams are essential for children to be ready to learn in school, more than 80 percent of information children receive in classrooms is presented visually. Children generally should have their first eye exam at 6 months of age, another exam at age three and again at the start of school. Risk-free children should then continue to have their eyes examined every two years until age 18. Children with risk factors for vision problems may need their first eye exam earlier than 6 months of age and may need more frequent eye exams throughout childhood.

Examples of risk factors include:

• Developmental delays
• Turned or “crossed” eyes
• Family history of eye disease

Children who currently wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have annual eye exams.

Detect Eye Diseases

Eye problems don’t always show themselves until they have reached a point where irreversible damage has already occurred to the eyes. At times, deterioration can be so gradual that you don’t notice the regression. Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy have few, if any, symptoms in early stages. In these situations, a thorough eye exam can help detect these issues early on and action can be taken to prevent vision loss.

Monitor Changes

Your eyes are unique, and they may experience unique changes. When you have regular eye exams, it allows the Optometrist to notice changes. Whether large or small and it allows these conditions to be treated accordingly. These changes may seem insignificant to you, but to your Optometrist, could be signs of underlying conditions.

Overall Prevention

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, they may be caused by changes to your vision:

• Headaches from straining
• Loss of focus
• Light sensitivity
• Infections
• Blurry sight
• Floaters

These may all be signs that you need glasses, a new prescription or even just an anti-glare coating on your lenses. It’s better to know the underlying cause of these than to deal with them on your own. Your eyes allow you to work, play and enjoy life. It’s not worth the risk to loose your sight or increase discomfort. The good news is, eye exams aren’t frequent. If you are under the age of 40, you should have your eyes tested every two years. If you are over the age of 40, have your eyes checked once a year, especially if there is family history of eye disease.

At Eyeconic Optometry, we care about you and your eyes! If you have any doubts about how often you (or your children) should have your eyes examined, contact our friendly staff to find out what we can do for you.