Even if you are one of the lucky few blessed with 6/6 eyesight, it’s still incredibly important to pay a visit to your local qualified optometrist. Their job goes beyond correcting vision – they can provide valuable information about your health and warn you about the serious consequences of not protecting your eyes. Here are a few things your optometrist wants you to know:
Eye check ups can detect more than vision and power.
You may be surprised to learn that optometrists can see a lot more than vision problems during an eye exam. Several eye traits that individuals and optometrists should watch out for include:
Iritis, which is linked to diseases such as psoriasis, Lyme disease or inflammatory bowel disease Freckles in the eye, a possible indication of colon cancer.
Plaque in the eye, which can indicate carotid artery disease.
Good UV Filter Sunglasses should be worn no matter the weather.
It is crucial to protect your eyes from the sun, just as you protect your skin with sunscreen. Early and prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to serious eye health consequences, including macular degeneration and cataract formation. Wear your sunglasses all year round.
Existing medical conditions may impact your vision.
Many patients suffering from diabetes don’t understand their severe risk for vision loss. In fact, diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. People diagnosed with diabetes should schedule a complete dilated eye exam to check for diabetic eye diseases.
Visual stress can impact your work or academic performance.
The increased use of screens between home computers, digital devices and screens using LED displays is raising concern for the risk of vision impairment. Many adults and students are spending most of their waking hours in front of some type of screen. Decrease impact with the 20-20-20 rule, every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You should also schedule a comprehensive eye exam to ensure you’re receiving necessary vision correction.
If you were not a candidate for contact lenses before, you may be now.
Research in recent timehas given us contact lenses now made with silicone hydrogels, which have extremely high oxygen supply for greater comfort. This means patients with astigmatism, Presbyopia, Keratoconus and previously hard-to-fit eyes may now be able to enjoy the option of contact lenses.