Importance of an Eye Exam

Most people will invest in going to the doctor and the dentist regularly. However, few will invest in getting an eye exam regularly. Your eyes are as important to your body as your teeth and other organs. Looking after your eyes is just as important as looking after the rest of your body.

 

Therefore, eye exams are an important part of your overall health just like other body checkups and exams. You need an eye checkup at least annually. Eye exams at every life stage and age will keep your vision strong and improve the quality of your life.

 

So, why do you need to get regular eye exams?

 

Improving the Quality of Life

Eye exams can detect serious health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and even cancer. The windows to the soul also help give insight into your overall health. The blood vessels in your eyes can tell your doctor about the state of the blood vessels in your body.

 

Annual eye exams are a common recommendation for diabetics. Those who may also be at risk of getting diabetes should also start getting regular eye exams. Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness among adults. Hence, the need for regular eye exams.

 

Early Detection of Diseases

Eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy often have no symptoms. Symptoms will only show up in the late stages when the progression of the disease starts to affect vision. In these cases, early detection is necessary to prevent loss of sight.

 

Preventing Loss of Sight

A comprehensive eye exam will check your eye health in addition to your vision. Several eye conditions result from age and other medical conditions. As you age or the conditions deteriorate, so may the health of your eyes. It will affect your vision and daily life and may even lead to loss of sight.

 

When checking the health of your eyes, your doctor will check the blood vessels, retina, lens, and other parts of the eye. Eye exams help detect deterioration early. The doctor can then take measures to slow it down or even stop it.

 

Slow Down Myopia

The number of people developing myopia is growing more and more. It is a concern as it can lead to other serious conditions later on in life. These conditions are serious and can cause loss of sight. During eye exams, the doctor can check the progression of your myopia.

 

They can also suggest treatments that can slow down its progression. In children, the doctor can suggest treatments like orthokeratology that can stop the progression.

Development of Children

Developmental issues or problems in school could be due to underlying vision problems. Reading, motor skills, proper learning, and many other developmental skills are dependent on good vision. In addition to good vision, the eyes also need to function together. Good eye function means you can coordinate them with your hands.

 

Children with hand-eye coordination or focusing problems often experience frustration and may have behavioral issues. They do not know that their eyes have a problem. Therefore, they do not know how to ask for help.

 

Eye exams will help get to the root of the issue so that your child gets at ease and learns. They can also catch up with the foundations of their development and grow up without vision issues.


 

For more information on eye exams, contact City Eyes Optometry Center at our office in Sherman Oaks, California. You can also call (818) 960-1300 to book an appointment today.