Preventative Care: Why you should get a yearly eye exam
Written by Josephine Ko, OD, FAAO. Published on January 1, 2023.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Eye-Q® Survey 2020, “nearly all Americans believe their eye health is just as important as the health of their heart, but nearly half of those, ages 23-38, don’t think they need an eye exam if their vision is clear.” Let’s take the next step and put that thought into action. Many people have had their vision checked reading letters on a chart at the school nurse’s office or while renewing their driver’s license, but did you know that’s only a vision screening? Going to see the eye doctor, or your optometrist encompasses much more than that. The eye ball is one of the only organs in the body where the doctor can peer in to examine the health of the body in addition to checking the health of the eye. Doctors of optometry can identify more than 270 systemic and chronic diseases on an eye exam! (See the link for the list provided by the AOA.) Some examples of health conditions include diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases and cancer.
What happens during a comprehensive or routine eye exam?
When you make an appointment for a routine eye exam with your optometrist, your eye doctor will review your health history, family history, medications, visual symptoms and concerns, eye health questions as well as your visual demands of your daily work, school or home environment. So optometrists are not just there to help with glasses or contact lenses, they also check the health of your body through your eyes. When optometrists dilate the eyes with drops or use specialty retinal imaging to evaluate the inside of the eye, they check for possible retinal holes, tears, detachments, irregular scars or blood vessels, bleeding or inflammation within the eye which can be associated with a systemic health condition.
How does wearing prescription glasses affect your eyes?
Some folks have asked if wearing the prescribed glasses will make them rely on them more or make their eyes weaker. To clarify, that’s a myth. In fact, more recent studies have shown that uncorrected nearsightedness can lead to increasing prescription strength during childhood and adolescence. Other types of glasses prescriptions correct for farsightedness or astigmatism. Both can cause eye strain, blurry vision and even migraines when focusing on computer screens for long periods of time. Uncorrected astigmatism may cause glare while driving at night. The glasses prescription is determined based on the person’s visual demands and is affected by the shape of the person’s anatomy of the front and back of the eye. Wearing the correct optical prescription will aid in the patient’s ability to see, but will not weaken their eyes.
What exactly is a Contact Lens Fitting and exam?
Some patients require a glasses prescription to see but prefer to wear contact lenses instead. That’s totally acceptable! Optometrists are knowledgeable of the different brands of FDA approved contact lenses and prescribe what’s best for the patient based on the curvature and material of the contact lenses. It is important to have the fit evaluated under the microscope to avoid tight lens syndrome which deprives the cornea from atmospheric oxygen which can lead to unwanted contact lens related eye infections and ulcers. The cornea is the front part of the eye where the contact sits, and this is checked on the annual eye exam for possible problems related to contact lens usage. Sometimes eye infections from poor eye hygiene can lead to permanent scars that can be sight threatening without the patient even knowing.
How can you make an eye exam part of your yearly routine?
Ask for sick time or PTO with your employer for your preventative check-ups and medical care. Some medical insurance plans also have routine eye care coverage. No vision coverage? You can set aside part of your paycheck towards a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to help pay for the routine eye exam and other medically necessary bills. Note: Northeast Optometry only accepts medical insurance plans, and is not a participant of any vision discount plans such as VSP, EyeMed or Davis Vision. If you do have a vision discount plan and wish to use it, it can be applied at the Optical for glasses or contacts with Perception Optical.
References
See the full picture of your health with an annual Comprehensive Eye Exam AOA.org. Available at: https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/full-picture-of-eye-health?sso=y (Accessed: January 1, 2023).