A new national survey found that while 80 percent of Americans worry more about losing their vision than any other sense, only a small minority get their vision checked yearly. That’s a big mistake. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 65, you should have an eye exam every one to two years. If you’re over 65, you should visit your eye doctor yearly.
You should also get your eyes checked yearly if you:
- Have a family history of eye disease
- Have health problems, such as high blood pressure, thyroid disease or arthritis
- Wear contact lenses
Surprisingly, your prescription is the least important part of the exam, since checking your vision only tests the physics of the eye. The health of your eyes is what’s really key. Your pupils should be dilated, and you should be checked for cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome and a host of other conditions.
What’s more, your eye health provides essential info about the health of the rest of your body. Both high cholesterol and diabetes may be discovered by looking at retinal blood vessels, and the optic nerve provides clues on everything from brain tumors to multiple sclerosis.
Who should perform your eye exam? The important thing is to find an eye doctor with whom you feel comfortable -- one who spends time answering questions and is easily accessible in case of an emergency. Ophthalmologists are surgeons, so their focus is on medical/surgical eye care. Optometrists aren’t surgeons, so their focus is on medical/functional vision (how you use your eyes on a day-to-day basis). Ask friends, family or your general practitioner for a referral.
Photo: @iStockphoto.com/uchar
