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We understand that it’s hard to keep up with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But, the one place you shouldn’t cut corners involves regular eye exams.
Most people put off these important appointments until they start having vision problems. But, an eye exam is important for protecting your vision, even if you’ve never needed glasses or contact lenses in the past.
In the earliest stages, many eye conditions don’t impact your ability to see clearly, but they can put your vision at risk. Fortunately, an examination from a skilled eye specialist can catch problems early. Not only does this make them easier to treat, but early detection could actually protect your vision.
Our team of experts at Maryland Eye Care Center would like you to understand the importance of having regular eye exams. Here, we share a few reasons why you should have your eyes checked regularly even when you can see perfectly.
Glaucoma is a serious but treatable eye disease that damages the optic nerve in your eye. When you have glaucoma, fluid builds up in your eye, putting pressure on your optic nerve.
Glaucoma is the top cause of blindness in people over age 60. But when caught early, treatment can often prevent vision loss. However, in the early stages, glaucoma usually causes no symptoms or loss of vision, which means you may not think to come see us. That's why your routine exam is so important — we can detect this problem before you realize you have it.
To check for glaucoma, we perform a tonometry test, which uses a quick puff of air to measure the pressure in your eyes.
During an eye exam, we use a magnifying tool to check the outsides of your eyes — including your corneas and eyelids — for scratches or other damage that could put your vision at risk. Plus, they dilate your pupils so they can look inside your eyes for any possible problems with your optic nerve or retina.
During your visit, we also look for abnormal blood vessel growth or yellow deposits underneath your retina. These are signs of age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss and blindness in people over age 50.
When you have a cataract, a cloudiness forms on the lens of your eye. In most cases, cataracts cause vision problems like sensitivity to light, blurriness, difficulty seeing at night, or double vision. These vision changes can come on so slowly, you may not notice them. But an eye exam can spot cataracts even when you don’t know you have them.
Anyone can develop cataracts, but they’re more likely to occur in people with diabetes or who take certain medications, like corticosteroids. They’re also more common in people with a family history of the condition or who spend long periods in the sun without proper eye protection.
It’s easy to think of every part of our body’s a separate unit, but they’re all intricately connected. So, you can have a completely different health condition like diabetes or high blood pressure that’s actually endangering your eye health.
Everyone should include regular eye exams in their preventive healthcare strategy, but it’s even more essential for individuals with other health conditions, especially those that could compromise your vision.
Don’t wait for symptoms or vision changes to appear before scheduling an eye exam. Take a proactive step in protecting your eye health so you can detect problems early, when they’re easiest to treat without affecting your ability to see.
Your eye care providers at Maryland Eye Care Center in Silver Spring and Hyattsville, Maryland, are here for routine check-ups or to look into any vision changes or symptoms. Give us a call or request an appointment online today.
