You might think that eye exams are just for people who need glasses or contact lenses. While maintaining a current prescription for corrective lenses is important, there are plenty of other reasons to schedule your next comprehensive eye exam.
Here at Retina Specialists, our team of expert ophthalmologists provides comprehensive eye exams at our offices in Dallas, DeSoto, Plano, Mesquite, and Waxahachie, Texas. We’re sharing the top four reasons that you should have a comprehensive eye exam every 1-2 years.
Up to 40% of Americans have myopia (nearsightedness). Not only are more children starting to develop nearsightedness at earlier ages, but the condition also increases your risk of a variety of eye problems like glaucoma, retinal detachment, and cataracts.
We can identify nearsightedness (as well as farsightedness and astigmatism) during your routine eye exam and provide the corrective lenses you need to see clearly.
Speaking of eye diseases, most of them don’t cause any noticeable symptoms in their early stages. For example, one of the first signs of glaucoma is peripheral vision loss — which is why the disease is sometimes called the silent thief of sight.
Additionally, retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment and macular diseases usually develop gradually, and you might not have any symptoms until it’s too late.
Like most health conditions, your chances of protecting your vision and restoring your eye health increase when we can diagnose your eye disease and treat it as early as possible — before permanent damage occurs.
While you’re probably aware of eye health problems like digital eye strain, dry eyes, sun damage, and allergies, you might not be concerned about them. However, when left untreated, these issues can cause plenty of discomfort.
When you have routine eye exams, we can diagnose these less severe conditions and provide treatments to ease your symptoms, which may include burning, itchy eyes, excessive tearing, eye crust, and even headaches. Our team can also recommend therapies or new habits to reduce your risk of developing these issues.
Your eyes are like windows to your health. Often, our eye doctors can identify signs of health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes before you experience other symptoms. Both of these health problems affect the blood vessels in your retinas and may lead to vision loss when left untreated.
If you wear corrective lenses, you should have an eye exam every year to keep your prescription current. You should have a comprehensive eye exam every other year if you don’t wear glasses or contact lenses.
However, if you notice any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment right away.
If you’re due for an eye exam or are concerned about your vision or eye health, give us a call or make an appointment online for expert eye care.
