Your eyesight is one of the most precious gifts that you have been given. Therefore, regardless of how old you are or your current state of health, it is important that you see your eye doctor on an annual basis for a comprehensive eye exam. Doing so will ensure that eye problems are detected in their early stages, which is when they are the most treatable.
Eye examinations are important for individuals of all ages, as young as six months to those 75 years and older. So, no matter how old you are, you should be getting an eye exam every year. Adults should visit the eye doctor to maintain prescriptions and to detect early signs of eye disease, while children should visit the eye doctor to assist in their normal development and learning phases.
Vision and learning are very closely related. Children who have difficulty seeing or understanding what they are seeing will typically have trouble with their work at school. More often than not, children do not complain about issues with their vision because they are uncertain as to what “normal” should be. If you have noticed your child performing poorly at school or exhibiting a learning problem, schedule an appointment with an optometrist for an exam to ensure there is not an underlying vision problem.
During an eye exam, the optometrist is checking your eyesight as well as your overall eye health. Generally, the Snellen eye chart will be used to determine how well you can see. If your eyesight does not come back 20/20, you will be tested for refractive errors like near- and far-sightedness. You will also undergo a number of tests that will detect various eye diseases and conditions, some of which can occur early in life while others occur later in life. If detected early, most of them can be treated easily, which is exactly why annual eye exams are so incredibly important.
Many people do not realize it, but there is a big different between visions screenings and eye exams. Some think that as long as they have a vision screening that they do not need an eye exam. However, this is far from the truth. Screenings are simple vision tests that are typically performed by pediatricians, school nurses, or sometimes even volunteers. Another example of a screening is the test that you take when you go in for a driver’s license renewal.
The results of these screenings can indicate that a more thorough eye exam is necessary, but it is in no way a substitute for an annual eye exam. In fact, there are many cases when screenings will miss vision-related issues.
A comprehensive eye exam is performed by a certified and professional eye doctor, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, and serious care is taken when it comes to your vision. Based on the results of the examination, the eye doctor will recommend a specialized treatment plan. This may include glasses or contacts, medical treatment for eye conditions or diseases, eye exercises/surgery for muscles issues, or a simple recommendation for another exam within a specific time period.
If you have not had an annual eye exam recently—or at all—then it is time to schedule an exam with us. Contact Performance Vision Inc. to schedule an appointment today.