{"id":16671,"date":"2021-08-05T09:43:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T09:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=16671"},"modified":"2021-08-05T09:44:59","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T09:44:59","slug":"dont-skip-your-eye-exam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/why-are-annual-eye-exams-important\/dont-skip-your-eye-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Skip Your Eye Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>When it comes to routine medical visits, include eye exams as well as visits to the family doctor and dentist.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Some individuals hold the misconception that eye exams are only required for people who wear glasses or have an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/\">eye disease<\/a>. However, all people, especially those above the age of 40, should get annual eye exams.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Are people having regular eye exams?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately No.<\/p>\n<p><b>Only 40% of adults that have a high risk of major eye diseases visited their eye doctor for an eye exam (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).<\/b><\/p>\n<p>These adults were more likely to experience vision loss as a result of diseases like<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/macular-degeneration-guide\/\"> age-related macular degeneration<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/diabetic-macular-edema\/\">diabetic macular edema<\/a>, which can only be detected with a thorough eye exam.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2016 poll conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 64% of individuals in the United States suffer from visual symptoms such as blurry vision, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-blurry-vision-and-headaches\/having-difficulty-seeing-at-night\/what-causes-night-blindness\/night-blindness-treatments-and-prevention\/\">poor night vision,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/vision-and-brain-injuries\/double-vision-diplopia\/\">double vision<\/a>, seeing flashes, reading difficulty, and red eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, only 13% of these individuals had gone to their eye doctor for an eye exam and treatment.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Why you should not skip your next routine eye exam<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>A full eye exam can discover eye disease in addition to measuring your vision.<\/p>\n<p><b>Symptoms of several eye diseases may not appear until the problem has progressed, they can go unnoticed for years<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>Examples include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/\">glaucoma<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/why-does-diabetes-cause-blurry-vision\/a-deeper-understanding-of-diabetic-retinopathy\/\">diabetic retinopathy<\/a>, and macular degeneration. Unfortunately, by the time the symptoms become noticeable,\u00a0 irreparable vision loss and possibly blindness may have occurred.<\/p>\n<p><b>Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you, to diagnose any potential vision problems.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/why-are-annual-eye-exams-important\/what-to-do-before-an-eye-exam\/\">What to do Before an Eye Exam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>Eye exams for children<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>An eye exam can also reveal vision problems in children, which can often contribute to reading or learning disabilities or behavioral problems<\/b>, <b>such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/vision-therapy-for-adhd\/adhd-faqs\/\">ADHD<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Be proactive\u00a0 and protect you and your child&#8217;s eye health by undergoing annual comprehensive eye exams. The sooner a visual problem is identified and treated, the better. If you have a family history of vision difficulties, annual eye exams are even more crucial.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequent monitoring for adults<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Your vision changes as you get older, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways.<\/p>\n<p><b>The risks of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/retinal-diseases\/retinal-detachment\/\">retinal detachment<\/a>, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration all increase with age<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>When a person is in their 40s, they begin to develop age-related farsightedness, also known as presbyopia, which is a natural part of the aging process. As a result, older people should see their eye doctor more frequently for regular check-ups.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Eye exams can reveal your overall health<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Your eyes are windows into your overall health, revealing far more than just eye problems.<\/p>\n<p><b>By examining the blood vessels in your eyes, an eye doctor may often discover problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>An irritated retina could indicate an autoimmune problem; blurred vision could indicate blood sugar fluctuations; and bulging eyes could indicate thyroid disease.<\/p>\n<p>To prevent vision loss, early detection and treatment is key. Don\u2019t wait until your vision changes to visit your optometrist.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-exams\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626436974964000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHinMUOEtNtVAJvLb1gFv2Yrw0UKg\">Guide to Eye Exams<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>If it\u2019s been a year since your last comprehensive eye exam,<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you today!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to routine medical visits, include eye exams as well as visits to the family doctor and dentist.\u00a0 Some individuals hold the misconception<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1206,"featured_media":16672,"parent":10322,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16671","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - 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