Vision Health
Regular vision and eye examinations are important to your eyes as well as your overall health
Chances are you or a family member needs corrective eyewear. An estimated 11 million Americans have uncorrected vision problems, ranging from refractive errors (near or far-sightedness) to sight threatening diseases.1 Whether your vision is 20/20 or less than perfect, everyone should receive regular vision care. Just like other health issues, early detection of eye problems can help catch minor problems before they turn major.
Consider the following:
- Vision problems are the second most prevalent health problem in the U.S.2
- One in four children has a vision problem that can interfere with learning.3
- Eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are expected to triple during the next 30 years.4
Importance of Regular Eye Exams
During a vision and eye health examination, your eye care professional can determine vision correction needs and can also detect the early stages of eye diseases such as diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and cataracts. The eye is the only place on the body where a doctor can see blood vessels and brain tissue. This allows them to uncover a variety of health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and arteriosclerosis.
Children's Vision
Take the time to ensure that your children's vision care is a part of your family health routine. Your eye care professional can determine if your child has vision problems. If detected and treated early, most eye problems in children can be corrected. Keep your children's eyes healthy, and let them focus their attention on having fun and living life to the fullest.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is progressive damage to the eye's retina caused by long-term diabetes. It can cause severe vision loss or even blindness with almost no symptoms in the early stages. The likelihood and severity of retinopathy increase the longer you have diabetes. And if your diabetes is poorly, controlled it can begin earlier and be more severe. According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetic retinopathy can be detected through a regular eye exam up to seven years in advance of the disease.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure within the eye that can destroy the optic nerve if not treated promptly. Glaucoma can't be prevented and often there are no symptoms. An eye exam is needed to protect your sight before optic nerve fibers are damaged. With early treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration affects your central vision, but not your peripheral vision. The loss of clear central vision - critical for reading, driving, recognizing people's faces and doing detail work - greatly affects your quality of life. The condition tends to develop as you get older and is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people age 60 and older.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye and the leading cause of vision loss. Most cataracts develop slowly and don't disturb your eyesight early on. In the early stages, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help you deal with the vision problems.
- 1. The Eye Disease Prevalence Research Group, 2004 "Causes and Prevalence of Visual Impairment Among Adults in United States." JAMA 122 (4): 477-485
- 2. Kleinsten, Robert N. 1984. "Vision Disorders in Public Health." Annual Review of Public Health 5:369-384
- 3. American Optometrist Association
- 4. Vision Council of America, 2007
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