You know you should have an eye exam if you’re having trouble with your vision. But you may not realize that it’s important to have regular eye exams even if you have perfect vision.
Some eye health conditions don’t reduce your ability to see clearly. However, an examination from a skilled ophthalmologist can catch problems early, when they’re easiest to treat. In fact, early detection could protect your vision.
Dr. Ramin Tayani and his team of care providers at the Tayani Institute would like you to understand the importance of having regular eye exams. Take a moment to learn some of the reasons to have your eyes checked on a regular basis even if you can see perfectly.
Glaucoma check-up
Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve in your eye. It occurs when fluid build-up in your eye presses on your optic nerve.
Sadly, glaucoma is one of the top causes of blindness in people over age 60. If it’s caught early, treatment can often prevent loss of vision. However, early glaucoma often causes no symptoms or loss of vision. An eye exam can find it before you realize you have it.
To check for glaucoma, one of your ophthalmologists here at Tayani Institute simply performs a tonometry test, which uses a puff of air to measure the pressure in your eyes.
Looking for eye damage
During an eye exam, a magnifying tool allows your doctor to check your eyes, cornea, and eyelids for scratches or other damage that could be harmful to your vision.
Your provider also dilates your pupils to look inside your eyes for any possible problems with your retina or optic nerve.
In addition, your doctor looks for yellow deposits or abnormal blood vessel growth beneath your retina, which are signs of age-related macular degeneration. This is a common cause of blindness and vision loss in people over age 50.
Cataract check-up
Cataracts are a cloudiness that develops on the lens of your eye. Cataracts typically cause vision problems such as blurriness, sensitivity to light, problems seeing at night, or double vision.
However, vision changes related to cataracts could come on so slowly that you don’t notice them. An eye exam can identify cataracts even when you don’t realize you have them.
Cataracts are more likely to occur in people who have a family history of cataracts, have diabetes, who take certain medications such as corticosteroids, and who have spent long periods of time in the sun without eye protection.
Other health problems could affect your eyes
Certain health conditions that affect other parts of your body could also impact your eyes. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure can cause changes that could compromise your eye health.
Regular eye exams are important for everyone, but they’re especially crucial for people with other health conditions that could affect their eyes.
Take care of your vision
Don’t wait for vision changes or other symptoms. Having regular eye exams can identify problems early, when they’re easiest to treat without damaging your ability to see.
Your eye care providers at Tayani Institute in San Clemente and Mission Viejo, California, are here to provide routine check-ups or to look into any symptoms or vision changes. Call us or send us a message here on our website to schedule an appointment today.