Even if you are one of the lucky few blessed with 20/20 vision, it’s still incredibly important to pay a visit to your local optometrist. An optometrist’s job goes beyond correcting vision – they can provide valuable information about your health and warn you about the serious consequences of not protecting your eyes.

Here are a few things your optometrist wants you to know:

• Eye exams can detect more than visual acuity. You may be surprised to learn that optometrists can see a lot more than vision problems during an eye exam. Several eye traits that individuals and optometrists should watch out for include:
  • Iritis, which is linked to diseases such as psoriasis, Lyme disease or inflammatory bowel disease
  • Freckles in the eye, a possible indication of colon cancer
  • Plaque in the eye, which can indicate carotid artery disease
• Sunglasses should be worn no matter the weather. It is crucial to protect your eyes from the sun, just as you protect your skin with sunscreen. Early and prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to serious eye health consequences, including macular degeneration and cataract formation. Wear your sunglasses all year round.
• Existing medical conditions may impact your vision. Many of the 29 million Americans suffering from diabetes don’t understand their severe risk for vision loss. In fact, diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the United States. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes should schedule a complete dilated eye exam to check for diabetic eye diseases.
• Visual acuity can impact your work or academic performance. The increased use of screens between home computers, digital devices and screens is raising concern for the risk of vision impairment. Many adults and students are spending most of their waking hours in front of some type of screen. Decrease impact with the 20-20-20 rule, every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You should also schedule a comprehensive eye exam to ensure you’re receiving necessary vision correction.
• If you were not a candidate for contact lenses previously, you may be now. Recent years have seen vast improvements in contact lenses now made with silicone hydrogels, which have extremely high oxygen permeability for greater comfort. The trend towards silicone hydrogel means patients with astigmatism, Presbyopia, Keratoconus and previously hard-to-fit eyes may now be able to enjoy the flexibility of contact lenses.

MyEyeDr. makes vision health attainable and uncomplicated for any individual by welcoming all vision insurance plans and insurance providers. Schedule your next eye exam at MyEyeDr.