The Best Way to Keep your Eyes Healthy in the New Year

Posted by: OptiVision Eye care in Vision

The New Year’s parties are behind us and the holiday decorations are gone for another year. As we look ahead to 2016 and make our annual resolutions, there could be lots of changes we want to make. We might want to look better, feel better or just be a better person. One very positive resolution for the whole family would be to plan the best way to keep your eyes healthy in the New Year.

We usually take our eyes for granted until we have an inflammation or we need to change a prescription.  Just like you see a dentist on a regular basis to support your oral health, you should also visit an eye specialist to maintain your eye health.

Get out your brand new 2016 calendar and let’s see which of following eye issues could affect you or someone in your family. Then make that appointment for a comprehensive eye exam to eliminate any serious eye issues, maintain your prescriptions and detect any sight threatening eye diseases.

Why an Eye Exam Should be a Priority

No matter how old you are, everyone should have a comprehensive eye exam at least every one to three years.  How often depends on your age, whether you have certain risk factors for eye diseases, and if you wear corrective lenses.

A dilated eye exam allows your eye specialists to get a good look at your retina and optic nerve. The doctor will check your visual acuity, eye pressure, refractive errors and how well your eyes work together.

The obvious issues of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are diagnosed and treated with glasses or contact lenses.

The more serious eye conditions can be detected by your eye doctor sometimes even prior to your family physician. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure present as an inflammation in your retina. The sooner these conditions are diagnosed and treated, the easier they are to treat.

Glaucoma

One of the eye diseases that literally sneaks up on you is glaucoma. There are no symptoms until it’s too late and your vision is compromised. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. It is an irreversible and progressive eye disease that attacks the optic nerve and must be detected early to save your vision.

The only way to find out if you have Glaucoma is through a comprehensive eye exam at OptiVision Eye Care.  

Macular Degeneration

Age related macular degeneration is similar to Glaucoma in that it also silently steals sight. There are no symptoms and damage is irreversible.

Risk factors for Macular Degeneration include a family history, smoking, and being over the age of 50. If you or someone in your family have these risk factors, make an appointment for an exam to keep your eyes healthy in the New Year.

Diabetes Related Eye Diseases

Diabetic Retinopathy is a serious eye disease that damages the blood vessels that “feed” the retina. It is just one of the diseases associated with diabetes that can affect your vision. The longer a patient has diabetes the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy.

Patients will notice floaters, spots, blurry vision and will have trouble driving at night as symptoms progress. If left untreated it can cause blindness.

It is recommended that anyone with diabetes should have an annual comprehensive eye exam.

Cataracts

As we age we are very likely to develop a cataract. If you are a senior or have seniors under your care, schedule a dilated eye exam to detect if a cataract is affecting your vision. There are multiple options available to treat cataracts and give you better vision at all distances.

Considering LASIK Surgery?

If this is the year you have decided to have laser vision correction, come in for your evaluation and make 2016 the year you change your life for the better.  Leaving behind contact lenses is another way to keep your eyes healthy in the New Year and every year to come.

Don’t allow a serious eye disease or condition strike you or your family without warning. Be pro-active and don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Feel secure that all your prescriptions are up to date and your eyes are protected. Put regular eye exams at OptiVision Eye Care on your 2016 “to do” list.   

We hope we have proved that regular eye exams are more important than you may think and the best way to keep your eyes healthy in the New Year.

Contact us today and schedule your appointments for the upcoming year.