Vision Care Given that 50 percent of all vision loss can be prevented with an eye exam, visiting your eyecare professional regularly is the simplest step you can take to care for your vision. A regular, comprehensive eye exam can help correct eye sight and identify issues that could lead to impaired vision later in life.
Eyecare professional visits should include: 1. A thorough patient history will explore your lifestyle needs, such as what you do for a living and what hobbies you enjoy. It should also review your overall medical history, including current conditions you are facing, medications you are taking, surgeries you’ve had, etc.
2. Through a comprehensive eye exam, your doctor can detect the onset of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration and retinal detachment, which can be best treated when caught early. You doctor may also be able to detect certain system-wide diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and even eye tumors. The vision “test” or refraction is used determine your prescription.
3. Your eye exam and patient history will guide your doctor’s recommendations for vision correction and enhancement.
Vision Wear Vision wear has advanced significantly in recent years, and can now address unique visual needs and long-term eye health concerns like never before. Beyond correcting vision to 20/20 in an exam room setting, the right eyewear can also enhance sight and provide important eye protection under real-world conditions.
To get eyewear suggestions tailored to your needs, visit the EyeGlass Guide
Eye Protection UV radiation poses a serious threat to vision. Intense short-term exposure can lead to “sunburn” of the eye (called photokeratitis), while cumulative, long-term exposure has been linked to age-related eye diseases, such as cataract and macular degeneration. Children’s eyes are particularly susceptible to UV. People of all ages should choose eyewear that blocks 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays (look for eyewear that carries the Seal of Acceptance for UV Blockers/Absorbers from the World Coubvncil of Optometry or the American Optometric Association).
Excessive visible light can negatively impact sight, causing squinting and eye fatigue, and diminished vision. Most commonly called “glare,” too much light decreases the contrast between darks and lights, so it is hard to distinguish one object from another. Tinted eyeglass lenses or sunlenses filter out excessive light, while photochromic lenses automatically darken in proportion to the intensity of sunlight to provide the right level of tint to enhance sight.
Eye injury can needlessly steal vision. Your occupation or hobbies may place you at special risk. Impact-resistant lenses and safety frames can help safeguard the eye from trauma.
There are many factors that affect sight. Everyone has unique personal, occupational, social, medical and recreational vision needs. These needs change as you work, play and live life, so that even “perfect” 20/20 vision on an eye chart may be far from “perfect” in the real world.
If you require vision correction or sunwear to protect your eyes outdoors, ask your eyecare professional about eyeglass options that are right for you.
Blurred VisionVision problems can cause difficulty reading, trouble seeing the blackboard, frustration or low self-esteem, redness or tearing of the eyes and headaches.
GlareGlare is caused by bright light, either from the sun or an artificial source (like car headlights). Reflections off of objects (like a computer screen) or eyeglass lenses themselves can also be distracting, reducing vision and causing eye fatigue.
CataractsA cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens. Of the 20 million people with cataracts, an estimated 20% may be due to UV.
