Three Reasons An Annual Eye Exam Is Important
If you were thinking about skipping your yearly eye exam this year, think again. The annual eye exam is more than a tradition; it actually has many important health benefits. Here are three reasons to schedule your checkup.
Prescriptions Change
First of all, yearly checkups are about the interval that you want to get your prescription redone. Vision can change with each passing year, and your prescription is most helpful when it is correct. Consider a case where you have a prescription that is too weak in one or both eyes. Your eyes are still straining, so there is more damage being done to them. And if your doctor notices your prescription changing too quickly over the years, they may need to look more carefully at the factors that are causing rapid eye deterioration. But for better eye care, all that may be needed is a switch from contact lenses to prescription frames and lenses, or vice versa.
An Ounce of Prevention Goes a Long Way
Another thing that's great about eye visits is that a simple check up is enough to help your doctor diagnose many different eye conditions. From astigmatism to eye cancer, a visual eye inspection is key to healthy eyes.
When you visit an eye doctor, they may section your exam based on your medical history and family history of eye disease. Along with visual examination and screenings, the doctor can order retinal images to further diagnose issues that seem to be developing. But along the preventive front, something as simple as prescription eye drops can help reduce inflammation, control infection, and stop the development of a disease.
Vision Loss Is Progressive
Not only can an eye doctor easily spot certain diseases, but this service becomes more important with each passing year. Many eye diseases are progressive, meaning that they can start to snowball more rapidly each year. Your checkup may not have turned up anything bad at at 50, but the damage may finally be visible at 51. This is a bit of a silver lining for those who have missed some of their routine eye exams at a younger age; a lot of eye diseases are degenerative, so the most important eye exam appointments may be ahead of you. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take great care of your eye health at any age by keeping up your appointments with an eye doctor like Rhinebeck Eye Care.
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