Spotlight on Well-Being: Eye Health
June is Eye Health Awareness Month. Eye health encompasses vision, ocular health, and functional ability. Eye health can contribute to overall health and well-being, social inclusion, and quality of life. For most people, the first step towards eye health is to get regular eye exams.
Why get an eye exam?
There are many reasons to check your eyes and your vision:
- Correct vision problems: An eye exam will assess your visual acuity (ability to see clearly at various distances) and check for refractive errors (issues like nearsightedness or farsightedness, which are caused by how your eye focuses light on the retina). Changes in vision happen naturally over time. If you already have a prescription, your next eye exam might indicate that you need your prescription updated.
- Detect Eye Diseases Early: Even if you have 20/20 vision, regular eye exams are important for your eye health. Eye exams can detect diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and much more. Catching conditions like these early will allow for treatment that can help preserve your vision and prevent other eye problems.
- Discover Other Health Conditions: Through a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor might spot other health issues. That’s because an eye exam gives your eye doctor a clear view of your blood vessels and nerve tissue. Some of the many conditions that an eye exam can uncover include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Diabetic eye disease
- Heart disease
- High cholesterol
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Brain tumors
- Lupus
- Thyroid disease
- Parkinson’s disease
How often should you get an eye exam?
If you don’t have any symptoms or vision problems, doctors recommend getting regular eye exams based on your age:
| Age | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 20 to 39 | Every five years |
| 40 to 54 | Every two to four years |
| 55 to 64 | Every one to three years |
| 65 and up | Every one to two years |
You’ll want to have your eyes checked more often if you wear glasses or contact lenses, have a family history of eye disease, or have a chronic condition that puts you at risk for eye disease, like diabetes.
Pediatrics
For kids under age 3, a pediatrician can look for common childhood problems. It’s a good idea to have your kids’ eyes checked before entering first grade. After that, if your family doesn’t have a history of vision problems, eye exams every one to two years should be enough. Watch "Ask an Eye Doc: Is there a difference between a vision screening and an eye exam?" for more information.
Do you need to see an Ophthalmologist or an Optometrist?
Although both are commonly called an “eye doctor,” their level of training and expertise is different. An optometrist is not a medical doctor but is often referred to as an eye doctor because they hold a doctor of optometry (OD) degree. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor, and the only eye doctor with a medical degree (MD). Ophthalmologists must complete more years of medical training than optometrists and opticians. An ophthalmologist is the most qualified among eye care professionals to diagnose and treat a wide range of eye diseases, beyond the routine eye and vision care provided by an optometrist. Find an Eye Doctor.