When thinking about the start of the new year, many people consider resolutions you’d like to make for your health. In addition to eating well and getting plenty of exercise, it’s also important to be sure you schedule appointments with your healthcare providers – including your optometrist. Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to have your eyes checked at least once a year.
Prescription Update
Changes in your vision can happen slowly over time. You may not notice that your vision has gotten worse. If you’re wearing the wrong glasses or contact lens prescription for your eyes, you may experience headaches, eye fatigue, and more. A yearly vision screening can ensure that you’re wearing the correct prescription.
Glasses/Contact Lens Fitting
In addition to ensuring that your vision prescription is up to date, your eye doctor will also be able to check that your glasses or contact lenses fit correctly. If your glasses are ill-fitting, you may experience headaches or eye strain. Contact lenses that don’t fit properly can result in eye damage and pain. If you’re not sure whether your glasses or contacts fit correctly, be sure to mention it to your eye doctor during your appointment.
Cancer Screening
Eye cancer can creep up without warning, and the best way to detect eye cancer at an early stage is to keep up with regular eye appointments. Eye tumors can occur in the retina, the choroid (the layer behind the retina), the optic nerve, the iris, as well as on the skin around the eye. Your eye doctor can quickly and easily check your eyes for tumors. Often, early detection of eye cancers can result in full remission.
Glaucoma Testing
It’s recommended that you have a glaucoma screening every five to ten years if you do not have any risk factors for glaucoma, or more frequently if you have risk factors (such as a family history). If you can’t remember the last time you had a glaucoma screening, it’s smart to ensure that your optometrist includes this test as a part of your yearly appointment. While glaucoma can’t be cured, it can be kept under control. Glaucoma can strike at any age, and you may not have noticed any warning signs that the disease has set in.
No matter what your eye care needs, setting up a yearly appointment with your optometrist is the right first step to keeping your eyes healthy for a lifetime. Reach out to your optometrist today to schedule checkups for you and your family.
