We’re well acquainted with the importance of eating healthy, exercising and having regular checkups with our doctor. All of these things are also crucial to ensure good eye health. By learning and doing what’s necessary to achieve and maintain eye health, you can appreciate the benefits for the rest of your life.
Many vision and eye problems have no symptoms or outward signs, so it’s easy to be unaware that problems exist. Practicing preventative care through periodic eye and vision examinations is important for early diagnosis and treatment of eye and vision problems, for maintaining good vision and eye health, and, when possible, for preventing vision loss. During a regular eye exam, your eye doctor will assess your vision and determine if you need a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. If you already have glasses or contact lenses, the doctor will determine if your current prescription is still the best one for you. The eye doctor will check your eyes for common eye diseases, evaluate how your eyes work together, and appraise your eyes as a benchmark of your overall health.
Eye professionals will caution you against excessive exposure of your eyes to UV rays. The rays can penetrate your eye structures, causing cell damage. If you must be outside for extended periods, wear a wide-brimmed hat or wraparound-style sunglasses with the highest UV protection rating.
Is a Vision Screening as Effective as an Eye Exam?
A vision screening, often performed by a pediatrician, a school nurse or other health care professionals or volunteers, is a limited eye test, usually intended to help identify those at risk for vision problems. For example, the eye test you take for your driver’s license is a vision screening. A vision screening is not the same as a complete eye exam, nor should it serve as a substitute. Only optometrists or ophthalmologists can conduct comprehensive eye exams; family physicians and pediatricians are not fully trained for eye exams and may miss important vision problems that require treatment.
Optometrist, Ophthalmologist, Optician—Who Does What?
Don’t let the “op” words confuse you! The two main types of eye doctors are optometrists and ophthalmologists. An optometrist is a medical professional, not a physician, who focuses on regular vision care and the prescription of eyeglasses and contacts. An ophthalmologist is a physician who offers complete eye care services. Often, optometrists and ophthalmologists work together to care for your vision. An optician is not an eye doctor and does not give eye exams. Rather, an optician fills the eyeglasses or contact lenses prescription given to you by your eye doctor.
An optometrist’s services include eye exams; treatment of conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism; prescribing and fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses; providing low vision aids and therapy; diagnosing conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and conjunctivitis; and participating in pre- or post-operative care for patients who’ve had surgery.
The services of an ophthalmologist include vision services, including eye exams; medical eye care, for conditions such as glaucoma; surgical eye care, for vision improvement (such as Lasik), trauma, crossed eyes, cataracts, glaucoma and other problems; diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions related to other diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis; and plastic surgery, for drooping eyelids and wrinkle smoothing.
Optician services include evaluating lens prescriptions; supplying, adjusting and repairing glasses, frames, contact lenses; taking facial measurements; helping the client to decide on lenses and frames; and ordering and checking products, including contact and eyeglass lenses.
“An eye doctor often is the first health care professional to detect chronic systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes” says family medicine physician Anthony Wilson, MD.
Who Needs Routine Eye Checkups?
Regular eye exams by an ophthalmologist or optometrist are important for both adults and children. Adults’ eyes should be tested to keep prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. Children’s eye exams play an important role in ensuring normal vision development, which is a necessary component of academic achievement.
How Often Should I Get a Checkup?
Adults should have a complete eye exam every one to three years, depending upon your age, risk factors and whether you wear corrective lenses. Children need routine eye exams in order to be ready to learn in school, especially since a high percentage of information is visually presented. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children should have their first eye exam at six months, another exam at three years and again at the commencement of school. Children who are free of risks should continue to have exams every two years until age 18. Children with risk factors may need to begin eye care earlier than six months, and with greater frequency. Children with corrective lenses should have annual eye exams.
Your Personal Eye Treatment Plan
Does your treatment plan, following your eye exam, include a prescription for glasses or contact lenses to correct refractive errors? Or, does your eye doctor recommend vision therapy or strabismus (crossed eyes) surgery for binocular vision problems? You might leave your eye doctor’s office with a simple recommendation to have your eyes examined again within a year or two. Your ophthalmologist may suggest eye vitamins or vision supplements to maintain good eye health, or to help with specific conditions such as dry eyes.
Whatever the treatment plan is for you or your family members, remember that keeping regular eye exams and following your eye doctor’s recommendations are essential for maintaining and preserving your vision for life.
If you do not have a doctor and would like help finding one, UT Medical Center’s Healthcare Coordination can help. They will talk to you about what insurance you have, what type of doctor you need and what days are most convenient for you. Call them today at 865-305-6970 to make an appointment.
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