Professional prescription services do more than just assess your prescription. Your comprehensive eye exam and prescription services assessment will also take into consideration any of the following symptoms that you may be experiencing such as blurred vision, bulging eyes, a ring around your cornea, drooping or swollen eyelids, yellow whites of your eyes, eye twitches, and night blindness. Any of these eye conditions can be signs of an underlying condition or disease that you may not be aware of. The more vigilant you are about seeing your eye doctor frequently, the more likely you are to detect and resolve eye problems before they progress.

It has been said by many that the eyes are the window to the soul. Your eyes help you interpret the shapes, colors, movements, and environment that surrounds you, shaping who you are. We use our eyes for almost all of our daily interactions and learning. Eyes provide us the means to interpret our surroundings and make meaning out of what we see. Poor eyesight leads to a lower quality of life and makes mobility and day-to-day activities significantly harder to manage. Although the eyes are such a vital organ and integral part of the body, many people will wait until they notice a change in their vision to see a doctor delaying vital prescription services that they need. Many studies have shown that eye problems are often silent—meaning they have no symptoms. This can be dangerous to the person who is procrastinating seeing their eye doctor.

Many people who think they have perfect vision will not stop to think if there are future problems down the road. With a comprehensive eye exam, a doctor will do more than just measure your eyes for contact lens or glasses prescriptions. They will also be able to detect small variations in the structure and functionality of your eyes and know if an eye disease is emerging. They make common checks for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, misalignment of eyes, crossed eyes, focusing problems, eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and if your eyes are working together as a team or not (which they should be). Individual unique cases may vary by patients, such as a cut or abrasion on the eye, swelling or discoloration, pink eye, eye floaters, or a whole hoard of other problems that could occur. Eye doctors are trained to detect early signs of diseases or vision problems before they worsen, so even if you feel perfectly fine, it’s always smart to have your annual eye exam.
 

Some Facts About Vision

The more educated you are about your vision the better equipped you to retain good vision throughout your life and to pursue prescription services when needed. Consider the following facts about the vision to help you stay informed and prepared for different conditions you could face:

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “about 11 million people over the age of 12 need vision correction.”

• Optometrists and ophthalmologists can usually detect diabetes through changes in the eyes before a person has even been diagnosed.

• According to the National Eye Institute, the most common forms of vision problems include nearsightedness (you see objects more clearly if they are near), farsightedness (you see objects more clearly if they are far away), astigmatism (abnormal curvature of the lens), and age-related farsightedness (developed at 40+ years).

• Cataracts affect at least half of Americans over the age of 65.

• If you have a family history of eye diseases (glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.), you have a greater chance of developing those diseases yourself.

• Early detection and treatment of eye problems can prevent many eye diseases before they become a problem or cause blindness.

• Vision screenings (at school for children or places such as the DMV for licensing) are not comprehensive enough to detect eye diseases—only visual acuity (meaning you actually have to see your doctor).

• Children between the age of 3 and 5 should be screened at least once to test their visual acuity.

• People with diabetes are at a higher risk for other eye diseases.
   

Eye Exams Prevent Serious Vision Complications

To avoid many vision problems, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that people ages 18-60 receive an eye exam and prescription services assessment every 2 years, and those over 60 receive a comprehensive eye exam each year. An eye exam is a rather simple appointment with your ophthalmologist. During your eye exam, your doctor uses state-of-the-art technology to see inside your eye to the tissues in the back of your eye. These tools will allow your doctor to assess the health of your pupil and examine the blood vessels and important tissues that support the health of your retina, optic nerve, and macula. Visual acuity will be measured with a distance chart as well with other tests under different magnifications to determine if you need corrective lenses or glasses.
 

Don’t Skip Your Eye Exam

For such a simple procedure, it’s amazing how millions of Americans skip their annual eye exam or never even think about it. With regular, comprehensive eye exams, many Americans can prevent common eye diseases from developing or worsening such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and more. Some life-threatening conditions like brain tumors and high cholesterol can also be detected early on through eye exams, adding years to your life. So don’t neglect your eyes! Get your vision checked at least once a year and keep track of how your eyes are doing. You’ll be glad you did.
 

Call for a Prescription Services Consultation

If you are interested in learning more about our prescription services and eye exam, visiting one of our Denver locations is your first step.  Our experienced and friendly staff can help you narrow down your options and find the product that will help you achieve the optimum vision and optimum comfort.  Located at two convenient Denver locations–King Soopers Shopping Center off of South Monaco Parkway in Denver and at the Brentwood Shopping Center on Federal Boulevard–Optical Masters can offer you top-rate eye care services and help you with your eye health goals.

Topics: Uncategorized