Our eyes are delicate and complicated organs; they allow us to understand and interact with the world around us in ways no other sense does. It’s important to take proper care of them so they stay strong and healthy throughout your life. And eye exams are the first crucial step to doing so.
At The Eye Gallery, we follow the schedule recommended by the American Optometric Association. However, your health history and needs will determine your unique frequency schedule.
Generally speaking, healthy adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should undergo eye exams at least every 2 years. Adults over 65 or who are high-risk should have annual eye exams to monitor their ocular health closely.
The AOA states that those at risk of developing ocular diseases, ocular health complications, or other eye conditions include individuals:
Even if your eyesight is strong, eye exams are essential for detecting problems and diseases at their earliest stages, while they’re still treatable.
However, eye exams don’t only look for signs of disease. They also check your overall ocular health and include visual acuity tests, depth perception, eye alignment, and eye movement. Additionally, eye exams can also detect other health conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.
As you age, it’s even more important to see your optometrist for regular checkups. Eye conditions and diseases, like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, become more common as we age. Many of these age-related diseases often lead to (preventable) vision loss and blindness.
Your optometrist needs to monitor your ocular health over time so they can see even the slightest change in your eyes and eyesight. Treatment and management plans are more successful at preserving your sight when the disease is caught early.
Many eye diseases develop and progress without symptoms. The only way to detect them is through comprehensive eye exams. We look for several vision-threatening conditions during every eye exam.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease in older individuals and is one of the leading causes of blindness in Americans over 50.
AMD is caused by the deterioration of the macula during the natural aging process. Because it affects the macula, AMD doesn’t cause complete blindness because it doesn’t impact the peripheral vision.
The macula is part of the retina and is responsible for central vision. If your macula is compromised, you won’t be able to read, write, drive, recognize faces, or complete other detail-oriented tasks.
A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. They’re a common age-related condition and affect more than half of Americans over 80.
Cataracts generally progress slowly and can be managed with eyeglasses or contact lenses during the early stages. They can worsen over time, and if they start to impact your ability to perform daily tasks, cataract surgery can remove them altogether.
Diabetic retinopathy is an ocular complication of diabetes. The disease causes progressive damage to the blood vessels in the retina, leading to potential vision loss or blindness.
In those with unmanaged diabetes, the delicate blood vessels that supply the retina become blocked by glucose (sugar) in the blood, causing damage. The eye compensates by growing new, abnormal blood vessels that easily break, leaking blood and fluid into the retina and vitreous.
Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that causes progressive damage to the optic nerve, which leads to vision loss or blindness if not managed. There are several types of glaucoma, but the most common form (open-angle) is increased internal eye pressure.
Glaucoma often progresses quietly and has no symptoms in its early stages. As it advances, vision loss begins in the peripheral vision.
Those over 60 and have a family history of glaucoma are most at risk of developing the disease; however, anyone can develop it.
Even if it’s been a while since your last eye exam, it’s not too late to start protecting your eyes! Please book your appointment with us today, even if you have perfect eyesight.
I am very pleased with my experience from entry to exit. I’m so happy I followed through with my friend’s referral to see Dr. Baldwin. Dr. Baldwin was very thorough and efficient and so friendly and listened to my concerns and wishes regarding contacts. The staff is great as well. Anna is very patient and understanding! She listened to my concerns from a few past experiences and took everything into consideration to best fit my needs for Rx sunglasses. For me, ordering Rx sunglasses is very difficult. I’m very happy to be a patient at The Eye Gallery.
Megan Baldwin always does an amazing job with my kids! She is always super friendly, patient, and understanding and makes them feel comfortable! I highly recommend her and her wonderful staff!
Everyone in the office is friendly and professional. I needed help to choose a frame and they all helped me with good advice. The office is clean and working with COVID requirements to provide protection to all customers and workers there.
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