4 Reasons To Get Annual Eye Exams

Going to the eye doctor might seem like a hassle, but it is well worth your while. Even if you’re sure that your eyes are fine, you should still make an annual appointment with your eye doctor.

1. Vision Correction

If you have vision problems, an annual eye exam is an absolute must. You need to make sure that your prescription is up to date, because an outdated prescription can cause far more problems than just causing you to squint. Your eyes change as you age (no matter what age you are), and you may not necessarily realize that your eyes need further correction even when they do.

2. Eye Health

If you take your eye health seriously, you’d better make that annual appointment. There are a variety of eye conditions and eye diseases (such as macular degeneration or cataracts), and you will not be able to recognize the early stages of these diseases on your own. Your eye doctor will, however, be able to notice these early symptoms and address them accordingly. Addressing eye diseases or vision abnormalities in the early stages is always most effective.

3. Digital Eye Strain

In today’s day and age of computer and phone screens, digital eye strain is a real problem. You can take several measures to print digital eye strain on your own—take frequent breaks in which you look away from the screen, consciously try to blink more often, and reduce glare on the screen—but you still might suffer from dryness or discomfort in your eyes. Visiting your eye doctor for an annual exam provides the perfect opportunity to discuss further solutions, such as special computer glasses or a complex change in screen settings, to address this problem.

4. Overall Health

This might come as a surprise, but your eyes actually reveal important aspects of your overall health by revealing signs of other health problems. For example, small “micro-beads” in the blood vessels in your eyes can indicate heart conditions, and other changes in the blood vessels can suggest emerging brain problems. Dilation during an eye exam is a necessary tool for an eye doctor to be able to examine your eyes thoroughly. After that, you can be confident that you are truly healthy.

Sure, life is always busy, but keeping your annual eye exam is still important. Everyone needs to have a regular evaluation of their eyes to ensure long-lasting, excellent vision and overall health.