Protect Your Sight!

During May’s Healthy Vision Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Eye M.D.s across the nation want to remind people that eye care is for everyone. Preventive eye care can help ensure you and your family have good vision throughout life.

• Many people think of eye problems as something that happens to older people, but in fact there are many eye conditions that can affect people in all stages of life, even childhood.
• Early detection and treatment of eye problems and diseases can help ensure a lifetime of good vision.
• If poor vision can't be improved, you can still enjoy an active and independent lifestyle through the use of low vision rehabilitation resources.

Most people have healthy eyes, but care should be taken to protect the eyes by wearing protective eyewear and scheduling complete eye examinations regularly.

• Sports, yard work, chemical splashes and jump-starting a car can be hazardous to the eyes. Make sure you always wear appropriate protective eyewear during these activities.
• Many eye problems that affect the vision of older people may actually develop earlier than the symptoms. Vision loss can be prevented if problems can be identified and treated early. Ask your Eye M.D. if you are at risk for eye problems like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, as well as how often you should have an eye exam.
• Some vision changes are natural as we get older. Most of these can be adequately corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. However, sudden or frequent changes may signal a problem and should prompt a visit to an Eye M.D.

The recommended guidelines on when to have your eyes examined by an Eye M.D. are as follows:

• Infants and toddlers should be screened for common eye problems, such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye), during their regular pediatric appointments. Vision testing is recommended for all children starting at around 3 years of age. School-age children should have eye exams every one to two years or as needed.
• Most children and teenagers have healthy eyes, but they still need to take care of their vision by wearing protective eyewear when playing sports, doing yard work, working with chemicals or taking part in other activities that could cause an eye injury.
• Even young adults and middle-aged individuals can be affected by eye problems. They too should use preventive measures to detect eye diseases early and to protect eyes from injury. A complete eye exam at least once between the ages of 20 and 29, at least twice between the ages of 30 and 39 and every two to four years between the ages of 40 and 65 is recommended.
• Seniors over age 65 should have a complete eye exam by their Eye M.D. every one to two years for cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions.
• Diabetic retinopathy can affect people of any age, so yearly eye exams are recommended for those with diabetes.

If you don’t have an Eye M.D., be sure to use our “Find an Eye M.D.” feature on the CSEP homepage to find someone in your area.