May is Healthy Vision Month. This is a great opportunity to learn how to keep your eyes healthy and safe. The National Eye Institute encourages you to:
- Get an eye exam. This is the best way to check your vision and know if your eyes are healthy. Talk to your eye doctor about how often you should have one.
- Live a healthy lifestyle. Maintain a healthy weight and eat foods like fish and dark leafy green vegetables to lower your risk of eye disease. Don't smoke. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body.
- Know your family history. Genes can have an impact on eye disease, including diseases that are the leading causes of blindness. Ask your family members about their eye health history.
- Wear protective eyewear: Safety glasses or goggles can protect your eyes. Talk to your eye doctor about protective eyewear for sports or work.
- Wear sunglasses: Choose sunglasses that block out 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation.
Why Are Eye Exams Important?
Eye exams are important for everyone, even if you do not have any symptoms or vision problems. Everyone ages 6 and older should get an eye exam every year. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends eye exams for newborns, babies between 6 and 12 months, babies between 12 and 36 months, toddlers between 3 and 5 years old, and at age 5.
During an eye exam, your eye doctor will do tests to look at the health of your eyes. An eye exam can detect if you need eyeglasses or contact lenses. It is recommended that all school-age children get an eye exam in the summer before they start each new school year, or as needed during the year.
At your exam, your eye doctor will look at:
- Visual acuity measures how well you can see details at a specific distance
- Binocular vision is how well both eyes work together to see one picture
- Depth perception is your ability to understand how far away things are from you
- Color vision is the ability to see and understand different colors
- Peripheral vision is what you see out of the corner of your eye
Annual eye exams are an important part of healthcare. Get regular checkups to take care of your eye health and find any vision problems early.
Sources
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/eye-exams
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/eye-exams
https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/health-pdfs/HVM_Fact_Sheet_2016.pdf
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eye-test-for-preschoolers