Things your Eye Doctor Wishes You Knew

How educated are you about eye health? Most of us don’t give our eyes much thought, but it’s important to have a basic understanding of eye function and health in order to keep them working their best. Here are some things your eye doctor wishes you knew about keeping your eyes healthy.

• It’s important for kids to get eye exams early in life. It’s easy to think of vision problems as an issue that comes with age, but children need exams to keep their eyes healthy, too. Two to three children out of every 100 lose vision to amblyopia, which can be permanent if not treated promptly. With many eye issues, early detection is the key to protecting vision.
• Many eye diseases don’t have symptoms until it’s too late. Conditions like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration can all be detected and treated early with regular eye exams. If you wait for symptoms to occur, you may not know about your condition soon enough to save your vision.
• There are many foods that can help improve your eye health. Most people have heard that carrots are good for your eyes, but there are actually many nutrient-dense foods that help protect your vision. Green leafy vegetables fight macular degeneration, fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna protect against dry eye, and strawberries and citrus fruit promote retina health.
• Glaucoma can strike at any age. Glaucoma is often thought of as a disease of the elderly, but it can happen as early as childhood. It’s especially important to be screened for glaucoma if it runs in your family because genes play a big role in whether or not you’re likely to have this condition.
• Wearing sunglasses is important. We all know that it’s important to protect our skin from the damaging effects of UV rays, but many don’t know the sun is just as bad for their eyes. About 20 percent of cataracts are caused by UV exposure, which can also contribute to macular degeneration and pterygium, a condition that can cause It’s best to wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation, paired with a wide-brimmed hat.
• Regular eye exams are vital in keeping your eyes healthy. Most experts recommend eye exams every two years from age 18 to 60, and annually after that. Adults of all ages who wear contact lenses have health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, have had previous eye injuries or surgery, are taking medications that can cause eye-related issues, or have a family history of eye disease should see an eye doctor every year. Children should have their first eye exam at six months, another at three years, an exam at the beginning of school, and then every two years as long as they’re risk-free. Children who wear eyeglasses or have a higher risk for eye problems will need to be seen earlier and more frequently.

Do you have the right doctor for regular eye exams? If you’re looking for an ophthalmologist or optometrist in Derry, Londonderry or Windham, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Celebrating over thirty years in eye care, we proudly provide our patients with personalized eye care, using top of the line technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.