Why do I need a regular eye exam if my vision is fine?

Even if you aren’t having symptoms of vision problems, you need to have regular eye exams to identify problems at their earliest, most treatable stages, to help prevent vision loss that could lead to blindness. The frequency of comprehensive eye exams is based on the patient’s age and circumstances. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that you get regular eye exams every five to 10 years if you are younger than the age of 40, every 2-4 years for those ages 40-54, every 1-3 years for those between 55-64 and every 1-2 years for those 65 years or older.

The difference between an eye exam and vision screening

Vision screening only tests visual acuity and often performed by an optician, pediatrician, or even a school nurse. A comprehensive eye exam is a thorough evaluation of the eyes to detect any problems. A variety of tests are performed on the eyes in addition to visual acuity, including retinal examination, slit-lamp, tonometry for the presence of glaucoma, keratometry for astigmatism, and refraction.

Correct blurry vision

An eye exam will help you pinpoint the common eye conditions causing your blurry vision. These common refractive errors include nearsightedness, in which nearby objects are clear and distant objects are blurry; farsightedness, where distant objects are in better focus than objects closer to the eye; astigmatism, which is blurred vision at any distance caused by an irregular curvature of the eye; and presbyopia, an age-related condition in which the eyes lose their ability to focus on close objects.

Detect glaucoma early

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve and is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. If you have glaucoma, you may not have any symptoms until you’ve lost a significant amount of your vision. That’s why early detection during a comprehensive, routine eye exam is necessary for early detection and treatment to help prevent or delay further vision loss.

Depending upon what is found during the examination, you may need eyeglasses or contact lenses for vision correction, medication for infection or inflammation or other therapies. To learn more or to schedule an exam, call our Springfield office today at (413) 782-0030.