Good Vision Does Not Mean Healthy Eyes

“So…when was your last eye exam?” I ask my 50-year old patient. It’s usually the second thing I ask each of my patients, right after “What brings you in today?”

“I’ve actually never had an eye exam before!” My patient responds.

I look at them, both surprised…and worried.

I’m sure all optometrists have a story about a middle-aged patient who comes in for their first ever eye exam, only to find out they have an eye disease that had been silently damaging their sight for decades. When I would ask these patients why they waited so long to come in for an eye exam, their responses were very similar.

“Well, I thought I could see fine, so why would I get an eye exam?”

The thing is, good vision does NOT mean healthy eyes. Many eye diseases happen slowly, damaging the eyes over many years before symptoms even develop. And by the time someone does start to experience vision difficulties and decides to see an optometrist, it might already be too late.

Today’s blog is going to examine some of the most notorious eye conditions I encounter that can have no symptoms yet still may cause vision loss if not identified and treated early.

Glaucoma: The Silent Thief of Sight

Glaucoma is a disease of high eye pressure. But what people don’t realize is that most of the time you can’t FEEL that your eye pressure is high, meaning it may be damaging your vision without you noticing. Glaucoma damages your side vision first, making it harder to detect that there is a problem with your vision until it has already progressed. Glaucoma is also irreversible, so early detection and treatment is key to preventing vision loss before it occurs. The treatment is usually a daily eye drop to keep the pressure low and prevent damage.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration affects the centre of your vision but may not have symptoms when it is just starting out. The sooner macular degeneration is identified, the sooner a patient can make meaningful lifestyle changes to slow its progression and preserve their sight. Stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet rich in antioxidants like spinach and blueberries, and wearing sunglasses can all slow down macular degeneration.

Cataracts

Cataracts are an age-related yellowing of the lens of the eye that causes vision loss. Cataracts tend to grow very slowly, which means that people sometimes aren’t aware their vision is getting worse until an optometrist identifies it during an eye exam.  The sooner a cataract is identified, the sooner it can be properly monitored. The good news is, the vision can usually be restored by having cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens and put in a clear implant.

Dry Eye

Many of my patients show signs of having dry eyes, even if they don’t feel any symptoms. Untreated dry eyes can be an issue because it could lead to damage of the meibomian glands, the structures responsible for producing the protective moisture barrier of the eye. Dry eye is chronic and worsens with age, so having healthy eye hygiene habits when you’re young, before you develop dry eye symptoms, can help keep your vision good and your eyes feeling comfortable in the long term.

Regular comprehensive eye exams with an optometrist are important to preserve your overall health, identify early warning signs of eye diseases, and protect your vision into the future.

Remember, Eye Exams Catch What You Can’t See.

Protect Your Health. See An Optometrist