Why Regular Eye Exams Are Important To Your Overall Health

by | Jan 22, 2013 | Health and Fitness

It is recommended that everyone get their eyes checked regularly.  For children, this means seeing an eye doctor for a complete eye exam when they are three or four years old, and then every other year after that.  For adults who do not have difficulty with their vision, an eye exam is recommended only about every few years (until age sixty-five when you should have an exam at least once every other year).  If you have vision problems as an adult, you should have more frequent eye exams.  Even if you do not have vision problems, you may want to consider seeing an eye doctor in Canonsburg PA more often than every few years, especially if health problems like diabetes or heart disease run in your family.  Following are some reasons how regular eye exams can help your overall health.  

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can cause blindness.  Two of the symptoms of glaucoma are abnormal eye pressure and optic nerve damage.  Having regular eye exams with an eye doctor in Canonsburg PA can help to detect the presence of glaucoma.  Your eye doctor will do a series of tests to check for glaucoma.  Early detection of glaucoma may prevent permanent eye damage and vision loss.  Having clear vision allows you to live your life normally, which can add to your overall physical and emotional health.   

Diabetes is a disease that is detectable during an eye exam.  During a regular eye exam, an eye doctor in Canonsburg PA may ask if you would like your eyes dilated.  Having your eyes dilated opens your pupils up and allows your eye doctor to detect problems that cannot be seen when your pupils are smaller.  Evidence of retina damage may indicate the presence of diabetes.  If you have a family history of diabetes, you may want to consider getting eye exams more regularly and having your eyes dilated every time you have an exam.  

An eye exam could detect heart disease.  Research has shown that retina damage can be caused by high blood pressure, which is an indicator for heart disease.  Having an advanced retinal eye exam with an eye doctor in Canonsburg PA may help you detect heart disease in its early stages.  Heart disease is a growing epidemic in our country and is currently the most common cause of death in the U.S.  Early detection of heart disease through an eye exam could possibly save your life.

Eye doctor Canonsburg PA – Detect health problems by having regular eye exams with an eye doctor. Eye doctors at OneVision Health & Wellness provides superior eye care and services to patients in Canonsburg, PA.

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