Annual Eye Exam: Why is it Important?

Posted April 24, 2019

Believe it or not, we’re already one-third of the way through 2019! Time sure flies, doesn’t it? As we look forward to graduations, summer breaks, and family vacations, we want to remind you to plan for that annual eye exam, too.  

No matter your age, yearly eye exams are just as important as your yearly health check-ups with a general practitioner, or your 6-month cleanings with a dentist.

For Kids:

Eye exams for young kids are incredibly important, because we want to make sure their eyes are developing properly. Schools will often provide visual screenings, but these generally test for serious–and often obvious–vision impairments. At a proper eye exam, we can check eyes for serious diseases that may not have obvious early symptoms–like glaucoma and eye cancer. We also test for depth perception and color vision. We perform these tests to make sure their eyes are ready for school, since so much of learning is visual.

Annual eye exams also help us determine if your child needs glasses or other visual aids. Nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia) can also affect how children perform in school, and these conditions don’t necessarily appear right away. Young kids can develop myopia or hyperopia at any time. Attending annual eye exams provides a record of eye development, so we can track from year-to-year how their eyes are progressing while they develop.

For Adults:

Throughout your life, your vision will continue to change and develop, even if in minute increments. You may not notice the change, but a slight shift in your prescription might be necessary in order to keep you seeing at your absolute best. Adults often develop presbyopia, when the lens of the eye becomes less flexible and struggles to focus. Even if you’ve never worn glasses before, you may find that you need them.

Eyes are not only a “window into the soul”; they’re also windows into our bodies. A number of diseases–such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, and certain types of cancers–show symptoms in your eyes, many of which can only be detected with a comprehensive eye exam. Catching those diseases in their early stages is necessary in order to properly manage and medicate so you can live a long and healthy life.

For Seniors:

As we get older, our bodies become weaker and more prone to developing serious eye diseases. Catching those diseases early is absolutely critical to prevent permanent damage to our eyes. And many of these diseases don’t show obvious symptoms until your eyesight begins to degrade.

Keeping up with your annual eye doctor appointments ensures that we can catch common senior eye conditions, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, early. The earlier we catch it, the sooner we can treat it, and the less likely it is to leave you with permanent vision loss or impairment.

Scheduling a yearly eye exam is a necessary part of keeping up with your overall health and making sure you can see all the beautiful details of the world around us. With offices in Christiansburg and Salem, we’re happy to serve the annual eye exam needs of the New River Valley. Make an appointment with us today!