Health and Wellness: Having a regular eye exam is important

Submitted by HAINES VISION CARE

A yearly eye exam from an optometrist is recommended for everyone, especially those over the age of 45, to make sure you have clear vision as well as good eye health. Don’t wait until you can’t read a street or highway sign when you need to.

An eye exam allows your eye doctor to monitor your vision and eye health to preserve your eyesight over the long term. Regular exams can also help detect signs of medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; and find problems such as glaucoma or macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.

During your exam, the optometrist may evaluate your peripheral vision, depth perception, color vision, eye muscle movements and how your pupils react to light. How well each eye sees will also be evaluated. A reading chart is frequently used during this test.

The optometrist may also focus a circle of light on your cornea to measure its reflection. This test will show the curvature of the cornea and is used for contact lens fitting.

A refraction test can determine the lens power you need to compensate for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia.

If you already have prescription glasses or contact lenses, the optometrist will check to see if updates are needed that can improve your sight. If you don’t have a prescription and need one, the optometrist will write a new one for glasses or contact lenses.

It’s important for school age children to have eye exams because they may not know what normal vision looks like and could have problems at school because so much of the information they receive is visual.

Research shows that about 80% of what children learn inside and outside of the classroom requires good vision. In addition to success in the classroom, a regular eye exam can also make sure children are seeing their best for sports or other activities.

Even those who have had Lasik eye surgery or who have naturally good vision should still have a regular eye exam. Just like a yearly physical, an annual checkup creates a history of your eye health while offering preventative care.

Come in to Haines Vision Care and let our friendly and welcoming staff help you see better today.

Dr. Haines has provided exceptional eye care for the Johnston County community for 37 years. He currently serves as president of the N.C. State Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Our office accepts most vision insurances along with having a large selection of frames and sunglasses.

Call 919-934-2020 or visit hainesvisioncare. com to request an appointment.