Vision changes are not uncommon, especially with age, but you may be at risk for certain eye diseases and be unaware of them. These conditions can deteriorate your vision, not only increasing your chances of vision loss and blindness but also putting you at risk for more health problems, including falls and fractures, injuries, poor mental health, and social isolation. Vision impairment can significantly impact your quality of life beyond the physical aspects. However, you may be surprised to discover that many eye conditions that can lead to vision loss or blindness can be prevented or treated. This is why an eye exam is essential for maintaining eye health.

Why get an eye exam?

You may not notice your vision change until it’s too late, and it can be harder to treat eye diseases when they’ve progressed. Beyond checking for how well your eyes see, an eye exam can detect eye diseases and allow you to find the best preventative measures or treatments to stop or slow their development. Undergoing one every one or two years can help you closely monitor your eye health and keep your vision intact for longer. Here are some of the conditions an eye exam can catch:

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which can lead to vision loss and blindness. Not many people realize they have the condition as there are usually no early warning signs, and it progresses slowly. By the time you notice the vision changes, it may be harder to treat or lead to irreversible vision loss. As such, it’s important to have regular eye exams to detect it early. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is used to check your eyes for glaucoma, and if it’s detected, your doctor can discuss treatment options to prevent it from worsening. Glaucoma currently has no cure, but early detection through an eye exam can help you maintain clear vision for longer.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. The condition is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 50. Lifestyle factors like diet, smoking, and weight can also increase the risk for the disease. During an eye exam, you may be asked to look at an Amsler grid, which helps you notice any blurry, distorted, or blank spots in your field of vision. A machine can also be used to scan your retina and create detailed images so your doctor can understand what’s going on. Early detection and treatment can help slow the progression of AMD.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye, causing blurry vision, difficulty seeing at night, and increased sensitivity to light. Your doctor may also dilate your eyes to look at your lenses and spot any clouding that may be causing faded vision. Cataracts are very common, especially with age, but they can be treated with surgery to restore vision. Early treatment can involve new corrective lenses, but you can also be recommended to avoid prolonged sun exposure without protection, which can increase your risk of cataracts. Wearing sunglasses can help you protect your eyes and the skin around it from sun damage and aging.

Dry eye

While your eyes can become dry from not blinking enough or age, it can also be a chronic condition. Dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes don’t produce enough tears or the quality of tears is poor. It can cause irritation, burning, stinging, and a feeling of something being in your eye. During your eye exam, your doctor can perform tests to measure the volume of your tears, tear quality, how quickly you make them, and how long it takes them to dry up. If you take too long to produce tears or they dry quickly, you may have a dry eye condition. Dry eyes may also indicate more serious chronic health issues, such as lupus or vitamin A deficiency. An eye exam may shed light on other ailments and help with early prevention. 

Article written by Sophia Emma

Exclusively for LifeStyle Magazine

The post 4 Eye Diseases That an Eye Exam Can Catch appeared first on Lifestyle.

Millions of Americans have vision impairment or blindness, with many needing corrective eyewear or procedures to help them deal with it. Eye problems typically affect adults or seniors, but anyone can have vision conditions regardless of age.

Infants and children can experience vision loss or have eye diseases that can affect their lives. As such, it’s crucial that every member of the family gets proper eye care to ensure the health of parents and kids, preventing further complications and finding the best treatments. Here’s why eye care is essential for families and how to encourage it at home:

The Importance Of Eye Care For Family

Checking for genetic eye issues

Eye conditions are caused by various factors, many of which are out of one’s control. However, some causes of blindness and other issues are genetic. This may affect them from birth or make them more likely to develop eye diseases later in life.

Some hereditary problems that cause blindness are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. Proper eye care for the whole family can help identify genes that may affect your family’s vision.

This care can help you take preventative measures or prepare for possible blindness and vision impairment for future generations. It allows parents and children to understand their eye issues and makes it less overwhelming.

Building better habits

Parents with vision impairment issues play an essential role in modeling good habits for their children who also struggle with vision problems. Young children pay close attention to how you wear or handle glasses, what you spend time looking at, or how you ensure your eyes are taken care of. Children may not want to wear their glasses or visit an eye doctor if they notice their parents don’t do the same. When the whole family is involved in building better eye care habits, it’s easier for children to follow and practice good behavior when parents or older siblings, and relatives model it.

Improved family life

Daily life is challenging when you or other family members have unaddressed or untreated vision problems. It affects how parents perform at work or how kids perform in school and can cause stress in your home life. When the family gets the eye care they need, they can find the proper vision correction methods or lifestyle changes required to improve sight and maintain eye health. Getting vision issues addressed can lift a burden on every member, making it easier to go about life with the assurance that your eyes are in better shape.

How To Promote And Maintain Family Eye Health

Finding deals and discounts

Getting everyone’s eyes checked regularly and buying the necessary protective eyewear doesn’t come cheap, especially when the whole family is involved. However, there are many ways to cut costs, mainly by finding the best deals and discounts. When buying prescription glasses, online retailers offer many payment options; you can purchase eyewear using most vision insurance plans, both in and out-of-network. Buy now, pay later plans are also an option, allowing you to convert your purchase into smaller payments. It’s also easier to check for promos and sales when shopping online, and you can get great frames and lens coatings for less. Deals and discounts can make a big difference in the price of family eye care.

Model good behavior

As mentioned above, exhibiting proper eye care habits at home can ensure everyone, even younger children, can follow along. If your kids are hesitant about wearing glasses, parents can wear their own pairs to show them how it can benefit them and improve their vision. Healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet also improve eye health, and parents should be the first to model it. Too much screen time is also a critical part of eye care, as too much of it affects the eyes and causes gadget drain that affects vision and sleep due to the blue light. Parents can enforce rules on gadget usage, but should also practice what they preach and put their own phones or computers away when their children do so.

Get eye exams regularly

Even if someone in the family doesn’t need vision correction, eye exams are still important for eye care and overall health. Children should get their eyes checked every two years or annually if they need vision correction, and parents should visit the eye doctor anywhere from one to five years, depending on age and vision issues. Eye exams can be costly, but your health insurance can cover them. There are also many programs for children and babies to receive free eye exams and glasses, and they typically visit schools or libraries for easy access.

For more tips for whole-life health, check out more posts and resources from Lifestyle to help you live your best life!

Article written by Sophia Emma

Exclusively for Lifestyle Magazine

The post Why Eye Care is Essential for Families appeared first on Lifestyle.

There are forty-one million estimated contact lens wearers in the United States according to the CDC, and almost of all them practice at least one behavior that puts their eyes at risk.[1]

Contacts are very convenient. You don’t have to worry about them jiggling around on your face, falling or breaking when you’re going about your day, or fogging up in adverse weather conditions.

Contacts are pretty safe as long as you take good care of them. Unfortunately, many wearers take big risks by sleeping, swimming and showering in them, and over wearing them.

Many contact lens wearers don’t realize they have an increased risk of eye infection because lenses reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the corneas. More than one-million Americans go to the doctor every year for contact lens-related eye infections.

These infections might sound like just another minor annoyance but they can damage the eye pretty quickly if left untreated.

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF CONTACT LENSES

Do Clean and Store Your Contacts Properly

Contact lenses should be cleaned in commercial contact lens solution and stored in a clean case; change the solution daily. Some people think they’re being frugal by topping off the solution instead of replacing it daily but they will spend more money in the long run treating eye infections; there are smarter ways to save money.

Additionally, never use tap water or saliva to clean your lenses because doing so increases the risk of infection.

Your vision is worth protecting.

Don’t Sleep in Them

Despite what the manufacturer says about your contacts being safe to sleep in, don’t sleep in your contacts! Oxygen is essential for eye health; wearing contacts for long hours makes it very difficult for your corneas to get adequate oxygen.

Many manufacturers claim that their contacts are approved for continuous wear for up to 30 days. Maybe. But it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your eyes.

Don’t Swim or Shower In Them

Water is a no-no when it comes to contact lenses. Lenses are like little sponges that soak up any bacteria or microbes that might be in the water. Water can also cause the lenses to swell, making them uncomfortable to wear. You can easily avoid all of these risks by removing your contacts before showering or swimming.

Run to the Doctor at the First Sign of Infection

Always be on the lookout for signs of eye infection such as redness, pain, watering, light sensitivity and blurred vision. At the first sign of infection, remove your contacts and visit the doctor immediately.

Don’t Forget Your Annual Check-Up

The fit of your contacts can change with time making them too loose or tight. An annual checkup determines if any adjustments should be made. It also gives your optometrist a chance to check the health of your corneas and blood vessels to ensure that your eyes are healthy.

Wearing contact lenses is safe and convenient as long as you take good care of them. Follow these tips to make your contacts safer and to keep your eyes healthy.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0820-contact-lens.html

The post How To Take Proper Care Of Your Contact Lenses appeared first on Lifestyle.