Category: Eye Exams & Technology

Recommendations by Age

Following the recommended schedule for eye doctor visits is an easy way to protect your eye health and keep your vision sharp. Not sure if you need to schedule an appointment for yourself or a family member? Take a look at these recommendations:

• Infants. Infants should visit an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam between 6 to 12 months, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). Although low-risk babies only need one exam from birth to age 2, at-risk infants and toddlers may need more frequent check-ups.
• Ages 3 – 5. The AOA recommends one visit between the ages of 3 and 5 for low-risk and at-risk children. At-risk children may need to be seen more often, depending on risk factors and vision conditions.
• Age 6 – 17. Low-risk and at-risk children should visit the eye doctor once before entering first grade and annually through age 17.
• Adults 18 – 64. Comprehensive eye exams are recommended every two years for low-risk adults and every year for at-risk adults.
• Adults 65 and older. Older adults need annual visits, no matter their risk status.

Babies and children may be considered at-risk due to these issues:

• Prematurity
• Low Birth Weight
• Use of Oxygen at Birth
• Family History of Vision Conditions and Diseases, Including Nearsightedness, Congenital Cataracts, Genetic Diseases, Amblyopia and Strabismus
• Certain Diseases of the Mother During Pregnancy, Including Cytomegalovirus, Rubella, Toxoplasmosis, Herpes, Venereal Disease or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
• Difficult Labor
• Smoking, Alcohol or Drug Use During Pregnancy
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Strabismus and Other Vision Conditions
• Health Conditions That Could Cause Vision Problems

Adults may be considered at-risk for the following reasons:

• High Refractive Error (strong eyeglass prescription)
• Family History of Eye Disease
• Diabetes and Other Health Conditions That Increase the Risk of Eye Disease
• Medications That Can Cause Eye-Related Side Effects
• Eye Injuries or Surgery
• Wearing Contact Lenses
• Working in a Job at High-Risk of Eye Injury
• Vision Loss in One Eye

Why Following the Recommended Eye Exam Schedule Is So Important

Your eye doctor does much more than determine if you need contacts or eyeglasses (or an updated prescription) during eye exams. Optometrists also evaluate overall eye health and look for subtle signs that could mean you have a health or vision problem.

According to the AOA Eye-Q Survey 2020, 20% of Americans reported that an eye health professional diagnosed a general health issue during an eye exam. For example, narrowed blood vessels or tiny clots in vessels in the eyes could be signs of high blood pressure, while a swollen lens or leaking blood vessel might mean you have diabetes.

Your optometrist also looks for signs of common eye diseases and conditions, including cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. These conditions can happen slowly and may damage your vision without causing any symptoms at first.

Your visual acuity (sharpness of vision) will be tested to determine if you have a refractive error. Refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia. Fortunately, prescription contact lenses and eyeglasses correct refractive errors and improve the clarity of your vision.

Every exam includes a glaucoma screening to measure the pressure inside your eye. If the pressure is too high, you may be at risk for developing glaucoma, a condition that damages the optic nerve and can cause permanent vision loss. Prescription eye drops, oral medication, laser therapy or surgery will reduce the pressure in your eye if you have glaucoma. Color and binocular vision, eye teaming, tracking, color and binocular vision and peripheral vision are also tested during a comprehensive eye exam.

Ready to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam? Contact our office to schedule your visit.

Sources:

• American Optometric Association: Comprehensive Eye Exams https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/eye-exams
• American Academy of Ophthalmology: Eye Exam and Vision Testing Basics, 2/14/2024 https://www.aao.org/salud-ocular/consejos/eye-exams-101
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Why Eye Exams Are Important https://www.cdc.gov/vision-health/about-eye-disorders/why-eye-exams-are-important.html
• Wolters Kluwer: Routine Eye Exams Lead to High Rate of Change in Vision Status or Care, 7/1/2016 https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/routine-eye-exams-lead-to-high-rate-of-change-in-vision-status-or-care
• JAMA Network: Association of Vision Impairment With Cognitive Decline Across Multiple Domains in Older Adults, July 16, 2021 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2781965
• American Optometric Association: See the Full Picture of Your Health with an Annual Comprehensive Eye Exam https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/full-picture-of-eye-health

Cataracts

A cataract is a common age-related eye condition that occurs when the lens inside your eye becomes clouded. The normally clear lens is located behind the iris, the colored part of your eye. Cloudiness affects the way light reaches the light-sensing retina at the back of your eye. Cataracts may cause blurry vision, light sensitivity, problems with glare, dull color vision, and the need for frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions. As clouding worsens, you may experience vision loss.

Cataract surgery reverses vision loss by replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens implant (IOL). Some IOLs provide sharp vision at either near or far distances, while others improve vision at all distances.

Detached Retina

A retinal detachment happens when the retina begins to peel away from the back of the eye. The light-sensing cells in the retina send electrical impulses to the brain. If the cells can’t do their job, the brain doesn’t receive the information needed to produce clear, complete images.

Symptoms of a retinal detachment include flashing lights and a sudden increase in floaters, wispy strings that float through your field of vision. You may also experience sudden vision loss and notice a dark spot in your visual field.

Fortunately, a detached retina can often be reattached if you receive treatment soon after you notice changes in your vision. Eye doctors reattach detached retinas with freezing treatment, laser surgery, or traditional surgery. Treatments can restore all or some of your lost vision. The National Eye Institute notes that retinal detachment treatments are successful for 90% of people.

Eye Infections

Eye infections, like conjunctivitis (pink eye), bacterial keratitis, endophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis, can cause blurry or double vision. Prompt treatment of these infections can restore your vision and help you reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.

Migraines

Do you notice colorful zigzag lights or blind spots just before you get a migraine? These vision changes can occur during a migraine and are called auras. Auras happen shortly before the pain of a migraine starts. Symptoms include confusion, trouble speaking, tingling, or numbness, in addition to visual changes.

Although the loss of vision is scary, vision usually returns to normal fairly quickly when the aura subsides. If you’ve never experienced vision loss with a migraine before, it’s a good idea to visit your optometrist to rule out other causes.

Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Your vision can blur if the vein that removes blood from the retina becomes clogged. When this happens, blood and fluid leak into the retina. The accumulation of blood and fluid may cause swelling in the macula, the area of the retina responsible for central vision swells. Called “macular edema,” this condition may make straight-edged objects look wavy or colors look dull. You may be at increased risk for developing central retinal vein occlusion if you have diabetes, glaucoma, high blood pressure or hardening of the arteries.

Treatments to reverse symptoms or prevent them from worsening include medications injected into the eye to reduce swelling and laser surgery to fix the leaks in the vein.

Other Conditions

Other conditions that may be reversed or improved include retinal vasospasm, closed-angle glaucoma, giant cell arteritis, and vision loss due to multiple sclerosis complications.

It may be impossible to reverse vision loss if you’ve had a severe eye injury, damaged your optic nerve, or have a genetic degenerative eye disease. Although you can’t regain lost vision in these circumstances, a variety of low vision aids can help you make the most of your usable vision.

Are you concerned about a change in your vision? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the optometrist. If you notice a sudden change in vision or vision loss, go to the emergency room immediately.

Sources:

• JAMA Network: Sudden Vision Loss, 8/8/2017
  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2647871
• WebMD: Temporary Blindness and Short-Term Vision Loss, 2/7/25
  https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/temporary-blindness-short-term-vision-loss
• The Foundation of the American Society of Retinal Specialists: Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
  https://www.asrs.org/patients/retinal-diseases/22/central-retinal-vein-occlusion
• American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)?, 9/11/2024
  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-central-retinal-vein-occlusion
• National Eye Institute: Retinal Detachment, 12/10/2024
  https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/retinal-detachment
• American Optometric Association: Cataract
  https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/cataract?sso=y

Your Corneas Are As Unique As You Are

Buying shoes online is always a gamble. A stylish pair of shoes may have plenty of positive reviews and come in your size, yet are incredibly uncomfortable when they finally arrive on your doorstep. Other factors beyond size, like width and arch type, affect the fit of shoes. In fact, most people have to try on several pairs of shoes before finding the perfect pair.

The same type of process applies to fitting contact lenses. Contact lenses rest on the corneas, the clear rounded tissue that covers your iris and pupil.

Every cornea is unique. Some curve more than others or are irregularly shaped. Contact lenses that are too flat or too curved for your eyes are bound to be uncomfortable and may not provide the crisp, clear vision you expect from your contacts. Poorly fitting lenses rub against your cornea or move every time you blink, causing irritation that may make you wonder if contact lenses are really worth the trouble.

During a contact lens fitting, your optometrist measures the size of your pupil and iris and the curvature of the cornea. Your eye doctor uses that information to select contact lenses that best fit your eyes. At the end of the fitting, you’ll be given a trial pair of contact lenses to try for a few weeks. Although the first trial pair of contact lenses is the ideal option for many people, others may need to try another brand or type of contact lenses.

Your Comfort Depends on Your Fitting

In addition to determining the curvature of your cornea, your eye doctor also evaluates your tear film. If your eyes tend to be dry, contact lenses designed to retain moisture and keep tears from evaporating too soon may be the best option.

During the fitting, your optometrist also considers other factors such as:

• Protein Buildup. Proteins in tears cling to contact lenses, causing irritation and worsening dryness. If protein deposits tend to build up on your lenses quickly, your optometrist may recommend daily disposable lenses rather than extended-wear lenses. Daily disposable lenses are worn once and thrown out, while extended-wear lenses are cleaned every night and worn for a week to a month before being replaced.
• Refractive Errors. Your eye doctor will suggest contact lenses that provide the clearest vision for refractive errors, like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. For example, if you have astigmatism, you may need toric contact lenses that fit the irregular shape of your cornea.

Wondering why your near vision has become blurry? If you’re over 40, you may have presbyopia. The age-related vision condition only affects near vision and is the reason people need reading glasses. If presbyopia is an issue for you, you may benefit from multi-focal contact lenses that combine multiple prescriptions in one contact lens. Multi-focal contact lenses provide sharp near, far, and intermediate vision.

Nothing Stays the Same Forever

During your annual comprehensive vision examination and contact lens fitting, your eye doctor looks for changes in your eyes that could affect the fit, comfort, and acuity (visual sharpness) of your lenses. For example, astigmatism tends to worsen with age.

Fifty-five percent of people with astigmatism experienced changes starting in their mid-40s, while 41% didn’t have any changes until their mid-50s, according to research published in Review of Optometry in 2023. A new prescription and new contact lenses could improve your vision and accommodate the change in the shape of your cornea.

Dry eye can also become a problem as you get older. The American Optometric Association notes that dry eyes are a normal part of aging and affect most people over 65. Switching to contact lenses with a higher moisture content could help you avoid irritation due to dry eye.

Is it time for your next eye exam and contact lens fitting? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the eye doctor.

Sources:

• Review of Optometry: Ocular Astigmatism Changes Occur After Mid-40s, 9/27/2023 https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/news/article/ocular-astigmatism-changes-occur-after-mid40s
• American Optometric Association: Dry Eye https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/dry-eye?sso=y
• All About Vision: Eyeglass Exam vs. Contact Lens Exam: What’s the Difference?, 8/14/2020 https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exams/eyeglasses-vs-contacts-exam
• American Academy of Ophthalmology: How Do I Prevent My Contact Lens from Moving Up Under My Top Eyelid?, 12/3/2018 https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/how-do-i-prevent-my-contact-lens-from-moving-up-un
• Optometry Magazine: What Unique Challenges Arise When Fitting Contact Lenses?, 7/18/2024 https://optometrymagazine.com/qa/what-unique-challenges-arise-when-fitting-contact-lenses

Why Is the Test Needed?

The puff of air measures the pressure inside your eyes. If your eye pressure is higher than normal, you’re at increased risk for developing glaucoma. Glaucoma happens when high pressure damages the optic nerve, the crucial connection between the eyes and the brain. Optic nerve damage is permanent and can cause partial or complete loss of vision.

Although anyone can develop glaucoma, the eye disease most often affects people over age 40, according to the American Optometric Association. Glaucoma risk factors include:

• Thin Corneas
• Diseases or Conditions (Your risk for glaucoma may be higher if you have diabetes, migraines, sickle cell anemia, or high blood pressure.)
• Family History of Glaucoma
• Corticosteroid Use
• Race (People of African American, Hispanic or Asian heritage are more likely to develop glaucoma.)
• Eye Surgery, Injury, or Inflammation

What Are the Advantages of Puff-Less Eye Exams?

During a puff-less eye exam, your eye doctor uses a device called an applanation tonometer to measure eye pressure. The device probe is applied directly to your cornea, the clear tissue that covers your iris and pupil. The probe temporarily flattens your cornea and provides an instant reading of your eye pressure. During the test, you may look into a slit-lamp, a lighted microscope that magnifies your eyes, or your eye doctor may use a handheld device.

Puffless-eye exams offer these benefits:

• No Discomfort. Those puffs of air may not hurt, but they can be a little uncomfortable. Before your optometrist performs a puff-less test, he or she numbs your eyes. Thanks to the anesthetic effect of the drops, you won’t feel a thing during the test. A dye is also added to the eyes to make it easier to spot any changes or abnormalities in your corneas.
• A Quicker Option for You. If you blink when the puff of air is aimed at your eyes, the test may need to be repeated several times until a pressure can be obtained. Unfortunately, the longer the test goes on, the more likely you may be to flinch and blink. With the puff-less method, you don’t need to do a thing, which means the test can be conducted in just a few seconds.
• Less Anxiety. Do you spend your time in the waiting room dreading those puffs of air? The puff-less test makes visits more pleasant and eliminates anxiety about glaucoma testing.
• Accurate Results. The applanation tonometer offers results that are just as accurate as the puff test. If your pressure is higher than normal, your eye doctor may recommend additional testing or may prescribe eye drops to lower your pressure. If eye drops don’t help, laser or traditional surgery may be used to improve drainage in the eye and reduce pressure.
• Good Option for Children. Children can also develop glaucoma, although they have a much lower risk than adults. If your child hasn’t been cooperative in the past or hates the puff test, the puff-less test offers a better option.

Protect your eye health with a puff-less eye exam! Contact our office to schedule your appointment with the optometrist.

Sources:

• American Optometric Association: Glaucoma https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/glaucoma?sso=y
• American Academy of Ophthalmology Eye Wiki: IOP and Tonometry, 6/22/2022 https://eyewiki.org/IOP_and_Tonometry
• Eye News: Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering Skills with the Goldmann Applanation Tonometer, 8/2/2024 https://www.eyenews.uk.com/education/top-tips/post/step-by-step-guide-to-mastering-skills-with-the-goldmann-applanation-tonometer
• Cleveland Clinic: Tonometry, 9/10/2024 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22859-tonometry
• MedlinePlus: Glaucoma Tests, 10/24/2023 https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/glaucoma-tests
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Glaucoma https://www.cdc.gov/vision-health/about-eye-disorders/glaucoma.html