When was the last time you had a medical eye exam?

One of the most common questions I get from patients goes something like "What can I do to keep my eyes healthy?" The answer is usually simple and always includes regular eye exams, usually every year or two. Some patients mistakenly believe that they don't need eye exams because their eyes don't hurt or because they have good vision, or so they think. 

As it turns out,  many people who think they have good vision actually don't. Additionally, some people have eye pain that persists for so long it becomes 'normal'. But more importantly, many sight-threatening diseases have no symptoms until it's too late. No pain, no vision loss. 

I recently saw a patient who told me she hadn't had an eye exam in decades. Her biggest concern was replacing her reading glasses, which were broken. Unfortunately we discovered that she has end-stage glaucoma and has slowly been losing vision over many years. At this point, treatment options are very limited and prognosis for saving what vision remains are bleak. 

Fortunately these kinds of encounters are rare, but remember: It doesn't matter if something is rare if it's happening to you or a loved one. Please schedule an eye exam soon if it's been more than two years since you've been in. Remember to be open and honest about your vision and expect to receive a thorough and complete medical eye evaluation when you visit Ballard Optical. I look forward to seeing you soon!