Why Are Regular Eye Exams Important?

Regular eye exams are important for everyone—yes, even if you don’t currently wear glasses! Comprehensive examinations are crucial for your long-term eye health and vision. Without them, you’re at risk for developing a serious, vision-threatening condition like glaucoma.

In fact, many eye-related health conditions are symptomless initially and can only be detected by a trained optometrist. Even vision loss can be surprisingly subtle.

Prevention Is the Best Medicine

You only have one pair of eyes, so you need to take care of them. Regular, comprehensive eye exams play an indispensable role in maintaining the health of your eyes and protecting your vision.

The best treatment is always prevention. At your routine eye test and vision exam, your eyes are checked for signs of health conditions. Most eye-related conditions and diseases have no obvious signs or symptoms in their early stages. You won’t feel any discomfort in your daily life, and you may not even have vision loss initially. Vision loss tends to be very gradual, so you literally won’t see it coming.

Optometrists are trained to diagnose, treat, and help prevent eye diseases and disorders. They have the requisite training, knowledge, and equipment to do their job—you just need to get yourself into the chair.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a serious health issue that can only be detected during a regular eye exam. In its early stages, there are no clear symptoms. Without routine eye exams, many people only notice that something is wrong after experiencing permanent vision loss. Once this happens, it is very difficult to treat the disease and prevent additional vision loss. You can lose vision entirely, becoming fully blind.

Prevention is the only guaranteed treatment for glaucoma. Successful advanced glaucoma treatments can salvage what vision you have left, but any damage or vision loss cannot be reversed, 

Eye Exams Detect Health Conditions Early

Prompt treatment is crucial for preserving your vision and health. The earlier a problem is discovered, the more effective treatment will be. Indeed, 75% of all blindness cases are preventable if identified in time. However, once vision loss occurs, it cannot be reversed.

Cataracts

Many people think that cataracts are incredibly obvious. However, vision loss is often extremely gradual and subtle. You may not notice that anything is wrong for quite some time. Routine eye exams, however, detect cataracts early, allowing for prompt intervention.

At Clearview Vision Institute, we offer laser cataract surgery to restore vision after cataracts. This procedure is highly precise and accurate, providing patients with improved visual results. It’s also more gentle than traditional cataract surgery.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada—and it’s preventable. Early detection and treatment can prevent blindness in 90% of people with diabetes.

So, if you have diabetes, regular eye exams are even more important! Like other vision-related illnesses, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t cause vision changes or symptoms in its early stages. You need to have a comprehensive eye exam.

Other Underlying Health Issues

Eye examinations don’t only uncover eye-related health issues; they also detect other health problems. In fact, many general health problems are first detected during routine comprehensive eye exams. This is because blood vessels can be viewed easily in the eye. Optometrists can detect changes or fluctuations in the eye’s blood vessels without the need for surgery.

A regular eye exam can help diagnose common diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, autoimmune diseases, some forms of cancer, and other neurological conditions.

Poor Eyesight Can Be Dangerous

Good vision keeps you safe and helps prevent a range of accidents. Regular tasks, like driving, cooking, and simply walking from point A to point B, become hazardous if you can’t see properly. That’s why wearing glasses with the correct prescription is a safety issue.

Car accidents are practically inevitable with poor eyesight. Every year, thousands of accidents occur for this very reason. There is a reason why your driving license includes a restriction for corrective lenses. Driving without your glasses (or contacts) is dangerous.

Poor eyesight also makes you more prone to home accidents. This is especially true among seniors, for whom a bad fall can be life-threatening. Falls are one of the leading causes of death for people over the age of 65. Those with low vision are at an even greater risk.

Rampant Myopia

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming increasingly common among children. Moreover, children are becoming nearsighted at an earlier age than ever before. Since eyesight worsens as we age, this is a big problem! Your child is at a much greater risk of developing a serious or potentially sight-threatening eye condition later in life.

Routine eye exams allow optometrists to assess your child’s risk of myopia. Early detection gives us an opportunity to slow the progression of the condition.

Ask About Vision Correction Procedures

Eye exams also give you a chance to ask about the wide variety of vision correction procedures available today. You don’t have to continue living with poor vision if you don’t want to. Modern treatments, ranging from LASIK to SMILE, are very effective and safe.

Although there is plenty of data available online, the best person to ask for more information is your optometrist. After all, they know your eyes best. They can recommend the best procedure for your specific case and answer all of your questions.

Laser Eye Surgery in Toronto

Clearview Vision Institute is a leader in providing the latest, groundbreaking eye procedures to our patients in Toronto. Laser eye surgery comes in many different forms, so we always take the time to explain your options and recommend the best treatment for you. Our treatment plans are customized to suit your needs. 

We offer the following laser eye surgeries:

• ReLEx SMILE
• Laser Blended Vision (PRESBYOND)
• Custom Bladeless LASIK
• Laser Cataract Surgery
• Laser Light Transepithelial Crosslinking

Clearview Vision Institute: Canada’s Leader in Vision Correction

Clearview Vision Institute is a leading provider of advanced vision correction procedures in Canada. Our Toronto clinic specializes in laser eye surgeries like SMILE, Blended Vision PRESBYOND, and Laser Light Transepithelial Crosslinking. 

We are proud to say that we were the first medical centre to introduce these revolutionary treatments to Canadians. From our knowledgeable staff to our state-of-the-art procedure suites, we are leading the way in vision correction.

To request more information on laser eye surgery, call Clearview Vision Institute today at 647-493-6371 or contact us here.