Save Your Vision
March is Save Your Vision month — a national campaign organized by the American Optometric Association (AOA) in order to promote eye health and regular exams. As part of Save Your Vision month the campaign aims to inform people that good vision doesn’t necessarily mean healthy eyes. In fact, during a comprehensive eye exam an optometrist does much more than asses a patient’s vision. While the optometrist can ascertain a person’s prescription for glasses or contacts, he/she also checks for overall eye health. This overview includes checking for common eye diseases, evaluating how both eyes function together and inferring the status of a patient’s overall health. Though not common knowledge, optometrists are often the first medical professionals to detect chronic systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes! Eye exams are also instrumental in catching early signs of serious age related eye diseases like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration!
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While many people wait until their vision deteriorates to see an eye doctor, it may come as a surprise that a person’s first eye exam should occur at 6 months of age. Another exam should be done once the child is 3 years old, and once in school annual eye exams should be administered. These frequent eye checks not only promote healthy eyes, but also promise a child can learn effectively. Humans rely heavily on vision to absorb new information, which is why eye exams are important not just to aging Americans, but to young people as well.
In addition to acknowledging the role eyes play in overall health, and promoting early and regular eye exams, the Save Your Vision Month campaign reinforces other eye saving tips. In order to protect your eyes, the AOA suggests using the 20–20–20 rule, which advises people to take a 20 second break to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.
Another AOA tip is to carefully select your vision enhancement instruments. Optometric technicians like those trained at the National Career Education college in Sacramento, California can assist people in selecting glasses or contacts that look great and protect your eyes. The last AOA tip for Save Your Vision month is a comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor. Using mobile apps and online tests are not accurate nor do they assess eye health. The best way to save your vision is scheduling regular eye exams starting at an early age! Support vision this month by checking in with your eye doctor.
