Why a Regular Eye Exam is Essential for Overall Health

A common saying is that the “eyes are the window to the soul.” Did you know that the eyes can offer a peek into your overall health as well? Most people know that regular eye exams are important for vision correction to ensure the proper usage of eyeglasses or contact lenses. But, these appointments are also essential for your general health.

When a Chicago optometrist completes your eye exam, the doctor is looking at more than your prescription strength. Other tests are completed to watch for early signs of health problems. These critical evaluations need to be done, even if you have 20/20 vision.

Consistency with Eye Exams

If your vision seems fine and you aren’t noticing any unusual symptoms, do you need to spend the time in an eye appointment? Yes! These regular eye exams can be used to identify health issues, even if you don’t notice any symptoms otherwise. Some of these early-stage problems can only be identified through a comprehensive eye exam.

When the health problems are found in these early stages, then proper treatments can be used to reverse or slow the progress of the disease. Since certain types of eye diseases lead to blindness, early detection might be a critical factor to protect your eyesight.

Health Assessments Completed During Your Eye Exam

When you are sitting in the optical chair, the eye doctor completes evaluations to test your eyes for various factors:

  • Vision loss
  • Peripheral sight
  • Eye diseases
  • Muscle imbalances
  • Vision disorders
  • And more

Many of these tests are designed to evaluate the health of your eyes. But, certain issues in the eyes could be an indication of bigger health issues that you are experiencing. For example, an experienced eye doctor can identify signs that you might be suffering from a variety of systemic diseases, such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Cancer
  • Thyroid Disease
  • Neurological Disease

If one or more of these problems are detected, then your optometrist will refer you to seek treatment from another medical professional. The combined efforts of your eye doctor and general physician or specialist can be the perfect combination to improve your health and long-term wellbeing.

Eye Exams at All Stages of Life

Regardless of your age, it is important to maintain consistency with your eye exams. These checkups are especially important for young children since vision plays a role in education. Having good eyesight is imperative to support the child’s ability to learn and develop. When vision problems are left untreated, then it often leads to learning and behavioral issues that could have been avoided.

The frequency of eye exams might need to increase in the later years of life. Patients diagnosed with diseases that could impact vision need to see an optometrist more frequently. If you have diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma, cataracts, or any other eye diseases, then ask your eye doctor for recommendations so that you can design the right schedule to meet your needs.

Do you need to schedule an eye exam? Call our experienced team at West Loop Eye Care to set an appointment. You can also schedule your appointment by using our online booking form.