Dr. So offers comprehensive eye care for your entire family. Most patients have their eyes examined if they have vision problems, or if they have a known eye disease such as glaucoma. What about patients whose vision seems good and their eyes feel fine? Should they have their eyes checked regularly? Absolutely!
Patients with known systemic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, need to have their eyes evaluated regularly to determine whether the disease has affected their eyes. In some cases, eye exams can even reveal signs of a systemic condition that has not yet been diagnosed. Even otherwise healthy individuals need to have their eyes examined regularly because many eye diseases have no symptoms in the early stages.
Your ability to see detail or how your eyes feel are not good indicators of overall eye health. Many eye diseases in their early stages do not have any symptoms (you will not feel that there is a problem), nor will they significantly affect your vision (you may not see any changes to your vision)...but that does not mean that the problem does not exist.
For example, a patient with a retinal hole probably will not know of its presence—s/he will not feel that the hole is present. If the hole is in the periphery (off to the side) of the eye, there is likely no visual consequences either—s/he will not see any changes in vision. However, the presence of a hole in the retina may increase the risk for a retinal detachment, which is a sight-threatening condition. If the retinal hole is found early, it can be repaired relatively easily before becoming a more severe, sight-threatening problem later.
Another example is glaucoma, the silent thief of sight. Chronic glaucoma is an irreversible, slowly progressive disease that affects the nerves in your eyes, leading to vision loss. Most people who have chronic glaucoma don't know they have it because it is painless—your eyes feel fine. Initially, glaucoma patients may not even notice any changes to their vision because vision loss begins in your peripheral (side) vision, not your detail-oriented central vision—you will still see well in the early stages. In fact, a patient with advanced glaucoma may still achieve "normal" 20/20 vision, even though s/he may have lost most of their peripheral vision. However, if left untreated, glaucoma can lead to irreversible blindness.
How do you know your eyes are healthy unless you have it examined by an eye care professional? Dr. So recommends regular eye health exams for this very reason. When you have your eye health examined, the eye doctor will determine the presence of any eye disease, and assess your risk for certain diseases or conditions. If you are unsure of your current eye health status, or you haven't had your eyes examined for long time, you should make an appointment with your eye doctor for an eye health exam.
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View of children through healthy eyes.
Simulations of vision loss that can occur from eye disease:
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve resulting in vision loss and blindness. Most people with glaucoma don't know they have it because it is painless, and vision loss occurs slowly and subtly. It's usually not until the advanced stages, when a significant amount of irreversible nerve damage has already occurred, do people notice changes in their vision. With early treatment you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.
Cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision.The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred. Most cataracts are related to aging, and are very common in older people.
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.
If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may not notice any changes to your vision at first. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy often has no early warning signs. If you have diabetes, make sure you get a dilated eye examination at least once a year. Don't wait for symptoms! Finding and treating the disease early, before it causes vision loss or blindness, is the best way to control diabetic eye disease.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless disease that blurs the sharp, central vision needed for "straight-ahead" activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail.
In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people barely notice any change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to vision loss in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.
