The Importance of Eye Exams: Beyond 20/20 Vision

Dear Patients,

You may have heard the phrase “20/20 vision” used to describe perfect eyesight. While having 20/20 vision is certainly ideal, it’s essential to understand that clear vision alone does not necessarily mean your eyes are healthy. As your dedicated optometrists, we want to emphasize the importance of regular eye exams, what all we assess during your appointment, and how your eyes are a window to both your ocular and systemic health.

While 20/20 vision indicates that you can see clearly at a standard distance, it only measures visual acuity or sharpness. There are numerous aspects of eye health that cannot be evaluated solely by reading letters on a chart. Many eye conditions, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration, can develop without any symptoms in the early stages. By the time symptoms arise, these conditions may have already caused irreversible damage to your vision. Regular eye exams allow us to detect these conditions early, so we can begin treating them.

During your eye exam, we assess various aspects of your eye health beyond visual acuity. Here’s what we evaluate:

Eye Movement and Alignment: We assess how well your eyes work together and detect any issues that may cause double vision, eye strain, and headaches such as strabismus or amblyopia (lazy eye).
Peripheral Vision: We screen your side vision, which can be reduced due to conditions such as stroke and glaucoma.  
Pupil Testing: We ensure your pupils properly react to light. This helps us determine if the pathway that connects the eyes to the back of the brain is intact. Pupil testing can help optometrists uncover various neurologic conditions such as multiple sclerosis and even brain tumors.
Refractive Error: We determine if you have myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia and prescribe glasses or contact lenses if necessary.
Eye Pressure: We measure the intraocular pressure in each eye.  High intraocular pressure can be a sign of glaucoma, a condition where high eye pressure pushes on the nerve that connects the eye to the brain, damaging it over time.  It is a potentially blinding condition with no symptoms in the early stages.
Anterior Segment Evaluation: We assess the structures in the front part of the eye such as the cornea and the lens for conditions such as dry eye and cataracts.
Posterior Segment Evaluation: We assess the structures in the back part of the eye such as the retina and optic nerve.  The retina is the only part of the body where doctors can assess the health of the blood vessels without needing an invasive procedure or advanced equipment.  Retinal evaluation can help optometrists uncover various systemic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, and various cancers.

One of the most significant benefits of regular eye exams is early detection and prevention of eye diseases. By identifying potential issues in their early stages, we can intervene promptly to preserve your vision and prevent further damage. For example, if we detect signs of damage from uncontrolled diabetes in the eye, we can work with your primary care physician to manage your diabetes more effectively and reduce the risk of vision loss.

In conclusion, don’t wait until you experience vision problems to schedule an eye exam.  If it’s time for your next eye exam or if you have any concerns about your eye health, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your vision matters, and we’re committed to providing you with the highest quality eye care.

Thanks for reading,

Your Optometrists at 20/20 Vision Center