September is Healthy Aging Month

September is Healthy Aging Month, and your eyes are an important part of aging.

Vision is an important part of eye health and something that may be easy to notice if it changes. However, sometimes you may not notice a small change in your non-dominant eye. Please make sure you are checking each eye separately to watch for changes. 

There are also many factors that go into a healthy eye other than just your vision. It’s possible to have the start of glaucoma and not even be aware. Glaucoma starts by affecting your peripheral vision. It is very hard to notice any missing vision peripherally until you have had glaucoma for a while. It’s important to catch it early to prevent vision loss. 

Diabetic eye exams are a HUGE part of maintaining healthy eyes and vision. Diabetics are checked at least annually to watch for bleeding or swelling in the back of the eye. Most early bleeding is not noticed by the diabetic patient. It can tell us and your primary care physician if further testing or treatment is needed. Sometimes, diabetes is even diagnosed during an eye exam!

Macular Degeneration is a hereditary disorder, which means it can be passed from a parent or grandparent. Early symptoms may be hard to distinguish so annual testing is important.

Cataracts are a normal change with age. Eventually, everyone will need cataract surgery. It is important to see your eye care professional to help determine when that time will be.

If it has been a while since your last exam, make sure to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.