Put Your Vision First for National Eye Exam Month

As supporters of healthy eyes everywhere, Eyeleve wants to make sure you give your eyes the same preventive care you give to the rest of your body.

As the windows to your world, your eyes should be the first thing you take care of. And yet, many of us skip regular eye exams and wait for an eye emergency instead. So this month, in honor of National Eye Exam month, Eyeleve wants to make sure you get your annual comprehensive eye exam.

What is a comprehensive eye exam?

If you are a contact lens-wearer already, you are probably no stranger to eye exams. But for those newbies out there, nervous about your first comprehensive eye exam, here are the details.

Firstly, and most importantly, routine eye exams are very easy, quick and painless. Both optometrists and ophthalmologists (specialized doctors for eyes) are licensed to perform comprehensive eye exams.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will test how clearly you can see (visual acuity), how well you can see objects near and far (depth perception), how well your eyes line up to one another (eye alignment), and eye movement (tested by having you follow a light or a finger as it moves through space). A comprehensive eye exam is different from a vision screening which only tests for visual acuity or how clearly you can see.

As part of a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will put eyedrops in your eyes to dilate (open) your pupils. Your pupils are the round, black openings at the center of your iris (the colored part of your eye). The dilated pupils are like an open window through which your doctor can check the inside of your eyes.

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Here is what else you should know:

It usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes for your pupils to open fully
Light-colored eyes, such as blue, dilate faster than brown eyes
Your vision will be blurry. It may be hard to focus on close objects, read small print, or see words on your phone screen after your pupils are dilated
Your eyes will be more sensitive to bright light. Bring sunglasses with you to wear after your appointment
These effects of the dilating eye drops will last a few hours

How Can A Basic Eye Exam Improve My Overall Health and My Vision?

At Eyeleve, we believe in preventive health and taking care of your eyes. Annual comprehensive eye exams for contact lens wearers not only check to make sure your prescription is correct. A comprehensive eye exam can also uncover eye diseases and some other medical conditions early on, before you might even have any symptoms or problems.

Some of the eye diseases eye doctors screen for are glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and cancers of the eye. The majority of eye diseases can be treated or managed if diagnosed early. That is why having regular eye exams, even if you do not have any eye problems or trouble with your vision, should be part of your regular health maintenance routine. Just like you floss and brush your teeth, following a regular eye hygiene routine with the Eyeleve Contact Lens Compress and seeing your eye doctor for annual comprehensive eye exams keep your eyes in the best health possible.

A comprehensive eye exam should be part of your overall preventive health routine because it can pick up on changes in your eyes that undiagnosed medical conditions could cause. Eye doctors can see the symptoms of some of the following diseases even before your primary care doctor may:

A comprehensive eye exam can uncover eye diseases and possibly other medical conditions before you even have symptoms or problems

Why Do I Need An Annual Eye Exam For My Contact Lenses?

Your visual acuity or how clearly you can read the fine print can change subtly in just a year’s time. Your productivity might be decreased by your poor eyesight. You may be struggling at work or school, suffering from eye strain or dry eye symptoms without even recognizing your symptoms. While using a therapeutic moist heat eye mask like Eyeleve can help improve your symptoms (and your productivity), having a regular eye exam to adjust your prescription could also help your eyes feel and see better. With the right prescription, you can reduce eye strain and headaches.

Who Should Have an Eye Exam and How Often?

How often you need a comprehensive eye exam depends on your risk for eye disease. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Get a comprehensive (with pupil dilation) eye exam every 1 to 2 years if you:

Are over age 60
Are African American or Hispanic
Have a family history of glaucoma
Carry extra weight or have obesity
Had eye surgery, an eye injury or eye damage from a stroke
Have a family history of eye disease
Wear contact lenses or glasses

Get a dilated eye exam at least once a year if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.

Put Your Vision First For National Eye Exam Month

At Eyeleve, we know how critical your eyes are to your quality of life. We design effective, easy-to-use, and affordable medical-grade eye health products such as the Eyeleve Contact Lens Compress to help keep your precious eyes in top working order. Getting regular eye exams is another critical part of protecting and preserving your vision. Together we can keep your eyes healthy and feeling comfortable for years to come.

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