HEALTHY VISION

Eye disease and eye injury can destroy your vision

Preventive eye care is important for everyone. Certain eye conditions and diseases can strike at any time in life, destroying healthy vision.

Common eye problems such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (sometimes called "lazy eye") can be detected during regular pediatric appointments through vision screening.

Everyone should take care of their healthy vision by wearing protective eyewear when playing sports, doing yard work, working with chemicals or taking part in other activities that could cause an eye injury.

Even young adults and middle-aged individuals can be affected by eye problems. They too, should use preventative measures to protect their eyes from injury and should have complete eye exams. People at risk for glaucoma, diabetes and other eye conditions have a better chance of preserving vision if they are monitored early and regularly by an Eye M.D. who can detect problems at their earliest stages.

Because cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions affect seniors over age 65, a complete eye exam by their ophthalmologist every one to two years is recommended highly.

Below are suggested guidelines to schedule regular eye examinations for you and your family:

· Ages 0 to 2: screening during regular pediatric appointments

· Ages 3 to 5: screening every one to two years during regular primary care appointments

· Ages 6 to 19: schedule examinations as needed

· Ages 20 to 29: one examination

· Ages 30 to 39: two examinations

· Ages 40 to 65: examination every two to four years

· Ages 65 and over: examination every one to two years

If any of the following risk factors affect you, see your Eye M.D. promptly to determine how often you should have a complete eye exam:

· History of eye injury

· Diabetes

· Family history of eye problems

· African American over age 40

Protecting your eyes from accidents, and early detection and treatment of eye problems are the best ways to keep your healthy vision throughout life. If you or your family are at risk for eye disease or experience any eye problems, visit your Eye M.D. promptly.