Eye Exams for Seniors
No matter their age, people should make comprehensive eye exams a regular part of their healthcare routine. Eye exams do much more than monitor your vision: they are also used to detect eye diseases and many general health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.
Comprehensive eye exams are especially important for seniors, or those aged 60 and older. As the eyes age, they become more susceptible to diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma, which can lead to permanent vision loss. At our Chicago, IL, clinic, Wicker Park Eye Center, we offer eye exams for seniors that help our patients preserve eye health and safeguard their vision.
How Often Should Seniors Undergo an Eye Exam?
Children and adults who are free of conditions that increase the risk of eye disease are generally recommended to schedule a routine eye exam once every two years. However, once people reach the senior stage of their life, more frequent eye exams are advised.
Because seniors are at a greater risk of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts, they should schedule yearly eye exams. If one of our senior patients has already been diagnosed as being in the early stages of an eye disease, we may recommend that they come in for an eye exam even more often - typically twice a year.
What To Expect at Your Eye Exam
During a comprehensive eye exam, our doctors perform a number of tests and procedures that allow us to evaluate the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues of the eyes. This gives us valuable insight into the health of the eye, and the general health of our patients. In addition, the eye exam checks:
- Peripheral vision
- Color vision
- Eye muscle coordination
- Pupil’s response to light
- Health and function of the eyelid
- Intraocular pressure (an indicator of glaucoma)
These procedures should cause little to no discomfort for our Chicago patients. Furthermore, they provide invaluable information about how the eyes are functioning, and whether there are any abnormalities present that indicate an eye disease.
Benefit of Routine Eye Exams
Just as some people prefer to only go to the doctor when they are sick, some question why they need to schedule an eye exam if their vision is normal. It is true that most eye diseases cause noticeable symptoms that would alert a person that a problem is present. However, most eye diseases do not cause symptoms in their early stages.
By the time a person notices a change in their vision, eye diseases have usually progressed to later stages. Routine eye exams allow our Chicago patients to be proactive about their eye health and vision, and to detect eye diseases before they have advanced and caused irreversible damage.
Contact Us
If you are due for a comprehensive eye exam, you can expect quality care at Wicker Park Eye Center. To schedule an eye exam with one of our experienced eye doctors, or to learn more about the wide range of eye care services we provide, send us a message at your earliest convenience or call us at (773) 376-2020.
