Roslyn Smith said she's been heading to the same eye doctor since she was a kid, for more than 40 years now. But lately she's had trouble reading, blurry vision, and said she's sometimes teary-eyed. And that's why she still makes a point of coming for annual visits.
“I think it's important because your eyes change all the time. Even when you are reading sometimes it seems like the words are smaller so I think it's important to come every year,” said Smith.
According to the National Eye Institute, by the year 2020 it’s estimated the number of Americans who are blind or have low vision will jump more than 60 percent to well over five million. And the risk increases significantly with aging. Age-related macular degeneration , glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy are some of the most common eye diseases for Americans 40 and above.
In fact, vision care experts recommend adults 40 and above start getting comprehensive eye exams at least once a year because that is when you are most likely to start developing changes in vision.
As you get older, you may find your vision isn't what it used to be. If it's getting tougher to read the newspaper, or your Blackberry, even when it's set to the largest font, Health & Fitness reporter Kafi Drexel has more on how to keep your vision in check.
“Up close what happens are combination changes. Changes inside the eye , the lens doesn't want to change as easily as before so the eyes can't focus on small print and that's where the glasses, the contact lenses come into play,” said Optometrist, Dr. Brandon Butler.
Butler points out eye exams are especially important for adults over 40 because there are changes that can occur in the back of your eyes that you can't see yourself. Changes that can also indicate other health problems.
“We can actually dilate the eyes and look in the back of the eyes to make sure blood vessels are healthy. And the eyes are the only place we can look directly at blood vessels where we can pick up on signs of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol as well. Just by the appearance of the back of the eyes,” said Butler.
And docs hope that's clearly why you can see it's so important to get those eyes checked, especially as we age.