Protecting Your Family’s Eye Health (NAPSA)—Many Americans have seen the light when it comes to having an annual eye exam to protect vision and eye health. Still, despite the fact that half of all blindness can be prevented, the number of people suffering vision loss continues to increase. Here’s a look at eye exams, how they can help protect your sight and what tests should be run. Exam Basics Annual exams allow your doctor to monitor overall eye health, helping to identify any potential problems at their earliest—and often most treatable—stages. Additionally, for those who wear glasses or contacts, eye exams detect changes in the eye that may require alterations to be madeto yourprescription. Talking To Your Doctor While eye exams tend to focus on the front of the eye, experts say it’s important to check the back of your eye—specifically the retina— as this is where a numberofdiseases mayfirst be evident without pain or symptoms. New Technology To do that, your optometrist or ophthalmologist may recommend the optomap Retinal Exam. This may detect possible abnormalities or signs of disease and can lead to early diagnosis and better treatment. The procedure takes about five minutes to perform and is completely painless. It is particularly helpful to track the health of your Annual eye exams—that include the optomap Retinal Exam— could help prevent disease. eye every year, as it provides a permanent record of your retina and allows doctors to compare images side by side, year after year. This makes it easier to detect subtle changes that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. An added benefit to the exam: Diseases such as hypertension, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes and even some cancers can be detected by monitoring the retina. The technology was invented by Douglas Anderson, whose son, Leif, went blind in one eye due to a detached retina. The condition was detected in a late and untreatable stage, despite the fact that he was receiving regular eye exams. Anderson says he developed the exam to prevent the same thing from happening to others. For more information or to find an eye doctor in your area who offers the optomap Retinal Exam, visit www.optos.com/findaprovider.
