Nov. 16, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Vance Thompson Vision.

Eye exams often are associated with reading letters on a Snellen chart and updating prescriptive eyewear – both of which are essential to obtaining clearer vision. However, your annual comprehensive eye exam also plays an integral role in preserving your vision and eye health.

Vance Thompson Vision optometrist Dr. Doug Wallin said eye exams should be twofold. First, they provide patients with prescription corrections — here is where the Snellen chart comes into play. Lens-wearing patients typically see their optometrist once a year to see if updating their eyewear could make their vision sharper.

The next equally important part of the eye exam includes what Wallin calls the ocular health exam. The optometrist examines your eye from front to back to ensure the eye is healthy and to detect the presence of eye conditions.

“The thing about the eye is it’s the strong, silent type,” Wallin said.

Numerous eye conditions, like glaucoma, initially don’t present noticeable symptoms. As the second-leading cause of blindness in the U.S., glaucoma rightfully has earned the nickname of the “silent thief” of vision. This condition results when fluid builds up in the eye. Over time, the pressure from excess fluid damages the optic nerve.

In the beginning stages of glaucoma, patients typically don’t feel anything out of the ordinary. There are no noticeable symptoms. Consequently, many patients don’t discover they have glaucoma until the condition has caused significant damage.

As a standard part of most exams, optometry clinics perform an air-puff test, which measures the pressure inside your eyes to ensure it’s within normal levels. Like most diseases, the earlier glaucoma is detected, the better. Early intervention not only means more treatment options, but also the more likely those treatments will be effective.

“When you catch things early, they are generally easier to treat, and your eye doctor is able to control them so that you continue to have good vision for the rest of your life. That’s the No. 1 reason to do an eye exam with your local optometrist,” Wallin said.

Factors such as age and previous and existing conditions affect the frequency of eye exams, but most patients should schedule a comprehensive exam at least once a year. These exams are imperative to maintaining overall eye health and living life with clear vision.

Truly any time is a great time to get your exam scheduled. If that exam happens to reveal the beginning stages of glaucoma or another condition that requires ophthalmology care, the team at Vance Thompson Vision is here to assist your optometrist in getting you the care you need.

Call Vance Thompson Vision at 605-361-EYES (3937). Vance Thompson Vision has performed more than 100,000 eye procedures and includes locations across the Mid- and Mountain West.