Most people think you only need to see an eye doctor once a year, if that, to get your vision checked. But our eyes can sometimes tell what’s going on in our bodies.
My optician discovered I had high cholesterol, just by looking into my eyes and seeing some spots that shouldn’t be there, on a routine exam. Heart disease, thyroid disease, high blood pressure and other serious conditions common to Baby Boomers can also be detected through simple eye exams.
Of course, eye diseases like glaucoma are also found on vision checks. This disease can develop undetected by a person who does not receive an eye exam until it is too late, possibly leading to blindness. “This is just one way that a routine eye exam, for someone who believes that he or she sees fine, can prevent blindness,” said Dr. Cal Roberts, chief medical officer, Bausch + Lomb.
Our eyes are windows into our bodies, especially for members of the Baby Boomer era. But everyone should pay attention to what their eyes may tell them about their health.
Sadly, 70 percent of Americans do not have regular vision checks. And here’s why they should. By 2020, a staggering 50 million Americans will have an age-related eye disease, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy – creating a tremendous strain on the healthcare system.
But here’s the good news. The World Health Organization reports that 80 percent of visual impairment is preventable.
Did you know the sun is one of the biggest enemies of our eyes? UVA and UVB light are risk factors for cataracts and macular degeneration, according to. Think of it as sunburn for your eyes.
The doctor’s advice? Block the sun to your eyes just the way you would your skin, through a broad-brimmed hat plus UV blocking sunglasses or contacts. And remember: not all sunglasses protect against block UV rays. Check the labels and be sure to note that neither the darkness nor the color of sunglasses determine UV protection.
But today, the biggest threat to our eyes is predictably the computer. Dr. Roberts notes that a condition called “computer vision syndrome” results when we spend too much time in front of our screens. It comes from focusing the eyes on a computer display for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time.
More Baby Boomers associate eyesight problems with screen time than any other group, though it’s also been proven that more children are near-sighted and require glasses these days, again, because of the computer. (Even parents in China worry about the potential for eye damage to their children, endlessly playing computer games.)
Proper lighting and positioning of the computer screen can often greatly reduce symptoms.
In addition, Baby Boomers may have more trouble focusing when looking at a computer screen daily than younger users.
Nearsightedness (myopia) is growing around the world at a rapid pace and computer use is a key contributor, according to Dr. Roberts.
As baby boomers live longer than our ancestors, we’re at much higher risk of eye diseases, including macular degeneration.
So, what to do? It’s simple. Have an eye exam every year.
Edited by
Braden Becker
