Guess how many American adults have never had an eye exam?
More than 23 million!
Wow. That’s way too many! Taking care of your eyes should be a priority just like eating healthy and physical activity. Beyond checking to see if you need glasses or contacts, a comprehensive eye exam can detect many of the eye conditions and diseases that can cause vision loss, including:
- Cataracts
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
At Carter Eye Center, we are passionate about your vision. For more than 30 years, Dr. Carter has offered the highest quality medical and surgical eye care to people of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Why Is It so Important to Have an Annual Comprehensive Eye Exam?
Even if you feel like your vision is “normal” and you can see just fine, an annual eye exam with an eye doctor is vital to maintaining the health of your eyes, as well as your overall health, for a lifetime.
As we’ve already discussed, a thorough annual exam with dilation can help identify eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts, and it is also able to assist in the early detection of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. But here’s the part you really need to know: The earlier these diseases are detected, the earlier treatment can be started.
8 Simple Ways to Help Protect Your Peepers
Beyond regular eye exams, there are several lifestyle things you can do to help make sure your eyes stay healthy for a lifetime.
- Know the eye health history of your family. Specifically, it’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since some have a hereditary element.
- Eat right to protect your sight. Certain nutrients — zinc, copper, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene — may reduce the risk of age-related decline in eye health by 25 percent. Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale or collard greens, and fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, albacore tuna, trout and halibut, are all great choices.
- Maintain a healthy body weight. There is growing scientific proof showing that obesity is linked to eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
- Don’t smoke.
- Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home like yard work and home repairs.
- Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
- Wash your hands before putting in and taking out your contacts. And clean your contact lenses properly to avoid infection.
- Practice workplace eye safety. Work in a manufacturing setting, or how about healthcare? Safety goggles are a must!
Want to Break Free From the Hassles of Glasses and Contacts?
Carter Eye Center is a premier provider of LASIK and modern cataract surgery. Dr. Carter was instrumental in introducing LASIK to Texas back when it first received FDA approval in 1999. What could you do with the visual freedom LASIK offers?
And with over two million cataract surgeries performed annually, cataract surgery is among the safest and most successful surgeries performed today. Dr. Carter’s customized cataract surgery approach is a step above, delivering the results you deserve.
Discover the Carter Cares Advantage
“Carter Cares” is the phrase we use to describe the total experience we strive to provide for every patient we are honored to serve at Carter Eye Center. We seek to improve the lives of patients by offering the opportunity for excellent vision. Schedule your comprehensive eye exam today.
For more than 30 years, we have helped tens of thousands of individuals enjoy life with improved vision using state-of-the-art technology. The Carter Cares Advantage is our collective commitment to advance vision health for patients who want improved vision for life.
