With January 1st fast approaching, many of us think about New Year’s resolutions. Typical ones like resolving to lose five-to-10 pounds, read more or travel the country are all great additions to your resolutions list. This year, however, we have another resolution you should consider…making an appointment for your annual eye exam.

Your eyes are important and fragile parts of your body. If you don’t take good care of them, you’ll have a harder time seeing the world. It’s important to have a comprehensive eye exam every year to keep your eyes in good health. In addition, this is a chance for your eye doctor to see if you’re at risk for developing any eye diseases or vision degradation. It’s best to maintain and prevent any diseases; if found, before they get out of hand. Routine yearly eye exams help achieve this and it should be a part of everyone’s New Year’s resolution.

What Is the Doctor Examining?                       

Your eye doctor will do an initial sight measurement to determine your overall visual health. This primarily looks at “refractive error” which is classified into three vision impairments:

• Myopic or nearsightedness – difficulty seeing objects in the distance.
• Hyperopia or farsightedness – difficult seeing objects up close.
• Astigmatism – Blurred vision due to irregular formation of your eye’s lens or cornea.

Usually, these 3 vision impairments are corrected by prescription glasses or contacts. While having those items will give you a clear picture, it’s recommended to maintain your yearly exams to ensure your vision isn’t getting worse.

Added to the sight measurement, eye physicians test if you’re at risk for certain eye diseases. Most of the time, catching these diseases early and treating them right away will alleviate any risk of vision loss.

Don’t put of this exam until it’s too late. It only takes a few minutes and you’ll be out the door happy you got your eyes examined.