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Article:
Early Detection is Key to Preventing Vision Loss by: ARA Content Don't wait for symptoms -- regular exams are recommended (ARA) - Which of your five senses would you most fear losing? Most people say they fear losing their vision. Our eyesight enables us to maintain our independence, to gather information, to enjoy the people and places that are dear to us. And yet, few of us worry enough about our eyesight to schedule regular eye exams to detect diseases that can lead to vision loss. 'People say they're too busy or that there is nothing wrong with their vision and they don't need an eye exam,' says Emily Chew, MD, an ophthalmologist at the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. 'But it's important to know that in many instances, there are no symptoms of eye diseases. It's like high blood pressure: by the time you know something is wrong, it may be too late.' But early detection of diseases like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration and cataracts may prevent vision loss. Regular eye exams, from infancy to late in life, can be the key. Chew says guidelines on the frequency of eye exams are divided into two groups: the general population and those who are at higher risk. For the general population, eye exams are recommended at 6 months of age, age '3
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