Health Problems You Didn’t Know an Eye Exam Can Detect (Like Cancer) …C0NTINUE READING HERE >>>
Key Takeaways
Annual eye exams can help spot eye-related health conditions and vision problems.Your eyes and vision can be affected by other health issues.An eye checkup can also give you insights into other health problems you might be experiencing.
An annual exam with an optometrist helps keep an eye on your visual health, of course, but there’s a lot more involved in the appointment than simply checking your vision. During an eye exam, a provider will look at different parts of your eyes, which can also provide clues about health throughout the rest of your body.
“Many times, a comprehensive medical eye exam can give us clues into what’s going on in a person’s body,” Mina Massaro-Giordano, MD, co-director of the Penn Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Center and a professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania, told Verywell.
What else besides your ocular health can an eye exam tell you? Here’s what experts say.
Health Problems Eye Exams Can Spot That Aren’t Related to Eyes
Eye exams don’t just help spot issues with your eye health—they can actually pick up on a range of health issues. “Sometimes people don’t know that they have these conditions,” said Massaro-Giordano.
Here are just a few of the diseases and conditions that can show up on an eye exam:
AneurysmBrain tumorsCancers of the blood, tissue, or skinDiabetesHeart diseaseHigh blood pressureHigh cholesterolLupusLyme diseaseMultiple sclerosisRheumatoid arthritisSexually transmitted infectionsStrokeThyroid diseaseVascular disease
“Parts of the eyes—the retina and optic nerve—are a direct extension of the central nervous system and is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be visualized without breaking skin,” Ann Morrison, OD, PhD, assistant professor of optometry at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, told Verywell. “Because eye doctors have a direct view of these structures, conditions that affect the central nervous system or vascular system are sometimes detected in the eyes first.”
“Diabetes is a pretty big one we see,” Michelle Holmes, OD, optometrist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, told Verywell, adding that hypertension, high cholesterol, and “anything related to cardiovascular disease” can also have signs that can be detected during an eye exam.
Even in patients who are already aware that they have a certain condition, Holmes said that an eye exam can give valuable insight into how severe the disease or disorder is. “If I see evidence of diabetes inside the eye, for example, it can mean that maybe it isn’t well controlled,” she said.
What Happens During an Eye Exam?
“There is nothing to do to prepare for an eye exam other than bringing your glasses with you if you wear glasses and a list of all of your medications,” said Quiros.
Every practice is different, but you can generally expect a similar process wherever you go to have an eye exam.
“First, an eye doctor will review your case history and investigate any ocular or visual symptoms you might have,” said Morrison.
From there, the provider will perform a series of tests. Peter Quiros, MD, a neuro-opthalmologist at UCLA Stein Eye Institute, told Verywell that testing may check these aspects of your vision:
Visual acuity (checking your ability to read an eye chart at a distance and close-up)
Refraction (checking to see if you need corrective lenses)
Peripheral vision (seeing color, movement, and shapes outside of your central vision)
Eye pressure
Pupils (to look for signs of neurologic conditions)
Eye movement and alignment (to check for double vision)
Eyelid positioning
Front of the eye
Lens inside the eye
Optic nerve (transmits visual information to the brain)
Retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye)
“The doctor will then check your glasses and/or contact lens prescription—this is the ‘Which is better, 1 or 2?’ part of the exam,’” said Morrison.
There are also a few tools that you might see during testing, including an eye chart, autorefractor (a device that measures how light passes through the eye), a pen light, and a slit lamp (a magnifying microscope with a bright light).
Your provider may need to dilate your eyes during your exam, and the effect of the drops can last for several hours. In that case, “you probably ought to have someone with you so that they can drive you home,” said Zarbin. If that’s not an option, you may need to stay in your doctor’s waiting room until your eyes return back to normal.
Quiros suggests bringing sunglasses with you to your appointment since dilation can make your eyes sensitive to light.
How Often Do You Need an Eye Exam?
The frequency of an eye exam “depends on your age and overall health,” Marco Zarbin, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told Verywell. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends the following:
Ages 20–39: An eye exam in your 20s and two exams in your 30sAges 40–54: An eye exam at age 40, with follow-up exams every two to four yearsAges 55–64: Exams every one to three yearsAges 65 and older: Exams every one to two years
That said, it’s about more than age—your overall health also determines how often you need to have your eyes checked. People with vision problems or underlying health conditions like diabetes may need to be seen more often, according to Zarbin.
“Routine eye exams are crucial for detecting problems early, and for maintaining regular eye health,” said Holmes. But not always easy to access eye health care if you don’t have insurance or if your plan doesn’t offer vision.
If you need an eye exam but don’t have insurance, Quiros recommends looking into EyeCare America, a program sponsored by the AAO that helps people get access to eye care and resources.
What This Means for You
Regular eye exams are helpful for more than just checking your vision—they can also pick up on signs of other health problems. The recommended frequency of the checkup depends on your age and overall health. If you’re worried about how to pay because you don’t have eye health coverage, there are resources that can help.
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