eye health

Keep an Eye on Your Eyes

The eyes are more than windows to the soul. With advances in eye health technology, they can also give a unique look into your health. The eye is a real window into what’s happening in your body. It’s a convenient way for your optometrist to get a clear view of your blood vessels, nerves, and overall eye health.

Getting regular eye exams

Getting regular eye exams is important, even if you think your vision is fine. Eye exams allow an eye doctor to monitor your eye health for common vision problems and signs of disease since there aren’t early warning signs for the most common eye diseases. If diseases are identified early, you have the best treatment options and the best chance at preserving good eye health and vision.
A special magnifying lens is needed to examine the tissues at the back of the eye. These tissues include the retina (light-sensitive tissue), the macula (central part of the retina for sharp vision), and the optic nerve (carries visual messages from the eye to the brain). Damage to these areas may be a sign of an eye disease.

Eyes often reflect illness

The eyes can also reflect illness that begins in another tissue far from the eyes themselves. Eye exams may reveal health problems like diabetes high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders and cancers. For example, eye doctors often detect diabetes by observing damage to the retina and blood vessels in the eye. The disease may show up in eye tissue before a blood glucose (sugar) test reveals it. Early detection can prevent not only vision loss but other serious complications.

Ideas on Prevention

Simple actions can go a long way to protect your eye health. These include not smoking, eating a healthy diet (especially dark leafy greens like spinach or kale), and maintaining a healthy weight. Also, know your family’s eye health problems. Certain diseases can run in families. And make sure to wear sunglasses to block harmful sun rays and protective eyewear for activities like sports and home improvement projects.

Eye doctor in Crystal Lake, IL

dr-jeffrey-porter-eye-doctor-crystal-lake

Don’t forget to get a regular eye exam to detect eye health issues early. Routine eye exams can also determine if you have systemic conditions contributing to eye health problems.  Hypertension and diabetes are just two of the examples we routinely screen for ocular side effects.  If your optometrist finds a problem early, often there are things you can do to prevent long term vision problems. Dr. Jeffrey Porter, OD and Dr. Will Watson, OD are trained to provide excellent routine exams and medical eye care for your whole family. Make your appointment today.

Contact us:
Walmart Vision Center Crystal Lake, IL
815-477-4053
Walmart Vision Center Harvard, IL
815-943-4331

Dr. Jeffrey Porter, OD and his associates provide quality eye exams in Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Harvard, IL, and surrounding communities.