The leading causes of vision loss in the world are cataracts and refractive errors, or the need for glasses. Eighty percent of vision problems are correctable; however, millions of adults and children experience vision impairment.
Your Vision Affects Your Health
According to a recent study published in The Lancet Global Health, vision impairment is linked to mortality. After studying 48,000 people from 17 different studies, the meta-analysis found that patients with severe vision impairment experienced a higher risk of mortality than patients with normal vision or mild vision impairment.
The mortality risk for those with mildly impaired vision and severely impaired vision was 29 percent and 89 percent, respectively, compared to those with normal vision.
Joshua Erlich, MD, MPH, was the lead author of the study. "It's important these issues are addressed early on because losing your vision affects more than just how you see the world; it affects your experience of the world and your life," Ehrlich said. "This analysis provides an important opportunity to promote not only health and wellbeing, but also longevity by correcting, rehabilitating, and preventing avoidable vision loss across the globe."
Comprehensive Eye Exams are Essential for Wellbeing
Have you canceled or delayed your eye exam due to COVID-19? Healthy vision is not just a luxury. It is a medical necessity. A comprehensive eye exam offers so many more benefits than just adjusting your eye prescription. It can detect and diagnose:
- Focusing problems, including presbyopia
- Refractive error: farsighted, nearsighted or astigmatism
- Eye diseases, such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy
- Vision problems, such as amblyopia, strabismus, or binocular vision
- Other conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, can often be detected in an eye exam
Need Help Finding a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist?
Perhaps you have not scheduled a comprehensive eye exam because you need to find a new eye doctor. We have a network of board-certified ophthalmologists who are accepting new patients. Our doctors are ready to assess your vision needs and provide you with exceptional care as well as state-of-the-art treatments.