More Than Meets The Eye: 3 Startling Things Only An Eye Exam Can Detect Early

Most people view visiting an optometrist as merely something you do if you have poor vision. However, getting regular eye exams is useful for anyone, not just those that wear glasses. Even if you had perfect vision in your youth, there are quite a few alarming things that only your eye doctor will be able to detect in the early stages. Here's a list of things you might not expect to be tipped off to during an eye exam. 

Detect Glaucoma Early On

Glaucoma is a scary disease; it can sneak up on you and rob you of your vision. While currently glaucoma has no known cure, catching it early on can help mitigate the risk of losing your vision. While initially glaucoma has absolutely no detectable symptoms, an eye exam can detect even the earliest of signs, which can get you on a preventative regimen to help save as much vision as possible. 

Can Give You Early Warning That You Are Developing Diabetes

Diabetes is a startlingly common disease, affecting about one in 11 Canadians above the age of 20. While you might have had some inkling to the fact that diabetes is a rather common ailment, you might not have known that one of the best ways to detect it early on is through an eye exam. With a comprehensive test, your eye doctor can look inside your eyes' blood vessels and detect warning signs early on. This can help put you on the fast track for treatment, which can drastically help keep your quality of life at a comfortable level. 

A diagnosis doesn't mean you are done with an optometrist, however, as regular eye exams will help monitor the progression of complications such as diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to blindness. 

Detect Cancer 

Another thing that might surprise you is that regular eye exams can detect cancer. In particular, your eye doctor can spot brain tumors by monitoring the changes in your vision. Anytime you're able to detect cancer is good as well, as it drastically increases your odds of being able to survive. This is especially true considering that the treatment you get for your cancer and how successful it will be is very time sensitive. 

These are only a few of the things an eye exam can detect; there are many, many more conditions you can be alerted to by having regular check-ups. So, as you can see, maybe putting off that regular check-up isn't such a good idea after all. 

For more information, contact a professional like Cowan's Optical.