For adults, a regular eye exam is an important part of maintaining your overall health and making your vision last a lifetime. With an eye exam, critical health issues can be identified early.

What can a doctor of optometry do for me?

Your doctor of optometry can:

• diagnose, treat and help prevent diseases and disorders affecting the visual system, the eye and related structures. 
• identify general health conditions that are often first detected through an eye exam, 
• Refer you to specialists and help manage post-eye-surgery health. 

Doctors of optometry not only ensure quality of vision and eye health, but quality of life.

What does an eye exam include?

As doctors of optometry, we evaluate many factors that can affect your vision and eye health. We:

• review your case history, 
• conduct an external and internal exam of your eyes
• measure vision qualities, such as eye movements and coordination, sharpness of vision and peripheral vision
• evaluate your ability to adjust focus and to see colour and depth normally.

If we detect problems, we may recommend glasses, contact lenses, exercises, medication or surgery.

Why is it important to get a regular eye exam?

Many serious eye conditions don’t have obvious symptoms. Some eye diseases only show symptoms when the condition is advanced and difficult, or even impossible to treat.

Your eyes are also windows to your overall health, and an eye exam can uncover underlying and life-threatening health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, certain vascular diseases and brain or eye tumors.

Your vision is priceless. Routine eye exams by a doctor of optometry not only ensure good vision and eye health, but peace of mind. If you don’t already have a doctor of optometry, you don’t need a referral to book an exam. Find a doctor of optometry near you and call for your appointment today.

How often should I get an eye exam?

Adults aged 19 to 64 should have an eye exam at least once every two years and people with diabetes should have an exam at least once a year. Other health conditions may also warrant more frequent eye examinations.

Our eyes change as we age. In particular, people over the age of 40 may be at an increased risk for age-related eye conditions, some of which may have no visible symptoms until the condition is advanced and difficult, or even impossible, to treat.

What are the most common eye problems among adults?

• Presbyopia: A natural effect of aging in which the ability to focus on close objects decreases over time. Presbyopia can cause headaches, blurred vision, and the need for more light or sore eyes.
• Cataracts: Distorted or cloudy vision caused by the lens inside the eye losing its transparency over time. Cataracts can require changes to your glasses or surgical removal.
• Diabetic Retinopathy: A weakening or swelling of the tiny blood vessels in the retina of your eye, and the growth of new blood vessels resulting in blood leakage and other changes. If left untreated, blindness can result.
• Macular degeneration: A disease that results in degenerative changes to your central vision, and is a leading cause of vision loss among older adults.
• Glaucoma: A silent thief that often has no symptoms until significant damage has occurred. Glaucoma is caused by elevated pressure within the eye, and can lead to serious vision loss if not detected and treated at an early stage.

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