(NC)- Regular eye exams are necessary to diagnose vision and eye health problems. During an exam, Doctors of Optometry do more than check how well you see. They also look for medical conditions.

“Eye exams reveal a lot about overall health,” says Dr. Surjinder Sahota, president of the BC Association of Optometrists. “Checking for signs of eye disease, systemic disease and even cancer is part of what we do during each routine eye exam.”

Medical conditions Doctors of Optometry look for when examining patients include:

• Glaucoma: A painless eye condition caused by the slow degeneration of nerve fibers that go from the eye, through the optic nerve to the brain. As it progresses, glaucoma causes irreversible vision loss.

• Cataracts: An eye condition that results in blurred vision and glare due to clouding of the lens over time.

• Macular degeneration: An eye disease where the central part of the retina becomes damaged and leads to irreversible vision loss.

• Retinal detachment: A painless eye condition where the retina detaches from its supporting layers, which can lead to vision loss.

• Basal cell carcinoma: A type of skin cancer that can appear on the sensitive skin of the eyelid.

• High blood pressure: Looking at the blood vessels and veins of the retina can reveal signs of high blood pressure.

• Diabetic retinopathy: A condition caused by damage to the retina due to weakened blood vessels in the eye. It affects people with diabetes and can lead to permanent vision loss.

• Brain tumors: A mass in the head that can be cancerous or benign. Blurred vision, unresponsive pupils and more can indicate a brain tumor.

Doctors of Optometry recommend adults have an eye exam once every two years and children and seniors annually. People at high risk may need to go more often, depending on their eye doctor’s recommendation.

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