I often think about my eyes as miniature telescopes into my overall health. Even though they only weigh about the same as three pennies each, eyes deliver information to the brain at a rate of about 10 million bits per second—roughly as fast as your smartphone’s 4G connection. The information that eyes send not only help us take in the outside world, but they transmit signals about the health of our vision as well. For me, those signals sometimes come in the form of tired, sore eyes or blurred vision. That’s my cue that digital eye strain is setting in and I need to cut back on screen time and give my eyes a rest.
Beyond the health of your vision, the eyes also offer important cues and insights about the body’s inner-workings. But how can you be sure you are benefitting from these insights? It’s as simple as seeing an eye doctor each year, which unfortunately, many Americans are not doing.
A newly-released eye health index from VSP Vision Care ranks U.S. cities as most and least ‘eye-healthy’ by analyzing the percentage of residents who received an annual eye exam. The index results underscore a clear deficit in proactive eye health. Even in the most ‘eye-healthy’ cities, less than half of people with vision benefits are going to the eye doctor for an annual eye exam. In the least ‘eye-healthy’ cities, that number drops below 15 percent.
Given the shift in recent years across our culture around health and wellness, and specifically the focus on preventative healthcare, I found the results of the eye health index a bit surprising. After all, an eye exam is about so much more than sharp vision – it provides substantial preventative health benefits. I never go without my annual eye exam, and I want to share some compelling reasons why you shouldn’t either.
First, chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can be detected through an eye exam. The eye doctor has an unobstructed view of the blood vessels in the back of the eye which allows them to detect signs of chronic disease much earlier than symptoms would be identified by other medical professionals. In fact, roughly 90 percent of diabetes-related blindness can be avoided by getting an annual eye exam.
Early detection aside, good vision is essential to learning, as 80 percent of learning takes place through our eyes. For children, a vision screening provided by the school is not enough. A comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist is the best way to determine whether a child’s eyes are healthy and working properly, positioning them for success in the classroom and beyond. While basic vision screenings can detect some problems, many serious issues go undetected without an eye exam, including amblyopia (lazy eye), which can cause vision loss in children. In fact, the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health estimates the economic impact of children’s vision disorders is $10 billion annually in the U.S., which accounts for the cost of medical care, vision aids, caregivers, and special education.
Finally, eye exams benefit the bottom line for individuals, as well as the employer who offers vision benefits. A study conducted by HCMS Group, a human capital risk management firm found that patients who had a chronic condition identified through an eye exam needed less medication to manage their condition and were nearly 30 percent less likely to have emergency room visits and hospital admissions versus patients who had diseases detected by another healthcare provider. For employers, managing healthcare costs remains a huge challenge, but part of the expense can be managed through preventive benefits like stand-alone vision care. The same study found that for every dollar invested in a comprehensive eye exam, employers saw a $1.45 return on investment through lower healthcare costs, improved employee productivity, and lower turnover rates.
While more awareness of the importance of eye exams is needed, it is clear that they offer proven benefits across many aspects of everyday life. So, the next time your eyes start to act up after binge-watching the latest television craze, let it be a reminder to schedule your next annual eye exam. It might just be the best health decision you make all year.