Health Matters: How an Eye Exam Can Detect More than a New Prescription

Optometrist do more than update your eye prescription

HEALTH MATTERS — When doing our everyday activities like reading or driving, we may notice when our vision begins to make a significant change.

But getting a checkup with an optometrist may reveal much more than you might think.

When our vision changes, it’s natural to make an appointment with our eye doctor and get an exam.

But sometimes, a simple checkup will uncover much more than just needing to update your glasses.

Eye sight is one of the senses that guides you through life.

“The interesting thing about the eye is really it’s the only place in the body that you can evaluate the blood vessels without doing some sort of invasive surgery,” said Dr. Alexander Moses, an Optometrist with Essentia Health.

Optometrists like Dr. Moses don’t just inspect your eyes for your glasses or contacts.

They are tracking your overall eye health.

“The black part of your eye is the pupil, and we look right there and use it as a window to the back of the eye which is the retina,” explained Dr. Moses. “It’s a thin layer of tissue that lines the entire back.”

It’s in that area where your optometrist can find symptoms of a common but life changing condition.

Diabetes.

“The motivation to get the blood sugar under control is really enhanced when you have the conversation of hey look, this can really affect your vision,” said Dr. Moses. “Unfortunately, vision loss can occur.”

The optometrist can see signs before there is any change to your vision.

“It can be anything from bleeding in the back of the eye to blockages,” he added. “Again, talking about the blood vessel.”

Dr. Moses said he feels like a gatekeeper in a sense, because he may be the one bringing up the possibility for the first time to the patient.

“It happens quite often which, you know, obviously isn’t always the easiest conversation,” he said. “They come in to refill their contacts and you kind of look in the back of the eye and see some signs and you ask some further questions.”

Dr. Moses recommended you see your optometrist once a year, especially if you have other risk factors for diabetes.

It will only take about one hour of your time.