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Sarah J. Blake is a person with a visual impairment who has also studied blindness and eye conditions. She is not an eye care professional, and information on this site is not a substitute for face-to-face consultation with an eye care professional. This site is designed solely to assist patients and doctors in building cooperative relationships.
Everyone should have an eye exam every year. This is a piece of advice with which many people are familiar, but it is also a piece of advice many people don't follow. Why? They think they will know if something is wrong. There would be a symptom, right?
Not necessarily. Some diseases, like glaucoma, begin without causing discomfort or changes in vision. Other conditions cause such a gradual change that the symptoms might easily be mistaken for something temporary. Yet some of these conditions can be treated successfully if discovered early--and successful treatment means one less case of blindness. On a less statistical note, successful treatment keeps the affected person from having to deal with the difficult emotions and lifestyle changes which accompany vision loss.
Even people who have little or no vision should be concerned about the health of their eyes. Glaucoma is a complication of several other conditions, and it can be very painful if untreated.
If you don't have an ophthalmologist, here are some tips for finding one. Money can be a major obstacle to getting those annual eye exams. However, there are also some sources of help. Some of these have been introduced in another publication from the NEI: "Financial Aid for Eye Care".
Taking care of your eyes also means understanding any eye conditions you have. The Internet is a great place to look for information. The eye conditions page will help you to find links to information about a particular eye condition.
If you have low vision, the articles on the low vision page may be helpful. Some of these articles address the issue of getting good services. Others provide information about modifications which can help people use their low vision most efficiently.
Finally, familiarize yourself with resources for people who are blind or visually impaired in your area. Many eye care professionals are not familiar with these resources, and without this information they cannot provide the best service to patients who need it. The article, "Blindness and Visual Impairment: Information for Eye Care Professionals," introduces some of these services. When you get ready to go to see a doctor in your area, print out the article and take it with you. You'll not only be helping the doctor but also many people like yourself who are searching for appropriate information and services.
This document is copyright 2003 by Sarah J. Blake. For permission to reprint, please email Sarah at sarah@growingstrong.org.
Sarah J. Blake is a person with a visual impairment who has also studied blindness and eye conditions. She is not an eye care professional, and information on this site is not a substitute for face-to-face consultation with an eye care professional. This site is designed solely to assist patients and doctors in building cooperative relationships.
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