Your Eyes: Windows to Your Health

There are many reasons to keep your eyes healthy. One of which is that so much of our communication with the world around us comes through our eyes. The eyes are not only responsible for sight but also color and depth perception. Needless to say, it is important to keep them functioning as good as possible.

A comprehensive eye exam is not only for eye health or detecting eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration or myopia. An Optometrist can also detect other systemic issues during a comprehensive eye exam, which includes looking inside of your eye.

Without a comprehensive eye exam, you may not be aware of any potential problems inside your eye. You may see clearly, and because the retina has no nerve endings, you may not feel any pain, a symptom which may otherwise prompt you to see a doctor.

Your retina is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be seen directly. This means, in addition to eye conditions, signs of other diseases (for example, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes) can be seen in the retina. The earlier these issues are detected; the faster treatments can begin to avoid damage to your precious sight and overall health.

You’ve probably heard the adage, “the eyes are the window to the soul”. Well, we now have a technology called optomap that gives that saying a new meaning. Your eyes are certainly a window to your health. Our optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging device captures more than 82% of your retina in one image. Traditional methods of retinal imaging typically reveal only 10-15% of your retina. Of course, dilation reveals 100% of the retina and your doctor may still do dilation with the optomap technology.

If you choose to receive an optomap during your visit, your doctor can show you things they typically see during a dilated exam. They can also compare changes in your retina year over year by saving the optomap in your digital health record.

At Simon Eye, we are committed to providing you with eye care for life by using state-of-the-art technology and delivering an excellent patient experience every time you visit. We recommend that our patients include an optomap as part of your annual comprehensive eye exam.