Protecting Your Eyes

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We need to do everything we can to protect our eyesight. It is crucial that we guard our eyesight with the resources we have available. Prevention and education are key factors to maintaining healthy eyesight. Visiting the eye doctor regularly, recognizing risk factors, and preventative eye care will help lengthen eyesight; rather than prematurely shorten it. This is my evaluation of the importance of an eye exam through my first hand experience, focusing specifically on glaucoma tests during eye exams, and how tests contribute to long-term vision.

Glaucoma is thought of as a disease that only afflicts senior citizens. The same stereotype the pegs the elderly as people who wear huge wrap around black sunglasses, pants pulled up higher than seem comfortable, white shoes with black socks, who retirement in Florida, and who also frequently visit doctors.

Over the years I have had my fair share of doctor visits. Thankfully, none of the visits were major or life threatening, just minor reasons to see the doctor; eye exams, allergies, and tubes in my ears. I have had glasses since 6th grade, resulting in many eye exams. I would sit in the chair, look at the letters on the wall and they would adjust the lens in the machine to get the right combination. They would say “Which one looks better? This, or this?” then the optician would pause and say again “This, or this?” It took a lot of patience on his or her part because sometimes it was really hard to tell which one did look better. During these exams, it was normal for the optician to administer the glaucoma “puff test”. I found out later, while researching about glaucoma, that the “puff test” is officially known as a tonometry test.

According to www.glaucoma.org, a tonometry test i...

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....org states at the beginning “everyone is at risk.” This is an all encompassing statement that all people should be taking regular eye exams with tonometry tests. , granted the list that follows points out some ethnic groups who are more susceptible.

In conclusion, there are a lot of people who could develop glaucoma and have not had the “puff test.” I used my personal experience as an example against the people who have the potential to develop glaucoma. This analysis allowed me weigh my current situation against what damage could have been done. I wish people would be more active in their eye health. People need to stop putting off what can be done today. If you want to take care of your vision and be able to see until your old, old enough to wear pants too high with white shoe and black socks. You should go see your ophthalmologists today and get a “puff test”.

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