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Your vision is one of your most precious assets, helping you work, play and build memories throughout a lifetime. Are you doing everything you can to protect it?

It’s never too early to begin safeguarding your vision. Even if you are still young, even if you have never experienced any eye pain or discomfort, and even if you are happy with your vision, having your eyes examined by a Doctor of Optometry plays a critical role in preserving your overall health and well-being—now and in your later years.

A Doctor of Optometry examines, diagnoses, treats, manages and helps prevent diseases and disorders affecting the visual system, the eye and related structures. They are trained to the same standards as medical and dental professionals, and can prescribe medications to treat certain eye conditions, such as infections, inflammations, allergies and injuries.

A Doctor of Optometry can also assist in diagnosing general health conditions; a thorough eye exam can identify general health conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, certain vascular diseases, and certain types of cancer.

For some people, proactive eye care is particularly important:

Eye exams are a crucial part of health care for people with diabetes. Changes in the eye due to diabetes can be detected during eye exams and are often the first indication that a person may have the disease.

Almost one-third of people with diabetes (type I or II) will eventually develop diabetic retinopathy, a condition that occurs when the blood vessels inside the eye are damaged. Without treatment, it can cause blindness over time, and in the early stages, there may not be symptoms. People with diabetes are also at risk for glaucoma, cataracts and retinal detachment. Your B.C. Doctor of Optometry can help identify these problems early, and provide treatment to minimize the damage to your vision.

For helpful links, tips and resources on diabetes-related conditions and how to reduce your risk, visit the Helpful Links page.

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Our eyes change as we age, with some changes occurring as early as in our 40s. Because many age-related conditions have no symptoms, it’s important to talk to your optometrist about preventive measures.

The most common eye problems among adults include:

Presbyopia: a natural effect of aging in which the ability to focus on close objects decreases over time. Presbyopia can cause headaches, blurred vision, tearing, stinging or the need for more light.

Glaucoma: a “silent thief” that often has no symptoms until significant damage has occurred. Glaucoma is caused by elevated pressure within the eye, and can lead to serious vision loss if not detected and treated at an early stage.

Cataracts: distorted or cloudy vision caused by the lens inside the eye losing its transparency over time. Cataracts can require changes to your glasses or surgical removal.

Macular degeneration: a disease that results in degenerative changes to your central vision, and a leading cause of vision loss among older adults.

For helpful links, tips and resources on age-related eye problems and how you can preserve your sight as you age, visit the Helpful Links page.


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Protecting your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is just as important as putting on sunscreen to protect your skin. Many age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, may be partially caused by UV exposure throughout your life; protecting your eyes from UV today may save your vision tomorrow.

Light skin, eye pigmentation and certain medications, such as oral contraceptives and some antibiotics, can affect how susceptible you are to ultraviolet light. Your Doctor of Optometry can make specific recommendations to ensure your eyes are well-protected from harmful effects. Learn more about how to protect your eyes outdoors and during recreational activities by visiting the Helpful Links page.
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Computers are an integral part of our lives, but they can cause eye problems, such as blurred vision and tired, dry, red, sore or watery eyes. Your Doctor of Optometry can perform an eye examination to determine the cause of your symptoms. Even small refractive errors in your eyes can affect how efficiently and comfortably you can work at the computer. They can also help you minimize eye problems by recommending specialized “task-specific” lenses or anti-reflective coatings for your eyewear. For tips and resources on staying comfortable in front of the computer, please visit the Helpful Links page.

There are a host of other risk factors for certain eye conditions, including: having a family history of eye problems; being a smoker; having high blood pressure; being extremely nearsighted; and many more. Everyone should have their eyes examined by a Doctor of Optometry, whether they are considered higher-risk or not.

The best thing you can do for your eye health is to schedule regular visits with your B.C. Doctor of Optometry. Their comprehensive vision and eye health examinations keep you ahead of the vision-related changes you will experience as you age, and identify potential vision problems in time to prevent and address them. Learn more about how an eye exam can protect your vision at any age.
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A comprehensive eye exam is important for everyone, including people that are not able to speak or communicate. In fact, regular eye check-ups are more important for someone who is not able to communicate, because if a problem does arise, this person is not able to tell us that there is vision loss or eye pain. Without an eye examination, a serious eye problem could be missed and permanent vision loss could result. Loss of vision means loss of mobility, functioning and independence.

If someone is not able to communicate verbally, your Doctor of Optometry can still do a complete eye examination and get the results necessary to determine an eyeglass prescription and to determine that the eyes are healthy. With their specialized equipment, your Doctor of Optometry can prescribe glasses, even if someone is unable to answer the question, “Which is lens is clearer, one or two?” It is also possible to determine if the eyes are working together and to check the internal and external health of the eyes. With the cooperation of the patient, your Doctor of Optometry can also measure the eye pressure to check for glaucoma.

Therefore, for those who are unable to communicate, including young children, elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, those affected by stroke or those with cognitive disability, it is still possible for your Doctor of Optometry to do a complete eye exam. Eye exams should be done annually or sooner if there appears to be any change in mobility or functioning, as these people are unable to communicate when a problem does arise. Good vision allows us to learn, allows us to recognize people around us, and allows for mobility and independence. What could be more important?