Vision Care
Many people think their eyesight is fine until they get a pair of glasses or contact lenses and the world comes into clearer view. Improving your eyesight is important: approximately 11 million Americans over age 12 need vision correction.
Regular eye exams also are part of preserving your vision and identifying eye diseases, including:
- Cataracts, clouding of the ocular lens, is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States.
- Diabetic retinopathy, which causes damage to blood vessels in the back of the eye, is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.
- Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve.
- Age-related macular degeneration, which includes the gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye.
Many adults are at substantial risk for vision loss. However, only half have visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months. Regular eye care is necessary to preserve one’s vision.
Ways to Protect Your Vision
- Get regular eye exams.
- Eat a healthy diet, including leafy greens such as spinach or kale, and maintain a healthy weight.
- Know your family’s eye health history.
- Wear sunglasses that block 99-to-100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation.
- Quit smoking, or do not start.
Eye exams at every age and life stage can help keep your vision strong.
Free Vision Screenings
The Student Health Center partnered with Wink Eye Doctors to offer free vision screenings to currently enrolled students.
An optometrist is present at every screening. During your exam, visual acuity, depth perception and U.V. protective coating on glasses (if applicable) are assessed. At the conclusion of each screening, you will be provided with a treatment recommendation plan.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the Student Health Center at 972-883-2747.
