The new year is starting, and with its arrival you can and likely will take a look at yourself and your personal habits and priorities to determine how you are going to make adjustments and changes in the new year. One of the areas you may not have thought of but should keep in mind when deciding how to improve yourself in the new year is to make your eye health a priority going forward. Get to know some of the reasons that making annual eye exams a priority should be one of your goals this year, and get your next eye exam appointment scheduled as soon as possible.

Early Detection of Cataracts and Other Eye Disorders

Detecting eye disorders early on is one of the biggest benefits of getting an annual eye exam. As the human eye ages and suffers from damage due to the sun and other factors, the likelihood that it will develop a disorder such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration increases.

Getting your eyes looked at every year will help to detect any changes, even minor changes, to the quality of your vision as well as changes in the physical structure of your eyes. The earlier any eye disorder is detected, the better the treatment options available to you. While glaucoma and macular degeneration are incurable, early detection will help you to slow the progress of these eye disorders and ensure that you will be able to keep your vision intact for as long as possible.

Detection of Brain and Other Tumors

Another way that a regular routine eye exam can help you is by working to detect tumors that you may not otherwise find out about until much later. Some brain tumors can affect a person's vision for various reasons.

During a routine eye exam, if your eye doctor determines that your peripheral vision is lacking or you have had a drastic or sudden decline in the quality of your vision, they can run further tests to determine if a tumor is the possible culprit. They can take a closer look at your retina and the internal structure of your eye to see any fuzziness, a swollen optic nerve, or other issues.

If internal inspections of the eye show further abnormalities, your eye doctor will likely refer you to your primary care doctor or another specialist to run further scans and tests, including an MRI or CT scan of your head to look for tumors or other problems. In essence, your eye exam could get you the earliest possible treatment for your brain tumor or other type of tumor in your head or facial region, potentially even saving your life.

Now that you know more about a few of the ways that eye exams can help you in your overall health and eye health, you can be sure to make annual eye exams a part of your regular health routine this new year and going forward.

Contact a business like Spectacle Shoppe, Inc. to learn more.