Routine eye exams uncover critical changes to eye health and vision

Changes in our eye and vision can go unnoticed. Researchers at the University of Waterloo's Waterloo Eye Study (WatES, 2016) found that out of 2,565 patients who did not have any eye or vision complaints, 51% had a least one significant change. These changes included a critical diagnosis (16%), new management (58%), and prescription changes (41%). Critical findings included conditions associated with vision loss, the potential for progression to vision loss, or eye findings related to medical conditions. Their research also showed that the length of time in between regular eye exams was important with longer intervals (2-5 years) resulting in more significant findings. The full WatES study can be found here.