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Eye and Vision Care

About Your Eyes

Of all the information relayed to the brain, 80% is visual in origin. Eye and vision disorders have broad implications in health care because of their potential for causing disability, suffering, and loss of productivity. Many symptoms are also associated with general health problems, such as hypertension and diabetes. Early detection and treatment of eye and vision disorders are essential to maintaining a person's total health and well-being.

Eye and vision disorders have an impact on the quality of life for patients in all age groups. In children and young adults, most problems are functional in nature. This means the eye itself may be healthy, but eyesight may be blurred, doubled, or uncomfortable as a result of poor focusing ability. In older adults, eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma are much more common, and these diseases can also cause poor eyesight and occasionally blindness. 

Functional Vision Problems: The high prevalence of common eye and vision disorders underscores the importance of regular eye care. Conservative estimates suggest that 54% of the U.S. population wears corrective lenses; and of these, approximately nine percent wears contact lenses.

Presbyopia, the natural age-related loss of eye focusing ability for near tasks, usually begins between the ages of 38 and 45, and its prevalence is virtually 100 percent by ages 50-52 years.

Age-Related Eye Diseases: An estimated 42% of patients between the ages 52-64 have early lens opacities (cataracts), although only 5 percent experience visual impairment. However, by age 75-85, nearly everyone has developed some cataract formation.

In addition, an estimated 1.6 million Americans over the age of 40 have glaucoma. The risk of developing glaucoma increases significantly with age; and unfortunately, approximately half of all patients with glaucoma do not know they have it.

The goals of routine and comprehensive eye examinations are to:

  1. evaluate the functional status of the eyes and vision system for abnormal focusing and/or ocular alignment problems;
  2. assess the health of the eyes and related general health conditions which may affect vision;
  3. counsel and educate patients regarding any special eye safety and/or visual performance requirements at their home, school, work, or recreation.

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Last Reviewed: Oct 30, 2007

The Ohio State University Robert D. Newcomb, OD, MPH, FAAO
Professor of Clinical Optometry
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University
Robert D. Newcomb, OD, MPH, FAAO