Why Your Family’s Eye Health Is Important

It is customary for your eye doctor to ask you a few questions about your family’s eye health during a routine eye exam or before undergoing treatment. This is because your genes play a big factor in various aspects of your health, including your eye health. The expert team at Island Eye Surgicenter, a leading eye surgery center in Long Island, explains more in this blog post.

Eye Diseases and Heredity

According to numerous studies, genetics play a role in common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Because of this, it is important for young children (especially those with a known genetic predisposition) to have eye exams regularly. It’s common for eye conditions to go undetected in children as they are less likely to report vision problems.

In addition, genetics can also increase your risk of developing more serious eye conditions including cataracts and glaucoma. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to serious and permanent eye damage, including blindness. Regular eye exams are important in early detection because many serious eye diseases do not show any early symptoms.

Although there is nothing you can do about your genes, there are several ways you can lower your risk of developing certain eye conditions including eating an eye-friendly diet, not smoking and protecting your eyes from UV exposure. Our expert team can share more tips for better eye health during your eye exam.

Eye Health Is Linked to Overall Health

Research also shows that your eye health is closely linked to your overall health. This means that individuals with a family history of certain systemic health problems like diabetes and heart disease have an increased risk of developing these conditions as well as the vision problems that come with them.

Schedule an Eye Exam with Our Trusted Eye Doctors

Island Eye Surgicenter is committed to providing quality eye care for you and your family. When coming in for your eye exam, we ask that you come fully prepared with information regarding your family’s medical and eye health. To schedule a routine eye exam for you or a member of your family, please contact Island Eye Surgicenter at (516) 877-2400.