March is Save Your Vision Month. Sponsored by the American Optometric Association, this observance is to remind Americans about the importance of having regular eye exams to help preserve and maintain their eye health. The following is a general eye exam schedule for people with normal eye health and good overall health:

• Infants: Pediatrician screening at 6 months
• Preschool children: Pediatrician screenings from age 3 to 6
• School-age children: Regular vision screenings at school
• Adults: Every 2 years
• Adults over 60: Annually

If your child’s pediatrician or school suspects a vision problem, or if you have a history of eye disease or eye problems in your family, a full eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist will be recommended. Children and adults who wear glasses or contacts should have an eye exam every year.

Even if you've had LASIK vision correction in Charleston and no longer need glasses or contacts, it’s important to maintain contact with your eye doctor to preserve your eye health. You probably know that regular eye exams can identify common eye diseases, even those that have no outward symptoms, such as diabetic retinopathy. Even if you are not experiencing any vision changes, certain conditions like glaucoma or cataracts can be “silently” stealing your vision – even if you've had LASIK. Early detection will help protect and preserve your vision.

Eye exams not only protect your eyes…they can also protect your overall health! By looking at the blood vessels in the eyes, your eye doctor can also identify chronic systemic diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

March is definitely the month to focus on your eye health; it’s also National Eye Donor Month (to promote cornea transplant awareness) and Workplace Eye Wellness Month (to promote reducing eye injuries while on the job).

Charleston, South Carolina eye exams are typically quick and painless, so there’s no excuse to put this health maintenance appointment on the back-burner. Schedule your eye exam today! Call Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery to schedule an eye exam. 

Olympic Medalist Bode Miller Regrets Not Having LASIK

The 2014 Olympics are over, but many of the athletes are still feeling the pain of disappointing losses. One such athlete is alpine ski racer, Bode Miller. After failing to reach all of his goals in Sochi, he revealed to the media that he would have changed the skis he used for one of the races, would have changed his skiing style and would have had LASIK vision correction surgery before the Olympics as he had planned.

"I was supposed to get an eye surgery earlier this year," Miller said. "We just never found a time to do it because the race schedule was so tight. We were pretty [upset] looking back that we hadn't found a time to do that. For me, my vision is critical. When the light's perfect, I can ski with any of the best guys in the world. When it goes out, my particular style suffers more than the guys who are more stable and don't do as much in the middle of the turn."

Miller’s comments drive home the fact that waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to have LASIK simply doesn't pay. So many people fret over the idea for years before having a LASIK evaluation…only to find out that they were never a good candidate for LASIK in the first place because of their eye condition or health condition.

At Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery, many of the patients we perform successful LASIK procedures on remark that they “Wish they had done it sooner” because of the level of visual freedom they experience after LASIK in Charleston, South Carolina.

Even if you’re not an Olympic athlete, having better vision can not only improve your game…it can improve your life. Don’t regret not having LASIK. With the amazing LASIK technology available today, the perfect time to have LASIK is right now. Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com to schedule your free LASIK Consultation.