CNIB
CNIB passionately provides community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. At Mountain Eye Care, we keep the same core values in mind when we work with Hamilton residents to help them correct their vision issues. Vision loss is more common than people think, and that is why Mountain Eye Care and the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) are teaming up to prevent vision loss by reminding Ontario residents to have an annual eye exam performed by a doctor of optometry.
In a 2011 report on the cost of vision loss in Canada, CNIB estimated that over one million people in Canada are living with blindness or vision loss, which is more than the number of Canadians with breast cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s combined. The CNIB also estimates that vision loss costs the Canadian economy billions of dollars a year, and that this number will continue to grow as our population grows in age.
Having a yearly eye exam performed by an optometrist can help treat or even prevent certain diseases and conditions that directly affect your vision. It is for this reason that Mountain Eye Care supports the CNIB, and is in the direct business of providing Hamilton patients with a professional facility to have their eye exams performed by certified and professional doctors.
Here are a few of the leading eye diseases and conditions that cause vision loss in Canadian residents.
Cataracts:
Cataracts develop without pain or redness. Some indications that a cataract may be forming include blurred or hazy vision that cannot be corrected by changing your prescription, or the feeling of having a film over your eyes that does not go away with blinking.
Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is almost always symptomless. Your doctor of optometry will perform a simple and painless procedure called tonometry during your routine eye exam, which measures the internal pressure of your eye to check for glaucoma.
Diabetic Retinopathy:
Diabetes and its complications can affect many parts of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is a weakening or swelling of the tiny blood vessels in the retina of your eye, resulting in blood leakage and the growth of new blood vessels.
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD):
In the earliest stages, macular degeneration is entirely symptom free. The most common initial symptom is slightly blurred central vision when performing tasks that require you to see detail.
These are just a few of the conditions and eye diseases that can lead to vision permanent vision loss. This is why it is important to make sure that you schedule an annual eye exam at a quality facility like Mountain Eye Care, who has a very experienced team of eye doctors who can catch any possible issues early, provide recommendations and advice, and fit you with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses that can help with your specific vision correction.
For more information about our products and services at Mountain Eye Care, please feel free to continue browsing through our website. We can also be reached by phone at (905) 389-4201 or by filling out our contact form.