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Time for an Eye Exam? Quick Self-Test
This Week's Tips
When you're looking for a tip-off to how your eyes are doing, here's one big clue:
Check your night vision. Count how long it takes your eyes to recover from bright lights you see at night, especially when driving. Longer than usual? Say, 7 seconds, as opposed to 3? Might be time for a visit with your eye specialist.
2 More Do-It-Yourself Exams
If you don't have any risk factors for eye disease and you're under 60, you can probably get by with seeing the eye doc every 2 years (annually if you're over 60). But go sooner if your eyes are giving you problems. In addition to the night vision test, RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD -- authors of the newly expanded YOU: The Owner's Manual -- suggest a couple of other quick do-it-yourself eye checks:
- Fatigue test: If your eyes tire out faster during normal activity -- like reading or working on the computer -- it could be a sign of weakening eyesight.
- Endurance test: If your eyes get tired earlier in your daily routine than usual -- maybe you can't read in bed anymore, for example -- schedule a checkup.
Learn how to tell the difference between symptoms of normal eye aging and the signs of eye disease.
RealAge Benefit:
Actively patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.
YOU: The Owner's Manual -- Updated and Expanded Edition. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
