Doctors are Changing Lives

Because optometrists are trained to recognize critical health issues, such as diabetes and hypertension, while examining the eye, having an eye exam can save your life as well as your vision.

• A farmer came in to have a piece of metal removed from his eye. While removing the object, the doctor recognized he had glaucoma. "This early detection may have saved his sight," said Dr. Burton.
• A man in his 20s thought he needed eyeglasses because he had been having severe headaches and blurred vision. It turned out he had critically high blood pressure. "He didn't need glasses; he needed to be hospitalized," said Dr. Lee. "He was in kidney failure and was on dialysis within 2 days."
• While performing an eye health exam, an optometrist recognized a condition that needed urgent evaluation and treatment by a neurologist on a priority basis. "She was diagnosed one week later with a brain tumor," said Dr. Lewis. "Due to the timely referral, it was successfully treated."

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