One of my memories of elementary school was thinking I was just not very smart. In 1st 2nd and 3rd grades, I was having trouble understanding things that the other students seemed to grasp. Most of the class instruction in the mid-1950’s was done on a blackboard. We used worksheets to show our comprehension of what was being taught. I was not doing well. I was struggling to see the world around me. At some point in the 3rd grade our school had a vision screening. My parents were advised that I needed an eye exam. Mom took me to the ophthalmologist for a vision test. And that’s how we learned that I needed glasses. Once I got the glasses, I was surprised and amazed to find that I could see individual leaves on trees when still some distance from the tree. I thought everyone saw a tree from afar as a green blob. I was thrilled to be able to see detail on the blackboard, in leaves and plants, street signs, and people’s faces from far away. My parents were not well-to-do, but they were able to afford the vision test, lenses, and frames.

According to a study in 2020 published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Ophthalmology, “In 2017, approximately 93 million US adults ages 18 years or older, or about 4 in 10, were at high risk for vision loss.” Among adults at high risk for vision loss and needing glasses, more than 8 million (or about 1 out of every 11) said they could not afford glasses.

Eye diseases are common and can go unnoticed for a long time—some diseases actually have no symptoms at first. During the exam, visual acuity (sharpness), depth perception, eye alignment, and eye movement are tested. Early treatment is critically important to prevent some common eye diseases causing permanent vision loss or blindness. These include cataracts (clouding of the lens) which is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States; diabetic retinopathy (causes damage to blood vessels in the back of the eye), the leading cause of blindness in American adults; glaucoma (a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve); and age-related macular degeneration (gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye).
Of the estimated 93 million US adults at high risk for vision loss, only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months. Regular eye care can have a life-changing impact on preserving the vision of millions of people. And, in children, enhance their ability to learn.
All children should be examined at least once between age 3 and 5 years to detect amblyopia or risk factors for the disease. Only about 39% of preschool children get their eyes checked. Exams are expensive. People with lower incomes are less likely to have had preventive care, including an eye exam, or to be able to afford eyeglasses. The cost of lenses and frames can be far out of the budget of ordinary folks and just plain prohibitive for some families – more so if more than one family member needs glasses. The Lions Club can help and provides free exams, lenses and frames to anyone who is living at or below 200% of the US Income Guidelines. Details next week!