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Looking Ahead: The Power of Preventive Eye Care

Jun 30, 2025 | 11:58 AM

Modern medicine can work wonders, from replacing hips to performing life-saving heart surgery. This sometimes gives us the sense that if something goes wrong, there’ll be a way to fix it. But when it comes to your eyesight, there’s often not a second chance

Many of the most serious eye conditions, including glaucoma and macular degeneration, begin without symptoms. The only way to protect your sight for the long haul is to catch these issues early.

“You’ve only got one set of eyes, and we can’t replace them,” said Dr. Mark Langer from IRIS in Vernon.

Cornea replacements are now a common procedure, but that’s not the case with the retina.  “When it comes to retinal conditions that affect your vision, there’s no reversing that. There’s no transplant. There’s no cure. It has to be about prevention.”

With conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration, the only way to detect them is through routine eye exams. “If we catch them early, we can intervene and slow down that progression so that you live a full life with very minimal vision loss,” said Dr. Langer.

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Updated technology means it’s possible to diagnose certain conditions years earlier than in the past. Retinal scans and other advanced tools are part of routine eye exams at IRIS, which can also include AI software to detect issues with a level of precision that wasn’t possible before.

But even with the latest technology, early detection is still key.

The typical recommendation for routine eye exams is every two years for healthy individuals between 19 and 65. In a higher risk bracket for various eye conditions, people over 65 are advised to get their eyes checked annually.

“Preventive care is really the best way to maintain the good ocular health and good vision that you currently enjoy well into your elderly years.”

To book an appointment, call IRIS at (250) 542-2239 or book online at iris.ca.