Look into my eyes
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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
OK, you can't look into my eyes. This is only audio. But eye doctors can look, and experts at the National Institutes of Health say it's a good idea for you to let them.
Ophthalmologist Rachel Bishop says regular comprehensive exams can spot problems early, before a person notices symptoms. She says an exam could involve eyedrops to dilate, or widen, the iris in the front of your eye, so the doctor can see more deeply into your eye.
``Without a dilated eye exam, the doctor would not be able to tell if a person had the early changes from glaucoma or diabetes or macular degeneration, for example.'' (11 seconds)
Bishop also recommends healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the risk of diabetes, which can lead to blindness.
Learn more at hhs.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.