By Brandon Adam

For the Globe-Times

MARYSVILLE — You think you can see well? Doesn’t matter, you should still get your eyes checked.

“You should get your eyes checked even if your vision seems fine,” Dr. Arthur Wang of Eye Doctors in Marysville said. “You have to make sure your eyes are healthy.”

Overall eye care is important because problems in vision, other than it being a hinderance, could be indicative of something more serious, Wang said. A lot of eye-related symptoms can beasymptomatic as well, he added. Serious health concerns can show up in someone’s retina, for example. Examining the retina, “is a least-invasive way to see how the blood levels are functioning,” Wangsaid, adding diseases such as diabetes can be examined there. Some people put off seeing an eye doctor because eyesight decreases at such a gradual rate. People often don’t notice it until they feel thepains associated from eye strain and headaches from squinting or overcompensating in head movement, Wang said. Except for people coming in because of problems seeing, coming in for pain rankssecond, which indeed means they have less-than-perfect eyesight, Wang said. Though people may habitually put off eye care, Wang said he thinks overall awareness has improved in terms of “publiceducation,” saying that the public seems to know more about the importance of getting eye exams. Information online, including the “Think about your eyes” campaign, helps spread the message, Wangsaid. Schools also now do screening and offer full eye exams. Wang recommends at least an annual checkup for everyone.

“You only have two eyes, so you have to take care of them,” he said.