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Healthy Vision MonthMay is Healthy Vision Month, a national eye health observance devoted to promoting the vision objectives in Healthy People 2010. The focus for this year is Healthy People Vision Objective 28-3: Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due to refractive errors. Healthy Vision Month is sponsored by the National Eye Health Education Program of the National Eye Institute (NEI). NEI is one of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of Healthy Vision Month 2009 is to promote the importance of getting eye exams. Uncorrected Refractive ErrorsMore than 11 million Americans have uncorrected refractive errors according to a recent study conducted by the National Eye Institute. Refractive errors are one of the most common—and correctable—vision problems in the United States. Eye care professionals can conduct a comprehensive dilated eye exam and prescribe corrective eyewear, such as glasses or contact lenses, to help improve a person’s vision. Refractive error is a vision disorder that occurs when the eye doesn’t correctly bend, or "refract," light as it enters the eye. Common refractive errors include the following:
Refractive errors can be detected by an eye care professional during a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Upon detecting a refractive error, an eye care professional can provide prescriptive eyewear to help correct the problem. Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses are the most common forms of vision correction. More than 150 million Americans use corrective eyewear, spending more than $15 billion on eyewear each year. Past Observances
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