Visiting Your Eye Doctor? Here’s What To Expect

Many people only visit their eye doctor for prescription updates or to change their glasses, but did you know that everyone should visit their eye doctor at least once a year? Even if you believe that your vision is alright and you don’t need glasses, a yearly visit to your optometrist can protect your overall health. Many diseases can be treated or even prevented if you detected them in the early stages. That’s why your yearly visit is important. Your eye doctor can detect many health conditions before your body shows any symptoms. 

These diseases and health conditions include diabetes, brain tumor, skin cancer, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Also, your optometrist can detect and treat early signs of eye diseases that cause poor eyesight or permanent vision loss. 

Why visit an Eye Doctor 

The main reason why everyone should regularly do an eye check-up is that many eye diseases don’t show any symptoms until it’s too late. For example, Glaucoma doesn’t have any symptoms or warning signs until it’s in the severe stages. The vision will suddenly start to become blurry, and after a short while, it leads to loss of vision. Unfortunately, it can only be treated if it’s detected in its early stages. Other eye problems, such as diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration, are hard to treat in the advanced stages and may require surgeries to treat them. 

During your visit, the optometrist will check and test the health of the blood vessels in your retina. If they detect anything wrong, they will do more tests to ensure that it’s not an eye disease. After that, the optometrist will ask to check your blood pressure and do another check-up for your overall health. Through that test, you will know if you have any problems before they show any symptoms. 

What to Expect On Your Next Visit

If you’re visiting an eye doctor for the first time, going to your regular check-up, or you’ve been advised to visit an optometrist after a vision screening at a local clinic, there are few things to expect. First, your eye doctor will need to know your medical history. If it’s your first visit, you must provide detailed medical history for the optometrist so they will know what to test for and give a proper diagnosis. You should also provide a list of all the medications you take, even if they’re just supplements or vitamins. 

The optometrist must be aware of all the medications you’re on in case any of them are causing any problems. It will also be helpful if you provided your parents’ medical history. Any vision problems your parents experienced throughout their years could direct the eye doctor to run the right test to determine if these issues will pass on to you. 

If you’re going to your regular yearly visit, expect the optometrist to ask you about any medical changes that have happened since your last visit. Any changes in your health, even in a short time, can affect your eye’s health so your eye doctor must be made aware of it. It will also be preferable to bring all your previous glasses to your appointment for the doctor to evaluate and check your progress. 

To check your eye health and vision, you will undergo several tests. Your eye doctor will do a series of vision tests to understand where your eyesight stands, whether it’s normal, getting better, or getting worse. You will also do vision screening that determines your vision quality. If you already wear glasses, these tests will ensure that your current glasses or contacts are what you need precisely and that there’s no need for any modifications. If you already know that you need new glasses or contacts, you can book an appointment for a quick eye test. If you’re unsure what to expect, this website will guide you through the process and provide you with new glasses or contacts that match your needs. Getting new glasses is not as difficult as many people think, the process and the tests are smooth and will not take more than 30 minutes. However, even if you’re sure that you need to start wearing glasses, it’s better to do a full eye check-up to ensure there aren’t any other problems you’re not aware of. 

You must be honest and have a clear conversation with your eye doctor, as they will inform you of the exact state of your eye condition and what you should do to take care of them in the future. If you have any problems or signs of disease, your optometrist will inform you of all the next steps that must be taken to prevent or reduce any possible side effects. 

What to Know Before Going

Before you visit your eye doctor, there are several things that you must know and prepare. As mentioned above, your eye doctor will need to know your and your parent’s medical history. If you don’t have past medical records, just memorize and list all the medication you’re currently on. If you’re visiting an optometrist because you believe that you have a medical issue, make sure that you list your exact symptoms; don’t leave out any details. Ask your doctor before you go whether you’re going to undergo any test that includes dilation eye drops. If so, remember to bring your sunglasses with you. Don’t forget to ask about the vision insurance plan and take your insurance card with you. 

An optometrist’s main job is to ensure that your eye’s health and condition are in good shape. If you have normal vision and don’t have any disease symptoms or other issues, a yearly check-up will be perfect. Even if you don’t struggle with poor vision or any other factors, a regular check-up will ensure that everything is normal and healthy. Your eye doctor will also be able to detect any problems that may occur in the future and treat it before it becomes severe.