Reasons To Visit An Optometrist

Following a healthy diet and maintaining an active lifestyle is important to ensure living a quality life. However, you should not ignore the health of your eye either. Make sure to have it checked regularly and update the status by having your prescription glasses changed as and when needed. You should not keep putting off this task terming it as inconsequential. Remember that slight damage to the eye may not trouble you at first. Sure, you choose to have your vision screened but that would not be effective as the problems will not come to the surface. Health professionals recommend getting in touch with a skilled and experienced Orangeville optometrist to have your eyes examined minutely.

Sadly, most laypersons tend to get confused on hearing several similar terms such as an optometrist, optician, and ophthalmologists. Do not take the prefix ‘op’ too seriously and expect each professional to provide identical services. It will help to learn that both optometrist and ophthalmologist are physicians who conduct an examination of the eye and are equipped to prescribe medication. Advising patients about taking proper care of the eyes is the onus of an optometrist too.

However, this professional is not an eye surgeon and would be unable to perform any surgical procedures on the patient. However, most medical facilities have both the professionals working in tandem taking care to provide full care of the patient’s eyes and ensure acuity of his / her vision. An optician is not a registered doctor, however, and you need to visit only a registered and certified optometrist or ophthalmologist to obtain the right treatment and care.

Do not be perturbed by this overload of information because you enjoy perfect eyesight. Sure, being blessed with a 20/20 vision is admirable but you should never take such a boon for granted either. Remember, that the human body is not infallible and you may experience difficulty in seeing clearly as age creeps up on you slowly but surely. Be sure to have your eyes examined regularly i.e. at least once a year when the optometrist finds nothing wrong with it. Thereafter, you may be advised to visit the professional more frequently so that any hint of damage is discovered and corrected at the earliest. There may be multiple reasons to visit an optometrist as well. Check the following probable causes and consider each carefully before you decide to give an impending eye examination a miss…

Your eyesight is not perfect- You may be proud of your visual acuity but the musculature of your eye can change with age, weakening the organs considerably. You may find it difficult to read road signs from a distance on focus on the fine print. Do not strain your eyes unduly to see clearly through. This may lead you to suffer from headaches and redness of the eye. Get your eyes examined without delay and wear prescription glasses when advised to do so.

Early Signs of Health Conditions– An eye examination does not only reveal the sharpness of your vision. however. Instead, you would be aghast to know that the optometrist would be able to check the back of your eye with the aid of specialized equipment and find tell-tale indications of diabetes and hypertension. You would have to go for a general health checkup to manage both of these which could end up damaging the major organs. The optometrist would also check the optic nerve meticulously to find signs of optic neuritis and aneurysms long before the other symptoms become apparent.

Reversible Conditions– Having your eyes examined regularly will provide you with peace of mind. You certainly do not want to be diagnosed with a defect of the eye that becomes irreversible simply because you did not bother to visit an optometrist until it was too late. Having inflated eye pressure can lead to glaucoma and blindness if it is left untreated. Similarly, cataracts are a sign of aging and you need to get it removed surgically to avoid serious consequences.

Risks of Retinal Detachment– Sure, several eye defects can be corrected via surgery. Sadly, the procedures are not foolproof and you would be advised to have the eyes examined regularly to prevent serious issues post-surgery. Detachment of the retina is a common problem faced by many patients. An early diagnosis by the optometrist can help in saving your vision. Besides, you have an increased chance of developing nearsightedness after eye surgery. Make sure to get prescription glasses and wear them constantly to ensure visual acuity.

Aging– The human body tends to slow down with each passing year. Your eyes are no exception either. Visit the optometrist at least once a year and follow his/her advice meticulously to maintain perfect eye health. You may be asked to consume more vitamin A and other supplements to retain your eyesight. Continue with the everyday tasks such as reading, watching television, and driving without feeling inconvenienced on you ensure improving the health of your eyes.

Help your children– You would not want your children to be inconvenienced in any way. Do not shirk taking him/her to an experienced optometrist to get the eyes examined. There are many eye diseases and defects that are diagnosed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist when the child is as young as six months. You would be able to get the eye as well as the vision corrected when your child is born with congenital cataracts or has a lazy eye.

It is important to research properly before visiting an eye doctor. Taking the advice of an experienced Orangeville optometrist can help you to diagnose the underlying problem and have it rectified by following the right process.