How Important Are Eye Exams?
…Did you know that your eyes can tell a lot about your health and that sometimes, an eye exam is the best thing you could do?
We all know that it’s extremely important to go to the doctor when we notice that there is something going on with our health. This rule applies to all of your health conditions, especially when it comes to your eyes.
They help you see the world around you, help you work, drive, and so many other things.
Adults should go to an eye exam at least once every two years, but if you wear glasses or contacts, your ophthalmologist might recommend for you to come for a check-up sooner.
Over time, your eyes can get a lot more sensitive and tired, due to several factors, such as age or working all day on a computer and you should pay attention to every single change that might occur.
With that being said, here are 10 signs that you should pay your doctor a visit and ask for an eye exam!
1. You Experience Eye Pain
According to experts, if you experience mild pain rarely, it’s not a reason to panic, because it might be a symptom of tiredness. However, if you have frequent eye pain that is uncomfortable and intense, you should definitely ask for an eye exam.
There is a possibility that this pain you feel is actually a sign that your eyes are infected, or could be a symptom of a more serious health issue.
2. You Have Blurry Vision Or Trouble Focusing
If you experience blurry vision or have trouble focusing all of a sudden, it might be time to call your ophthalmologist, because it might indicate that there is something going on there.
If your vision comes and goes or it happens in one eye only, you should immediately schedule a typical appointment with your doctor.
If your vision is getting blurrier and blurrier over time, you don’t have to panic. It might indicate the fact that your eyes are changing and you might have to use a prescription to see better. Whatever the symptom might be, don’t neglect it and book an eye exam!
3. You Don’t See At NightÂ
In conformity with experts, it is normal for people to experience night blindness (having difficulty seeing when it’s dark) when they get older. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take care of it.
You should definitely call your doctor and ask for an eye exam because over time, night blindness can actually turn into cataracts.
This health condition is severe and it usually needs surgery to be cured, but you can talk to your doctor about different methods and things you can do to prevent or slow the progression of cataracts.
…Meanwhile, here’s a trusted little sidekick to help you read at night!
4. You Have Migraines
Changes in vision usually happen over time, so patients might notice them after a longer period of time. However, if you experience frequent migraines, it might indicate that there are some changes in your vision and your eyes are affected as a result.
…How often do you go to your ophthalmologist for a regular eye exam?
5. You Have Light Sensitivity
There are many people who suffer from light sensitivity without knowing about it. Many experts say that this symptom might indicate a few more serious infections, eye disorders, and diseases, such as photophobia.
This is a type of eye trouble that occurs in bright light when the cornea gives permission for light to enter the eye.
As the light goes through the eye the iris modifies its shape by enlarging and letting more light through or compressing and allowing less light through to change pupil size.
6. You Experience Double Vision
Double vision is also known as diplopia and can be either monocular, which means that only happens in one eye, or can occur in both eyes. This health issue can be caused by several things, such as keratoconus, astigmatism, or dry eye.
In addition to that, there can be other factors that might trigger this, such as abnormalities in the lens, brain, cornea, retina, and nerves. Diplopia can also be caused by the fact that the eyes are not able to coordinate the way they are supposed to.
This phenomenon is called binocular double vision and patients who are diagnosed with this can see perfectly with each individual eye, but they can’t see well with both of their eyes used at the same time.
One of the most common reasons binocular double vision happens is because the eyes are somehow pointed at different angles, which can result in them transmitting different images to the brain.
Given the fact that this is not an easy symptom and it can get dangerous pretty quickly, you shouldn’t waste time and go for an eye exam as soon as possible.
7. You Have Dry And Itchy Eyes
If you suffer from allergies or if you spend time the majority of your day working on your computer, it is understandable that your eyes feel itchy and dry.
However, besides being a side effect, dry eye is also a chronic condition that can be kept under control with the help of many non-invasive treatments.
…Make sure to book an appointment with your eye doctor to get an eye exam find out more about this health issue!Â
8. You Suffer From Diabetes
Diabetes is a severe health issue that can affect patients in many eyes, including their eyes. When the levels of sugar in a patient’s body are way too high, it can cause issues to the fragile blood vessels in the retina. As a result, all these things can cause diabetic retinopathy.
Studies have discovered that people who are diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of developing the disease previously mentioned.
If you want to make sure that you won’t be a victim of this dangerous health condition, make sure to respect what your ophthalmologist tells you and go to your eye exam at the right time.
9. You Have Troubles With Near Or Distant Vision
If your eyes aren’t the way they used to be and now you find yourself squinting to read road signs when you’re in the car or holding your phone at arm’s length to be able to read a text message, you should call your doctor right NOW and get ready for an eye exam!
Even though you don’t notice any major changes, this doesn’t mean that you should wait around until your vision gets worse.
If you don’t have a prescription already, but you do one of the things or even both previously mentioned, it might be an indicator that you need glasses.
If you already wear glasses or contacts, this means that your prescription has changed and you need an eye exam to determine how much and what you can do.
10. You Went A Long Time Ago
Just like you need to go to the dentist from time to time to have a regular check-up, you have to take care of your eyes as well.
In conformity with the Canadian Association of Optometrists, adults who are between 40 and 64 years old should go to an ophthalmologist every two years, and people who are over the age of 64 should make this appointment a priority and go every year.
…When was the last time you had an eye exam?Â
CONCLUSIONÂ
It doesn’t matter if you work on a computer every single day, if you’re 40 or seventy years old, or if you don’t experience any of these symptoms. You shouldn’t neglect your health, especially when it comes to your eyes.
Make sure to respect all the indications the experts give you and go to the ophthalmologist for an eye exam if you believe that your vision has changed. Don’t wait until things are bad, because it might be too late to prevent it!
Keep in mind that it is always better to prevent a health condition rather than treat it!
…If you liked this article and want to know some more about health and wellness, check this one out: Top 12 Foods That Are Bad for Your Skin!
1 thought on “Eye Exams: 10 Worrying Signs You Need One NOW”
I have had eye surgery in both eyes, funny legend, I went to St.Luke’s in Tarpon Springs, FL. supposedly the best eye place in Florida, they found a hole in my right eye, they also stated that I had to have the cataracts removed from both eyes, ok, so I had them remove the cataracts from both eyes before they could fix the hole in my eye, great, on my return visit the doctors exclaimed (isn’t your eyesight great now?) my retort was, it has not changed for the good as a matter of fact it is horrible, I had double vision in both eyes, this sounds strange) and everything is brighter in one eye than the other, time passes, they now fix the hole in my eye, I had to lie on my stomach on this bench type of horror, like from the Rue Morge . now the hole is less, but I do not see any improvement, rather the opposite, so they had me come in, and they used a laser on both eyes to trim something on my eyes. this only made it worse, then the problem has really become trouble for me. nighttime driving is impossible, my eyes have become super sensitive to light especially headlight on a car. I am 72 and my retirement occupation is Master Gunsmith and all my weapons are right handed. I need to be able to see targets at 100 yds. Their answer, shoot from the other side, my eyes were so much better before I ever set foot in that place, they tell me that when I came in for my first visit that I had 20/20 in the left eye, and the most I had to do was to use magnifier glasses, I use 1-1/2 magnifiers when I have to read. now they give me a prescription for glasses, I do not understand how my eyesight could deteriorate so fast, where in Nashua, New Hampshire may I go to get fixed or undue what they have done, and Boston is only 30 minutes away, but if there is a great place in Newhampshire, lead the way.