When a doctor looks into your eyes, he can tell if you have eye disease, any vision related problems or other health concerns. That’s why routine exams for your eyes are important, even when you think there is nothing wrong with your eyes. It is important to get a complete eye exam, and not just a visual screening test.
Children should have their eyes checked regularly to make sure their eyes are developing normally, and to help them avoid difficulties in their academic studies. Because of eye immaturity, many children need low range reading glasses to be able to read without squinting. Adults need routine eye checkups to keep their prescription glasses up to date in order to prevent increased vision loss. It will, also, help detect eye diseases in their early stages.
Vision screening is the simple exam that is often performed by volunteers, a school nurse, a health care provider or a person at the motor vehicle department when you go to get your license. Depending on the experience of the person administering the test, they will check for blurring and muscle coordination. If they are knowledgeable, they will also be able to detect some eye diseases.
A comprehensive exam, on the other hand, is performed by an eye doctor that will check your eyes in all aspects. Once he has the results of all of the different things he checked, he will talk with you about your options for treatment and discuss them with you. Don’t forget that your pediatrician and family physician are not qualified to do a comprehensive exam.
When the eye doctor finishes your exam, he will explain to you what you need to do. The treatment he recommends may include a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, surgery of some type, a type of medical treatment or he may suggest a time for having your eyes checked again. He could, also, recommend vitamins that have to do with eye health.
If you plan to use contact lenses, be sure to tell your eye doctor before he starts the exam. He will need to do special tests that he wouldn’t normally do for a person who will be wearing glasses. Since these tests take extra time, it is, also, a good idea to tell the receptionist when you call to make an appointment.
When the eye doctor finishes examining your eyes, he will sit down with you and ask you questions about your lifestyle, whether or not you want disposables, RGP lenses or soft lenses. You will, also, need to decide if you want to change the color of your eyes with your contacts or not. If you are over 40, the doctor will explain the differences between multifocal, bifocal and monovision contact lenses.
The final step will be to measure the contact lenses so they will fit your eyes correctly. If the curvature of the lens does not fit properly, it can cause damage to your eye or cause you great discomfort.
A proper eye exam is just another step in maintaining your health. It is just as important as daily exercise and a healthy diet. Make it a habit to follow your eye doctor’s instructions as to when you should schedule your next exam.
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