Out of all the five human senses, we make use of our sense of sight the most. In fact, we use it so much that we often disregard how important it is, until something affects it. Every day, we’re exposed to many factors that can affect our eyesight and not for the better. Most of us make use of digital devices that can strain our eyes for hours on end. Sometimes, our environment or lifestyle can affect the efficiency and accuracy of our eyesight. Whatever the issues, it’s very important that we regularly schedule an eye doctor appointment instead of waiting for something bad to happen.
After all, an optometry appointment is just as important as a general checkup, for the sake of your eye health.
A question then arises – how do you know when to visit the eye doctor? Read on to find out the most common reasons that indicate you should visit your optometrist.
1. It’s Been a Long Time Since Your Last Eye Doctor Appointment
For young adults in their 20s and 30s who already wear glasses or contacts, it’s vital that they have an annual check-up. However, there is no age limit to how young you can get an eye checkup.
Children from birth should be getting regular eye checkups in various stages of their life to ensure that their eye health is in top shape.
So when you start to see that you’ve missed an appointment or two in recent years or if your children seem to be missing an optometry appointment along with their general check-ups, it may be time to call your optometrist and book an appointment.
2. Blurry Vision
This is often one of the most common signs of eye problems. While the causes of blurry vision may be easily solved by a new pair of glasses or fresh contacts, sometimes, it may be a sign of a more serious eye condition.
Going for an eye doctor appointment will help you detect eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, or retinal disease. Once these conditions are detected, the right treatment can be prescribed without letting these issues get worse. Treatments can range from pills, eye drops, prescription contact lenses or glasses, and even eye surgery.
The general rule of thumb when thinking of booking an eye doctor appointment is that the moment you sense that something is different with your eyesight, you book an appointment.
3. Recurring Headaches
While it is normal to get headaches from factors like everyday stress, getting them frequently is a sign that you need to book an eye doctor appointment.
Headaches can be caused by the muscles around your eyes straining to see or focus on certain objects in your vicinity. Eye strain is heightened when you tend to squint.
While it does seem like a minor issue, some headaches can get quite severe. This can become a large inconvenience as some headaches would intervene in your work.
By going for an eye doctor visit, your headaches could be eased with prescription glasses or contact lenses.
4. Difficulty Seeing at Night
Do you sometimes find objects in the dark blurry? Or maybe you find it difficult to find your way through a dark cinema theatre or room? You might have night blindness, a condition that could potentially inconvenience you in day-to-day life and make driving at night dangerous and difficult.
When you begin to sense that you have trouble seeing at night or in dark spaces, it’s best you go to an eye doctor to get it checked out.
Night blindness can be a symptom of underlying conditions such as myopia or cataract that can be treated with prescribed lenses or surgery.
5. Light Sensitivity
When you begin to experience symptoms of light sensitivity such as migraines, blurred vision, dizziness, and nausea, it might be time to book an eye doctor appointment.
While light sensitivity can range from mild to severe, it’s best to get treatment as soon as possible. It may be a symptom of underlying eye conditions such as cataracts, pink eye, scleritis, and more.
6. Dry Eyes
Dry eyes are common in warmer, dry climates or in areas that experience pollution. For those who stay inside, staring at the screens or monitors of your devices can have the same effect. Dry eyes are more prone to affect women than men.
While the symptoms are fresh, it’s best to visit an eye doctor. Leaving the symptoms for too long can lead to more serious symptoms such as blurred vision, pain in the eyes, and reddening eyes.
Watery eyes may be another symptom of dry eyes. It’s what happens when your eyes aren’t properly lubricated. As a result, your body then produces an abundance of tears to try and compensate for that.
Depending on the situation, an eye doctor can prescribe artificial tears to combat your dry eyes or thy could prescribe eye drops that could curb the excess tears.
7. Double Vision
Double vision can have many causes that could either be remedied with dry eye treatments, prescription glasses, or vision therapy. In other cases, it can be the cause of something more serious like an injury, stroke, or other illness.
Instead of ignoring the symptoms, it’s best to get yourself an eye doctor appointment to get diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
Different optometrists may offer different services and it would be ideal for you to choose one that offers what you need.
Don’t Take Any Risks With Your Eye Health
There’s absolutely no reason for you to keep on suffering from any eye pain or discomfort. As you are well aware, letting these symptoms go on for too long can lead to more serious problems.
That’s why it’s so important to regularly get an eye doctor appointment to keep your eye health updated. When choosing an optometrist, it’s only natural to want someone that you can trust.
We at Kentucky Eye Institute recognize that and promise to deliver the highest quality service and care to all our patients.
Contact us now to book your next appointment!