What You Should Tell Your Vision Tester

By Carmella Watts


An annual check-up of your vision is usually the standard recommendation. For people who have yet to visit a vision tester there are several things that it might be useful to tell them, that assuming they do not ask. During the consultation usually the eye doctor will spend a few minutes going over things like general health, past history of illness and normally an eye exam is involved too.

One of the first things they should know is about your general medical condition. Problems like diabetes, allergies, high blood pressure and other illnesses, however trivial you may think, need to be explained. Pregnancy is also a very important thing to tell the eye doctor, as your eyes can be affected by even slight changes to your body. Plus, if there are any abnormalities, these might be caused by general health issues.

One thing that might be overlooked, especially with the focus on present heath, is the patient's past health, which also includes family illnesses. Incidentally, eye problems within the family also should come out, as things like glaucoma could very well run in a family. It's also imperative that if you have had eye surgery or any eye trauma in the past that they know about it.

It might seem rather obvious, but many people do not tell their doctor about changes in their vision. If you notice things changing, becoming blurred, or an increase in spots or floaters, it could mean your eyes need attention. Things that may seem trivial, such as flashes of light or blurriness, should also be reported. They will investigate the problem and try to diagnose the cause, and hopefully help eradicate the problem. If you wear glasses or contact lenses it's best to bring them along too, as well as prescription sunglasses.

Before the doctor prescribes any medication, he'll most likely need to know if you're taking anything at the moment. However trivial things such as aspirin may seem, it's always better to give the doctor the information, and let them make up their own mind. The same goes if you're taking prescription medication, as these may potentially effect vision.

Something that you might not think is your doctor's concern is your present lifestyle. However, the issue of social life, alcohol consumption and smoking really can have an affect on vision. Another aspect of lifestyle is occupation. Some occupations mean people spend long hours staring at a computer screen or reading electronic books, or even regular paperback books. This will all be taken into account during the appointment.

Anyone wearing contact lenses should discuss their current eye-wear too. It's vital that the eye specialist know how long they are being worn, when they are cleaned, if they are slept in and if you swim in them.

A vision tester is sometimes only as good as the knowledge they get from a patient. If they have information on your lifestyle, habits and family history they should be able to provide better medical care and hopefully catch any eye problems before they deteriorate.




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