Making a yearly trip to your optometrist is an excellent method for maintaining your eyes’ pristine condition and making sure that nothing is going wrong with them. An eye exam is a vital visit that should be treated as seriously as any other medical examination because proper vision is very important for everyone. The entire purpose of an eye exam is to obtain the clearest findings for any preventative care or corrective treatment that you require for the overall well-being of not only your eyes, but also your general body. If your eye exam is inaccurate, you may miss early symptoms of health problems that could possibly be severe or become concerned about a disease that you do not even have. With that being said, it is important to book an annual appointment with your optometrist. To truly feel thoroughly prepared for your exam and have a smooth appointment, here are 5 tips that will help you.

Note your Symptoms

Before you walk in and commence your appointment with your optometrist, it is recommended that you make a list of all of your symptoms or concerns that you are feeling. By doing this, you are ensuring that you, yourself, are telling your optometrist everything that you are experiencing, which will allow them to properly take care of you. Professionals advise you to look for more than just eye-specific symptoms such as discomfort, impaired vision, watery eyes, itching, and so on. You should also keep track of any symptoms that involve your entire head, such as headaches and migraines because these too can be symptoms of possible eye/vision-related problems. When you see your optometrist, be careful to disclose all of your symptoms and make sure that all the information is accurate and straight to the point. This will allow them to provide a more accurate diagnosis following your eye exam without virtually any problems.

Keep Record of Current Medications

Another factor to think about before your visit at your optometrist’s office is the medicine you are already taking for your eye care. This is important because this kind of information will have an impact on the treatments that your optometrist will recommend after your appointment. Everything from an over-the-counter eye drop to a prescription for glaucoma treatment should be documented, as well as the drug and dose of these medications. With this information, your optometrist will have a better grasp of your diagnosis and what to expect if your present medication is continued or discontinued. It is not mandatory, but to ensure that you are receiving the best recommendations for medications from your optometrist, you can also note down and let your optometrist know about any other medications that you are taking that are not related to your eyes.

Bring in Prescription Glasses and Contacts

Similarly to medications and what was said above, your prescription glasses and/or contacts are also important to address with your optometrist at your next appointment. It is recommended that you bring either, or even both for extra reassurance that you are giving your doctor the right information. By doing this, you are giving extra information to your optometrist for a more accurate eye exam, which increases the chances of you having a successful appointment. Based on the findings of the eye test, your optometrist will be able to either update or retain your prescription and with the help of you bringing your prescribed items, the process will run more smoothly and quickly.

Prepare your Family History

Your family history, like other medical evaluations, plays a big role in the possible eye conditions you may have and might help identify the reasons of your eye-related symptoms. It is recommended that you determine whether any members of your immediate family, including grandparents, have experienced any eye problems in the past. Some examples of this include a history of glaucoma, cataracts, or strabismus. If your family members did experience eye problems in the past but are not sure what they were or what they are called, you should, nonetheless, bring this up with your optometrist as they can help resolve your confusions. With the information that is related to your family’s history with eye-related situations, your optometrist can provide you with a more precise diagnosis based on an accurate eye exam.

Answer Questions Honestly

Finally, this last tip is the most important that you should remember for your next eye check up with your optometrist. In order to have a successful appointment, it is recommended by not only professionals, but also other clients that you answer your optometrist’s questions as accurately as possible. That is why you should prepare this information ahead of time, so you can do so. By answering your optometrist’s questions with accuracy, you are ensuring that their findings are true and that their methods to improve your eyes condition would actually work. Furthermore, because an eye exam is essentially a conversation, the optometrist should be prepared to answer your questions and clear up any confusion. That is why it is important to book with an optometrist that is not only local, but also trusted by the general public. In order to find out if your optometrist is qualified for the job and has the experience to back up their claims of being a professional, it is best that you look at reviews and testimonials online.

Your yearly check up with your optometrist is just as important as any other doctor’s important as it ensures the health and conditions of your eyes. Your eyes are just as important as any other part of your body, so you must make sure that your eye appointment goes well and as it should. In order to do so, there are a few tips that you should follow. These tips include noting your symptoms down before your appointment, keeping record of any medications that you are currently on, bringing your current prescription glass and/or contacts, preparing your family’s health history beforehand and answering any of the optometrist’s questions honestly and accurately. By following these tips, you are ensuring that you have a smooth appointment with your doctor. If you have any further questions about your eyes, you should contact a professional today.