Reasons to Visit an Optometrist

A majority of people have a misconception that visiting an eye doctor is exclusive for treating eye illnesses, however, there could be multiple reasons to visit your optometrist and getting your eyes checked. An optometrist is a primary health care provider who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating problems related to the eyes and connected structures such as eye lashes, eyebrows, and lymphatic drainage. The major reasons for visiting an optometrist may include:

Refractive Errors

Nearsightedness (Myopia) is a common condition that results from an enlargement of the eyeball. The light that enters retina causes an inadequate focus that leads to problems while seeing faraway objects. While farsightedness (hyperopia) is a disease that causes difficulty in seeing nearby objects. Hyperopia is generally a genetic disorder, and you are more likely to have farsightedness if it already exists in your family. An optometrist has a specialty to diagnose and treat these refractive disorders.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes happens when tears evaporate quickly or the potential of your eyes to produce tears decreases. Dryness of the eyes cause difficulty in many day to day activities, such as using computer or reading for a prolonged time. This condition may causes pain and scars in the cornea, especially if left untreated. It may further lead to macular degeneration. An optometrist, such as the ones at Stoney Creek Eye Care, prescribe medicine or eye ointments to treat dry eyes, so you should visit him/her without any delay, on appearance of the very first symptom.

Foreign Body Removal

Our eyes are delicate structures that are continuously exposed to foreign particles such as cosmetic products or a tiny piece of debris. If any particle enters in our eyes, an immediate removal is required to avoid damage. It is very important to know that you should not rub the eyes or dig the object further inside. This may lead to further problems and the condition may worsen. The best way to get your foreign particle removed is consultation by an optometrists that can effectively evaluate and address the condition.

Eye Exams and Checkups

An annual inspection for aged people and a complete eye checkup for adults is strongly recommended to diagnose and treat the issues or emerging underlying diseases before they appear or become worse.

Eye tests are very important to make sure the optimal functioning of the eyes, and should be given priority among your health care plan. These tests may include vision screening test that helps identify different symptoms, tests for macular degeneration, photophobia, retinal pigmentation and refractive disorders.

Here are some other reasons to visit an optometrist.

• An optometrist may prescribe contact lenses or glasses.

• He or she can diagnose and treat conditions like presbyopia, cataracts, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.

• Children may also require regular pediatric checkups.

• People preferring designer or special eyewear.

• Instance ski goggles, special sportswear glasses, which are provided by an optometrists.

• Diagnosis of diseases and certain health conditions that later affect the eye, including hypertension and diabetes.

• For treatment of different diseases belonging to retina like glaucoma and cataracts. In many parts of the world, optometrists and eye doctors treat these diseases.

At the end of the day, your eyes are very important organs and too often ignored. Going late to an optometrist for a critical symptom may have irreversible effects, so you definitely want to pay attention to the health of your eyes at all times. Similar to the way you take care of your teeth by brushing every night, you should also take care of your eyes by being vigilant about the signs, and visiting an optometrist in case of problems.