5 Reasons To Get An Eye Exam Outside Of Your Regular Schedule

About Me
Vision after Forty

Hello. My name is Lori Frank. I’m fifty-two years old. I had perfect vision until I turned forty-one years of age. It’s funny; you often hear how one's vision starts to change at forty. Well, I can tell you that statement sure has held true for not only me but friends and family too. I never worried about going for yearly eye exams until I noticed that it was getting harder to read road signs when driving. I got my first pair of glasses when I was forty-one, and I’ve been averaging a new prescription at least every other year since. I want to share some of my experiences when it comes to eye exams. I was frightened and wanted to put it off, but there’s really nothing to be afraid of. Moreover, to make things better, eyeglasses are a trend these days!

Tags
Search

5 Reasons To Get An Eye Exam Outside Of Your Regular Schedule

14 February 2018
 Categories: , Blog

Getting an eye exam at least once every two years is recommended, however, it should be increased to once per year depending on your age and eye health. For example, if you wear prescription glasses, once a year is recommended. There may be times, though, that you need to get an eye exam sooner than this. Here are five reasons why:

  1. You're Squinting: If you notice that you are squinting often, you should get an eye exam sooner than you would normally. Chances are, you either need a new prescription if you already have one or you need your very first pair of eyeglasses. However, squinting can also be a sign of an eye problem that needs to be caught early in order to treat it. This includes glaucoma and other eye diseases. 
  2. Loss of Peripheral Vision: You will notice this start to happen if you notice bright flashes of light and heavy amounts of floaters. While floaters are normal to be seen, it becomes concerning if it's excessive. This is an indication that you might be suffering from retinal detachment, which is serious because it can cause permanent blindness if not treated right away. 
  3. Headaches: If you are suffering from chronic headaches, you need to schedule an appointment with your regular doctor, as well as receive an eye exam since eyesight problems can definitely lead to headaches and dizziness. It's not always the case that the headaches are the result of eye problems, but it's better safe than sorry. 
  4. Eye Infection that's not Clearing Up: If you have an eye infection that isn't clearing up even after receiving medication from your doctor, you need to get your eyes examined. This includes having pink eye for more than 10 days, which is generally when it should be expected to go away, especially if you received medication for it. The reason it could still be there is because it's something else entirely or there's an underlying problem that's making the infection worse. 
  5. You've Failed an Eye Test: There are many times you will be subject to an eye test outside of your eye doctor's office. This includes when going to the DMV, regular doctor check ups, and more. If you've failed, you need to see your eye doctor right away for an official exam to determine the underlying problem. 

These are the five main reasons you should get an eye exam, such as at Master  Eye Associates, outside of the regular schedule. It's important to take it seriously because at the very worse, it can prevent blindness.