You’ll notice one of the first things we stress when we go over our vision protection plan with you is to schedule regular eye exams. Even if it’s been a little while since your last visit, an annual exam is usually recommended for healthy people without any eye problems. But, how do you know if it’s been a little while? Or if your regular visit schedule is even close to what it should be? Eye exams and their vision can make a difference in keeping on top of health issues like diabetes and hypertension. Swati Kumar OD, FAAO, an experienced optometrist based in San Antonio, can also help detect problems with your eyes early before irreversible damage occurs. This article looks at some tell-tale signs that you need to visit an optometrist.
Frequent Headaches
Regardless of how infrequent, headaches can signify many health problems. You should know two things about headaches; they are often not isolated events and can lead to other severe conditions like hypertension or stroke. If you suffer from frequent headaches (more than once per week), you need to make sure your doctor gets all of the information and performs all of the tests. An eye exam is a great place to start as it can detect problems like glaucoma, which causes frequent headaches.
Glare and Excessive Light Sensitivity
Light sensitivity is probably one of those early signs you’ve heard about before as an indication that something might be wrong with your eyes. A persistent and significantly worse glare than usual is another sign of problems with your eyes and should be investigated by a specialist. If you experience this, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Excessive Tear Production
If you find that you’re producing too many tears or clear fluid from your tear ducts more than is necessary, it may be time to make an appointment with your optometrist. You may also find it harder to keep up with regular activities like reading or sports. Excessive tearing is often the result of dry eyes, leading to further issues if left untreated.
Diminished Central Vision
If you’re noticing that things in your distance are getting blurry, especially in one or both eyes, it’s time to see your optometrist. Diminished vision is caused by many different things, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. If you want to prevent further damage, take care of the problem now with an eye exam.
Changes in Vision
Most people who visit an optometrist regularly tell you that the doctor may answer all of your questions and help you take care of any problems they can see after a few visits. But, if things start to change unexpectedly, it’s essential to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. These changes could be caused by something as serious as glaucoma or something as trivial as wearing your contacts one night too many.
In summary, an optometrist can help you save your vision, but you need to know when to see one. Always look out for signs such as changes in your sight, excessive tear production, and diminished central vision. You may also need to see an optometrist if you have frequent headaches, glare, and extreme light sensitivity.
Eyesight is one of the most valuable senses that you should treasure. Thanks to all the noble people and organizations helping people with free eye screening and cataract surgeries for free so that poverty-stricken people can also get eye treatments and enjoy the gift of vision
