What Every Vision Tester Should Know About Their Patient

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.

As much as the doctor needs to know the present health record of a patient, they also should know their past, and this goes for illnesses within the family. What may seem fairly mundane things might be of great importance to visual health. Things like glaucoma, macular degeneration and past history of other eye problems could be inherited. The chances of getting these yourself may also be increased, meaning the doctor will most probably be looking for them in an exam. If you have had eye surgery in the past or any trauma related to the eyes that should be explained too.

What should not be overlooked is one of the most obvious things to tell the eye doctor, and that's about changes to your vision. If it becomes blurred, or is there's an increase in floaters or spots before the eyes then it could be an indication that urgent treatment is required. Sensitivity to bright lights or flashes before the eyes also need to be reported. Those that wear any corrective eye-wear should bring them to the appointment too.

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.

If you are a contact lens wearer, then the specialist might want to discuss several things regarding their use. This could include how long they are worn throughout the day, whether you sleep in them, if you go swimming in them, and how often they are cleaned and replaced.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment