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.

When you first chat with the eye doctor they need to be told about you general health. If you have certain medical conditions like allergies, diabetes, or high blood pressure, these should be explained. Women who are pregnant need to speak up too, as the eyes can be affected by all manner of health issues and changes to the body.

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.

Do not underestimate the straightforward things, such as changes in visual acuity. These should be reported to the eye doctor because if there are problems with blurred vision, or if floaters and spots appear more often in the vision, these could be signs of something important. Things like increased light sensitivity and flashes before the eyes are something they might wish to know about too. Any eye-wear that is regularly worn should be brought to the appointment, as the specialist may wish to examine them.

If you're taking mediation then the eye doctor needs to be informed of this, as all prescription and non-prescription drugs have the potential to affect the eyes and vision. Additionally, any new medication that's prescribed could very well affect what you are already taking, perhaps producing complications.

Despite the obvious temptation to refrain from telling the specialist everything about your life, it's very important to let them know about your present lifestyle. Social habits often dictate our level of health and these habits can also have an affect on the vision. Things like smoking and alcohol consumption could cause problems with our vision if driven to excess. Another factor is your occupation. Those how are in front of a computer for much of the day, and those who read a lot, should explain this to the doctor.

Those who wear contact lenses will probably have several things to discuss. The specialist could have many questions about their usage and form the answers may be able to determine if your usage is harming your eyes. They will most likely wish to ascertain if you swim in them, how long they are worn throughout the day before being taken out, and how often that are cleaned.

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.




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