To get the most from your eye examination you should take an active role by providing your optometrist with information about yourself including facts about your health, on-the-job and recreational vision needs and any problems you have noticed with your eyes and vision. It is a good idea to gather the facts at home and write them down so nothing is forgotten. This information is noted in your records prior to starting the actual vision tests.
Things to tell your optometrist about are:
- Chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or allergies you or any close family members have
- Eye health conditions, such as glaucoma, that run in your family
- Prescription and non-prescription medications you are taking; drugs sometimes affect your eyes and vision
- How you use your eyes at work, what tasks you use your eyes for, how long and how often you do them, the distance between your eyes and each task, and details about your work environment. Such information helps determine the exact prescription and any special lens design needed to give you sharp, comfortable vision on the job
- Your hobbies and sports since you may use your eyes differently for recreational activities than you do on the job. Your optometrist can help you decide whether or not you need a special pair of glasses or eye safety equipment for your hobby or sport
- Problems or difficulties you are having with your eyes, which are often significant clues in helping to pinpoint a vision problem. Some things you might note are blurred vision at any seeing distance, momentary blurred vision when changing your view from a distant object to a near one or vice versa, double vision; seeing spots or floaters, any change in your ability to see or distinguish colors, accident proneness, a change in your sports performance, headaches, difficulty seeing at night or in dim light and burning, itching or tired eyes
You should also feel free to ask your optometrist about ways to protect your eyes, maintain good eye health and prevent the development of vision problems.