It’s estimated about two billion people worldwide have a vision impairment or blindness. The sad thing is that at least one billion of these people could have avoided vision impairment had they visited an eye doctor in time. To properly care for your eyes, you should get an eye doctor appointment at least three times a year. Luckily, you can find an affordable eye doctor at your local eye center. So, how do you know when to see an eye doctor?
1. You Have Trouble Seeing and Driving at Night
In normal circumstances, we all have blurred vision driving at night but not total blindness. If you notice it is becoming more difficult for you to drive at night because you can’t see, then it’s time you scheduled a visit with an eye doctor. Night driving may be the ultimate sign your night vision is beginning to deteriorate. On top of that, you may find it difficult to navigate in dimly lit places, like in a movie theatre. It may mean that you are suffering from night blindness.
As your local eye doctor will tell you, night blindness is a symptom of common vision problems such as cataracts, myopia, and glaucoma. An eye doctor appointment with an affordable eye doctor will reveal any underlying eye problems.
2. You Have Migraine Headaches
If you always have a headache, especially after working for long, the headaches may be a result of eye strain. Today, many people have to stare at computer screens or other tech gadgets for long periods while working. If you always have a migraine headache in the middle of work, you should find an optometrist to check your eyes. In some cases, reducing the screen time and working in naturally lit workspaces will solve the migraines. However, consistent headaches may signal the presence of more serious vision problems such as glaucoma, long-sightedness, and astigmatism. That’s why you should make an appointment with an eye doctor. Most of the eye diseases are treatable and preventable when detected early.
3. Contact Lens Infections
People who wear contact lenses are at a greater risk of eye infection if they don’t follow the appropriate precautions. Common causes of contact lens infections include extended usage of contact lenses, sleeping in your contact lenses, and not cleaning the lenses appropriately. Herpes Keratitis is a common eye infection caused by wearing contact lenses. If you use contact lenses, certain symptoms should call for an eye checkup. These include having blurry vision, unusual pain in the eyes, excessive tearing, and having a strange redness in the eye.
When contact lens infections go untreated, it can scar your cornea and ruin your vision. In the more serious cases, you may need a corneal transplant to heal the infections. To avoid this invasive and costly treatment, you should visit an affordable eye doctor immediately after your contact lenses start causing discomfort in your eyes.
4. When You Have Pre-existing Conditions Such As Diabetes
Especially in old age, chronic diseases such as diabetes can damage the retina and cause vision loss. In some severe cases, when a person’s eyes go unchecked, these diseases may cause permanent vision loss. The good thing is that the best eye doctors can prevent these adverse effects by detecting and treating eye diseases early. That’s why senior people with a chronic condition are advised to get eye checkups more frequently. An eye doctor may also detect other diseases such as cancer and high blood pressure through an intensive eye examination.
There isn’t a good reason why you shouldn’t visit an eye doctor. If you care for your eyes, you’ll find an affordable eye doctor near you whom you can consult. The solutions to your eye problems may be as simple as getting prescription eyeglasses or you may need a neuro-ophthalmologist to perform eye surgery. You will never know what is affecting you until you visit an eye doctor for a routine eye checkup.