3 Tips For A Quick And Productive Trip To The Eye Doctor's Office

Eye doctors diagnose and treat eye diseases in addition to prescribing vision-correcting devices for people with low visual acuity. Annual eye exams are especially important for people who wear glasses and contacts since they allow eye doctors to make adjustments to patients' prescriptions as needed. Preparing for your next trip to the eye doctor's office can help you make the most of the appointment. Here are some tips that can help you have a quick, comfortable, and productive experience at your next eye exam:

1. Avoid activities that can strain and irritate your eyes before your appointment.

Eye exams test the health and visual acuity of a person's eyes. A routine eye exam can diagnose diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension, and many other diseases. Eye doctors accomplish this using a number of tools and tests that can measure eye pressure, detect dry eyes, and more. However, straining or irritating your eyes before your eye exam may lead to inaccurate results on certain tests. Additionally, it can make your eye exam less comfortable. For an accurate and pleasant eye exam, you should avoid activities that may irritate your eyes, such as swimming in chlorinated water or getting insufficient sleep the night before your eye doctor appointment.

2. Call ahead of time to find out if your eyes will be dilated during your appointment.

Optometrists dilate patients' eyes in order to conduct thorough pupillary exams. Eye dilation is painless, although patients may experience some discomfort when their eye doctor shines a bright light in their dilated eyes in order to visualize the back of their pupils. Pupil dilation can cause blurry vision for several hours until the medication wears off. During this time, patients should not drive or operate heavy machinery. Not everyone needs their pupils dilated every year. You can call your eye doctor ahead of time to find out if your pupils will be dilated at your next eye exam so you can plan your day accordingly.

3. Wear your glasses or contacts to your eye exam.

If you already wear glasses or contacts, it's a good idea to wear them to your next eye exam. This gives your eye doctor the chance to see how well your current prescription is correcting your vision. It can also give your eye doctor the opportunity to provide valuable hygiene tips. For example, if your contact lenses show signs of protein deposits, your eye doctor can teach you how to clean them in order to better protect your eyes.