Do you feel like your eyesight is gradually deteriorating? Here are the key questions you’ll want to ask your eye care specialist at your next appointment.
Are you experiencing blurred vision, eye pain, or light sensitivity? If so, it may be time to visit an eye care specialist.
Around 61 million adults in the United States are at high risk for vision loss. Only half of these people will visit the eye doctor.
Going to the optometrist in Calgary may be scary, but the consequences of not going when there is a problem are scarier. To ease the stress of your visit, here are questions to ask an eye care specialist:
Questions to Ask Your Eye Care Specialist
When you think about your eyes, you may not be considering things like eye disease, eye health, and more. These are things you should be thinking about when visiting the eye doctor.
Your local ophthalmologist should be able to answer any questions you have concerning your eyes. It’s important to know what questions to ask when you visit the doctor. Here are a few questions to consider:
- Am I at risk of getting an eye disease?
- What tests will be run during the visit?
- Will I be tested for glaucoma and macular degeneration?
- How can I monitor my eye health?
- How often should I return for an eye exam?
- What changes can I make to help prevent eye disease?
Those who have already been diagnosed with eye disease should ask a different set of questions when visiting the doctor. Above all, you want to have a clear understanding of the disease you have. Here are questions to bring to your appointment when you have been diagnosed with an eye disease:
- Will I need medications or surgery?
- Do the medications I need to take have any side effects?
- Will insurance cover the treatments?
- Is financial assistance available?
- What symptoms will I have?
- How often should I get my eyes checked?
- Where can I get the best information to learn about my disease?
- Can I drive safely?
There are other things you should consider when taking a visit to your eye doctor. Here are a few tips to make your appointment run smoothly:
Take Someone With You
Taking someone with you to the eye doctor is always a good idea. This can benefit you in many ways.
This person can help you remember all the questions you need to ask. They can also drive you home since you most likely will have dilated eyes from your exam.
Friends or family that accompany you can also be there for emotional support. Sometimes going to the doctor is scary, but having someone by your side can make the experience more comfortable. This is especially true if you are already worried about the condition of your eyes.
Take Notes
Your eye care specialist will most likely be giving a lot of information you won’t be able to remember once you get home.
Smartphones are a great way to jot down or record all the information you need to know. Medical language is sometimes hard to understand so ask your eye care specialist if they can write down the important things for you.
Be Ready
Be ready for your next appointment with your eye care specialist. Using these tips and questions will make your visit feel like a breeze.
Affordable eye care is out there for those looking for local ophthalmologists. If you like what you’ve read, don’t forget to keep coming back for more articles like this!
