Seeing Clearly: 3 Reasons to Regularly Visit Your Eye Doctor

It’s no secret that your vision has never been perfect. Ever since you were a child, you’ve suffered from nearsightedness and required the help of corrective lenses. Attempting to read faraway signs or view events taking place a short distance away was impossible without your glasses or contact lenses. Since vision impairments have always been fairly common in your family, your condition never came as much of a surprise. Even now, you find it difficult to picture a non-bespectacled family member.

Unfortunately, in recent years, your eye doctor visits have become few and far between. Growing up, your parents made sure you visited an ophthalmologist annually, but without your folks around, you’ve allowed your ocular health to fall by the wayside. As long as your vision remains passable, you see little reason to visit your eye doctor every year. However, taking such a laidback approach to your ocular wellbeing can have adverse effects on your eyesight – some of which are irreversible. As you’ll find, there are a number of benefits to seeing an ophthalmologist on a regular basis.

Updating Your Lens Prescription

Many eye doctors recommend that glasses-wearers update their prescriptions at least once every two years. However, despite this recommendation, a surprising number of bespectacled individuals hang onto their glasses far longer than advised. While this may seem like a shrewd moneysaving measure, it ultimately results in strained vision, tired eyes and frequent headaches. In some cases, these changes occur so gradually that glasses-wearers don’t know what to attribute them to. To ensure that you always have a pair of glasses or contacts perfectly suited to your ever-changing eyes, make a point of having annual eye exams.

Staving off Ocular Discomfort

Although certain ocular conditions don’t necessarily affect your vision, they can cause your eyes considerable discomfort. Conditions like red eye and conjunctivitis leave your eyes in a constant state of soreness, thus resulting in frequent rubbing – which only compounds the problem. Fortunately, a good ophthalmologist will be able to promptly determine the root cause of ocular discomfort – be it allergens, inflammation or genetics – and prescribe an appropriate medication.

Ophthalmologists are also highly adept at treating ocular injuries, such as subconjunctival hemorrhages and corneal abrasions. So if your eyes have taken on a consistently bloodshot appearance or you suspect an infection has occurred, call your eye doctor on the double.

Preventing Eye Disease

The prevention of ocular diseases is arguably the most important reason to see your ophthalmologist on a regular basis. Glaucoma, commonly referred to as "the silent sight thief," stands to rob people of their vision entirely - and irreversibly - if not caught early on. Since ophthalmologists are well-versed in the telltale signs of this affliction, they’ll be able to spot the onset of glaucoma long before it can do irreversible damage. Furthermore, people who suffer from age-related macular degeneration should have their eyes carefully monitored and visit an ophthalmologist every two to three months. Through advanced laser treatments and medication injections, eye doctors can effectively undo the damage caused by this condition and prevent it from reoccurring.

With a growing assortment of career responsibilities and family commitments, fitting an ophthalmologist appointment into your schedule may prove difficult. However, when it comes to your eyesight, you can’t afford to be lax. Failing to visit your eye doctor on an annual basis can result in undesirable consequences – most notably, macular degeneration and glaucoma. If you’re determined to preserve your vision well into old age, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with a skilled ophthalmologist.

About the Author: Gertrude Foster is a childcare specialist who hails from Colorado Springs. A lifelong sufferer of nearsightedness, she visits the experienced eye specialists at the Hass Vision Center whenever she encounters eye problems or needs a new lens prescription.

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