Seeing the eye doctor is a great way to ensure that your eye health stays in the best condition. Moreover, considering that a lot of eye diseases do not have early warning signs, getting an eye exam is necessary for making sure that your eyes remain healthy. In this article, we will walk you through the process of finding an eye doctor and give you all the necessary information you need to know. But first, when do you need to consult the eye doctor? Even though your regular doctor can quickly check your eyes during the appointment, in the long run, that is not usually enough for keeping your eyes healthy. It is time for you to see the eye doctor if:

  • You can’t see in focus, even while wearing glasses or contacts.
  • Your vision has become blurry or your eyes are swollen, or red.
  • You suspect you may have an eye disease or a vision problem.
  • Your doctor says you’re in need of a dilated eye exam.

How To Determine The Kind Of Eye Doctor You Need

When it comes to eye doctors, there are two basic types: Ophthalmologists and optometrists. Which one you should choose depends on the specific eye care needs you have. For general eye care, both ophthalmologist and optometrist can be the right choice since both of them are able to:

  • Write the prescription for contacts or glasses.
  • Prescribe medicines.
  • Give you a highly comprehensive dilated eye exam.

In general, you should visit the optometrist for routine eye care, including an annual eye exam, eyeglasses, refilling the contact lenses, or getting an eye medication prescription. You should visit the ophthalmologist for surgical and medical treatment of severe eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, or laser eye surgery.

Prepare For The Visit

Before meeting with the eye doctor, you should write down some questions you have so that you can get the answers from the professional. After an appointment, try asking yourself:

  • Did a doctor as well as office staff explain everything well?
  • Did you get the chance to ask some questions?
  • Did you like the doctor?
  • Do you feel like the two of you can work together easily?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, congrats, you’ve already found a reliable eye doctor you can trust.

Do Not Delay Consulting The Eye Doctor

As soon as you begin noticing some eye-related problems or need the help of an eye doctor for some other reason, make sure to consult them immediately. If you are currently looking for an eye doctor, you can reach us out at The Meadows Family Eyecare and we’ll assist you in any eye-related problem you may have.