You may know what to expect from an eye exam, but taking a moment to prepare your thoughts beforehand can go a long way. Doing so will help you get the most out of your time with both your eye doctor and optician as well as ensure you get the best solutions for your visual and lifestyle needs.
Describe Your Health
Your overall health shouldn’t be discounted as many health conditions can affect your vision. Are you experiencing headaches, dry or watery eyes, light sensitivity, blurred vision or trouble seeing clearly? Have these happened suddenly, or have you had these symptoms for a long time? What about your spouse or children? Have you noticed your child’s performance at school dip suddenly? This could be related to an undetected vision problem.
Share Your Hobbies
Sharing your hobbies and activities with your eye doctor and optician helps to tailor a lens and frame combination that specifically suits your lifestyle. Whether you spend your days outside in the garden, or inside on the computer, discussing your daily routine helps your eye doctor provide the best solution for your visual needs.
Ask Your Eye Doctor
The following questions can help you engage with your eye doctor, and receive some valuable input during your appointment:
- How often should my family get an eye exam?
- What lens enhancements do you recommend for me and my prescription?
- I’ve never worn glasses/contact lenses before – what can I expect?
- I’ve been hearing a lot about the effects of blue light. How can I reduce my and my family’s exposure?
- What type of glasses would you recommend for my lifestyle? (computer vision glasses, prescription sunglasses, light-reactive lenses, etc.)
- How do my current health conditions affect my eye health?
Meet the Optician
If you need corrective eyewear, you‘ll have the opportunity to try on frames and order your new glasses or contact lenses. Opticians can help you find a frame that looks great and fits comfortably. They can also provide expert insight about different lens material and coatings to further customize your glasses.
If you already wear glasses or contact lenses, share your current experience. What do you like? What needs improving? Discussing this with the optician will help you get the most of your eyewear.
Pro Tip: Bring in your current eyewear or contact lenses so they can better understand what’s working well for you and what changes are needed.
Ask Your Optician
- What shape frames do you recommend for me?
- What lens material is best for my prescription?
- What are my options for lightweight lenses?
- Are there glasses that are more helpful for my particular hobbies?
- Can you tell me about lenses that darken when I go outside?
- Can you tell me about lenses that reduce blue light exposure?
- How might I benefit from a second pair of glasses?
- Can you share any recommendations for taking care or my glasses or contact lenses?
Ready to schedule your next eye exam? Find a VSP® network doctor near you.
Information received through VSP Vision Care channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Article ©2020 Vision Service Plan. All rights reserved. Reproduction other than for one-time personal use is strictly prohibited. This article was originally published at https://www.vsp.com/eyewear-wellness/eye-health/eye-exam-preparedness
