When Should You Go for an Eye Checkup?

You know your car needs to be seen by a mechanic when the check engine light comes on, or it’s time for an oil change. You know you need to visit your doctor when you feel ill, or when it’s time for your annual checkup. But how can you tell that it’s time to make an appointment with your optometrist? Keep reading to learn the signs that it’s time to seek Southwest Orlando eye care in Orlando, FL.

Sudden Changes in Your Vision

Your visual acuity should remain, more or less, constant. While some blurriness after extended eye strain (such as a very long shift working on a computer) is normal, your vision shouldn’t be changing suddenly without a very obvious reason. If you are suddenly struggling to focus on things you saw easily before, or you are seeing spots, flashes of light, or “floaters” in your field of vision, then you need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible. Problems like these could indicate that you have a serious underlying condition, like cataracts or a retinal detachment, and it’s important to treat such problems quickly.

You’ve Started Getting Frequent Headaches

Even if your vision isn’t changing suddenly or drastically, it’s quite normal for it to change gradually over the years, especially as you pass middle age. If you’ve started getting frequent headaches, there’s a good chance that it’s because you’re having a harder time focusing on things in your field of vision. Constantly straining your eyes—whether it’s to see near objects or distant ones—can cause headaches on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if you already have prescription lenses or not; you need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist to get an eye exam and a new prescription that fits your changing vision needs.

Your Eyes Are Constantly Dry and Itchy

Eye health is not all related to your visual acuity. It’s also important that your eyes feel healthy, and that often means ensuring that your eyes are getting the moisture that they need to function properly. While frequent screen usage in today’s tech-driven world does make dry eyes much more common, it should not be a constant problem. If you feel like your eyes are constantly red, dry, and itchy, then they’re most likely not lubricating themselves properly. An eye exam with your optometrist can reveal the underlying cause of this and help you find a way to manage those issues, whether that be through prescription eye drops or other means.

You Don’t Remember When You Had Your Last Exam

Just like with your primary care physician, you should be making regular appointments with your optometrist to maintain your eye health and stop vision problems from worsening over time. If you can’t remember the last time you had an eye exam, then you’re likely overdue. Regular eye exams are especially important for those with diabetes or another health condition that impacts eye health, or if you have a family history of eye health issues like glaucoma. If it’s been more than a year since your last eye exam, find an optometrist in your area and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

If you’re looking for an optometrist you can trust, we invite you to contact Bay Hill Eye Care. Our optometrists are among the best in the state, and can provide exceptional care to patients of all ages. We also have our own eyeglass stores in Orlando in order to better meet our patients’ prescription lens needs. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have, to schedule an appointment, or to learn more about our optometry services.