Your vision impacts every aspect of your daily life, which is why scheduling regular eye exams are essential. Checkups can catch vision problems and diseases before they drastically affect your eyesight, and are also an important part of educating yourself about eye care. If you’ve scheduled an appointment, take the following steps to ensure the best experience.

How to Prepare for an Eye Exam

1. Create a List of Symptoms

If you’ve noticed recent changes in your vision, bring a list of symptoms with you. Common issues include trouble seeing text up close or at a distance, blurry or double vision, seeing lines in your visual field, or eye pain. These symptoms are tied to a number of conditions, such as farsightedness or cataracts, and the eye doctor will be able to best diagnose them if you share what you’re experiencing.

2. Bring Corrective Products

If you’re already living with vision problems and are seeing a new eye doctor, bring your corrective lenses. They’ll want to take a look to see how effective your prescription is and to get an idea of what vision problems you’re dealing with. This step will prevent any delays in treatment and will also provide the most accurate assessment of your eyesight.

3. Schedule a Ride

Your eye doctor will dilate your pupils so they can examine your optic nerve and retina. This test is important for detecting glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other health issues. The procedure is painless, though it may affect your vision for an hour or so following the eye exam. Have a friend drive you to and from the eye center.

4. Gather Family Medical History & Personal Medical Records

You may be more susceptible to glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and other vision issues if you have a family history, which is a detail that’s important to let your eye doctor know about. High blood pressure, diabetes, and other health issues can also lead to eye problems, so send over your medical records before the exam. This will provide valuable insight into symptoms to explore.

If you’re exploring eye care providers in the Tulsa, OK, area, contact South Tulsa Optical. This practice offers a wide scope of eye care services, including eye disease treatment and LASIK surgery. An eye doctor can recommend glasses or contact lenses, and their optician will help you find a product that fulfills all your needs. Call (918) 494-0351 to schedule an eye exam and visit their website to learn more about the practice.