As a society we are always so conscious about our health, weight, physical appearance. We want to have the best career and be secure in our personal finance and work-life balance.  We never look deeper into our health and areas of our day that are not so obvious that could use improvement. We look in the mirror and see the weight we want to lose weight around our mid-section or the deep wrinkles around eyes that we would like to eliminate, but as we are looking, do we ever realize how good we are seeing? Our vision is so important and as a society we don’t focus enough on our eyes. There are so many different services that an Optometrist can proved to you and your whole family. Optometrists offer a variety of things, from some of the most common techniques like children’s eye exams, contact lens fittings, and eye health assessments, to more advanced care like training vision therapy, perceptual testing, visual field assessments and dry eye disease management. 

Having an Optometrist should be a part of your yearly exams. Just like visiting the dermatologist and dentist, the optometrist is a key part of your health. Optometrist’s exam eyes and check for any abnormalities you may with your vision. They are also great doctors for pre-operative and post-operative care but usually can’t perform surgery. Optometrist can specialize in geriatric, pediatric, family, and primary eye care. They can prescribe contact lenses, glasses, and can work with people on vision therapy.  Other major benefits to seeing an Optometrist are that, depending where you live can treat major vision problems like cataracts, retinal disease, and glaucoma. They can prescribe different treatments for an assortment of conditions, such as eye drops for dry eyes, or oral medication for specific bacteria or disease.

Visiting an Optometrist can help detect health problems in other parts of your body, not just your vision. Diabetes, autoimmune disorders and hypertension are some of the major issues found during a routine eye exam. Along with these issues, high cholesterol and thyroid disease can also be found in an eye exam. Having your Optometrist refer you to a primary care doctor or specialist once these diseases are found can save your life.

Taking care of your inside and out is crucial to being a mature adult who wants to live a long and healthy life.  Little things such as removing your contact lenses every night before bed, have your glasses secure to your temples, and protecting them from the sun and debris are essential in our health. Without our eyes and good vision our quality of life may not be the same, and could even change your current occupation or daily hobbies.  Seeing clearly is an essential part of life, and having perfect vision will make it so much more fulfilling and pleasurable.