Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Are you squinting often or adapting to see what is in front of you? Are you straining? Is driving at night getting harder for you? Are you contact lens bothering you?
If you said yes to any of these questions then you may need to see an eye doctor. Eye health is important to help maintain and protect vision. Eye symptoms can include eye pain, blurry vision, double vision and more. Those with eye symptoms should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible in order to prevent discomfort and permanent vision loss or blindness.
Overall, there are many different reasons to see an eye doctor. Some see an eye doctor because of poor vision, others because of a chronic medical problem than can impact eye health, and others go for more urgent eye concerns like eye pain, eye infections and acute vision loss. Taking care of your eyes is essential to decrease long-term eye problems and provide you with the best and most clear vision possible.
Everyone should go to the eye doctor for preventative reasons whether they have an eye disease or have no known eye disease. It is recommended that people go to the eye doctor at least once in their 20s and then start going twice in their 30s, 40s, and 50s before going yearly starting in their 60s and beyond for preventative screenings. Preventative eye appointments check for vision clarity, eye nerve health, eye blood vessels health, eye pressure, and eye anatomy health overall. Preventative eye exams should occur with or without eye symptoms and are recommended just like people should have annual physicals with their primary care doctor.
Some chronic medical problems can impact eye health. Patients with chronic medical problems should focus and be encouraged to control their chronic medical problems to help prevent complications like eye diseases including blindness. Diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes with uncontrolled blood pressure or blood sugar can cause damage to the eye tissue and blood vessels. Those with chronic medical problems should talk to their doctor to see how often they should be going to the eye doctor for eye tests and screenings.
Regular eye exams and managing chronic medical problems can help protect eye health and vision. Those that were contact lenses should also be aware of ways to decrease eye problems and discomfort related to wearing contact lenses.
Here is list of helpful tips for those who wear contact lens.
- Follow recommended wearing schedule.
- Do not substitute sterile saline solutions for multi-purpose solutions.
- Rub and rinse your contact lenses as directed by your eye care professional.
- Do not “top-off” the solutions in your case.
- Always discard all of the leftover contact lens solution after each use.
- Never reuse any lens solution.
- Clean, rinse and air-dry your lens case each time lenses are removed.
- Do not expose your contact lenses to any water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water.
- Contact your eye care professional if you experience any symptoms of eye irritation or infection.
Our eyes are so important for us to navigate this world and appreciate so many of its beauty. If you are concerned about your eye health and are having eye symptoms, like eye pain or blurry vision, please make an appointment with your eye doctor. If it has been a while since you have seen an eye doctor it is recommended that you get caught up on preventative eye screenings. If you have a strong family history of eye diseases like glaucoma, you should be screened and see an eye doctor. Taking care of your eyes and vision, whether you wear no glasses or wear glasses or contacts, is critical to help prevent complications like vision loss, eye pain and even blindness. Eye health should be a focus for all in regard to prevention for diseases and complications. Make an eye appointment today to know how healthy your eyes are and to know your vision is being protected.
Dr Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com. Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
