When you’re maintaining your eye health and working with an optometrist, it’s important to understand a few of the main services provided. Knowing the differences between some of the appointments you need to schedule can allow you to receive the care you need from the professional. Although medical eye and routine vision exams are common, there are a few main differences that set them apart from one another.
Routine Vision Exams
Routine vision exams are scheduled once each year to monitor the eye health of each patient and determine if there have been any changes in the individual’s vision. This type of exam screens for potential diseases that may be developing to ensure that treatment can be performed early on before it’s too late. The optometrist will write a new prescription if the patient has changes in their vision to ensure they can order new contacts or corrective lenses that allow them to see better each day.
Medical Eye Exams
Medical eye exams are necessary to determine if other issues are occurring within the body. The health of the eyes offers insight into other conditions that may be present and can indicate if other areas of the body need attention. Conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes can have an impact on the eyes, eventually leading to blindness if the conditions aren’t treated at the right time.
With this type of exam, it allows a treatment plan to be created to improve the health and well-being of the individual.
Understanding the main differences between routine eye exams and medical eye exams can allow you to provide better care for your eyes with the help of an optometrist. You can understand when to schedule each appointment and even better monitor your eye health in-between visits.