Needing new eyeglasses, suffering eye injuries or having outdated prescriptions that require renewing are just a few of the reasons to schedule an appointment with your Bronx optometrist. Other important reasons include:
1. Your Health
By examining your retina, macula, and cornea with state-of-the-art optometric devices, your eye doctor can evaluate the condition of blood vessels and circulatory system. Many asymptomatic medical problems like high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or high cholesterol can be detected during an eye exam.
2. Glaucoma
If you are over 40, you are at risk for developing glaucoma, a progressive disease damaging the optic nerve and possibly causing permanent loss of partial vision. Only a glaucoma test given by your Bronx optometrist can evaluate eye pressure accurately.
3. Floaters
Shadowy, floating spots or specks in your visual field is a normal sign of aging and typically fade within minutes. In some cases, floaters may indicate a retinal tear or impending retinal detachment, especially when floaters are accompanied by quick flashes of light.
4. Recurring Headaches
If you start having headaches for no known reason, you may have a refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism) that is causing you to strain your eyes.
5. Corneal Ulcers
Wearing contact lenses increases your risk of suffering a corneal ulcer, an infection due to bacteria becoming trapped under contact lenses. Corneal ulcers are painful and will progress without treatment.
6. Diabetic Retinopathy
When blood sugar levels aren’t regulated, blood vessels in the eyes may weaken and leak blood into the retina, causing permanent loss of vision. Your Bronx optometrists treat diabetic retinopathy with medications or laser surgery.
7. Renew Outdated Prescriptions
Most prescriptions lose their effectiveness after a certain time. Taking outdated prescriptions for eye disorders won’t treat the disorder properly and may cause side effects.
8. Embedded Objects/Eye Injuries
Never try to remove embedded objects from the eye at home or treat eye injuries with home remedies. You could injure your eye even more or create conditions conducive to infection.
9. Crooked/Broken Eye Glasses
When lenses are not providing optimal vision correction, your refractive error may worsen and require a stronger prescription.
10. Cataracts
If you are over 60 and notice objects seem cloudy, blurry or lacking color, you may have cataracts forming over your eye’s lens. Cataract removal is one of the most common eye surgeries performed in the U.S. and will significantly improve your vision.
11. Allergies
Allergies to pollen, mold, house dust, pet dander and other substances can make your eyes itchy, red and irritated. For treatment of eye allergies, your Bronx optometrist prescribes antihistamine eye drops that provide rapid relief.
Contact Our Eye Clinic for Vision Care
Schedule an appointment at Pelham Parkway Vision Center today by contacting us at 718-829-2160.
