Due to the pandemic, it’s normal if you’ve put off a few things. This probably goes beyond vacations, family reunions, and weddings.
Plenty of people have let doctor’s appointments go by the wayside for fear of exposure to COVID-19, along with dentist appointments, and yes, annual eye exams. It’s understandable and preferable to be cautious about your health, but that also means you can’t neglect even routine medical appointments, whether they’re with your primary care physician or your eye doctor.
Luckily, medical and specialist practices all over the country have adapted to provide safe exams, so you can be responsible and have your eyes checked while feeling comfortable. Keep reading to find out why eye exams are safe during the pandemic!
The Importance of Regular Eye Exams
There’s a reason you go to the doctor every year for a physical. Regular check-ups ensure that your doctor can see any changes to your health that may warrant any further examination.
It’s how serious conditions can be spotted early and treated before they do too much damage. The same is true for eye exams.
For adults over the age of 40, regular eye exams are the best way to ensure you don’t lose your vision to common age-related conditions like glaucoma. Even if you’re under 40, regular exams are still important.
And if you need glasses or contacts, it’s essential to always have an up-to-date prescription. There’s nothing worse than trying to walk around with an outdated prescription and being unable to see!
Your eyesight can change a lot over a year, and the only way to get a new prescription is by seeing your eye doctor for an eye exam. Having an accurate prescription doesn’t just help you see better, but it can also minimize eye strain.
Even if the only reason you see an eye doctor is to get an updated prescription, it can have a hugely positive effect on your overall health by helping you see better, easing the discomfort of continual eye strain. Eye strain can also lead to headaches, fatigue, dry eyes, and other undesirable symptoms.
If you haven’t had an eye exam since before March 2020, schedule an appointment to see an eye doctor at See Clearly Vision now! Your eyes will thank you!
COVID-19 Safety Measures We’re Taking at See Clearly Vision
Here at See Clearly Vision, we’re practicing the following safety measures that keep both our patients and our staff safe:
- All members of our staff wear face masks and maintain social distancing whenever possible
- Employees go through screening and temperature checks before they can enter the office every day
- Patients must bring and wear a mask at all times during their appointment
- We screen all patients and take their temperature upon arrival
- After patients go through screening and check-in, patients are asked to wait in their vehicle or in the socially distanced waiting room
- If anyone accompanies a patient, they must wait in their vehicle unless they are needed for patient care or can’t wait in their vehicle
- Surfaces in common areas receive thorough disinfecting throughout the day
- We clean each exam room after every patient
- We ask that if you’re experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 to reschedule your appointment for a time when you’re feeling well
- We can provide care for some conditions via telemedicine and ask that you call our office for details
In-Person Exams
Eye care practices all over the country have changed their procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many have eliminated their waiting rooms.
Instead of using waiting rooms, many practices now have patients wait in their car until they’ve been called for their appointment. Patients are also asked to wear a mask.
The staff, of course, also wears masks. Examination rooms are cleaned routinely between each appointment.
Even before there was a pandemic, examination rooms and examination equipment were always sanitized regularly. Eyes are particularly vulnerable to bacteria, so eye care facilities have always been careful to thoroughly disinfect any instruments used for eye exams.
All these practices ensure that patients and staff are kept safe. Having an eye exam is actually one of the safer public activities you can do during the pandemic, thanks to cautious staff members and sanitization practices that have always been in place.
Virtual Exams
Like countless other medical practices, many eye care centers are offering virtual exams. Because these exams are done using video, they aren’t comprehensive and can’t be used to screen for diseases or update your prescription.
But if you have an immediate concern, like an eye infection or injury, your eye doctor can probably diagnose you and prescribe treatment over a video call. If you’re unsure if your problem warrants a complete exam or not, go ahead and schedule a virtual exam. Your eye doctor can then tell you if they need you to come in or not for a proper diagnosis.
If it’s been over a year since your last eye exam, there’s a good chance that it’s time for your next one. Schedule an appointment at See Clearly Vision in Arlington or Tysons Corner with one of our eye doctors today!
