With so many eye care providers, how do you decide which optometrist to go to in Canberra?
Understanding Your Optometrist
Your optometrist in Canberra is the first port of call regarding anything to do with your eye health, glasses or contact lenses. They are part of your allied health team to look after anything to do with your eyes or the effects of your health conditions and how it impacts your ocular health. Just as important as it is to find a GP that you can trust and rely on, it is also essential to find an optometrist that can give you consistent and genuine advice.
Understanding Your Needs
You might have excellent eye health and no family history of eye problems. Even though it may be the case, it is still beneficial to have an eye check regularly to ensure that any eye-related issues are dealt with timely and managed appropriately. The worst thing you can do for your eyes, wherever you are in your life, is not to have regular eye checks. It is just as crucial as having routine dental visits to prevent a bigger problem down the track.
If you don’t have any vision issues or have never worn glasses in the past, then a simple eye test is probably all you need to get started in the routine of taking care of your eyes.
A basic eye test comprises assessing your vision to determine how your eyesight is by naming letters on an eye chart. You may have had something similar when getting your driver’s licence for the first time. That type of assessment doesn’t tell us how your vision is. Your optometrist in Canberra will assess your vision and determine if it could be improved with lenses such as glasses and contact lenses.
If your vision could be improved, your optometrist will further assess whether it is likely to change over the upcoming years and answer questions such as; will it get worse over time? What can you do to prevent your vision from deteriorating?
If you haven’t had your eyes checked in the past, or could not remember if you ever had an eye test, pop into your nearest optometrist. Often they are quite conveniently located around where you do your local groceries. All optometrists will be able to assess your vision and eye health so you can have peace of mind regarding your eye health. But what if you need further assessment?
Referrals and Further Testing
If your ocular health is complex, your optometrist may refer you to an eye specialist (surgeon) or another optometrist for further testing. This could be due to a lack of precise diagnostic equipment to confirm the initial findings.
If you were referred to an eye specialist, you’d most likely undergo a series of tests similar to your initial optometrist visit. This may involve taking highly detailed images at the back and front of the eye and further assessing your retina with dilating eye drops. Sometimes, these tests may seem unnecessary since you aren’t experiencing any problems. However, they allow us to understand your eye health in great detail, leaving no stones unturned.
The Bottom Line
As well as finding an optometrist with whom you can quickly build rapport, it is also essential to check what they can service and what equipment they have. At Capital Eye, we have all the latest diagnostic technologies, similar to what an eye specialist would use to assess your eyes.
Local Canberra GPs, health professionals and colleagues often refer to us to have our mutual patient’s eyes assessed to warrant if a referral to an eye specialist is necessary. We have one of the best working relationships with our colleagues and eye specialists in Canberra. It would save you time if further assessment is required and streamline the process, making it efficient for everyone involved.
However, in the first instance, if you want to get your eyes tested, visiting your local optometrist in Canberra and making your first eye appointment is the first step. If you are seeking clarity regarding your eye health, consider making an appointment with us. We look forward to welcoming you soon.