You should go see your optometrist about every two years. It doesn't matter whether you need your vision corrected or not, seeing an eye doctor will help to make sure that your eyes stay healthy. Before you see your optometrist, there are several things that they want you to know. 

20/20 Doesn't Mean Perfect Vision

When your doctor tells you that you have 20/20 vision, they aren't really telling you that your vision is perfect. What they are telling you is that the part of your vision you use when you look straight ahead of you is fine. You could still have problems with things on the periphery of your vision. What 20/20 vision really means is that what you see at 20 feet is that which should be seen at 20 feet by someone who has no vision problems. 20/20 is considered the standard. However, there are people who have better vision than that. You can have 20/15 vision, which means that you see at 15 feet that which would generally be seen at 20 feet by a person who has no vision problems. 

Don't Ignore the Little Symptoms

You may be tempted to ignore little problems, or vision issues that come and go. If they aren't bothering you, it is easy to just go on without doing anything about them. However, little symptoms can turn into big problems. If you get your eyes checked early enough, you can head off big problems like glaucoma before they start to negatively impact your vision. If your vision in one eye blacks or fades out for a few minutes and then comes back, that could be a sign that you had a mini-stroke, also known as a transient ischemic attack. Generally these strokes don't do a lot of damage, but they can be a warning sign that you are at a high risk for more damaging strokes. If you lose vision in one eye for any period of time, you should immediately go see your optometrist or other doctor. 

Your eye doctor can work with you to maintain your eye health, as well as your general health. These are all things that your doctor wants you to know. If you know these things, you are better in control of your own health and your own vision. You will be able to see as clearly as possible, for as long as possible. Contact Drs. Farson and Murray Optometrists for more information.