It's Always A Good Time To Think Of Eye Care and Health. #Life

My new bifocals.

I couldn't live in denial any longer. The headaches, squinting, ever-increasing font on the e-reader, covering my left eye when it started to hurt while working on computer- all led me to the conclusion that I needed to get an eye exam. The first question asked by the doctor was; How long has it been since your last exam? The answer...20 years. I was prescribed reading glasses in university to help with eye strain, but have never had an exam since.  I purchase reading glasses to help me get through the day, but they are no good if your eyes need two different prescriptions.

The last straw for me- I have gotten off at the wrong bus stop twice in the last month when returning home in late evening darkness. Not being able to see the street signs left me walking an extra 10-15 minutes and a little sheepish at my mistake. It was time to admit my normal day-to-day functions were being effected by my stubborn attitude towards eye exams and glasses. My exam last week confirmed that I have trouble with distances now, not just reading, resulting in bifocals. Dr. Lai told me it is common for vision to change near the age of 40.  She encouraged me to come back for another exam in a year, but not longer than two years.

I know I'm not the only one who was ignoring her eye health. In a random survey of friends, three of them admitted to having trouble with their eyesight but stubbornly getting on with their life in spite of not having exams in 5, 10, or 15 years. It isn't just about needing to correct vision, an eye exam will help a doctor find eye problems early.

When’s a good time to go for an eye exam? How about right now? Consider this: 250,000 Canadians are walking around with glaucoma this very moment. And half of them, 125,000 people, don’t even know they have it. These people are losing vision, but won’t figure it out until it’s too late to recover what they’ve lost.         CNIB.ca 

I don't usually do preachy health posts, but thought this topic was important enough to send out to my readers. Taking time to get routine health examines can seem like a waste of time when we are all too busy taking care of our family. Vision loss is a real issue for a good friend of mine, it is sad to see his journey to blindness, but it inspired me to book eye exams for me and my hubby and daughter.


 Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and is intended for anecdotal purposes only. Please seek professional advice for any health concerns.