Wednesday Wellness Check-in: Annual Eye Exam
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It’s that time of year again – time for my annual eye exam. I want to share a story from a few years ago that really emphasized why I make it a priority to stay on top of my eye health.
As I’ve mentioned before (and will dive into more in future posts), I’ve been navigating neurodivergent burnout for the majority of the last seven years. Toward the end of my time living in Washington, DC, I found a new specialist to help with my muscle spasms. He suggested starting me on amitriptyline as part of a drug cocktail. (Spoiler: I didn’t go back for a follow-up.)
For those who aren’t familiar, amitriptyline is a pretty biologically “promiscuous” medication, meaning it can cause a wide range of side effects. And sure enough, I started hallucinating blue and white spots. Fun times, right? Fortunately, I knew enough to recognize the medication was the culprit and stopped taking it.
My optometrist, however, wanted to ensure there wasn’t a more serious issue behind those sudden visual disturbances. She strongly recommended a dilated eye exam. Thankfully, nothing major showed up, but she did advise me to get my blood pressure checked. I’m glad she did, as it turned out to be something I now manage closely with my primary care provider.
There are many conditions that can be detected during a routine eye exam, including:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Autoimmune diseases and systemic inflammation
Have you scheduled your annual eye exam yet? If it’s been a while, now’s the perfect time to do so! 😎
