The Annual Checkup Many Always Forget About

This is a sponsored post on behalf of VSP Vision Care ® | #EyeOpeningMoments.
All opinions are my own and were not influenced by any parties.

As a mom, it is important to me that my kids are healthy.  We never miss an annual check up with our pediatrician.  All three of my kids also visit the dentist at least twice a year for cleanings and checkups.  However, it never really occurred to me that I should also make sure they get an annual eye exam.  At least, not until we had an issue.

Around a year ago, I noticed my son blinking his eyes frequently.  At first I brushed it off as the dry winter weather. After all, it was a bit dry in our house.  I happened to have a meeting with his teacher and mentioned it to her.

She told me that she noticed him doing the same thing in school.  She also would catch him squinting from time to time.  Having needed glasses when I was his age, I knew I should probably take him in to see our local optometrist.

I was glad I did.

It turned out our son needed glasses.  He was straining to see the board and that was making his eyes dry.  The issue also was affecting his sleep as he was so exhausted by the end of the day he would crash hard, just to wake several hours later and not end up being fully rested.

In a nutshell, his poor eye health was affecting other areas of his life.

Once we found him the right prescription, we noticed a change. He was able to sleep better.  He seemed less irritable, as he was finally getting that much needed rest.  I also knew that I had to make sure to include an annual eye visit in our doctors we visited – for both him and his sisters.

 

ELIMINATING THE FEAR

Even though this was the second year my son had to visit the eye doctor, he still had a lot of fear.  There are LOT of really big and scary looking machines everywhere you look!

We have an amazing staff at our optometrist’s office.  They are so caring and really ensure that kids feel safe and secure at their office.  A great staff can make all the difference.

When we first got to the office, he was called back and they started with a few general tests to check his ability to judge distance and check his peripheral vision.

They also took care to measure his cornea and check his eye for overall health. Visiting the eye doctor is not just about making sure you can read the letters on the chart, but that your eyes are healthy as well!  😉

Once we were in the office chair, his eye doctor came in and explained everything he was doing.  My son was completely relaxed and at ease during the entire visit.

His report came back great!  Only a couple of minor changes to his vision, but nothing to warrant needing new glasses!  Whew!

As we left I asked him if it was scary and he said at first it was, but everyone was really nice and it wasn’t so bad after all.  Our office proved to him (and me) that a visit to the optometrist doesn’t have to be a bad experience.

 

AFFORDING VISION CARE

Just like everything else, it can be expensive when it comes to eye visits. That is why it is important to have good eye care insurance. But, who do you trust?  Where do you turn?  After all, you don’t want to just find a random company.  You need to find a company you can trust.

To start, check with your employer (or you spouse’s employer) to see if there is group coverage available. This is often one of the most affordable options.  If you don’t have this available to you, then it is time to find outside coverage.  You should check into VSP Vision Care®.

A few things to know about VSP:

• They are a non-profit company.
• They have been around for more than 60 years.
• It is the largest eye care network in the country.

We have vision care.  As a result, our visit cost us just $10.  Without that coverage, our visit would have been more than $100!  With three kids to take to the eye doctor, that is a savings of more than $250 for our family.  This is why it is important to have vision coverage.

Check out VSP or another way to find that eye care insurance you need. Then, get yourself and your kids to get your own eyes checked.  We’ve already scheduled our visits for the rest of our family to ensure that our eyes are healthy as well!  Good eye care is more than just seeing signs or being able to read.  As we learned, it really can affect more than that.  Your eyes are too precious not to have them checked out regularly.

Take the time to get in to see your local eye doctor so you can make sure your eyes are strong and healthy.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VSP. The opinions and text are all mine.