What to tell your eye doctor: a checklist for your next appointment

Most people remember the thing they wanted to mention as soon as they leave the examination room. A short checklist, prepared the day before, fixes that.

Bring with you

• Your current glasses, and your contact lens details if you wear them
• A list of medicines, eye drops and supplements, with doses
• Letters or results from previous eye appointments, if you have them
• Any photos or notes you have kept of your symptoms

Be ready to describe

• What the problem is, in your own words
• When it started, and whether it came on suddenly or slowly
• Which eye, or both
• How it changes during the day or week
• What makes it better or worse
• What you have tried, including drops or exercises, and what happened

Mention, even if it seems unrelated

• General health conditions and recent illnesses
• Eye conditions in your family
• Any recent knock to the head or eye
• Your work and screen habits
• Driving, if your symptoms affect it

Questions worth asking

• What do you think is causing this, and how sure are you?
• What should I watch for that means I should come back sooner?
• Is there anything I should keep a record of before next time?
• When should I be seen again?

Put it on one page

Write your three most important points at the top. If you've kept a record in Ocufuse, the Doctor Brief puts your photos, notes and context for a date range on one page, so the clinician can see the days in between. If your symptoms come and go, our guide to preparing when symptoms come and go goes further.