Vision or optical clinics provide eye assessments and suggestions for your glasses or contact lenses.
Tips & Links
People with health conditions or of any age should get regular eye exams because early detection of vision problems or eye diseases can prevent serious complications, help manage existing health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, and support well-being and independence.
Learn More
- There are 3 health professionals you might see at a vision clinic — an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or optician. An optician may provide teaching about your prescriptive lenses.
- An optometrist is an eye care professional who examines, diagnoses, and treats changes in the aging eye such as cataracts and glaucoma. They are the first level of medically trained eye specialists. Optometrists are licensed by the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC.
- Ophthalmologists can evaluate and treat eye problems just as an optometrist can, but they are specially trained to care for more serious eye diseases and to perform surgery.
- Learn about choosing an eye specialist from Healthlink BC.
- Learn more about specific changes and/or diseases of the eye at Healthlink BC.
- Healthlink BC recommends that you get an eye exam at least every 10 years for ages 19 to 40, every 5 years for ages 41 to 55 every 3 years for ages 56 to 65, and every 2 years if you are over age 65.
- Share any vision changes with your physician, nurse practitioner, and care partners. Changes in your vision can significantly impact your safety.
- Learn about different types of vision testing from Healthlink BC
Things You Can Do
- To help keep your eyes as healthy as possible, review the eye health checklist by CNIB Foundation.
- Learn about the common changes to vision with aging such as losing the ability to see up close (reading), trouble with night vision and adjusting to bright lights, dry eyes, cataracts (cloudy lenses), and glaucoma. Sudden change or loss of sight is an emergency.
- Know that you need a referral from your physician to see an ophthalmologist for cataract or eye surgery.
- Prepare for an eye exam by taking all the eyeglasses you wear (including drugstore readers) and sunglasses, bringing sunglasses for driving home, and bringing your medication list (including any eye drops).
- Learn about what eye services are covered by medical services plan (MSP) such as an annual eye exam for seniors over 65 years of age, trauma to the eye, or diseases such as diabetes that can impact vision as outlined be the Government of BC.
- Know that the medical services plan (MSP) does not cover the cost of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Check your private health benefits for what may or may not be covered.