An eye doctor can help correct your vision and get you back to seeing things more clearly, but the doctor's diagnosis will be made much easier if the patient arrives for the appointment properly prepared. To that end, here's what you can do ahead of your appointment to help out your eye doctor and make sure you receive the right prescription for your current eyesight.

Spend A Couple Days Before the Appointment Really Focusing on Your Vision

Your vision is usually something you don't spend a ton of time thinking about, and you might not even notice if your vision is worse today than it was a year ago. But before your appointment, try to be more conscious about how easy or difficult it is to see things as you go through the day.

Is it taking a while for that road sign on the highway to become clear to you? Are you having issues judging distances or having issues with certain colors? Stop and think about any incidents you may have had with double or blurry vision and so on. All of this information can help your eye doctor quickly hone in on a potential issue that needs to be corrected.

How Comfortable Are You With Your Current Setup?

Are your contacts holding up OK? Have you had to deal with any eye irritation recently? Your eye doctor might have a new contact brand you can try, but they won't know to offer it if you don't tell them there might be a problem. If you don't yet have glasses, consider if this is the year you should finally get them. Sometimes taking your contacts out for a while can give your eyes a break and leave them feeling refreshed.

Show Up Prepared

When it's time to head out for the appointment, arrive wearing your current contacts, but bring a case and solution to put them into if needed. Bring your current glasses with you even if you don't wear them often. If you are currently on any prescription medication, come with a list for the doctor to review.

If this exam will include dilation, bring sunglasses with you for afterward, as you could be sensitive to light. You may also want to bring a family member or friend with you to drive you home.

Show up prepared for your next eye doctor appointment, and you'll be able to help the doctor give you a more accurate diagnosis and prescription.