Did You Know?
More than 23 million Americans age 18 and older have never had an eye exam! Most say they don’t think they have an eye problem when, in fact, many eye diseases don’t show symptoms in their early stages.
A Comprehensive Eye Exam is recommended annually for adults 65 and older, as well as those with risk factors such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, a family history of eye disease, existing eye conditions, and you have had previous eye surgeries. In order to check the overall health of your eye, you will be dilated so that the doctor can clearly see the health of the back of your eye (retina, macula, optic nerve). After your comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will let you know when you need to be seen again.
You can skip the dilation and have a special photo taken of the back of your eye, with our OPTOS ophthalmic camera. There is an out-of-pocket fee for the photo as it is not covered by insurance. Many patients choose this option because they don’t need to have a driver, they can go back to work and resume their daily activities without blurry vision and their eyes being sensitive to light. If you would prefer to have the OPTOS photo of your eye instead of being dilated, let a member of our staff know when you arrive.
A Dry Eye Evaluation will include an assessment of tear production and the overall ocular surface health to diagnose and treat dry eye disease.
A Plaquenil Exam is monitoring for early signs of retinal toxicity, a potential side effect of Plaquenil use.
A Multiple Sclerosis Exam is a crucial tool in detecting early signs of MS and can reveal abnormalities like optic neuritis.
Specialized Visual Field Testing.
Injuries to your eyes can be serious. Contact your ophthalmologist (eye care specialist) immediately or an emergency medical professional.
Corneal Abrasion – A scraped area on the corneal surface.
Corneal Foreign Body – Any material that is stuck in the cornea.
Corneal Ulcer (also known as Keratitis) – An open sore on the cornea.
Corneal Burns – Can be caused by various sources of heat or chemicals, including hot liquids, flames, welding arcs, and certain chemicals. Corneal burns can range in severity from mild to severe, potentially leading to pain, vision problems, and even permanent vision loss if left untreated. You should be seen immediately by an ophthalmologist (eye care specialist) or an emergency medical professional.
Infections and inflammation of your eyes can be serious. Contact your ophthalmologist for an appointment.
Conjunctivitis, or more commonly known as pink eye, is contagious and needs to be treated.
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid. The edges of your lids turn red or dark in color and become swollen and scaly; it usually affects both eyes. It can happen when a skin condition causes irritation, when you develop an infection, or when oil glands become clogged.
Uveitis is inflammation that can affect a specific area of your eye or multiple areas. The three main areas are: anterior, intermediate, and posterior. The most common of the three is anterior (front) uveitis, which affects the iris and the ciliary body. Symptoms are often visible to you or others and include: eye pain, red or irritated eye, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and the shape of your pupil can change from a circle to an irregular shape.
Herpes Zoster virus causes chickenpox, and later in life, it can reactivate and cause shingles. Symptoms include: eye irritation, redness or blisters, swelling or a rash on the skin, and around your eyes. If shingles spreads to your eyes, it is serious, and you need to be seen by an ophthalmologist or another medical professional.
A Stye (hordeolum) forms when a tiny oil-producing gland in your eyelid becomes blocked, and it turns into a bacterial infection. It is a painful red bump on the edge of your eyelid. It can look similar to a pimple and may be tender to the touch. A stye generally lasts one to two weeks and will typically go away on its own. Applying a warm compress several times a day may help. If it doesn’t go away on its own, it might need to be drained by an ophthalmologist.
A Chalazion is another type of bump that usually occurs farther back on your eyelid. Unlike a stye, a chalazion generally isn’t painful and is not caused by a bacterial infection. A chalazion usually lasts one to two weeks and will typically go away on its own. Applying a warm compress several times a day may help. If it doesn’t go away on its own, it might need to be drained by an ophthalmologist.
A Lid Lesion can be diagnosed and removed by one of our ophthalmologists. This is usually done in two separate appointments. Your first appointment will be an evaluation, and the second appointment will be the procedure.
