Sergeant Bluff Eye Care

Eye Health

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What to Expect at Your Eye Exam

Whether you or a loved one are having a first eye exam, a repeat eye exam, or are seeing a new eye doctor for the first time, there are a number of routine questions you can expect. But your answers to these questions during eye exams are anything but routine for your eye doctor.

That’s because there are any number of factors in your medical history that can contribute to current or potential vision problems. Understanding your lifestyle and describing any visual problems you’re having helps to point your eye exam in the right direction. There are medical conditions, medications and circumstances that can put you or a family member at a higher risk for certain eye diseases.

Beyond having your vision insurance information, necessary payment and identification ready, here’s a checklist of things to know before you approach the front desk at your next eye exam.

  • What eye problems are you having now? Is your vision blurry or hazy at certain distances? Do you have problems in your side vision? Are you experiencing pain or discomfort in certain lighting situations?
  • Do you have a history of any eye problems or eye injury? Do you have a current prescription for glasses or contact lenses? Are you wearing them regularly, and if so, are you still happy with them?
  • Were you or your loved one born prematurely? Have you had any health problems in the recent such as high blood pressure or heart disease? Are you diabetic? Are you considered overweight?
  • Are you taking any medications? Do you have allergies to medications, food or other materials? Seasonal allergies?
  • Has anyone in your family (including parents) suffered from eye problems or diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration?
  • Has anyone in your family (including parents) suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes? What about other health problems that can affect the whole body like blood disorders or cancer?

Eye exams include a detailed history because many things you might consider unrelated to vision may actually affect your current vision, or reveal potential risks for developing certain eye diseases. Be ready to provide a complete history at your next eye exam, and help the front desk, and your eye doctor, best prepare for the examination that follows.  

For regularly scheduled eye exams, expect to talk about any changes in your medical history since the last time you saw your eye doctor. And if this is your first time in a new practice, you’ll be asked to provide a more complete medical history, including a list of medications you’re currently taking, and any vision problems your parents may have experienced.

In addition, you’ll undergo a series of vision and eye tests that help determine the overall health and quality of your vision. These tests also help to check that your current prescription glasses or contacts (if you have one) is still meeting your vision needs. Your eye doctor will also check your eyes for signs of any potential vision problems or eye diseases. In many instances, your pupil may be dilated (opened) using special drops so that your eye doctor can better see the structures of the eye.

You’ll then have an honest discussion about the current state of your eye health and vision, and your eye doctor may “prescribe” vision correction for you in the form of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Any health concerns or possibly serious vision complications will also be discussed, including the next steps you must take to preserve and protect your sight. It’s essential, too, that you make the most out of your exams.

In general, a routine eye exam will last less than an hour depending upon the number of tests you have, and may be partially or completely covered by many vision insurance plans.

If it’s time for your next eye appointment, call us today to schedule your visit!

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Coping with Age-Related Vision Loss

Age-related vision loss can be addressed with practical solutions. Experiment with adjusting the light settings when reading or working in your home or office. Due to the fact that after 60 your eye’s pupil decreases in diameter, it is difficult to see in dim light. Images and objects appear hazy as less light reaches your retina. This is why you will need to add extra light to perform certain tasks.

Modifications That Can Help Your Adjust

Make sure to illuminate places that have dark corners like garage spaces, above the stove and under kitchen cabinets. Work surfaces should have ample light. Brighten any area that will require you to perform fine motor skill tasks such as sewing or typing. Your workplace may be a place where you will need to add some lighting if possible. Don’t forget to schedule regular eye exams as they are essential in monitoring your vision problems. It is important to get your eyes checked to rule out any serious age-related eye diseases.

Another reason for regular eye exams is that your doctor can provide you with options on how to reduce the effects of normal age-related vision degeneration, such as color vision, near vision and contrast sensitivity. A quite common age-related vision problem is Cataracts. It is very common in the over-60 age group. Hazy and cloudy vision are the most common symptoms. Cataract sometimes can be remedied with surgery. The procedure is done to remove the eye’s cloudy lens. The natural eye lens is then replaced with an artificial one.

Permanent Vision Loss and Your Options

One of the major symptoms of age-related diseases such as glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration is blind spots and vision loss. Living with low vision is possible with nonprescription devices that make daily tasks more manageable. Some examples include:

  • Hand held magnifiers with battery operated lights for reading, these come in different shape and sizes.
  • Shields and Lens filters to reduce glare
  • Mobile phone with large screen and large fonts settings .
  • Large Plasma Television Screens

Vision Loss and the Elderly

Older Adults living in nursing homes often neglect to take care of gradual vision loss caused by glaucoma. When glaucoma goes untreated it can lead to blindness.

Routine eye examinations are necessary for the elderly. Uncorrected vision problems may lead to falls and/or permanent vision loss. Elderly people who live alone need to have someone who can make sure that they schedule routine eye examinations. Losing their vision will undermine their confidence and it puts them at risk of accidents and falls. They will no longer be able to be independent.

If you or a loved one is suffering from age-related vision loss, please call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your next options.

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Cataracts – What You Should Know

Cataracts are one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over 45. A condition that commonly develops as the eye ages, by the time we reach 80, more than half of us will have developed a cataract.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye which is normally transparent. The lens, located inside the eye, behind the iris and the pupil, focuses light onto the retina at the back of your eye, where it is converted to nerve signals that are passed to the brain, allowing you to see. When your lens becomes cloudy, the images projected onto your retina become blurry and unfocused and therefore the signal to the brain is also unclear. You can compare this to looking through a dirty or cloudy window. If the window is not clear, you can’t see well.

Usually cataracts develop slowly over time so your vision gradually worsens. While the majority of cataracts are a result of the aging process, there are also congenital cataracts that are present at birth, secondary cataracts that result from eye surgery or diseases such as glaucoma or diabetes and traumatic cataracts that result at any age from an injury to the eye.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cataracts include:

  • Blurry or cloudy vision (that can’t be corrected with a change in eyeglass prescription)
  • Glare from lamps, sunlight, oncoming traffic when driving at night or indoor lighting
  • Colors appear dim and less vibrant
  • Halos around lights
  • Double vision
  • Poor night vision
  • Sudden improvement in near vision

Treatment

Treatment for cataracts involves surgery, but being diagnosed with a cataract does not mean that you need to have surgery immediately, or maybe ever. You may be able to live with symptoms of early cataracts for a while by using vision aids such as glasses, anti-glare sunglasses, magnification lenses, strong bifocals or brighter lighting to suit your needs.

Cataract surgery is one of most common surgeries performed in North America and has a 90% success rate (meaning the patient has improved vision, between 20/20 and 20/40 vision, following the procedure).

The surgery involves removing the clouded natural lens and usually replacing it with a clear, plastic intraocular lens (IOL) that becomes a permanent part of the eye. It is a relatively quick and painless procedure and you will not feel or see the IOL after the implant.

Surgery should be considered when the condition begins to seriously impair your vision to the extent that it affects your daily life such as reading or driving, playing golf, playing cards, watching TV, etc. Sometimes surgery is also necessary if the cataracts are preventing treatment of another eye problem. The good news is that cataract surgery is typically very successful in restoring your vision. Together with your eye doctor, you will decide if and when the time for surgery has arrived.

If you think you might have a cataract, it is important that you be seen by your eye doctor immediately. Please give us a call to schedule your appointment.