General Eye Health

Eye Examination

 Your comprehensive initial routine eye examination will contain most or all of these components and may take an hour or longer depending on your problem and what we find:

• Medical history, eye history and the reason you have come in
• Visual acuity (vision test)
• Eyelid health and function
• Coordination of eye muscles
• Pupil response
• Side or peripheral vision
• Examination of the Anterior segment or front part of the eye using a slit lamp microscope (including cornea, iris and lens)
• Intraocular pressure (glaucoma test or eye pressure); this painless and accurate test requires the administration of an anesthetic eye drop
• Fundus examination (interior and back of the eye including retina and optic nerve (using dilating drops to increase pupil size).

Refraction (check for glasses) can be performed if necessary in addition to a general eye examination.

Usually, a dilating drop must be given to fully view the fundus. The drop may take 20 or more minutes to take effect, and may temporarily interfere with near vision and increase the intensity of bright lights. You will be offered a reversal drop that will bring the pupil size back to normal faster.

We recommend comprehensive eye exams every year for people over the age of 65 and every two to four years for adults less than 65. People with eye or medical diseases such as diabetes or family history of eye diseases such as glaucoma, need more frequent eye exams. Many systemic diseases can be seen in the eye. Contact lens wearers should have an eye exam at least every year, even absent any problems. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, call 847-328-2300 or 800-653-EYES.

Sun Exposure

Exposure to the sun may contribute to cataracts, macular degeneration, and eyelid and skin cancers. We recommend ultraviolet (UV) absorbent sunglasses [this is preprinted on our eyeglass prescriptions] and a brimmed hat when you are in the sun. It is especially important to use sunglasses with UV coating in the summer, at the beach and for winter sports at high altitudes (such as skiing). We also recommend high blockage sunscreen routinely.

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Smoking

 Smoking contributes immeasurably to the early development of cataracts and macular degeneration and has a seriously negative impact on diabetic and hypertension afflicted patients. In patients with dry eyes, it commonly causes significantly increased irritation of the eyes. Smoking also affects the blood vessels. We can frequently see these changes with our fundus (retinal) examination.

Eye Injuries

Correct protective eyewear is very important and can help prevent eye injuries. You should wear goggles or safety glasses when using chemicals to prevent splash injures and burns. Also wear safety glasses while working on cars, car batteries, or with tools such as hammers and drills. Gardening, especially while mowing the lawn, may lead to eye injuries from rocks and debris flying into your eyes. Tree branches and chemicals in the garden regularly injure the eyes. Safety glasses or goggles may help prevent these injuries.

People should also wear protective eyewear for sports, such as baseball, tennis, racquetball and basketball. Correct protective eyewear for a particular sport does not affect performance, and can reduce eye injuries by 90+%.

Fireworks can be and are dangerous. Only attend professional fireworks displays. Never let children near fireworks.

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Common Eye Myths

Reading in dim light will harm your eyes

• Good lighting will make tasks easier but dim lighting will not hurt your eyes

Using the wrong or no glasses will harm your eyes

• Glasses help improve your vision but do not strengthen or weaken your eyes. Not using glasses or using the wrong glasses will not damage your eyes. The one exception is small children who may develop a ‘lazy’ eye (or amblyopia) without proper glasses.

Reading small print is bad for your eyes

• Reading small print or using your eyes too much does not affect your eyes even if you have decreased vision or eye diseases. Reading may contribute to dry eyes due to reduced blinking. We recommend specific artificial tear drops, and for more severe problems we have a host of medications and techniques to help. Even frequent breaks while reading if you have dry eyes may help.

Using computers too much can damage your eyes

• Using a computer will not hurt your eyes. Due to decreased blinking, your eyes may become dry and fatigued while using the computer. Artificial tear drops, taking breaks and adjusting your computer monitor can help reduce dry eyes and fatigue. For frequent computer users, single vision glasses with an intermediate prescription can be very comfortable.

Sitting too close to the TV will harm your eyes

• There is no evidence that relatively close TV viewing can affect the eyes. Children have increased focusing ability and often like to sit close to the TV. They usually grow out of this. If children seem to squint while looking far away or have difficulty seeing distance objects, they should have an eye exam and may need glasses.

Eye problems cause learning disabilities

• Reading problems and other learning disabilities are usually not caused by, but can be, enhanced eye problems, although undiagnosed eye problems can mimic learning disabilities. Comprehensive eye exams are important in children with learning disabilities to diagnose and treat eye conditions and prescribe eye glasses and other examinations if necessary.

Eye transplants can be performed

• The eye is connected to the brain through the optic nerve. The optic nerve contains one million individual nerve fibers and it is essential for sight. There currently is no surgery that can connect a new eye with its million fibers to the brain. Corneal transplants can restore vision by replacing the cornea (front cover of the eye) but an entire eye cannot be transplanted. There are new retina transplantation procedures being developed to help restore vision as well and there is very much research and some success in giving a form of sight to the patient with reduced or even absent sight.

If you have questions about any of the above conditions or other eye conditions, call Vision Surgeons & Consultants, Ltd. Aesthetics Plus at
847 328-2300 or email your questions to: vsc@visionandbeauty.com.
 

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