“I need to come in for an eye check-up, and it has been a while since my last exam. How long does a typical exam take?” –John via email
That’s a great question John, and one that we get all the time. We generally recommend budgeting about an hour for your eye exam depending on what you are coming in for. If this is your first exam in several years, we will want to establish a good baseline of eye health for you. Our eye doctors will carefully measure your refractive error, and discuss any recommendations for correcting your vision. Glasses, contact lenses, and laser vision surgery are among the options that may help you see better, and we want to be sure that all your options are thoroughly explained. Getting a yearly optomap® image taken is also a great way to check your eye health. As a new patient, we generally recommend having your pupils dilated. This allows our optometrists to get a good look at the health of your retinas. Because the retina is powered by small blood vessels, your overall systemic health is often reflected in the retina. Diseases affecting the retina includes hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, various genetic diseases, problems with the retinal itself, retinal freckles, infection, scars, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. In addition, it is often easier to assess an eye for cataracts through dilated pupils. The results of your yearly eye and vision examination are thoroughly explained and then you’re on your way! Healthy eyes are an important component to your overall health and we are thrilled that you are coming in!
“Should I wait until my child has a problem to bring them in for their first eye exam?” –Rhonda via email
The visual system is the gateway to learning. Vision problems can seriously affect a child’s ability to learn –especially undiagnosed vision problems. Eye exams are so quick and simple that our eye doctors, as well as the American Optometric Association, recommend all children be seen for their first eye and vision exam at 6-12 months of age. This early life “InfantSEE” examination helps assure that your child’s eyes are in a good position to develop to their fullest potential. Eyes that don’t see well will not develop normally, a condition called amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” This disease can be prevented or lessened by early diagnosis. The vast majority of infants do not require vision correction –most myopia, or nearsightedness, develops later in life, and a child’s visual demands are relatively small. For those few kids that need help to keep their vision development on track, a simple early-life exam can make such a big difference that we recommend all kids be seen.
“My eyes are killing me! I keep itching them and they only get more red. I have allergies and take medication that helps a little bit, but I’m tired of having red, itchy eyes!” –Bob via email
Bob, you are certainly not alone! All of the pollen, flowers, and cottonwoods here in Colorado means lots of people with ocular allergies. Systemic medications such as antihistamine pills can help with some eye-related symptoms, but a strong blood-ocular barrier exists which prevents some medication from reaching the eye. Furthermore, the part of the eye affected by ocular allergies, the conjunctiva, is the foremost layer of the eye, and you can treat it directly with topical eye medication. Lots of different topical antihistamines exist, some over the counter and some prescribed. If your allergies are particularly bad to the point of notable eye inflammation, our optometrists may even prescribe a topical steroid to alleviate your symptoms more readily. If you are suffering from ocular allergies, be sure to mention it to us at your annual check-up. If your yearly eye exam isn’t for a while, we would be happy to see you mid-year for a quick medical check of your eyes. Itching, red, watery eyes are not fun, and we can help! Call our office at (303) 450-2020 to schedule your exam.