Having an annual eye exam is a great way to not only take care of your eyes but your overall health as well. Eye exams can detect early signs of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your next visit!
What to think about:
Have I noticed any eye problems such as blurry vision, flashes of light, floaters, redness, or double vision?
Are my daily activities being affected by my vision?
How do I take care of my contact lenses or glasses
Have I had any surgeries or injuries in my eyes that I could let the doctor know about?
Any family history of eye conditions such as glaucoma?
What to bring:
Your current glasses or contact lenses even if you have multiple pairs for different tasks
A list of your medications/supplements you are taking
Have someone who can drive you home or a method of transportation ready for if you have your eyes dilated. This happens often in yearly eye exams and can make you sensitive to light and have blurry near vision (~4-6 hours)
Vision and health insurance information
Questions to ask:
Differences between contacts and glasses for you and how this compares to surgery options as well?
If anything has changed in my ocular health since the last visit?
What any symptoms you may have mean and what you can do to prevent them from getting worse or resolve?
Cosmetic contact lenses or colored contact lenses may seem harmless but can lead to severe eye problems or loss of vision if not fit by an eye specialist. You need to have a prescription for contact lenses as they are deemed medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Non- prescription contacts can create problems due to issues such as poor fitting or unclean packing/creation.
When contact lenses not specifically fitted and sized for your eyes are worn, the cornea may be scratched, potentially leading to the following:
Painful corneal abrasion
Decreased vision
Redness, soreness, itching
对光敏感
Allergic reactions
Corneal ulcers
Eye infections are also very common in non-prescribed contact lenses and may lead to the following:
Persistent eye pain
Decreased vision
对光敏感
Discharge from the eye (this could be green/yellowish mucus like or more watery)
Discussing your options and proper contact lenses hygiene with an eye care professional, having the proper measurements of your eyes taken, and getting a valid prescription is an easy way to avoid these potentially life changing complications.
Your visual field refers to the area in which you can see objects in all directions as you focus on a single central point. This test of your peripheral vision is simple, painless, and vital in diagnosing and tracking the progress of health conditions.
Are there different types of Visual Fields?
Confrontational Visual Field Test: The patient looks at an object in front of them with one eye covered. While looking at this object the patient will be asked how many fingers they see the doctor holding up in the patient’s periphery.
photo credit: morancore.utah.edu
Automated static perimetry test: The patient looks in the center of a bowl-shaped instrument called a perimeter. Lenses are placed in front of the patient’s tested eye while the other is covered with an eye patch. While looking at the center target, several flashes of light will appear in the patient’s periphery at which point they will use a clicker to indicate when they see them.
photo credit: healthjade.net
Kinetic visual field test: Similar to above but now moving light targets are used instead of blinking lights.
Who needs a Visual Field Test?
Visual fields can be helpful in diagnosing, treatment plans for, and monitoring various conditions such as:
青光眼
Multiple sclerosis
Thyroid eye disease
Strokes
Finding blind spots (scotomas)
糖尿病
高血压
Depending on your situation you may be recommended to take a visual field test again in a few weeks, a few months, or a year.
Blepharitis is when you have inflammation of your eyelids. Sometimes the cause is from skin conditions such as dandruff or rosacea while other times the cause could be from overpopulation of bacteria or even parasitic mites called demodex.
Some signs or symptoms you may be experiencing include:
Red, swollen eyes
A gritty or burning sensation in your eyes
Excessive tearing or itching
Dry eyes or crusted eyelashes
Increased sensitivity to light
Dandruff-like scales on the eyelashes
Blocked eyelid glands
Eyelashes may fall out of be misdirected inwards causing damage to the cornea
Increased risk of infection
So what can you do?
With so many varying signs and possible causes it is important to have a comprehensive eye exam in order to determine the type of blepharitis you may have. Once determined a specified treatment plan can be made to manage the condition. Luckily, in many cases taking care of your eyelid hygiene, whether in office or at home, is a simple enough method in keeping the symptoms of blepharitis at bay and from affecting your daily life. It is important to remember that this will likely be a long term plan. Treatments in office or at home may help jump start your recovery, but proper hygiene must be maintained overtime, or the symptoms of blepharitis may return.
At-home ocular hygiene tips:
Frequently wash your the scalp and face
Warm compresses to help soften crust and help unclog oil glands present in eyelids
Use artificial tears (often helpful when placed in the fridge to bring down inflammation)
Limit or stop using eye makeup during treatment, as it makes lid hygiene more difficult.
Nutrition changes/supplements such as omega-3s
More severe cases may warrant in-office treatments:
Photo credit: Eye Health Shop, 2023
Intense Pulsed Light therapy, involving the application of bright red light pulses to your eyelids
BlephEx®, which involves cleaning your eyelid margins with microblepharoexfoliation.
Lipiflow or other dry eye focused treatments may be used concurrently
Depending on your case antibiotics or steroids or tea tree oil products may be prescribed
Products may be available in office to complement treatment, such as BIHOCL or eyelid scrubs
Dilation is a crucial component of your eye exam. Dilating drops enlarge your pupils to allow more light to enter the eye, giving the doctor a better view of the interior and back of your eye. Think of it as looking through a keyhole – the larger and wider the keyhole, the more you can see into the room behind the door.
Why is dilation important?
It enables your optometrist to more accurately determine your prescription by unmasking the effect of accommodation.
It helps to identify eye conditions in children, such as amblyopia (lazy eye).
It helps detect retinal conditions, glaucoma, and other neurological conditions
If it’s so important, why isn’t it done in every eye exam?
Although it is recommended for everyone, dilation is not absolutely necessary for all patients and situations. Dilation can cause blurry near vision and light sensitivity for several hours after the drops are applied. To determine if dilation is needed and appropriate, your optometrist considers several factors:
Age. The risk of eye diseases increases with age, so dilation is highly recommended for adults/seniors. In children, it helps to determine a more accurate prescription that is not masked by their accommodation system.
Ocular history/ Family history. Having a history of eye diseases can predict your risk for developing certain conditions. Genetics plays a role in many ocular diseases.
Overall health. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and other systemic conditions increase the likelihood of developing eye problems.
Presenting symptoms. Symptoms that draw patients into the exam room may warrant a dilated exam. Flashes, floaters, or curtain veil over vision warrant immediate dilation, as they can be a sign of a serious condition.
Uveitis is inflammation inside your eye that usually occurs when your immune system fights an infection. It can also happen when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your eye. Uveitis affects the middle layer of the eye, called the Uvea, resulting in white blood cells and proteins leaking. It can affect one eye or both eyes. Uveitis can affect anyone, but it is most common in people aged 20 to 60.
What are the symptoms of uveitis?
Blurry vision
Decreased vision
Eye pain
红眼
对光敏感
Floaters
There are different types of uveitis.
Anterior Uveitis: affects the iris (colored part of the eye) and is the most common type that affects the front of the eye
Intermediate Uveitis: affects the middle of the eye
Posterior Uveitis: affects the back of the eye
Panuveitis: affects all parts of the eye
What causes uveitis?
The cause of uveitis is not always known. Infections, systemic inflammatory diseases, or an eye injury can all cause uveitis. Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of uveitis.
How is uveitis treated?
Your optometrist will most likely prescribe two eye drops: a steroid to reduce inflammation, and an eye drop to dilate the pupil to help with the pain and swelling. Uveitis can lead to permanent vision loss; therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications and preserve vision.