Services
Types of Exams
Visual Acuity
Most people are familiar with the Snellen letter chart, which is used to check the sharpness of your vision. Your optometrist will have you read letters of varying sizes from the chart to determine how well you can see them from across the room. To test your near vision, a smaller, hand-held chart is used.
Cover Test
This simple test is used to see how well your eyes work together. Your optometrist will have you focus on a small object across the room, then alternately cover each eye. Then he will do the test again, but have you look at something closer.
Color Blindness Test
Usually performed during your initial exam, this test will rule out color blindness. Although color blindness can be hereditary, the test can help your eye doctor rule out certain eye health problems.
Retinoscopy
During this test, the lights will be dimmed and your optometrist will shine a light in each eye as you fixate on a large target. He or she will use a machine to flip different lenses in front of your eyes and observe how the light reflects from your eyes. This will give your eye doctor a “rough estimate” of what your eyeglass prescription should be.
Refraction
This procedure is similar to retinoscopy, except here your eye doctor will ask you which lenses are clearer as different ones are placed in front of each eye. Your answers will help him or her refine the lens power and ultimately determine your final eyeglass prescription.
Slit-Lamp Examination
The slit lamp is a microscope that enables your optometrist to look closely at both the external and internal structures of your eyes. He or she will have you place your chin on the chin rest, then shine the lamp’s light into your eye. This highly magnified view will reveal signs of infection or disease.
Aside from these procedures, your eye doctor may recommend that more specialized tests be performed. If you live in or around Dallas and you have any questions regarding your eye exam, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Types of Cataracts
Subcapsular cataract:
This cataract forms in the back of the lens and is most commonly found in people with diabetes, intense farsightedness and those taking high steroid doses.
Nuclear cataract:
Nuclear cataracts are most commonly associated with the natural aging process and form in the nucleus, the center of the lens. This type of cataract’s development can be seen over time.
Cortical cataract:
Cortial cataracts form in the lens cortex and gradually extend from the outside of the lens to the center. Diabetics are often as risk of developing cortical cataracts.
Initial cataract treatment includes the use of glasses, bifocals magnification or other visual aids. If cataracts develop enough to visually impair you and negatively affect your daily life, consider cataract surgery to improve your vision. During cataract surgery, your surgeon will remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear plastic intraocular lens (IOL). Most cataract surgeries have a high success rate, resulting in dramatically improved vision.
If you suspect you have a cataract, and you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam with one of our doctors today. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you.act us.
Types of Glaucoma
There are two main types of glaucoma: open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma accounts for most cases. It is painless and the only signs are gradual loss of peripheral vision and optic nerve changes. Closed-angle glaucoma accounts for a small percentage of glaucoma cases. Closed-angle glaucoma symptoms include sudden eye pain, halos around lights, red eye, increased eye pressure, nausea and a sudden loss of vision. Closed-angle glaucoma is considered an eye emergency and should be handled by a professional to prevent permanent vision loss.
Routine eye exams include a screening for glaucoma using a machine called a tonometer. The tonometer is used to measure the pressure inside your eye. One of the most common tonometers use a puff sent onto the surface of the eye to test the internal pressure. Another method of glaucoma screening involved advanced imaging technology that monitors the eyes optic nerve over the course of your exams to ensure that no changes have occurred. Visual field testing is another way to determine loss of peripheral vision. It involves staring ahead while holding a button that will allow you to click when you see a flashing light in the edges of your vision. The test catches any blind spots that may develop as a result of damage to the optic nerve as a result of glaucoma.
Glaucoma treatment can involve surgery, or the use of lasers and/or medication depending on the progression. Eye drops with medication are one of the first forms of treatment used that aim to lower the internal pressure of the eye.
If you suspect you have glaucoma, and you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam with one of our doctors today. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you. If you experience any pain nausea or sudden vision loss, please call our offices immediately.
Causes of Dry Eye
The aging process, especially during menopause
- As a side effect of certain medications (i.e. antihistamines, antidepressants, birth control pills)
- As a result of a dry, dusty or windy climate
- If your home or office has air conditioning or a heating system
- Long-term contact wear
Dry eye syndrome is a chronic condition that may not be completely curable but the associated irritation can be managed. Some solutions include: prescribed artificial tears (lubricating eye drops), punctual plugs that help keep the eye dry by preventing tears from draining out too quickly, or sunglasses that keep out wind, pollen and dust with an air tight seal.
Tears cleanse the eye, flushing out dust and debris and are essential for healthy eyes. If you suspect you have dry eye syndrome and you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you.
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Corneal refractive therapy is for people who are nearsighted and is especially appealing to people who engage in sports, who have issues with long term daytime contact use, and who are not eligible for LASIK. Nearsightedness is caused by light coming through the cornea in a way that does not allow it to focus properly on the retina. Generally this refocusing of light is fixed by the use of eyeglasses or contacts. Another way to solve this issue is to reshape the cornea in a way that the cornea is flattened. LASIK offers a surgical solution and corneal refractive therapy lenses flatten the cornea without lenses resulting in sharper, clearer vision.
One of the benefits of corneal refractive therapy is the elimination of glasses or daytime contacts. Good vision can be achieved as early as the first day but can take up to 14 days to see full results. You can participate in sports or enjoy a day without the irritation of contacts. Corneal refractive therapy is temporary and only lasts a day. After each use, the lenses should be chemically disinfected. Also, the process is completely reversible after discontinued use.
If you are interested in corneal refractive therapy lenses and you live in or around Dallas, we will perform a comprehensive eye exam to discuss the options available to you. Feel free to contact our office to call and schedule an appointment for a consultation today to discuss how to best improve your vision.
Types of Contact Lenses
There are many kinds of contacts that can be categorized as following:
- The material they are made of (hard, soft, and GP lenses)
- Length of wear (daily and extended wear)
- Frequency of disposal (disposable, daily disposable, frequent replacement and traditional lenses)
- Lens design (spherical, bifocal, orthokertology and toric)
- Additional features (dry eye contacts, colored lenses, special effects and prosthetic lenses)
If you are interested in contacts as a corrective alternative and you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam with us. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you.
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Even advancements in technology have allowed for the development of specialized lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are thinner, lighter and more resistant than most plastics. Polarized lenses reduce glare and as a result cause less eye fatigue. And photochromatic lenses have chemical coatings that allow them to transition form light to dark when moving from indoors to outdoors.
When picking out eyeglasses, don’t only think about your personal style and how you’ll look but also focus on how you would like your eyeglasses to function in your daily life. Remember to select frames that flatter your face shape and your coloring for the most appealing look.
If you are interested in eye glasses as a corrective alternative and you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you.
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Specialized eyewear ranges from:
- Sport sunglasses and performance eyewear
- Prescriptive diving masks and swim goggles
- Prescriptive, tinted ski goggles
- Scratch resistant shooting glasses for hunters
- Protective sports goggles
- Prescriptive safety glasses and goggles required in some work environments
If you are an avid sports enthusiast and participant, feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you. Don’t go another day wearing eyewear that does not help you perform your best.
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As you enter your 60s, you will find that some age related changes to your vision are normal. Changes in structure include: reduced pupil size, dry eyes, loss of peripheral vision, decreased color vision and vitreous detachment. Cataracts are associated with aging, and while are common among seniors, are easily corrected with surgery. Some changes are serious and can result in the deterioration of vision quality. Included among these serious changes are glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
During your exam make sure to discuss any concerns you may have. Also, be sure to mention any history of eye disorders in your family. Ensure the health of your eyes and feel free to contact our office to schedule an eye exam with one of our doctors today. We will gladly answer any of your questions and provide you with the best treatment options available to you. If you live in or around Dallas, do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any sudden vision loss. We also handle vision emergencies.
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LASIK surgery improves your vision during the second step, during which the laser remodels the cornea’s shape. During this process, the cornea is reshaped allowing more light to enter the eye and the retina, resulting in sharper vision. Your surgeon will flatten the too-steep cornea if you are nearsighted, and shape your cornea into a steeper shape if you are farsighted. Your surgeon can even reshape the eye if you have astigmatism.
LASIK has a high patient satisfaction rating that is linked to low pain association. The surgery is performed along with results as early as the next day.
As prior to any surgery, one of our eye doctors will perform a comprehensive eye exam to determine if your eyes are healthy enough for the procedure and to determine how much laser reshaping would be necessary for optimal vision correction. If you live in or around Dallas, feel free to contact our office and schedule an appointment for a consultation today to discuss how to best improve your vision.
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