The Ross Eyecare Examination
There's a lot more to an eye examination than you might think. Many of our patients return year after year to make sure they're seeing as well as they can with their eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Some come in because they have family members with problems such as macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma and they want to know if these same conditions might affect them.
Others are concerned that systemic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, lupus, ulcerative colitis or rheumatoid arthritis might affect their eyes.
Whatever the reason, it is ALWAYS a good idea to have yearly eye examinations. Many conditions that can permanently and irreversibly lead to loss of vision have very few symptoms in the early stages.
The good news is that, in most cases, you can avoid any noticeable loss of vision through early detection and proper management.
Our normal "routine" eye examination is far more extensive than most patients have experienced prior to coming to our office for care. Our patients range in age from one year young to 98 years less young. While our methods vary from patient to patient, depending upon the needs of the individual, our typical examination includes the following:
- Extensive medical and eye history
- Testing entrance vision
- Color vision one eye at a time
- Depth perception
- Pupils
- Eye muscle coordination and movement
- Blood pressure
- Visual fields (peripheral vision)
- Refraction - determining the need and, if indicated, the prescription for eyeglasses
- Slit lamp biomicroscopy evaluation of the anatomy of the front of the eye evaluating for:
- Cataract
- Glaucoma risk
- Dry eye
- Eyelid health
- Tear and gland function
- Positioning of lids
- Conjunctivitis
- Allergic
- Bacterial
- Viral
- Internal eye pressure (tonometry)
- Dilated internal eye health examination
- Health of the optic nerve
- Condition of the central retinal area (the macula)
- Condition of the peripheral retina evaluating for:
- Retinal thinning, holes, breaks or tears
- Freckles (just like freckles of the skin)
- Health of the retinal blood vessels evaluating for:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Auto-immune diseases
If necessary, eyeglasses and/or contact lenses may be prescribed to improve your vision.
Click here for information on contact lenses and materials
Click here for information on our eyeglass services
Should additional testing be needed, we have both the technology and expertise to perform them in our facility. Please see our Medical Services page for descriptions of the types of technology available.
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FOCUS ON DRY EYE
One of the most common conditions we treat in our office is dry eye.
• Symptoms include: general eye irritation, grittiness, scratchiness, burning, a feeling that something is in the eye, and excessive watering (as a reflex response to the underlying dryness)
• Causes of dry eye: Improper balance of tear production versus tear drainage and/or a change in the biochemical make-up of the tear film.
- Environmental influences – pollution, dry heat during the winter, dry air conditioned air in the summer, blowing air in the car or from ceiling fans
- Systemic medications – antihistamines, decongestants, blood pressure medications, birth control pills…
- Systemic conditions – arthritis, lupus, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s disease…
- Hormonal changes – peri or post menopausal changes
- Eye lid inflammation/infection
• Treatments are specifically tailored to managing the underlying cause(s) – Please feel free to call our office to schedule an office visit with one of our doctors and remember to specifically discuss any of your symptoms or concerns. We are here to help. Remember, most health insurance plans will cover your visit when it is related to a health oriented issue such as dry eye.
For further information on Dry Eyes, please click our video links below: