|
Eye Examinations
A typical eye exam at EyeCare Focus is completed by our doctor and a highly skilled technician. The doctor and technician will work with you to provide you with eye care customized to fit your needs based on family history, health, age, and most importantly your eye care needs. Our exams may include:
Medical History
Blood Pressure
Measurement of Visual Acuity, Depth Perception, and Color Vision
Measurement of Computer Eyestrain
Intraocular Pressure (Glaucoma)
Visual Field Testing
Pupil Dilation (evaluate the back of the eyes)
Prescription (eye glasses, contacts, or medicine)
Analysis
Diagnosis
Co-management Referrals
Prognosis
We will work as a team to provide you with the highest quality of both eye health and vision care.
Optical Dispensing
Our optical dispensary is made up of our doctors, our highly trained technicians and top-quality hand picked labs. We offer the latest technology when it comes to your lenses, and a variety of fashionable frames. We can provide you with the lightest and thinnest lenses on the market to make you look and feel great. Our technicians will work with you and your glasses to adjust them to fit comfortably. We offer a free two-year warranty on most of our lenses and frames and have tools in our dispensary to repair them when those little accidents happen.
Contact Lenses
Our office specializes in contact lens wear. We fit our patients with the most beneficial lenses based on their individual needs. Contacts have improved drastically within the last few years and we can now provide vision correction with contact lenses for more sensitive eye problems. Theses sensitive eye problems may include presbyopia (requiring bifocal contacts), monovision, astigmatism, dry eyes and various others. We fit both gas permeable and soft lenses that offer an array of advantages to the individual wearer. The improvements in technology also allow us to fit lenses that provide optimal amounts of oxygen to the cornea to protect the health of your eyes and at the same time allow extended wear. We will work with each individual to provide you with a lens that is best for you and the health of your eyes.
Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT)
CRT is a new procedure that was recently approved by the FDA. This procedure involves reshaping the cornea with cornea molding appliances that are a special type of contact lens. Today, the success for the right patient is outstanding. This is because of new technology, new contact lens materials and new instruments. Corneal refractive therapy works by reshaping the cornea to properly focus light on the retina. Individuals interested in reducing their nearsightedness now have a safe and effective alternative to achieve improved vision without the risks and complications of a surgical procedure. CRT is a special technique that uses uniquely designed contact lens retainers worn during sleep to allow patients to see clearly all day without the use of glasses or contacts. Computerized topographical analization helps to determine which computer manufactured contact lenses will improve the shape of the eye. Rather than using a laser to reshape the cornea, a highly breathable contact lens is worn on the eye to reshape it. This process requires adapting to the specially designed contacts that alter the shape of the cornea. Upon the removal of the lenses, visual acuity will often be improved to 20/20 eye sight without the use of contacts or glasses. Refractive surgeries such as LASIK permanently change the shape of the cornea. If there is a problem, it is irreversible. Corneal Refractive Therapy will not permanently reshape the eye, but it does allow you to go without any corrective lenses all day. If for some reason, you desire your vision to return to its previous state, just leave the contact lenses off.
|
Preoperative and Postoperative Care
We offer co-managed care and referrals to our patients. We respect the needs of each individual in our care. If we feel that there is a need for additional evaluation, care or surgery, we will make a referral. We only make referrals to doctors who we feel are able to meet your specialized needs with the highest standards of practice and patient care. The most common situations in our office that require preoperative, postoperative, or referral care are glaucoma patients, cataract patients, and potential LASIK candidates. Our goal is to provide individuals with excellent vision. If we feel that the quality of a patients’ vision could be improved by other measures we will most definitely refer them to a specialist. However, we will strive to stay updated and involved in our patients’ care.
Learning-related Vision Problems
We specialize in testing and treating learning related vision problems. The visual skills that most significantly impact the ability to learn are in the areas of visual perception, cognitive visual skills and visual processing skills.
Both children and adults can benefit from vision therapy. Adequate visual skills are necessary for success with reading, learning and school performance. Over 70% of classroom information is presented in a visual format and must be processed by a student’s visual system. Well-developed visual skills enhance a student’s ability to learn, and poor skills can severely hinder the learning process.
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
With the tremendous increase in the use of computers both at work and at home, CVS is becoming more and more prevalent. CVS can decrease a person’s quality of life and the quality and quantity of work done on the job. Employers will suffer because of decreased production and quality of work. It can make a students life more difficult. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health define CVS as: eyestrain associated with prolonged computer use. The American Optometric Association conservatively estimates 70-75% of computer users suffer from CVS.
The signs and symptoms of this condition are many, but they generally increase with the prolonged use of the computer. These can include eyestrain, dry/irritated eyes, light sensitivity, neck/shoulder/wrist ache, blurred near vision, blurred distance vision after working on the computer, headaches, backaches, double vision, color distortion, contact lens discomfort, squinting, red eyes and simply, excessive physical fatigue. Because of presbyopia (difficulty in focusing clearly at near), people over the age of 40 are especially prone to CVS. Proper treatment for these people can make their lives much easier.
Our office has more information about arranging a computer workstation properly. For those of you who may be suffering from CVS, special testing in addition to the regular eye examination is needed. Also specific information about your workstation is needed by the examining doctor. A computer workstation questionnaire can be downloaded from the forms page. This should be filled out while at your workstation and brought with you to your next eye examination.
Glaucoma
The diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma is very important for people to enjoy good vision throughout their lives. Today we are living longer and we all want to continue to see well for all of our lives. Undetected and untreated glaucoma can rob us of enjoying those later years.
Unlike most diseases, most types of glaucoma have no symptoms until it is too late. That is why regular eye examinations are so important. One test used to detect glaucoma is the eye pressure test. Even though this test will pick up many types of glaucoma, it alone is not a complete test for glaucoma. Some people who have glaucoma will pass the eye pressure test. A complete eye examination that includes dilating the eyes is necessary to detect all types of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye resulting from damage to the nerve fibers that transmit what one sees to the brain. If the visual picture that one sees does not get to the brain, vision is lost. At the present time, once these nerve fibers die, they cannot be restored. One factor that can cause these nerve fibers to die is too high a pressure in the eye. It is believed that there are other factors that can also cause these nerve fibers to die.
Sometimes people are diagnosed with ocular hypertension or as a glaucoma suspect. This means that additional testing needs to be done and that they are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma in the future. Of course these people need to be examined on a more frequent and regular basis.
The good news is that if glaucoma is detected early and treated properly, it seldom leads to blindness. Glaucoma is not contagious and is not life threatening. However, there are some forms of glaucoma that are hereditary and it is more prevalent in African-Americans.
The booklet, “Understanding and Living with Glaucoma” is excellent. Because the FDA approves new medications for glaucoma every few months, the treatment section does not include all of the new medicines.
If you have any questions or would like a copy of this booklet contact our office via e-mail or give us a call at (309) 698-2020.
Reasons For Immediate Care
If these things occur it is necessary that you are seen immediately.
1. Sudden Vision Loss
2. Sudden Onset of Double Vision
3. Trauma to Face or Eye
4. Pain, Sensitivity to Light, Red Eye, or Swelling Around the Eye
5. Flashers or Floaters
6. Foreign Body in the Eye
7. Chemicals Splashed in the Eye-in this case irrigate with water continuously and call us after eye has been flushed out
We provide 24 hour emergency service. If you believe that you need immediate care do not hesitate to call us at: (309)698-2020. If your emergency is after regular business hours this number will refer you to the doctor's pager number.
Vision Therapy
The best treatment for some types of eye problems is vision therapy. We provide visual therapy to improve visual skills in the areas of eye movement, eye alignment, eye teaming, eye focusing, visual perception and visual processing.
Visual therapy is an individualized, one-on-one treatment program designed to improve visual performance in deficient areas. Therapy sessions use various methods, including in-office, home based therapy, lens/prism therapy or a combination of these.
Notary Services
We now are able to offer free notary services. Stop by at your convenience to have your documents notarized!
|
