Vision Care Services From an Optometrist

Keeping your eyes healthy while young can help protect their integrity as you age. Vision care goes beyond wearing glasses or contact lenses, so building a rapport with an optometrist is essential. Here are common services at your disposal when you make our office your new vision care home.

Common Vision Care Services

Routine Eye Exam

Routine, professional vision care is important for one’s overall health. During the routine exam, the optometrist will check the patient’s retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) for signs of macular degeneration or other age-related changes that may cause vision loss. It can also detect signs of disease, such as cataracts and glaucoma, that can lead to blindness.

A comprehensive dilated retinal examination is recommended based on the patient’s age and if they are experiencing any vision-related issues.

Glasses and Contacts

Glasses and contact lenses are the most common methods the optometrist uses to correct vision issues. With this being the case, patients with glasses or contacts will require more frequent appointments than those who do not use them. During each appointment, the optometrist will check to see if the prescription needs an adjustment or if the vision care tools are still required.

Disease Management

Disease management is a vision care service that helps patients understand the signs and symptoms of eye disease and other disorders, how to prevent them, and when to seek help from an optometrist. If a patient is experiencing any of the following, it is important to seek an optometrist’s care:

• Swelling or redness in one or both eyes
• Eye pain with no apparent cause
• Seeing halos or lines around lights
• Increased feeling of pressure in the eye
• Cloudy vision
• Loss of vision
• Eye fatigue

If one is experiencing any of these symptoms, there is likely an underlying cause. Therefore, the optometrist will perform a series of tests to determine a diagnosis and treat the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.

Allergy Treatment

Allergic reactions cause inflammation in the nose and throat, eye tissue, and mucous membranes. This can make breathing difficult and cause frequent sneezing, a runny nose, a stuffy or clouded head, and watery eyes. The optometrist can prescribe medication not found in stores or recommend other treatments to help patients navigate their allergies. These treatments aim to alleviate the symptoms of allergies: red, watery, itchy, and dry eyes.

Dry Eye Treatment

Dry eye is a common problem that can affect one’s vision and cause discomfort. Aging, environmental factors, or certain medications cause dry eyes. There are numerous dry eye treatments available in-office. However, they vary based on the dry eye cause and the patient’s response to certain vision therapies (like electric pulse tear production), added vitamins such as omega-3, or fish oil supplements.

Receive Vision Care Today

Receiving proper vision care promotes the health of your eyes for years to come. If you have any concerns regarding the condition of your eyes or vision, we invite you to contact our office. Our team will be happy to answer any questions and assist you in any way we can.

Request an appointment here: https://www.carmieyecare.com or call Carmi Eye Care at (618) 374-0513 for an appointment in our Carmi office.

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