Regular Eye Exams Bronx, NY
An eye disease or disorder that manifests itself overnight is the exception to the rule. This does not mean one is not present, just that you have not begun to experience any symptoms. Stealthy sight stealers like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease remain latent in their early stages. As is true of any disease, the earlier they are treated, the better the outcome. Early detection is but one reason why you should visit your optometrist on a regular basis regardless of how old you are, and whether or not you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses,.
What You Can Expect From Comprehensive Eye Exams
When you schedule a comprehensive eye exam with our optometrist, in addition to determining whether you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism and evaluating whether your current eyeglass or contact lens prescription is still providing optimum visual acuity, he will also be on the lookout for several conditions and diseases that impact the healthy functioning of the eyes or the body such as
- Amblyopia, which occurs when the eyes do not align, or when one eye provides significantly better vision than the other. As an example of its ability to adapt, the brain will ignore the image from whichever is the weaker eye and process only what the stronger eye sees. If uncorrected, amblyopia can result in permanently impaired vision. The optometrist may prescribe vision therapy or patching the dominant eye, or a combination of the two.
- Strabismus, in which the eyes cross or turn. This coordination problem can cause double vision and interfere with depth perception, and if left uncorrected, can lead to amblyopia. Vision therapy can help.
- Diabetes or pre-diabetes which optometrists often detect, before physicians, since they look for macula swelling and leaking blood vessels as a matter of routine.
- Eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration, two common causes of blindness as one ages
- Early signs of systemic diseases which he will be able to detect from observing changes in ocular blood vessels and the retina. If he sees you are developing cholesterol or blood pressure problems, he will advise you to see your physician.
Adults are not the only ones who should have routine eye exams. Optometrists play an important role in child development since children with vision disorders often think everyone sees like they do and not realize an eye problem is the reason they have trouble with their school work. If your child has reading or learning problems an eye exam can determine whether his difficulty has an underlying visual cause.
Eye exams should not be confused with vision screenings such as those carried out in the Bronx DMV office to insure you see well enough to renew your driver’s license. Pediatricians and school nurses or volunteers also may screen your child’s vision in order to determine if they need eye glasses. However, only eye doctors can perform eye exams.
