Types of Eye Exams Comprehensive Eye Exam Check your vision and health of your eyes. *By law, eyeglasses and contact lens prescriptions expire one year after the date they are written. Diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, such as: Glaucoma Cataract Macular Degeneration Retinopathy (associated with Diabetes and/or Hypertension) Diagnosis and treatment of ocular problems, such as: Conjunctivitis (pink eye) Red Eye Dry Eye Corneal Abrasions / foreign body removal Why are eye exams so important? Nearly all of the major causes of blindness can be detected and prevented by a routine eye health evaluation. Many of these conditions share early detection as the key to controlling their severity. Glaucoma (known as "the silent thief of sight"), cataracts (clouding of the crystal lens), macular degeneration (loss of central vision), diabetes, uncontrolled elevated blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction (grave's disease), sickle cell anemia, sarcoid, multiple sclerosis (optic neuritis), are all conditions that can be identified by a properly designed regular eye exam. Our office is committed to providing the highest quality care using the latest technology to aid in early detection and prevention. Types of Eye Diseases Pink eye Glaucoma Cataract Macular Degeneration Who should get eye exams and how often? Infants and children: Dr. Battani recommends that infants between 6 months and two years of age, especially premature babies, be evaluated by a pediatric ophthalmologist, to be certain that the internal and external ocular structures develop normally. Strabismus (crossed eye) and amblyopia (lazy eye) can be ruled out or treated appropriately if discovered during this critical time period. Surgical intervention may be necessary for crossed eyes to be sure that the child has every opportunity to develop normal binocular vision. Mis-alignment of the eyes at an early age may prevent the brain cells that enable normal binocular vision from developing. A clear picture in each eye, and correct central vision alignment is necessary for normal depth perception, or 3-D vision to develop. If all of the normal developmental milestones have been achieved, Dr. Battani will start seeing children for refractive evaluation when they reach school age. Since there is huge link between vision and learning, it is important for school age children to be evaluated every 12 months. Many children with refractive errors that may inhibit their progress in the classroom, are missed by school screening programs. Therefore, it is imperative that every child be examined by a qualified professional to evaluate proper eye muscle movement and function, as well as refractive error. Children with abnormal pursuits (ability to track a moving object) or abnormal saccadic function (ability to move from one object to another accurately) may have difficulty learning to read properly. Accommodative function is also tested to determine if a child's focusing system reacts normally in the rigorous demands of the classroom. Accomodative insufficiency or accomodative spasm can cause headaches and/or poor classroom performance and can also be affected by medications, such as those used to control asthma. There are a number of refractive strategies and theories that can be employed to alleviate symptoms that cause ocular fatigue and eyestrain in children. Young adults and seniors: Dr. Battani recommends young adults and senior be evaluated every twelve months to monitor refractive changes that may impact night driving and/or job performance. Routine evaluation is necessary for the detection and prevention of eye disease, as mentioned earlier.