Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, it is important for everyone to have their eyes examined. Regular eye exams help ensure any vision issues or eye diseases are detected and addressed early. 

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A routine eye exam, also known as a vision exam, includes a refraction to determine a personalized glasses prescription. If you wear contact lenses we will perform a contact lens exam during your vision eye exam. We also evaluate the overall health of your eyes, including a thorough examination of your entire eye from the cornea to the retina. This helps the doctor detect any potential eye conditions and determine if further medical eye exams are needed for diagnosis and management. Medical eye exams are billed to your medical insurance, while vision exams are billed to your vision insurance. 

Yes, it is essential for children to have an eye exam every year. During this stage of life, the eyes are rapidly growing, which can lead to significant changes in vision from one year to the next. Regular eye exams help ensure any vision issues are detected and addressed early. 

During each eye exam, evaluating the retina is essential. In most cases, we recommend taking a retinal photo, as it provides a clear, detailed image of the retina. This allows us to better educate patients about the health of their retina and discuss any potential concerns. 

The puff test measures eye pressure, but fortunately, we don't use it in our office. Instead, we rely on a simple and effective diagnostic tool to accurately measure intraocular pressure without the discomfort of the puff test. 

Although it may feel like you're legally blind without your corrective lenses, legal blindness is defined as having the best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 20/200 or worse, and/or a visual field in the better eye of 20 degrees or less. They are approximately 1 million people who are legally blind in the United States.  

Astigmatism is a common refractive error of the eye that causes blurred or distorted vision due to an irregular shape of the cornea. Astigmatism can occur alongside other refractive errors like nearsightedness (myopia)or farsightedness (hyperopia). 

The natural ability to focus on close objects gradually declines with age, typically becoming noticeable in the 40s. As a result, many people find they need reading glasses for close-up tasks. Regardless of whether you use glasses, near vision will continue to change until it stabilizes in the 50s. It's important to note that reading glasses do not weaken your eye muscles; instead, they provide necessary support to improve near vision. 

Dry eye is a multifactorial condition, meaning it can be caused by a variety of factors. Common causes include diet, excessive use of digital devices, hormonal changes, medications, autoimmune and systemic diseases, and previous eye surgeries. This list is not exhaustive, as other factors may also contribute. 

There are several methods to detect eye diseases, including assessing visual acuity, using a slit lamp, and capturing retinal images. Each of these plays a crucial role in identifying and diagnosing eye conditions. 

Cataracts develop when the eye's lens becomes cloudy. Normally, the lens is clear like glass, but gradually loses its transparency over time, making it more difficult to see through and leading to blurred vision. There are systemic diseases that can form different types of cataracts, which result in blurred vision as well over time.  

While there are treatments available for all types of macular degeneration, there is currently no cure. This means that, despite treatment, the condition may still progress over time. 

Glaucoma is a gradual, chronic condition that leads to the progressive loss of peripheral vision. Because this vision loss occurs slowly over time, individuals often remain unaware of the decline until it has reached advanced stages, making early detection crucial for preventing irreversible damage.