If you are looking for an eye doctor in Hyde Park, Chicago, then it is a good idea to make sure the office provides all of the services that will be needed for your family. You never know what kind of eye care your family members will need, and it makes it simple to visit one optometrist for all of your eye care needs.
The good news is that Village Eye Care is located in Hyde Park, Chicago and we offer a variety of services that are available. When you schedule an appointment with Village Eye Care, you will be pleased to see that you will be receiving high quality service from a doctor who cares about each member of your family.
Here are some of the optometrist services that are available:
Eye Examinations
The basic and most common service when you visit an eye doctor in Chicago is an eye examination. During this time, the doctor evaluates your vision and overall eye health, in order to determine if any specific eye care treatments are needed. This exam is designed to review every aspect of your eye health.
Some people assume that a vision test done at a school screening, by a family doctor, or at the DMV is sufficient to monitor their eye health. But, the truth is that an eye doctor does much more than a simple vision evaluation. A board certified eye doctor has the experience and training that is needed in order to look for signs of eye diseases, or anything that might potentially lead to vision problems in the future.
Also, a vision test performed by someone who is not board certified isn’t likely to be accurate. In fact, these general vision tests are designed to look for potential vision problems, and then they will refer you to have a full examination with an eye doctor if anything appears to be wrong.
One of the best things that you can do to protect your eye health is by having regular eye examinations. This is an opportunity where the optometrist can spend time evaluating your overall eye health, and help you to plan specific treatments if they are needed. Most eye diseases don’t have any noticeable symptoms in the beginning, but an eye doctor will be able to see those signs so that you can implement less invasive treatments to stop the problem before it worsens.
You can talk with your eye doctor in Hyde Park, Chicago about the best schedule for your individual needs. For most people, a visit every year or two is the right frequency for an eye examination. Typically, the examination will include some of these tests and observations:
- Visual acuity observation
- Eye movement exercises
- Pupil dilation and check
- Peripheral vision testing
- Keratometry
- Tonometry
- Indirect and Direct ophthalmoloscopy
- Slit lamp evaluation
- Binocular function testing
There are other tests that may be performed, but they are only used on an as-needed basis. Your eye doctor can perform the standard eye exam, and then they will suggest additional tests if they find that something seems out of the ordinary.
The tests administered by the eye doctor during the evaluation can help with the diagnosis of a variety of eye conditions, including: cataracts, eye allergies, dry eyes, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, belpharitis, pink eye, colorblindness, glaucoma, crossed eyes, lazy eye, low vision, presbyopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and myopia.
Designer Eye Glasses
If you visit your eye doctor in Hyde Park, Chicago, and the doctor gives you a diagnosis of poor vision, then you will need to consider which designer eye glasses you would like to select. Choosing the perfect eye glass frames is a great way to be stylish and correct your vision at the same time.
The advantage of eye glasses is the fact that you can select the style of frames that you like, and then the lenses will be cut according to the specific needs of your eye. The eye doctor will determine your exact vision during the examination, and those details will be used to shape your lenses perfectly in order to achieve better vision.
Once you see how much glasses will improve your vision, you will want to wear them frequently. Some people find that they need to wear glasses all the time, because their vision is poor enough that they can’t function during their day without using glasses. Other people find that their vision is all right, unless they are reading. So, they carry reading glasses with them throughout the day, and those glasses are only used occasionally as they are needed.
Even though eye glasses haven’t always been considered stylish or attractive, there are many trendy frames to choose from. You can decide on the specific style that you prefer, and find some frames that match your clothing choices and face size.
Contact Lenses
If you need to use vision correction lenses, then you might consider using a combination of both eye glasses and contact lenses. Many people start out wearing glasses, and then they find that they want a simpler way to manage their vision without having to wear glasses all the time. Contact lenses are a great solution, because they provide you the opportunity to improve your vision without having to wear something on your face.
You can talk with your eye doctor in Hyde Park, Chicago to determine if contacts are a good solution for your needs. In some situations, it might not make sense for you to wear contact lenses. But, many people can benefit from the advantages of contact lenses, and they are simple to wear and maintain once you understand how they work.
Even if you prefer to wear glasses most of the time, contacts can be advantageous during certain activities. For example, if you are participating in any type of sports event, then it can be dangerous to wear glasses while you are playing the sport. Instead of risking damage to your eyes or your glasses, you can take off your glasses during the game. There is no need to sacrifice your vision while you are playing your favorite sport, because contact lenses allow you to enjoy the benefits of improved vision while you are participating in the sports activities.
Before you start wearing contacts, one element that needs to be considered is the shape of your eye and the best type of contacts that you should be wearing. Many people don’t realize that there are actually a variety of contact lenses to choose from, and your optometrist can help you to pick the right solution.
A contact lens fitting is the perfect solution to find the right type of lens for your eyes. Eyes can have many different sizes and shapes, and it is important to find the right fit so that you can be comfortable while wearing the contacts. During this contact lens fitting appointment, your optometrist will take specific measurements of the surface of your eye, to look at the curvature and anything else that might impact the way a contact lens will sit on your eye.
In some situations, people are advised to use glasses instead of contacts, because they are dealing with other eye problems such as astigmatism or dry eyes. But, these problems can be overcome by selecting the right types of contacts. Talk with your eye doctor to find the right types of lenses that need to be used. A qualified eye doctor will have the extensive experience that is needed to find the right solutions for your eyes.
One advantage to your contact lens fitting appointment is the fact that you will be trained by the staff to learn how to take care of your contacts, as well as the proper methods to use your new contact lenses. Sometimes it takes a little bit of practice to understand how they should be placed into your eye, and a member of our office staff will offer the personalized attention that you need in order to learn these new skills.
After you start wearing your new contact lenses, you should expect to have at least one follow up visit in order to make sure the contact lenses are fitting correctly.
Cataracts
During your eye examination, the eye doctor in Hyde Park will be looking for signs of cataracts, because it is important to treat cataracts if they are present. The term “cataract” refers to the condition where the lens of the eye begins to cloud over, which has a negative impact on your vision. Most of the time, cataracts occur in older people, although there are situations where a person might experience cataracts earlier in life.
Cataracts occur because of protein clumps that being to form on the lens. Over time, these protein clumps can grow, causing the clouded area to spread, resulting in more of an impact on your vision. There are certain factors that might increase your risk of cataracts, including the use of alcohol, smoking, prolonged sunlight exposure, diabetes, and age.
Your eye doctor can talk with you about the options that are available to decrease your risk of cataracts. Even if you don’t have any signs of cataracts, it is a good idea to follow these preventative measures in order to avoid cataracts later in life. For example, it has been found that nutrition might have a direct impact on the formation of cataracts. You can increase your intake of high-antioxidant foods to reduce your risk of cataracts. Focus on eating leafy green vegetables, other types of vegetables, and lots of fresh fruit.
Glaucoma
Another eye disease that your optometrist will be looking for is glaucoma, because early signs of glaucoma can be treated in order to prevent bigger problems in the future. Glaucoma is technically a group of diseases, and all of these diseases cause damage to the optic nerve that is within your eye. When that optic nerve is damaged, it results in a situation where you could experience vision loss, or even blindness.
Most of the time, the optic nerve is damaged because of an increase in the pressure within your eye. Each of your eyes contains a sensitive balance of fluid, and when that fluid increases in pressure it can put pressure on the optic nerve of your eye.
The best way to prevent vision loss from glaucoma is early detection, which is why it is important to visit your eye doctor in Hyde Park on a regular basis. If you have an examination and the optometrist identifies early signs of glaucoma, they can help you to use specific treatments that will reduce the pressure within your eyes, which is beneficial to reduce the damage to the optic nerve.
Your eye doctor will dilate your pupils during the eye exam in order to get a good look at your optic nerve. Through the dilation, the doctor will be able to perform a thorough examination in order to determine if you need to use any glaucoma treatments.
If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, then it is important that you are following the recommendations of your eye doctor. Failing to take your medications as prescribed, or not following the doctor’s orders, could result in a situation where you have permanent vision loss. Once the damage has been done, it is impossible to reverse the damage to restore your vision.
Dry Eye Treatments
For optimal eye health, it is important that your eyes continue to produce tears to maintain the right levels of lubrication and moisture. If your eyes aren’t providing enough moisture, then it can result in pain, itching, redness, a sensitivity to light, or even blurred vision.
During your eye examination, your eye doctor will help you to determine if you are suffering from symptoms of dry eyes. You might be surprised that you have dry eyes, because sometimes the symptoms aren’t what you would expect. For example, you might have excess tears running down your face throughout the day, which is actually a sign of dry eyes because your tear ducts are producing more lubrication which is overcompensating for the dry eye problem.
Your optometrist can help you to determine the best dry eye treatment, which might include things such as eye drops or ointments. Sometimes, other treatments might be needed, such as a temporary punctal occlusion, or non-dissolving punctal plugs.
Diabetes Management
If you have diabetes, then it is important to work closely with your eye doctor in order to determine the right treatment to manage your eye health. Diabetes increases your risk of vision loss, which could potentially lead to blindness if it is left untreated. A qualified optometrist can help you to effectively manage your diabetes, and avoid some of the common complications.
Diabetes may increase your risk of glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. The best option is to control your blood sugar levels in order to prevent these eye conditions from occurring. You can talk with your optometrist and your diabetes doctor in order to find the right approach with nutrition and medication. With the proper treatment, it is possible to manage your blood sugar levels and prevent vision loss.
In some situations, the diabetes may have already caused damage to your eyes. You should visit your eye doctor regularly to monitor the damage and find treatments that can help to slow the eye disease and prevent vision loss in the future.
Keratoconus Care
Another potential eye disease that your doctor might identify during your examination is keratoconus, which is a condition where the cornea becomes so weak that it is unable to hold the proper shape for your eye. Typically, the cornea maintains a dome shape, but when it weakens it might begin to bulge and form more of a cone shape.
The problem with this change in shape within the cornea is the fact that it can lead to vision loss. Early detection through regular eye exams is the best way to prevent major vision loss in the future, because certain keratoconus treatments might be able to slow the progress of the eye disease.
If your eye doctor in Hyde Park, Chicago sees that you have early signs of keratoconus, then the doctor will suggest specific treatments that will help your to maintain good eye health. In severe cases, a corneal transplant might be needed, which is why it is important to visit your eye doctor regularly in order to detect the disease before it turns severe.
Visiting Your Eye Doctor in Hyde Park Regularly
If you want to maintain good eye health, then it is critical that you visit your eye doctor on a regular basis. As you can see, there are many services that are available when you visit your doctor, and your eye appointment will be catered according to your individual needs.
Even if you feel as though you have good eye health, it is still beneficial to visit an eye doctor in order to look for early signs of eye disease. In this article, you read about several eye diseases that could be diagnosed during your eye exam, and there are also many other diseases that your eye doctor will be watching for, such as: amblyopia, blepharitis, macular degneration, astigmatism, refractive errors, retinal detachment, and more. Your eye doctor has the experience and training that is needed to catch these eye conditions in their early stages, in order to help you avoid major vision problems in the future.
Your vision has a strong impact on every other aspect of your life, and it is important that you are taking the proactive steps that are needed in order to maintain good vision and prevent vision loss. With the right steps, you can prevent certain eye diseases and maintain good eye health for many years to come.
To learn more about the steps that can be taken to protect your eye health, you can contact Village Eye Care to schedule an appointment. We have several convenient locations for you to choose from, so that you can locate an optometrist in your local area. Our offices offer services for all ages, so you can schedule appointments for every member of your family. Learn more by contacting us today!
