Periodic eye and vision examinations are an important part of preventative health care. Many eye and vision problems have no obvious signs or symptoms. As a result, individuals are often unaware that problems exist.
Early diagnosis and treatment of eye and vision issues are important for maintaining good vision and eye health, and when possible, preventing vision loss.
At Family Eye Care of O’Fallon, a comprehensive adult eye and vision examination may include, but is not limited to, the following 8 areas. Please note that individual patient signs and symptoms, along with the professional judgment of the doctor, may significantly influence the actual testing performed.
Patients will have an Auto Refraction performed by one of our optometric technicians. This device gives the doctor an objective measure of a person’s prescription. The Auto Refractor also takes a measurement of the curvature of the cornea, the clear outer surface of the eye. This measurement is particularly critical in determining the proper fit for contact lenses.
Air Puff Tonometry will also be performed to get a measure of intraocular pressure. Anyone with eye pressure greater than 22 mmHg is at an increased risk of developing glaucoma, although many people with lower pressures also develop glaucoma. This is only one test in the management of glaucoma. Throughout the exam the doctor will be evaluating your risk for developing glaucoma.
Retinal imaging, or OPTOS, are obtained on all new patients at no charge. They are performed and maintained for future comparison and monitoring of retinal changes.
Finally, in accordance with new health care legislation aimed at providing a more uniform level of care, height, weight and blood pressure will also be taken.
The doctor will ask about any eye or vision problems you may be having and about your overall health. The doctor will also ask about any previous eye or health conditions of you and your family members.
Visual acuity measurements evaluate how clearly each eye is seeing. The results of visual acuity testing are written as a fraction such as 20/40.
When testing distance vision, the top number in the fraction is the standard distance at which testing is done, twenty feet. The bottom number is the smallest letter size you were able to read.
A person with 20/40 visual acuity would have to get within 20 feet of a letter that should be seen at 40 feet in order to see it clearly. Normal distance visual acuity is 20/20.
May include evaluation of specific aspects of visual function and eye health such as depth perception, color vision, eye muscle movements, peripheral or side vision, and the way your pupils respond to light.
Refraction is conducted to determine the appropriate lens power needed to see your best. Using an instrument called a Phoropter, your optometrist places a series of lenses in front of your eyes to refine the power that allows the clearest vision. In some cases, such as for patients who can’t respond verbally or when some of the eyes focusing power may be hidden, eye drops are used. The drops temporarily keep the eyes from changing focus while testing is done.
External examination of the eye includes evaluation of the cornea, lens, eyelids, conjunctiva and surrounding eye tissue using a machine called a Slit Lamp, or Biomicroscope. Evaluation of the retina and posterior section of the eye may be done through a dilated pupil to provide a better view of the internal structures.
Additional testing may be needed based on the results of the previous tests to confirm or rule out possible problems, to clarify uncertain findings, or to provide a more in-depth assessment. These tests may include a visual field test to check peripheral vision, a laser scan to evaluate the optic nerve or retina, or other testing procedures as determined by your doctor.
At the completion of the examination, your doctor will assess and evaluate the results of the testing to determine a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. He or she will discuss with you the nature of any visual or eye health problems found and explain available treatment options. In some cases, referral for consultation with, or treatment by another health care provider may be indicated.
If you have any questions regarding any eye or vision conditions diagnosed, or treatment recommended, please don’t hesitate to ask for additional information or explanation from your doctor.
Back to School also means its time to schedule your child’s annual eye exam!
Vision is a dominant process in the growth, development and daily performance of children. In fact, EIGHTY PERCENT OF WHAT STUDENTS LEARN IS THROUGH VISION. And yet, 86 percent of all school-age children in the US have not had a complete eye examination*. Ever.
Eye Care“This could mean that thousands of school-aged children simply can’t see correctly,” said Dr. Vivian Kloke. “Parents and teachers need to know that with a complete eye examination, we can diagnose and begin treatment of many of these debilitating vision and eye health issues.”
Students with poor vision can be misdiagnosed as learning impaired, as having attention deficient disorder, or are just plain left behind from their peer group. And these kids don’t know that they can’t see what their friend sees, because they don’t know what normal vision is like.
It also means that many children, by the time they have that first examination, may have a condition, such as amblyopia or lazy eye, which now cannot be treated. If they had had a complete eye examination earlier in their lives, the condition could have been easily corrected.
Teachers can help too by letting parents know the importance of eye examinations and the link between good vision and successful learning. Children need to have a complete eye examination where vision acuity, eye health and vision skills are measured. And they need to have these examinations at an early age.
Comprehensive vision examinations can only be conducted by an eye care professional with the specialized training needed to make a definitive diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Keep in mind that a vision screening, while a useful tool, is a limited process and cannot be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem, but rather to indicate a potential need for further evaluation.
The State of Illinois and/or your child’s school may require an annual eye exam to be completed prior to October 15th each year. The Illinois State Board of Education website contains all the pertinent information on back to school health care requirements. You may also wish to check your child’s individual school for school-specific requirements.
The State of Illinois Eye Examination Report is the paperwork required to be submitted.
The State of Illinois Eye Examination Report is the paperwork required to be submitted.
The Drs and staff worked so well with my daughter. She had something stuck in her eye and was very scared. The Dr did a great job of calming her and getting the debris out from behind her eyelid.
Family Eye Care of O’Fallon Co-Manages many LASIK patients with TLC Laser Eye Center of St. Louis. This means that Family Eye Care will perform the pre-operative exam and the post-operative follow up care at our local office, thus eliminating extra visits to the St. Louis TLC office. Our doctors have trained and worked with TLC Laser Eye Center surgeon Dr. Stephen Wexler for over 25 years.
If you are interested in LASIK surgery to correct your vision, please mention this to your doctor at the time of your exam. If you are not currently due for an exam, please contact our office and schedule your free LASIK screening where one of our doctors will discuss your candidacy for the procedure.
Dr. Wexler has been performing refractive surgery since 1991. He is one of the most experienced surgeons in the Midwest, having performed more than 35,000 LASIK procedures. He is also certified by VISX® to train and credential surgeons nationwide in the use of the excimer laser.
Dr. Wexler graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1982. Following an internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Dr. Wexler completed his residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as Chief Resident of Ophthalmology in 1985.
In 1996, Dr. Wexler was named “Teacher of the Year” by the residents of the Department of Ophthalmology at Washington University School of Medicine. In 2002, he earned recognition as one of the top five LaserVision® surgeons in the United States (LaserVision is a division of TLC Vision Corporation).
Dr. Wexler is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Washington University School of Medicine where his responsibilities include teaching LASIK surgery to ophthalmology residents and cornea fellows. Dr.Wexler is past president of the Missouri Ophthalmological Society. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Wexler’s original research on refractive surgery has been selected for publication in ophthalmology journals, and he has presented papers on LASIK at national Ophthalmology meetings. He is a member of the TLC Clinical Advisory Board where he assists surgeons from around the country. Dr.Wexler has received national recognition and is frequently sought after by medical professionals for their own vision correction and that of their families.
Dr. Stephen Wexler recently published an article in The Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery titled: Outcomes of custom laser in situ keratomileusis: Dilated wavescans versus undilated wavescans.
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