We truly believe in routine eye examinations so that you can see as clearly as possible. Once you have to get glasses or contacts, it is even more important to watch the health of your eyes. You also need routine checks to ensure your prescription has not changed.
To ensure good eye health and vision, we are very proud to offer the following services:
Comprehensive Eye Exams
You only have one set of eyes, so taking care of your vision for life is vital to being able to see the world clearly. Regular visits to our Cibolo & Overlook Parkway optometrist at InSight EyeCare will benefit your vision in multiple ways. Whether you have a specific concern or it's been too long since your last vision test and screening, come see us to take the right steps toward caring for your eye health.
Why Do I Need an Exam from an Optometrist?
The eye doctor can determine if you need corrective lenses or spot the early warning signs of eye problems while they can still be treated. As you age, your vision will change. You may find your eyesight is not as sharp at night, while reading, or you may need something to make your computer screen clearer. Vision exams do not hurt, take minutes and can help identify if your eyesight needs support or if your eyes need medical attention.
What Is the Difference Between Vision and Eye Exams?
While they have similar names, these tests look for different things. A vision exam typically evaluates how well you can see at various distances. The most familiar version of this test is a patient looking at an eye chart. Additional tests look at how well your eyes focus, see colors, respond to light, and move.
Eye exams look for developing problems in your eyes such as glaucoma or cataracts. An optometrist may use tonometry to evaluate the pressure in your eye. Glaucoma increases the pressure in the eye, so this test offers optometrists a good means of seeing if you have this problem. Before the test, you will be given eye drops to dilate your pupils, which allows a doctor to use a bright light to look into your eye.
How Often Do I Need Comprehensive Eye Tests?
An annual eye exam is always recommended in order to keep track of your eye health. Plan to visit your eye doctor more frequently if you have an eye condition that requires regular monitoring. Even if you are not due for a vision exam, come in if you notice any changes in your eyesight, especially if they happen suddenly. You may need immediate evaluation to find and fix the problem.
Contact Lenses
Nowadays, most people prefer to wear contacts instead of glasses. If you are interested in contact lenses, please let your eye doctor know prior to your appointment. During your exam, we will discuss the various contact lenses available and determine the best option based on your individual needs and lifestyle.
A Comprehensive Eye Exam
A comprehensive eye exam is important for everyone to get at least once per year. This is similar to the annual physical that people get at the doctor's office; however, this focuses on the eyes. The eye doctor is going to look for any signs of problems with the nerves, blood vessels, and retina of the eyes. In addition, the doctor is going to check the pressure behind the eyes to look for signs of glaucoma. The doctor is also going to check the visual acuity of each eye individually to make sure that they are functioning as they should. If any changes in the prescription of the glasses or contacts need to be made, this will be detected during this exam as well.
A Contact Lens Exam is Different
Those who wear (or want to wear) contacts are going to need a slightly different exam. The doctor is going to do a few special tests to make sure that everyone has the right contacts for their needs. First, the doctor is going to measure the surface of the eye to determine what size and what type of contacts are right for the eyes. The doctor might also do a tear film evaluation which is important for the comfort of the contacts themselves.
The goal of this exam is to provide everyone with contacts that are going to fit right in the eyes. These contact lenses are going to sit directly on the eyes themselves, so they need to fit perfectly. If the contacts do not fit perfectly, this can lead to serious damage to the eyes, leading to health problems. Make sure that this exam is done before investing in contact lenses.
Hard To Fit Contact Lenses
Do you find wearing contact lenses impossible? Are your regular contacts painful or constantly uncomfortable? You are not alone. Due to a variety of factors such as individual eye shape, specific conditions, impairments, or the aftermath of surgery, some patients are considered to have more difficulty wearing contacts than others.
LASIK
LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis and is a popular surgery to correct vision problems. LASIK can help people who are nearsighted or farsighted, as well those who have astigmatism.
LASIK works by reshaping the cornea with a laser, which allows light to be correctly focused onto the retina. A laser is used to create a small flap in the cornea, which is peeled back so another laser can reshape the cornea. The flap is then placed back and the surgery is complete.
What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
LASIK eye surgery is a laser surgical procedure that gently reshapes the eye to correct refractive errors.
What Can LASIK Treat?
It can treat refractive errors like nearsightedness (myopia), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.
What Makes Me a Good Candidate for The Laser Procedure?
Before LASIK surgery, our optometrist will need to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for it. Some factors we consider are the following:
- Age: You must be at least 18-years-old to get LASIK because the eyes don't fully mature until that age.
- Prescription: LASIK can correct nearsightedness if your prescription is up to -11.00. It can correct farsightedness up to +5.00. If you have astigmatism, LASIK can correct up to 5.00.
- Eye Health: If you are suffering from any eye condition, such as dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, and keratoconus, then this type of procedure may not be right for you. Optometry professionals prefer that the eyes are healthy and stay stable for at least two years for the surgery to be successful.
- Corneal Thickness: Due to the way the surgery is performed, your cornea can be no thicker than 0.5mm.
- General Health: If you have uncontrolled diabetes, an autoimmune disease, or any health complication that compromises your immune system, then you will not be a good candidate for LASIK. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing, our eye doctor suggests that you wait to have the procedure done.
Is LASIK Painful?
The procedure is relatively painless. During the procedure, the eye surgeon puts numbing drops to your eyes so that you don’t feel any pain. However, you might feel a slight amount of pressure from it.
How Long Does the Procedure Take?
Plan to be at the office for about two hours. You must arrive 30 minutes before surgery to prepare you for it. The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes per eye, but the laser portion of it takes just 20 to 50 seconds per eye. After the operation, you may have to wait another 30 to 60 minutes before you can leave.
How Long Will It Take for My Vision to Stabilize?
While your vision will be clear the day after the procedure, it can take a month or two for vision to stabilize.
Ortho-K
Ortho-k involves temporarily reshaping the cornea through the use of specialized contact lenses, which are designed to be worn while sleeping. Although these lenses are not very common and most people still prefer laser surgery, this reshaping method is gaining more popularity as the procedure continues to be improved.
Vision Therapy
Vision rehabilitation is a service that can restore function after vision loss. It is just like physical therapy but for your eyes. Vision rehabilitation will allow people who have recently lost their vision or have low vision to continue to live normally and maintain their regular daily routine.
There may be many different parts of a vision rehabilitation session. Some of these include assessing and evaluating your needs and what your routine was like prior to your vision loss. Some others include teaching adaptive independent living skills, utilizing community support services, facilitating psychosocial adjustment to vision loss, and record keeping.
Sports Vision Training
A sports vision training program can be individualized to fit your specific needs and goals. For example, in archery it is important to know which eye is dominant so you can choose the right bow to align with the target. We will help you determine this. In many cases, it is not actually the eye that people may think.
Depending on your sport and the results of comprehensive eye testing, you may need training that will help you with skills such as anticipating the trajectory of a bouncing ball. Computer simulations can be used as training tools, including those that help batters accurately anticipate where a fastball or a curve ball will be located when it's time to take a swing.
Some sports vision specialists even use techniques such as visual imagery (visualization) to help athletes imagine themselves performing at a peak level. You may be asked to see yourself dashing across the finish line in record time or aiming your rifle in precisely the right way to hit the target. These are just a few examples of how sports vision training can be extremely beneficial to you.
Computer Vision
Computer Vision is a relatively new term within the optometry field and refers to eye problems associated with the prolonged use of computers and electronics that utilize a digital screen. Although it can be temporary, there are times when computer vision can strain the eyes to a degree that permanently affects your vision as well. An existing eye condition can worsen as the eyes try to focus and adjust to a computer screen, and precautions should be taken if you spend long hours in front of a computer screen.
If you have been experiencing blurry vision, dry eyes, eye strain, headaches, neck or back pain, try adjusting the lighting, posture, and the distance in front of your computer screen. If computer vision symptoms persist, call us to request an appointment, we will perform a full evaluation.
Eye Glasses
Many people are very confused when it comes to choosing the correct glasses. It can be hard to tell what looks best on your face, while also staying within your budget (and insurance). You also want to be comfortable in the glasses that you choose.
We also have frames for other purposes. We offer sunglasses for those who are outside a lot and need some protection from the sun. We also offer prescription safety glasses when customers need them to stay safe at work. Sports eye wear are available for those who are highly athletic and need protection when they are exercising, practicing, and playing games. If you work at a computer all day, you might want to look into our computer eye wear. They are designed to reduce strain on your eyes, allowing you to be more focused at work.