Comprehensive Eye Examinations

Our comprehensive eye examinations evaluate your eyes, both inside and out, for any potential disorders or diseases. Your visual skills and abilities are carefully evaluated and appropriate treatment is prescribed - whether it's medication, contact lenses, glasses or low vision rehabilitation. Our doctors and staff have extensive knowledge and training in the eyecare field which translates into a thorough yet seemless examination experience.

Technology is rapidly changing the eyecare industry. We utilize the latest in diagnostic equipment and are committed to keeping up with whatever advances will come next.

Contact Lenses

We have been fitting contact lenses for many years and have seen some incredible changes in that time. By far the most exciting changes have occurred in the last few years. Soft disposable lenses are now more breathable with higher moisture retention allowing for better ocular health and comfort. There are also more designs to choose from which gives more people than ever before the ability to comfortably wear contact lenses.

Allergies can be particularly annoying to contact lens wearers. In the past many people had to quit wearing their lenses for a month or two during the allergy season. New lens materials and allergy medications have made it possible for these people to eliminate itchy eyes. These medications such as Patanol and Elestat are amazingly effective and safe even in children as young as three.

Optical Dispensing

Our highly qualified opticians and staff are able to assist you in your frame and lens selection so your final product addresses all of your lifestyle and visual needs.  We have the ability to utilize virtually any material, design, and coating that the eyecare industry has to offer which gives us the flexibility to address any concern or issue.  We feature our exclusive High Definition progressive lens called Truclear HD which includes one of the best Anti-Reflective coatings on the market to date.  Here are a few other features that many of our patients enjoy.

Laser Vision Correction

Everyone is talking about LASIK. Here is a brief description of the procedure.

A flap is cut in the cornea and then the flap is gently folded back. An Excimer Laser is used to reshape the cornea, much like a contact lens forms a new shape on the cornea, only the laser is permanent. The flap is then put back in place, acting like a natural bandage.

The "Wow!" effect of Lasik is the very rapid recovery of vision and the low level of discomfort post-operatively. You hear from people that they did not feel anything, and could see well the very first day. Most people have functional vision in 24-48 hours, although this is true in some cases, it must be noted that each person will heal at a different rate. Vision, although greatly improved immediately after surgery, continues to improve for some weeks, even months.

Everyones eyes are different. Even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it does not mean it is right for you. If you are interested in laser vision correction, we will be happy to guide you in picking the right surgeon, procedure and laser appropriate for you. For many of you who are long-term contact lens wearers our pre-operative input can make the difference between an excellent result and a mediocre one.

Post-operatively we can monitor your eyes, and taper medications to arrive at the best possible result. After all, no one knows your eyes better than your optometrist.

Eye Infections, Eye Injuries, Dry Eyes

Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 740-454-6283 during office hours. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.

Dry Eyes: Symptoms include itching, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears; medicated eye drops; and/or punctal plugs inserted into the tear drainage canals.
 
 

Eye Diseases; Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetes

Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision becomes impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage your cataracts. When a cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office works with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for peripheral vision defects and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, we typically prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.

Diabetes: Our eyes are constantly at work gathering information from our surroundings.  The tissue in the back of our eyes (the retina) is so active that it requires a robust blood supply to deliver nutrients and dispose of waste products.  In a person with diabetes sugar stays in the blood stream longer and can degrade the inner lining of the blood vessels.  Once those vessels are damaged they become leaky and inefficient which can be hazardous to the surrounding tissue.  We are able to view the retina and the retinal blood vessels directly to closely monitor them for any changes. We utilize the Optomap Plus Retinal Imaging which allows us to get a stable and detailed view of the back of the eyes.  This also allows us to review our findings with the patient giving them a better understanding of the disease and the affects it can have.  Combining the Optomap Plus Retinal Imaging with our Electronic Health Records enables us to digitally store these images on each chart so they are easily accessible for comparison at subsequent visits. Every diabetic should have a comprehensive examination yearly because the sooner changes are detected the sooner treatments can be altered or initiated to prevent damage. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist.

Low Vision Services

People who have lost eyesight due to injuries or eye disease need special types of products to help them function as independently as possible. We offer a full range of these products through our office. Our paraoptometric staff is trained to demonstrate the use of some of these devices. They range all the way from a simple hand magnifier to a closed circuit TV system.

In addition, we can direct those who have low vision problems to products that will help them carry on the day-to-day tasks that they need to perform. In some cases we can set up a program for the low vision patient with the National Library of Congress to receive "books on tapes", which is a service for the blind.

Vision Therapy

Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes ones eyes, but it also includes the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye coordination skills.