Unlike a vision screening or other general eye test, comprehensive eye exams evaluate the entire health of the eye. They also help the optometrist or ophthalmologist determine your unique prescription. Comprehensive eye exams should begin as an infant to ensure proper eye and vision development. Ongoing eye health examinations at regular intervals are also important as many eye diseases and vision changes can occur without warning signs.

What Does a Comprehensive Eye Exam Include?

A comprehensive eye exam includes testing with eye charts that help the doctor determine the sharpness of your vision. We will check your visual acuity, or how well you are able to identify details. This is generally done with charts like the Snellen eye chart.

People usually recognize this test, though they may not know it by name. With an “E” at the top and eleven rows of capital letters, the Snellen chart helps the doctor determine your visual acuity. The fourth line from the bottom is “20/20” vision. This means you can see as well at 20 feet as someone with adequate visual acuity should. Some people can see even better than this, but 20/20 is the standard. It generally means you don’t need corrective lenses to drive or do other everyday activities.

If you are unable to read the smaller lines, the doctor will ask you to determine the characters on the higher lines. From there, a starting point is determined for further testing to narrow down your unique prescription.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor does much more than just determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Dr. Fowler will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, color vision, assess how your eyes work together, and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

Why it’s Important to Get Regular Eye Exams

Comprehensive eye exams often are the first way chronic systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes are detected. Regular eye exams are the best way to ensure eye health and maintaining your best vision possible.

Please call us with questions, or to schedule an appointment!

Millions of people wear contact lenses to help them see clearly. We’ve seen many advancements in lens materials and designs over the years. If you have tried contacts in the past, but stopped due to discomfort or poor quality, it may be time to try again.

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contacts are the most common type of contact lenses and account for over 85% of contact lenses dispensed. Traditional soft contact lenses consist of soft plastic polymers and water. They allow oxygen to permeate through the lens material to the cornea. Most people find soft contact lenses comfortable. One advantage of soft contacts is that people assimilate to them almost right away. Soft lenses come in different prescriptions and designs depending on your budget and need. For some prescriptions, they do not offer the same visual acuity as gas permeable lenses or glasses. Dr. Fowler will help you determine which design is best for you.

Disposable Contact Lenses

Disposable contact lenses are soft lenses that are discarded on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. With regular replacement, protein deposits do not build up. Deposits can affect vision, comfort, and the health of the eyes. These lenses are convenient and low-maintenance compared to traditional soft lenses. It is important to replace disposable contacts as suggested to avoid eye infection. Disposable lenses are available in most prescriptions.

Extended Wear Contact Lenses

Extended wear contact lenses are gas-permeable or soft lenses designed for up to 30 days of continuous safe wear. They offer the convenience of not having to take them out at night, but there are risks. Sleeping in them poses a higher risk of infection, corneal ulcers, and abnormal blood vessel growth in the cornea. These lenses need more frequent follow-ups. Some doctors will not recommend extended wear lenses for these reasons.

Tinted or Cosmetic Contact Lenses

Tinted contact lenses are soft lenses that enable some patients to change the color of their iris (the colored part of the eye). These lenses are available in interesting colors and patterns. They can provide a subtle or dramatic change in the appearance of your eyes. They are not available for all prescriptions and are not suggested for everyday wear.

Hard Contact Lenses

Before the introduction of soft contact lenses, hard polymethyl methacrylate contact lenses were common. They did not allow for oxygen transfer to the cornea and often caused the cornea to swell. For this reason, hard contact lenses are obsolete.

Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP), or just Gas Permeable (GP) lenses are sometimes mistaken for old-fashioned lenses. The old hard contact lenses that people know are rarely used today. RGP lenses are more pliable, more comfortable, and they allow oxygen to the cornea. Gas permeable lenses also allow more oxygen to the cornea than traditional soft contact lenses. They do not change their shape when you blink or move your eyes because they are rigid. This means they offer sharper vision than soft contacts. They are much more durable than soft lenses. Because they do not contain water, proteins and lipids do not adhere to them like they can do with soft lenses. RGP lenses also come in many bifocal and multifocal designs.

The biggest disadvantage of RGP lenses is that patients need to get used to them. They are not immediately comfortable like soft lenses. RGP lenses take three to four days for patients to adapt to them. They need to be worn regularly (although not every day) to achieve optimal comfort. They are smaller in size so they can dislodge from the eye more easily than soft lenses.

Toric Contact Lenses

Toric contact lenses help correct astigmatism. They are available in both soft and gas-permeable designs. These lenses have one power that is vertical and another that is horizontal. There is a weight at the bottom, allowing the lenses to center correctly on the eye. Toric lenses are more difficult to fit. They generally require more time from the patient to determine their comfort. They may need additional fitting help from the doctor.

Bifocal Contact Lenses

Bifocal contact lenses, like bifocal glasses, have more than one power. This allows an individual to have clear vision in fields that are near and far. These lenses are available in both soft and gas-permeable designs. Another alternative to bifocal contacts is monovision correction. With these lenses, one eye is used for distance and the other eye for near or reading vision. Both of these lens types require more time from the doctor for fitting. Patients need to adapt to using one eye, depending on which distance they are viewing.

Progressive lenses, sometimes called “no-line bifocals,” provide a more youthful appearance by eliminating the visible lines found in bifocal and trifocal lenses. They provide the ability to see at all distances in one seamless lens, including driving at a distance, arm’s length for computer use, and up close for reading.

Progressive lenses are the most natural form of vision correction available for patients with presbyopia, as they eliminate the “image jump” present in standard bifocal and trifocal lenses. Progressive lenses provide a smooth transition from the distance through intermediate to near vision with all the in-between corrections included.

Who Needs Progressive Lenses?

Even if you’ve never needed glasses before, presbyopia usually occurs in individuals around age 40. As we age naturally, our ability to see objects up close and the computer screen can decrease and can be blurry. Progressive lenses address separate visual needs in one lens.

How Do Progressive Lenses Work?

If you need more than one pair of glasses or prescription to do computer work or drive, progressives let you see clearly at any distance with one pair of glasses. The constant graduation of prescription in progressive lenses enables you to look up to see in the distance, look ahead to view things such as the computer in the intermediate zone, and drop your gaze downward to read, text, or perform other work comfortably up close.

With so many progressive lens designs and options available, the choices can be overwhelming without professional advice. Ask our experienced opticians at your next visit.

Protective Eyewear

Eye Protection is No Accident

Whether you’re working on a project at home or at work, eye protection is serious business. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries requiring medical treatment each day. Of these injuries, 90 percent could have been prevented with the right eye protection. Luckily, specialized eyewear is available from us to provide eye protection and visual enhancement for recreational, industrial, and occupational situations.

The two most common reasons for eye injuries in the workplace are when a worker is wearing the wrong type of protective eyewear for the task, or when they are not wearing any protection at all.

The most common occupations for eye injuries include:

Auto repair

Carpentry

Construction

Electrical work

Maintenance

Manufacturing

Mining

Plumbing

Welding

A Bureau of Labor Statistics survey questioned people who experienced an eye injury in the workplace. The responses revealed that nearly three out of five workers were not wearing eye protection at the time of an accident. These same workers reported they didn’t feel safety eyewear was needed for the job they were doing.

Hazards exist in every home in many different forms such as sharp edges, falling objects, chemicals, noise, and a variety of other potentially dangerous situations. Whether you’re working on a weekend project in the garage or participating in recreational activities, wearing eye protection can significantly reduce the chances of sight damaging injuries.

Proper Lens Care Instructions

Did you know? 80 percent of lens scratches occur by cleaning eyewear incorrectly. Protect your investment by following these proper lens care instructions. Taking care of your lenses can be the difference between seeing clearly for the life of your eyeglasses, or having to replace them early due to excessive scratching and improper maintenance.

Many anti-reflective or non-glare treatments help protect against dust, debris, oil, water, and smudges. These can help your glasses stay clean longer, but they also need special care. Begin by rinsing your lenses with warm water and a mild soap without additives. You may also use an approved lens cleaning solution provided by your eyecare professional. Never use glass cleaner or other household cleaners. Avoid all chemicals including hairspray, perfume, and cologne, which are harmful to eyeglass lenses.

Next, dry your lenses with a soft, lint-free cloth. You may also use a microfiber cloth specially designed for your eyewear. Never use facial tissue or paper towel as they will scratch your lenses. Finally, never leave your eyeglasses in direct sunlight or in a hot car. The heat can damage your lenses as well as your eyeglass frames. Additionally, never leave your eyeglasses facing downward. Always keep them in a case when not in use.

Remember that you should never use commercial cleaners on your lenses. Talk to us about the best way to care for your eyewear and we’ll be happy to make suggestions on products we recommend.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are Fashionable and Functional

While sunlight is a beautiful thing, too much of anything can be harmful. In addition to making a unique fashion statement, sunglasses are also functional and can prevent sun damage to the eyes to improve and protect vision.

From sunburn to skin cancer, almost everyone is aware of the damage ultraviolet (UV) radiation can inflict on their skin. However, very few understand the dangers of UV exposure to their eyesight. In fact, while more than eight out of 10 Americans know that extended UV exposure can cause skin cancer, fewer than one out of 10 know it can harm their eyes. Additionally, 20 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that UV damage is reversible.

Because so few people understand the detrimental effects of UV exposure, many aren’t taking the best steps to protect and preserve their vision. For example, less than half of Americans get a regular eye exam, which can be instrumental in detecting and preventing serious vision problems and eye disease. Additionally, more than four out of 10 people don’t wear UV blocking sunglasses during the winter months when UV rays are still a threat.

Sunglasses Quality Matters

Did you know that wearing an inadequate pair of sunglasses can be worse than wearing no sun protection at all? If a pair of sunglasses offers no UV protection, the wearer is actually increasing his or her exposure to UV rays. The inadequate sunglasses will block some of the light, causing the pupil of the eye to enlarge and allow more light in. This also lets in more UV light, increasing the amount of damaging light reaching the retina. Quality sunglasses are designed to absorb UVA and UVB rays. However, not all sunglasses block 100 percent of UV rays, and therefore may not be effective in preventing sun damage to the eyes.

Considering the potential damage that UV exposure can cause to eyesight, everyone should be wearing lenses that block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

Polarized Lenses Block Glare

Polarized lenses are helpful in blocking polarized light. This type of light is created by reflected light. When bright light bounces off of horizontal surfaces such as water, cars, snow, or the highway, it can cause intense glare. Bright glares make it difficult or impossible to see. Polarized lenses can be beneficial for certain situations, including driving, skiing, and fishing because they cut the scattered light causing a glare. Fishermen, for example, often use polarized lenses to help them see beneath the water and better locate fish. While most polarized lenses have built-in UV-blocking features, it is important to check the lens labeling to determine if the sunglasses offer full protection. Regardless of the type of sun protection chosen, the quality of the lens is important.

Stop by and check out our sunglass selections today!

Thinner and Lighter Lenses

Do you desire thinner, lighter lenses? People with a lower refractive error generally don’t think about the thickness of their lenses because they have many material options that are thin and light. People who have a stronger prescription, however, will notice a big difference in the weight and the appearance of their lenses with new materials.

Get Thinner and Lighter Lenses

People with a strong prescription usually want the thinnest and lightest lenses possible. Most eyewear choices are made of plastic or metal with rims thinner than the lens. In other cases, the frame has no rim at all and features rimless mountings. In either case, the edges of your lens are highly visible. Thicker edges can detract from the appearance of your eyewear.

The good news is that a variety of new plastic materials are available to provide thinner and lighter lenses. This means less lens material can be used to correct the same amount of prescription. High-index lenses are the thinnest, flattest, and most cosmetically appealing lens ever developed. Most high-index lenses have what is called an aspheric design. In addition to looking thinner, your lenses will also reduce the magnified “bug-eye” or “Coke-bottle” look often caused by thicker lenses.

Talk to one of our experienced opticians today about thinner and lighter weight lenses.

Eliminate Reflections with No Glare Lenses

Have you ever experienced blinding reflections in your lenses from oncoming traffic while driving at night? No-glare, also referred to as an anti-reflective or AR treatment, is specially calculated to eliminate the glare on your lenses and increase the amount of light entering your eye. This is an important safety benefit for driving at night as no-glare lenses reduce annoying reflections and halos around lights.

Reducing glare is beneficial for many reasons. No-glare lenses improve the cosmetic appearance of your glasses by dampening the reflections that mask your eyes when someone is looking at you, making your eyes look more natural. Better yet, most premium no-glare lenses include a special coating that makes them easier to clean along with a two-sided scratch-resistant coating.

Cleaning No-Glare Lenses

Cleaning your no-glare lenses is easy! Always start by wetting the lens and clean it with a soft soap or approved cleaner from Advanced Vision Center. Don’t ever use window cleaner, or other harsh chemicals as they can damage the lens. Always use a soft, dry cloth to wipe the lenses clean. Never use facial tissue or paper towel as these materials can scratch your lenses.