At Prairie Eye and LASIK Center, we strive to provide comprehensive, primary eye care for the whole family. Preventative and routine eye exams are important for maintaining good eye health. Often, eye and vision problems do not have obvious symptoms or signs but are easily diagnosed by a licensed optometrist. By diagnosing eye and vision conditions early on, our optometrist is able to provide treatment options and, in many cases, restore vision or prevent vision loss. The American Optometric Association recommends yearly or bi-yearly eye and vision exams, depending on whether you are at-risk or not.
Eye Exam and Consultation
During an eye exam, Dr. Sandra Yeh will ask you questions about any symptoms or issues you are experiencing, medications you are currently taking, any blurry vision, your work environment, and your overall health. Family history and previous eye or vision conditions will also be discussed during this part of the examination. Dr. Yeh will consider this information when determining any treatments or recommendations.
Vision Testing
Regular vision testing and evaluations ensure that you always have the clearest vision possible. Our Springfield optometrist provides regular vision acuity tests as part of a comprehensive eye exam. Dr. Yeh will measure how each eye is seeing by using an eye chart and a reading eye chart. The results of these tests are portrayed as a fraction, with 20/20 being the standard for normal distance and reading vision. Depending on the results of your vision test, Dr. Yeh may prescribe corrective glasses, contacts, or eye exercises.
Eye Function Testing
In addition to vision testing, an eye exam in our Springfield office includes testing eye functionality. Our optometrist performs several tests to evaluate depth perception, color vision, eye muscle capabilities, peripheral vision, and responsiveness to light. Several other simple tests are completed to determine whether the eyes are focusing, moving, and working together properly. The test results enable Dr. Yeh to diagnose any underlying conditions that may be impairing the eyes’ ability to focus or work together.
Eye Health
As part of a comprehensive eye exam, our Springfield optometrist examines the overall health of the eye through a visual examination and tonometry. Dr. Yeh evaluates eye health by visually inspecting the eye and eyelids using magnification and a bright light. To examine the internal structures of the eye, we may dilate the pupils. Increased eye pressure may be an indicator of glaucoma, so we utilize tonometry to measure eye pressure. After completing these short tests, Dr. Yeh reviews the results and discusses any necessary treatment options with you. Contact us at (217) 698-3030 today to schedule a comprehensive eye exam.
Computer Vision
Squinting at computer, tablet, or mobile screens for hours at a time is a normal part of our lives in the 21st century. Unfortunately, eye problems associated with this activity are also on the rise. Even if you have never had eye problems before, you may have noticed computer vision syndrome symptoms after two or more hours of screen time. Signs include:
- Blurry vision
- Eye strain and discomfort
- Headaches
- Dry, scratchy eyes
- Neck and/or shoulder pain
Even if your symptoms are mild, they can worsen and cause other vision problems if not addressed. Our optometrist, Dr. Yeh, can help.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Computer Vision Syndrome
The severity and length of computer vision syndrome symptoms depend on how long you stare at the computer, your posture, lighting, glare, the angle of the monitor, and whether or not you have other diagnosed or undiagnosed vision problems. If you already suffer from astigmatism, farsightedness, presbyopia, aging eyes, and/or diabetic eye problems, your computer vision symptoms may worsen. This can even be the case if you already have prescription contacts or glasses. Many regular eyeglasses and contact lenses are not designed to deflect the problems caused by computer screens.
Dr. Yeh will take your symptoms, pre-existing conditions, and potential undiagnosed conditions into account as she performs the following eye tests:
- Visual acuity — Measures the quality of your current vision.
- Refraction — Tests the potential lens prescriptions that would optimize your vision.
- Focus and Eye Coordination — Tests how well your eyes work together and how quickly and accurately your eyes are able to focus on objects at varying distances.
From these measurements, Dr. Yeh can design a treatment plan to help relieve your symptoms. For people with otherwise normal eyes and vision, a set of specially-designed glasses used during the time you are working on the computer can be very helpful. For patients already wearing contacts or glasses, new, more computer-friendly prescriptions are available. In addition to these treatment options, there are many things we can suggest to cut down on computer eye strain problems:
- Computer Setup — Adjust your monitor so that it is about 15-20 degrees lower than your eye level when seated and so that your eyes are 20-28 inches away from the screen. Reference materials can be placed on a document holder between the monitor and keyboard, or to the side, but positioned for as little head movement as possible. Also, invest in an anti-glare screen for your monitor to help reduce glare from surrounding lights. Be sure to sit and work with proper posture.
- Adjust Lighting — If you can, reposition any lighting (or your computer) to minimize glare and use natural lighting whenever possible.
- Eye Rest and Blinking Breaks — Every 20 minutes during your work, look away toward a distant point for 20 seconds to refocus your eyes. Give your eyes a 15-minute break after each 2-hour computer session. Also, remember to blink more frequently to keep your eyes moist.
With a combination of the proper optometry care and self-care, you can minimize computer eye syndrome and other modern-day vision problems. Contact us for an appointment today.
Sports Vision
Sports vision testing helps athletes determine how well their eyes perform. These tests go beyond standard eye tests that only evaluate the ability to see letters and objects clearly on a standard eye chart. Sports vision testing takes eyesight evaluation one step further, which is vital to overall athletic training as well as specifically enhancing visual function.
While sports vision testing can vary greatly depending on an athlete’s specific needs, in general, sports vision testing can be beneficial for assessing athletic abilities associated with hand-eye coordination, eye tracking, and depth perception. If you are a local athlete looking to improve your performance, Dr. Yeh can help.
Sports Vision Training Enhances Athletic Performance
Our Springfield optometrist offers several different vision tests for assessing athletic performance and capabilities. The first test is the classic Snellen Eye Chart. Patients are asked to read lettering on a standard eye chart that is placed 20 feet away. You must identify the letters along the lines of increasingly smaller sizes until the letters can no longer be identified. Usually, the 20/20 line is the fourth from the bottom; if you can correctly read this line, you have 20/20 vision. If you can read the smallest line, then you have 20/15 vision. This basic eye test is very important for identifying an athlete’s visual acuity.
While correcting visual acuity can seem like an obvious step, some athletes are unaware that they suffer from an undetected refractive error. Refractive errors are any number of different size and shape abnormalities that affect the eye’s ability to focus light on the retina, affecting vision. Depending on your athletic goals, you may wish to undergo a vision correction procedure like LASIK, which could eliminate the need for glasses and contacts.
Contrast sensitivity is also important for athletic performance. During a contrast sensitivity test, you will be asked to identify the orientation of parallel gray stripes against backgrounds of various colors. The backgrounds gradually begin to match the shades of the stripes. Low contrast sensitivity, especially in low-light conditions, will make it more difficult to track objects. A variety of solutions can be effective for addressing contrast sensitivity concerns. These solutions include wearing eyeglasses with a special lens tint to increase visibility, depending on your vision needs.
Ocular alignment tests, like the Hirschberg test, evaluate how well both eyes work together. Alignment problems are detected by analyzing specific points on the cornea where reflections occur. Dr. Yeh also recommends eye dominance tests. Dominance is determined by focusing on an object as it moves closer; when one eye diverges or loses focus, this means that the other eye is dominant. If one eye loses focus too soon, you may be suffering from binocularity, a condition where both eyes struggle to work together to manage depth perception and visual coordination.
Athletic performance is not only enhanced in the gym; it also requires excellent visual processing speed and hand-eye coordination. Contact our local optometrist to learn more about the benefits of sports vision training and to schedule your sports vision test today.