Common Eye Care Practices and Options

There are many facets to eye care Boulder and elsewhere, but not everyone needs all of them. In fact, most people will only need a few of the possible services beyond an eye exam. This exam is the one thing everyone should have on a regular basis because it allows eye doctors to learn whether or not each person needs anything else.

There are two types of eye exams that are commonly available. The most basic version simply tests visual acuity and is used to determine eyeglass prescriptions. When people want to get a pair of glasses made quickly, they are usually given this type of exam.

The other type of eye exam is far more detailed, and it is used to find out whether any eye diseases are present. Patients can expect to have their pupils dilated so that the doctor can see down to the retina from the outside. Viewing the retina allows the detection of problems like degeneration, retinal tears, and similar things. Air will also be pulsed against the eyes to test how much pressure is within them. This part of the test lets doctors find out whether or not glaucoma is present. A visual acuity test will be done before the pupils get dilated. Once the dilation is done, the ability to focus will be temporarily blocked. This makes it important to do everything in the right order.

If any problems are discovered, the appropriate treatments will be prescribed. In many cases, eye problems can be fixed. Even some forms of glaucoma can now be treated by surgery, whereas in the past, there were no such options.

Patients who were once told that their conditions were untreatable should be sure to continue to get checkups. That way, they can take advantage of any new developments that have come along. As it stands, some of the things that were totally untreatable 20 or so years ago can now either be cured or at least helped by new procedures and medications. Who knows what will be possible five or 10 years from now?

While full-service eye clinics offer advanced treatments and surgical options for a variety of conditions, most people will get even better news from their eye exams: they will have no major problems to worry about. Even so, it's important for people with good eyes (or who only need glasses) to get regular checkups. This will ensure that any emerging problems are caught quickly so that vision can be preserved.