Did you know?

 

1. Bees have 5 eyes.

2. Eagle vision can reach up to 4 to 5 times further than a person with perfect vision.

3. Owls are the only bird that can see the color blue.

4. Having red hair and blue eyes is the rarest combination in humans, occurring naturally in only 1% of the human population.

5. Dolphins sleep with 1 eye open.

National Opticians Month

 

January is National Opticians Month. It was developed to help educate consumers about the importance of an optician on their eyecare team, and the role they play.

Opticians receive specialized training to help ophthalmologists and optometrists before, during, and after your exam. An optician is an eye care specialist, who helps patients choose the right eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other corrective devices after an optometrist or ophthalmologist has evaluated their eyes, and writes a prescription.

An Optician often spends more time with customers than anyone else during the vision care experience. Opticians work in the offices of optometrists or offices of physicians but do not make diagnoses. Other opticians worked in stores that sell eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual aids, and other optical goods. These stores may be:

• Stand-alone businesses
• Parts of larger retail establishments, such as department stores.
• Hospitals or clinics
• Lab Manufacturing

Other duties of an optician include:

• Ensuring prescriptions are a match to eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, and contact lenses.
• Using special equipment to measure patients' pupillary distance, vertex distance, eye size, and temple length.
• Maintaining records of patient purchases and payments.
• Submitting vision insurance information for patients and recommending to them, what insurance will cover for eyewear.
• Advising patients on eyewear features such as lens coatings and frame styles to fit their individual needs, preferences, and personal style.
• Selling added eyewear accessories.

Come and see your favorite optician to guide you in the use of your new insurance benefits for 2024.

Sources:

www.clevelandclinic.org

www.allaboutvision.com

www.bls.gov

www.opticianEDU.org

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#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

Types of Eye Tests

 

Eye tests are one of the main parts of an examination. There are several tests included in a comprehensive eye exam. Each one evaluates different aspects of vision and eye health. 

• Visual acuity test is a test that checks your vision. Your “visual acuity” is the medical term for how well you can see. 
• Visual refraction- an eye exam that measures a person's prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Normal vision occurs when light is focused directly on the retina rather than in front or behind it. 
• Visual field test this test measures how much you can see out of the corners of your eyes. It can determine if you have blind spots in your visual field. If you have blind spots (called scotoma) in your vision, then this test will track where they are. 
• Slit-Lamp test- A slit lamp is a special microscope with a bright light attached to it. Your eye care specialist will use it to look at the different parts of your eyes. They’ll adjust the light to see into and through the layers of your eyes. They’ll check the overall health of your eyes and diagnose any issues or symptoms you’re having. 
• Tonometry- is a diagnostic test that measures your intraocular pressure (IOP), or the pressure inside your eye. Tonometry can help your healthcare provider figure out if you’re at risk for glaucoma.  
• Corneal Topography- is an eye test that charts the landscape of your cornea. It’s quick and painless, and nothing touches your eye. The test produces a series of color-coded maps that your provider uses to diagnose and manage various eye conditions. Corneal topography is essential to pre-operative planning for LASIK and other surgeries. 
• Ophthalmoscopy-is a test that allows your eye doctor, to look at the back of your eye called the fundus. 

 More testing may be needed based on the results of the earlier tests to confirm or rule out possible problems, to clarify uncertain findings, or to provide a more in-depth assessment. 

 

After the examination, the doctor will assess and evaluate the testing results to find a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. He or she will discuss with you the nature of any visual or eye health problems found and explain available treatment options. In some cases, referral for consultation with, or treatment by, another doctor of optometry or other health care provider may be indicated. If you have questions about any diagnosed eye or vision conditions, or treatment recommendations, don't hesitate to ask your doctor for more information or explanation. All of these findings exam after exam will also help to track changes in the physical health of the eyes as well as vision changes and in some cases overall health.

 

 

Sources:

www.humana.com  

www.carecredit.com  

ww.webmd.com  

www.aoa.org

#visionsourcesouthhills

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

What are my options for treatment after being diagnosed with Glaucoma

 

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. There is no cure, but early detection and treatment can slow the damage and prolong vision. It is estimated that 60 million people worldwide have glaucoma but only about half know they have it. It is described as a group of eye conditions that can cause vision, loss and blindness.

With all types of glaucoma, the nerve connecting the eye to the brain, the optic nerve, is damaged, usually due to high eye pressure.

Individuals, diagnosed with glaucoma may be presented with three treatment options:

• Medicine-prescription eyedrops are the most common treatment for glaucoma. The drop works by lowering pressure in the eye preventing damage to the optic nerve.
• Laser treatment- patients who receive laser therapy have conditions that are a little more advanced. Laser treatment is utilized to drain fluid out of the eye.
• Surgery-surgeries for glaucoma is a last resort after medicine and laser treatments have proven to be ineffective. Some people may even need to have the surgery repeated.

It is important to discuss all of these options with your doctor and to follow the treatment plan established to prolong sight.

Sources:

www.aao.org

www.register-herald.com

www.glaucoma.org

#visionsourcesouthhills

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare