August is National Eye Exam Month, which means it’s time to book an appointment at Ighani Eye Care and ensure your vision is healthy and thriving!
Just like it’s important to keep up with regular visits to your primary care physician and get regular cancer screenings, it’s also important that you visit your ophthalmologist annually starting at age 40. This allows your doctor to monitor your eye health and detect any potential issues early on before they cause life-disrupting symptoms.
What to Expect at a Comprehensive Medical Eye Exam
Once you check in for your appointment, we will call you back to begin your exam and dilate your eyes using special eye drops. The drops cause your pupils to widen, allowing more light to enter through to your retina (the part of your eye that detects light). This will give your doctor a better view of the back of your eye, therefore making it easier to detect and diagnose common eye diseases and conditions, possibly at their earliest stages.
Eye dilation also makes your vision blurry and your eyes more sensitive to light, which, for a few hours, can affect your ability to drive or work. Once the eye drops wear off, your vision will return to normal. However, please plan to have someone with you who can drive you after your eye exam. It is also a good idea to bring a pair of sunglasses with you for after your exam. Some patients find that helps them after they leave our office, especially on sunny days!
What Conditions Do We Look For at a Medical Eye Exam?
Our medical technology allows us to detect all sorts of eye diseases and conditions, but these are the most common issues we look out for and diagnose during medical eye exams:
- Macular Degeneration – Blurred or reduced central vision due to the thinning of the macula; common in patients over 50
- Diabetic Retinopathy – Dark floating spots/streaks or vision loss due to damage of blood vessels in and around the retina in patients with diabetes
- Hypertensive Retinopathy – Dark floating spots/streaks or vision loss due to damage of blood vessels in and around the retina in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Glaucoma – Optic nerve damage due to pressure from fluid buildup in the eye; common in patients over 40
- Cataracts – The clouding of the eye’s natural lens; almost all patients develop cataracts eventually, usually starting to develop around age 40 and causing symptoms around age 60
- Keratoconus – The misformation of the cornea (eye surface); can cause eye pain, headaches and/or vision problems
We are also able to address more minor eye concerns such as blurry vision, eye infections or conjunctivitis (pink eye), dry eye, difficulty seeing up close and even pterygiums in a medical eye exam. If you are concerned about any of these conditions or symptoms, we would be honored to be the ophthalmologists you trust to get your eyes checked.
Paying for an Eye Exam at Ighani Eye Care
No vision insurance? No problem! Medical eye exams are covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. Because it is classified as a medical exam and not a vision care visit, you don’t have to worry about paying out of pocket if you don’t have vision insurance. Feel free to call us to confirm that we are in your insurance’s network.
Let us help!
We want to make sure your eyes are healthy and well-monitored for vision issues that may arise in the future. So feel free to call us at 682.688.2020 to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience or book online today!
