Our comprehensive vision exam begins the moment we greet you when we ask “Why are you here today?” Through a combination of questions delving into your vision problem(s), general health history, family health history, occupational and recreational demands, we determine the appropriate testing that will allow us to meet your visual needs. The basic elements of a comprehensive vision examination include:
In addition to providing excellent eye care, we are proud to offer comprehensive contact lens exams and fittings. One of our top priorities is to offer you outstanding vision and comfort for your contact lens needs. In addition to routine contact lens fitting, we also fit specialty contact lenses for patients with unique visual demands or patients with diseased corneas. Our office utilizes disposable soft lenses from Vistacon, Alcon, Baush & Lomb, Cooper Vision, and Visioneering Technologies, Inc. We offer custom correction in soft lenses designed for high prescriptions, astigmatism and bifocal application. Because of their superior optics, rigid gas permeable lenses are the perfect answer to correcting different aberrations presented by the cornea and visual system. Rigid gas permeable lenses have been proven in numerous research studies to slow the progression of near sightedness in most individuals.
Children with unrecognized vision problems or eye health conditions face many barriers in life, including academic, social and athletic obstacles. High quality vision care can break down these barriers and enable your child to reach their greatest potential.
Vision does not just happen...it takes years for a child to develop the visual abilities necessary for life. During our examination we assess these abilities and correlate them with your child's specific visual needs.
Eighty percent of all learning takes place through the visual system. Make sure your child has the best possible tools to learn and live successfully.
Myopia is being recognized as a worldwide epidemic with significant health consequences. The rapid increase in myopic development with the enhanced risk for ocular diseases such as glaucoma, earlier onset of cataracts and retinal tears, holes and/or detachments, make myopia a significant health concern. For example, moderate levels of myopia (-0.75 to -3.00 diopters) are associated with 3 to 4 times greater risk of retinal detachment. The risk of retinal detachment jumps to 20 to 80 times that of a non-myope when the myopia is greater than -6.00 diopters. A 2016 study by Holden reports that reducing the rate of myopia progression by 50% (through treatments like orthokeratology, soft multifocal lenses …) would decrease the prevalence of all myopia and reduce high myopia up to 90%.
Genetics play a role in the progression of myopia (continual deterioration of distance vision): If one parent is myopic, the risk is 1.5 times; if both parents are myopic, the risk is three (3) times. Environment plays a role, too: reading too close to the eyes increases myopia progression and playing outside 9 to 10 hours per week reduces the risk of developing myopia, but is not likely to have the same effect once myopia begins. In fact, one study known as CLEERE reports that if a child is less hyperopic than +0.75 by first grade, he/she is at an increased risk to become myopic.
Contributing to myopia development and progression:
Now here is the good news: with our guidance you or your child can MINIMIZE the progression of myopia. Because we constantly update our knowledge of myopia development by reading extensively and attending education seminars, you, your family and friends benefit.
It is estimated the 175 million working Americans suffer from computer eyestrain. Nearly 60 million children connect to the Internet each day at home or in school. If you or your child spend more than two hours a day in front of a computer screen, you likely experience some symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS may include headaches, loss of focus, tired/dry eyes, doubled or blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. Computer office lenses help prevent this type of stress making the average workday easier on your eyes. These lenses are customized for your particular visual needs and unlike reading reading glasses or progressive lenses, they are optimized for all required distances while working in front of a computer screen.
When standard eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery cannot provide sharp sight and the impairment interferes with a person's ability to perform everyday activities, an individual is said to have low vision. Thanks to the developments in the field of vision rehabilitation, we can maximize the use of the remaining vision, improving the quality of life. Each type of vision problem requires a unique therapeutic approach. Treatment plans may include prescription of glasses, custom telescopic or microscopic glasses, therapeutic filters, full-spectrum lighting and/or video magnification. Our goal is to maximize visual function for activities of daily living.
The development of our visual systems begins before we are born and continues for the rest of our lives. During the first decade of life children learn to use their eyes to gather information about the world. That is, the eyes become the primary information-gathering sensory motor system of the body. Our developmental vision examination assesses the relationship between the eyes and the rest of our sensory motor mechanisms (auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, vestibular, postural, proprioceptive); also, we test visual recall, visualization, visual-motor integration and eye-body integration. Completing the developmental examination, we perform a comprehensive vision examination, evaluate the findings and present our recommendations during the conference. Most often, developmental vision examinations require two office visits.
Vision therapy is an individually programmed, developmentally appropriate sequence of activities and procedures that develops, extends and enhances all of the visual abilities. All activities and procedures incorporate lenses, prisms, filters and/or stereoscopic instruments. Patients spend considerable time integrating vision with the other sensory motor systems with special emphasis on the integration of vision with the proprioceptive, kinesthetic, vestibular and auditory/verbal mechanisms. In vision therapy, patients learn to use their visual systems more efficiently and effectively.
*Vision Therapy is only available at our Silver Spring location
Vision Therapy play an important role in the rehabilitation effort following a traumatic brain injury such as stroke, aneurism or trauma due to impact. Patients who suffer from brain injury such as strokes, tumors or head trauma, neurosurgery, or aneurysm often sustain long-term functional deficits. These deficits include difficulty talking (aphasia), walking, poor fine motor control, and diminished cognitive abilities.
Vision problems are often overlooked during the initial stages of treatment for traumatic brain injuries. Often times the problems are initially hidden, which further delays treatment. Many brain injury patients are left with double vision, binocular vision difficulties and severe accommodative (focusing) problems.
Peripheral vision loss, or visual field loss, refers to a portion of our visual world which has been removed, essentially a large blind spot. The position and magnitude of this blind spot places the person at increased risk of further injury and harm from bumping into objects as well as being struck by approaching objects. Various treatments are available to help people deal with visual field loss. Treatment may involve scanning and tracking exercises into the area of loss as well as prisms and special glasses to help with orientation and mobility concerns. Remediation requires effort, time and patience on everyone involved with the situation.
Double vision is a serious and intolerable condition that can be caused by strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of a specific eye muscle limiting eye movements), gaze palsy (inability to gaze into certain directions), and decompensated binocular skills in patients with brain injury, stroke and other neurologically compromising conditions. Prisms, lenses and/or vision therapy can often help the patient achieve fusion (alignment of the eyes) and alleviate the double vision.
The ability to see clearly during the day without glasses or contact lenses at no surgical risk is now a reality. Orthokeratology, also known as Ortho-K, is a treatment for myopia which utilizes specialized rigid gas permeable contact lenses. These ultra gas permeable lenses gently reshape the front of your eye as you sleep. In the morning the lenses are removed and clear vision is restored throughout the day. Most often vision improvements come after the first night of wear and can remain stable all day just after two weeks of night wear. Correct your vision while you sleep with safe therapeutic lenses and enjoy great vision all day without the hassle of glasses and daytime contacts.
The American Optometric Association recommends a yearly eye exam for adults -- not only to detect and to diagnose vision changes or problems -- but also to maintain eye health. For example, glaucoma, a optic nerve disease often caused by increased pressure in the eye, commonly goes unnoticed by adults. Regular vision examinations are also important for the prevention of vision problems created or aggravated by today's academic and professional demands.
Twenty-first century lifestyles demand more from our vision than ever before. Adults in our technological society constantly use their near vision at work and at home. Environmental stresses on the visual system (including excessive computer use or close work) can sometimes induce headaches and/or visual difficulties which can be effectively treated with corrective lenses and/or vision therapy.
We offer the latest trends and styling in fashion eyewear from designer names and brands at affordable prices. The most current lenses are available at our office supporting superior assistance to what you require in glasses. These include Trivex lenses for greater safety and low distortion as well as new Hi-Index materials for higher prescriptions. You can trust our experienced opticians for the best guidance on the latest technology in frame and lenses to meet all of your visual needs.
We offer a collection of some of the finest eyewear from around the world. We carry frames with beautiful touches from manufacturers such as ProDesign Denmark, Gucci, Kliik, Fysh, Etnia, Fendi and Face À Face.
We have technologically advanced frames, such as the space-age polymer design of Autoflex and Flexon. These frames are highly flexible and are among the lightest frames available on the market. For athletes, we carry Maui Jim sunglasses, Nike, Adidas, and Liberty Sports frames. All frames can be custom made with high definition optics with polarized or Transitions lenses.
We offer the best quality lenses from Zeiss, Hoya and Varilux. Premium glare -free lenses from Teflon and Crizal Alizè are the most advanced anti-reflective (AR) lens on the market offering the best enduring clarity of vision.
You'll be surprised at how affordable we are. Our prices are competitive, and even less than some of the large one hour superstores. We have our own Optical lab on premises to customize your lenses. Our highly trained opticians are prepared to meet all of your visual needs.
Glaucoma is not just a single eye disease, but a group of eye conditions resulting in optic nerve damage, which causes loss of vision. Abnormally high pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure) usually, but not always, causes this damage.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Sometimes called the silent thief of sight, glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, often has no noticeable signs or symptoms.
If you have any of these risk factors, you have a greater likelihood of developing glaucoma:
Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss. It is important to get your eyes examined regularly and to make sure that your Optometrist measures your intraocular pressure.