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During your regular, routine eye exam several tests are done, your overall eye health is evaluated and a prescription for glasses is written. If you also want to get contact lenses or already wear contacts a special contact lens fit must be preformed. When you make your eye exam appointment it is best to state at that time if you are interested in trying contacts or if you already wear contacts.

A contact lens fit uses different instruments to get additional measurements needed to fit contacts to your eye properly. It also adds additional time to your exam. Because this Contact Lens Fit is in addition to a regular routine exam there is an additional cost, separate from the cost of the regular exam. The fee for a Contact Lens Fit will depend on the complexity and type of lens being fit and start at $35 and go up. The Contact Lens Fit is preformed annually to ensure the best possible fit with your contacts. The Fit will include instructions on the proper insertion and removal of your lenses, starter solutions and six months of contact lens follow-up care. At our Story Avenue office, Christine will provide your fitting, under the direction of Dr. Woodruff. At our Audubon Hospital office, Terri will provide your fitting, under the direction of Dr. Parker.

Medical insurances will not cover for a routine eye exam or for a contact lens fit. If you have a vision insurance it is possible they will cover you for your regular exam and possibly your contact lens fit, glasses or contacts. Our office staff will be pleased to review your coverage to see if any benefits or discounts are available to you.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Do you have headaches, tired eyes and sore muscles in your neck, back and shoulders at the end of the workday? If you spend much of the work day in front of a computer, you could be suffering from computer vision syndrome (CVS).  The good news is that there is help.

First, be sure that you have the correct ergonomic setup.  Your monitor should be 20 to 26 inches away and directly in front of you with the center of the screen four to nine inches below your straight-ahead gaze.  Position your chair so that your arms are parallel to the floor when you type.  Place your feet flat on the floor or on a footstool and keep your back straight and shoulders back when you type.

Finally, you may need computer glasses.  Visual demands of using a computer are unlike those associated with most other activities.  If you already wear glasses, they may not be the correct fit for computer work.  That is because computer screens are usually positioned 20 to 26 inches from the user’s eyes.  That is considered the intermediate zone of vision – closer than driving and farther away than reading.  Young people are most likely to wear glasses to correct distance vision while those over 40 may wear reading glasses for near vision.  Leaning forward or tipping the head back to see through the bottom portion of glasses can result in soreness in the neck, shoulders and back.  If you are suffering from blurred vision and muscle aches of CVS, one of our eye doctors can prescribe eyewear to give you a much more comfortable workday.

Why We Dilate Your Eyes

A dilated fundus examination (DFE), also called dilation, is the diagnostic test that uses mydriatic eye drops to enlarge, or dilate, the pupil.

When we dilate the pupil, the pupil enlarges. This allows additional light to be shone into the eyes. By dilating the pupils of our patients, our doctors can obtain a better view of the internal surfaces of the eye, including the back of the eye. We consider dilation to be a significant portion of a comprehensive eye exam. The back of the eye includes the retina, optic nerve and very important blood vessels. With dilation, we are better able to diagnose and treat ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, retinal detachments, bleeding or swelling inside the eye. A dilated eye exam can also enable the doctor to see early signs of diabetes, high blood pressure or other systemic diseases. There are also many other eye disease, which occur less frequently, but can also only be diagnosed through a dilated eye examination. Early detection and treatment of any of these diseases can be crucial to prevent vision loss as well as be important to overall health.

We believe that diagnosis and evaluation of the back of the eye, using dilating drops, and doctor examination, is the most thorough way to examine the back of the eye, thereby providing the best care for the health of our patients.