Southwest Eye Care and Laser

A dilated eye exam is the best thing you can do for your eye health! It’s the only way to check for eye diseases early on, when they’re easier to treat and before they cause vision loss. The exam is simple and painless. Your eye doctor will check for vision problems that make it hard to see clearly, like being nearsighted or farsighted. Then your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and check for eye diseases.

Do you have a hunch that you don’t see colors as clearly you should? Ever been told that something has different shades, but they all look the same to you? If so, you could be color blind. Some people are color blind and don’t know it. For example, they know tree leaves are green, so they think the color they see is green.

Low vision is a vision problem that makes it hard to do everyday activities. It can’t be fixed with glasses, contact lenses, or other standard treatments like medicine or surgery. You may have low vision if you can’t see well enough to do things like: Read. Drive. Recognize people’s faces . Tell colors apart . See your television or computer screen clearly

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are usually characterized by damage to the optic nerve and gradual vision loss that starts with losing peripheral (side) vision. People who have high eye pressure are at higher risk for glaucoma. Each type of glaucoma is different but most have no early symptoms, so it’s important to get tested regularly, especially if you are at higher risk.

"Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. The symptoms can start so slowly that you may not notice them. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. There’s no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision."

"Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss, affecting more than 10 million Americans more than cataracts and glaucoma combined."

"A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye. Depending upon its size and location, it can interfere with normal vision. Most cataracts develop in people over age 55, but they occasionally occur in infants and young children. Usually cataracts develop in both eyes, but one may be worse than the other."

"Astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision. It occurs when the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is irregularly shaped or sometimes because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye."

"The lenses you choose for your eyeglasses even more than frames often will determine how happy you are with your eyewear. And buying eyeglass lenses is not an easy task. In fact, in a recent issue, Consumer Reports magazine said, "There are so many choices for lenses and coatings, it's easy to be confused about what's worth buying.""

"Being aware of warning signs of vision problems as you age can help you take appropriate steps to protect your eyesight. Certain eye problems such as with a detached retina or certain types of glaucoma require prompt attention by an eye doctor to avoid or minimize permanent vision loss."

"Polarized sunglasses always have been very popular among people who spend a lot of time near water. And for good reason polarized lenses block glare from light reflecting off the surface of the water better than any other types of sunglass lenses."

"Blurry vision is often one of the first warning signs of diabetes. Your vision may be blurry because fluid is leaking into the lens of your eye. This makes the lens swell and change shape. Those changes make it hard for your eyes to focus, so things start to look fuzzy."

"Contact lenses have come a long way and offer some exciting options. You can bat a pair of baby blues one day, then flash golden tiger eyes the next. You can even toss disposable lenses in the trash each night."