Question:
I just attended a free vision screening at the local
health fair. Do I still have to see my eye doctor for a routine
examination or follow- up visit?
Answer:
Screening examinations, conducted as a public service in
the community at local hospitals and health fairs, routinely
measure visual acuity, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood
sugar level and even intraocular pressure. By doing so, serious
health conditions such as high blood pressure,
diabetes, cataract and glaucoma can sometimes
be detected. However, these free screening examinations ARE
NOT A SUBSTITUTE for routine, comprehensive examinations by
your own eye care provider. Also, patients who are known to
have ocular disorders, including but not limited to, cataract,
glaucoma and macular degeneration SHOULD NOT SUBSTITUTE a
free screening examination for a regularly scheduled office
visit with their doctor.
Screening eye examinations serve to uncover previously undetected
vision disorders that can potentially threaten one’s
vision. Adults over age 65 and children under age 20 should
have routine eye health examinations annually. All other patients
with normal vision may be examined every other year. Please
contact us for a routine, comprehensive
examinations if you have any further questions about your
vision, life’s most precious sense!
How We See
 The
human eye is the organ which gives us the sense of sight,
allowing us to learn more about the surrounding world than
any of the other five senses. We use our eyes in almost everything
we do, whether reading, working, watching television, writing
a letter, driving a car, and countless other activities. Sight
is the most precious of the five senses, and many people fear
blindness more than any other disability. The eye allows us
to see and interpret the shapes, colors, and dimensions of
objects in the world by processing the light they reflect
or give off. The eye is able to see in dim light or bright
light, but it cannot see an object when light is absent. The
eye changes light rays into electrical signals then sends
them to the brain, which interprets these electrical signals
as visual images. The eyeball is set in a protective cone-shaped
cavity in the skull called the orbit or socket and measures
approximately one inch in diameter. The orbit is surrounded
by layers of soft, fatty tissue which protect the eye and
enable it to turn easily. Six muscles regulate the motion
of the eye. Among the more important parts of the human eye
are the iris, cornea, lens, retina, conjunctiva, the macula,
and the optic nerve.
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