Here are some of the most frequently asked questions patients have about their vision and general eye health issues. If you have any other questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, we would love to hear from you.
My vision is great; I have no problems. Is there any reason to have my vision checked?
Many serious eye diseases often have little or no symptoms until they are well developed. The only way to diagnose a problem early in such a case is to schedule periodic eye exams. This is the best way to preserve the clearest vision possible for life.
How often should I have an eye exam?
Eye exams are recommended periodically, with the interval differing for various age groups. In the first three years of infancy, a child should have vision checked along with normal pediatric checkups. Between the ages of three and six (the most crucial period of eye development) an eye exam should be scheduled every year or two. After that period, until adulthood, exams should be scheduled as necessary. During the twenties one should have at least one exam. During the thirties one should have at least two exams. In the forties, fifties, and early sixties, one should schedule an exam every two to four years. For seniors, an exam every year or two is recommended. In addition to these basic guidelines, people with a family history of eye problems, those monitoring a diagnosed eye disease, or those with certain high risk diseases such as diabetes, it is recommended that exams should be performed at least once a year. Regular eye exams are the best way to keep you seeing your world clearly.
What types of services do you offer?
A range of eye care services including glasses and contact lens prescriptions, eye health exams, diagnosing and treating a variety of eye diseases, along with cosmetic plastic surgery, LASIK, and dedicated hearing services audiologist.
I’m interested in getting rid of glasses and/or contact lenses. What are my options?
Depends on your age and type of prescription eyeglass you have. Young people in their 20’s to 50’s can be good candidates for LASIK or PRK to correct their distance vision. Older patients have the option of refractive lens exchange which can help both with distance and reading vision. Ask your doctor for specifics.
What’s an ophthalmologist versus an optometrist?
An ophthalmologist is a doctor of medicine who graduates medical school followed by at least 4 years of post-graduate residency training who not only is knowledgeable about eye disease and surgery but understands the various other systemic diseases that can interact and involve the eyes. An optometrist is a doctor of optometry who has had at least 4 years of optometry school and is trained in dispensing prescriptions for eye glasses and contacts and here at Vision Institute of Michigan co-manages post-cataract surgery patients and treats mild eye conditions in conjunction with the ophthalmologist.
I don’t feel that I have any problems hearing. Should I still get my hearing tested?
Yes. Physicians and Audiologists recommend anyone age 55 and older get their hearing tested annually. Even if your test does show normal hearing, it is necessary to have a baseline hearing test so that it can be monitored as needed throughout the years. An undetected and untreated hearing loss only gets worse with time. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The brain needs to hear speech in order to process speech. The longer a hearing loss goes untreated, the less stimulation your brain receives and the less practice it gets at converting sounds into meaningful language.
The Audiologist will make appropriate recommendations based on your individual test results. This could be as simple and easy as utilizing communication strategies. Even if you decide not to do anything or treat your hearing loss right away if one has been found, at least you will have all the information you need to make a decision for yourself for the future.
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