It’s The Month of Love! Here’s How We View This Concept!

During the month of February, we spend a few weeks building our focus on the topic of love and a few weeks riding high on the waves created by that focus. While there are fun aspects to the whole concept of Valentine’s Day as a way to reconnect with our romantic partners, we can also take time to look at love through a different lens. Here, we want to discuss the many ways in which you can engage in some self-love by taking care of your eyes. You don’t have to schedule your visit at our Chicago area office immediately, but you can begin understanding why it matters that you see an ophthalmologist at some point, hopefully at some point this year! Even if it seems as though your vision is adequate, there are ophthalmology services that may be beneficial to your overall health and wellness.

 Annual Eye Exam

Seeing an optometrist every few years to check your vision is a start, but it is only a glimpse into your eye health as a whole. An ophthalmologist performs a variety of simple, painless tests during a comprehensive exam. These tests evaluate the most important structures of the eyes, each of which could be changing without causing symptoms. For example, your ophthalmologist may perform a brief test that measures the pressure inside each eye. This is referred to as intraocular pressure. An abnormal increase in this pressure could indicate a risk for or the onset of glaucoma, an eye disease that does not present symptoms outside of vision loss. If you would describe your vision as good or normal but have not yet scheduled your comprehensive exam with an ophthalmologist, you’re missing out on the opportunity to show your eyes the utmost love.

Laser Vision Treatments

Laser technologies have vastly improved the way that many doctors provide care. In our specialty, ophthalmologists frequently incorporate various laser techniques into common procedures. For example, LASIK vision correction works by reshaping abnormal corneas with laser energy. Cataract surgeries, as well, are often performed using laser devices.

Cataracts

Cataracts represent one of the most common eye diseases among middle-aged and older adults. This condition occurs when tiny particles of protein start to accumulate on the lens of the eye. Often, only one eye develops cataracts, at least at one time. Eventually, a person may require cataract surgery in each eye. While cataracts do not cause vision loss, this condition can severely impair vision. Fortunately, cataract removal replaces the clouded lens with an ultra-thin artificial lens that is resistant to protein buildup. Some of the replacement lenses, called IOLs, available today have the potential of correcting various vision disruptions, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Diabetic Eye Care

People with diabetes face a number of additional health risks due to the effects of chronically elevated blood sugar. Some of these relate to weakness in small blood vessels. This particular concern is seen in conditions like diabetic retinopathy, in which the small blood vessels around the retina leak as a result of weakness. If you have diabetes, it is important to schedule a thorough eye exam with your ophthalmologist every year.

We are proud to provide friendly, professional eye care from our office in Skokie, IL. Contact us today at 847-677-2794 to schedule a visit where we can show your eyes some love.