We truly believe in routine eye examinations so that you can see as clearly as possible. Once you have to get glasses or contacts, it is even more important to watch the health of your eyes. You also need routine checks to ensure your prescription has not changed.
To ensure good eye health and vision, we are very proud to offer the following services:
Cataracts
Cataracts cause a clouding of the lens in the eye, making your vision appear to be foggy. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over 40. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. Cataract surgery is one of the most common outpatient surgeries in the United States.
There are many types of cataracts. The most common type is caused by natural aging changes and UV rays. Trauma, certain medical conditions (i.e. diabetes, allergic conditions), and select medications (i.e. steroids) can cause cataracts to happen sooner.
Typically, cataracts grow very slowly and symptoms occur gradually. You may notice vision becoming blurry, increased trouble seeing while driving at night, and difficulty reading in low light conditions. It is important to return for annual eye exams to monitor the presence and/or progression of cataracts.
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Comprehensive Eye Exams
On average, we recommend scheduling an appointment every one to two years to ensure your eyes are remaining healthy. If you have been diagnosed with an eye condition, however, you may need to come in more often than once a year.
There is much more to a comprehensive eye exam than simply updating your glasses or contact lens prescription. During your appointment, we will review your medical history, take your visual acuity, perform preliminary tests, and evaluate the overall health of your eyes. With every exam, you will also be screened for cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Dilation is an important part of a comprehensive eye examination. Dilation eye drops temporarily make the pupil bigger so the doctor can see all of the back of your eye (the retina). Our doctors will consider your ocular health, age, and family history to determine how often dilation is necessary for you. Typically, side effects only last 3 hours and we provide sunglasses in case you forget to bring yours to the appointment.
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Computer Vision
Computer Vision is a relatively new term within the optometry field. It refers to eye problems associated with the prolonged use of computers and electronics that utilize a digital screen. Although it is normally temporary, computer vision can strain the eyes to a degree that permanently affects your vision. An existing eye condition can worsen as the eyes try to focus and adjust to a computer screen. Precautions, such as blue light glasses, should be taken if you spend long hours in front of a computer screen. To help your eyes rest, it is also important to take breaks from the computer screen.
If you have been experiencing blurry vision, dry eyes, eye strain, headaches, neck or back pain, try adjusting the lighting, posture, and the distance in front of your computer screen. If computer vision symptoms persist, call us to request an appointment, we will perform a full evaluation.
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Contact Lenses
Nowadays, most people prefer to wear contacts instead of glasses. If you are interested in contact lenses, please let your eye doctor know prior to your appointment. During your exam, we will discuss the various contact lenses available, and determine the best option based on your individual needs and lifestyle. At Cutlerville Eyecare, we offer daily, biweekly, and monthly contact lenses. Our doctors are able to fit you in soft, rigid, or colored contact lenses.
Contact lenses are medical devices and should be treated as such. Wearing contact lenses increases the likelihood of eye infections. It is important to properly clean and replace your contact lenses as your doctor instructs. It is also important to never sleep in your contact lenses.
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Diabetic Eye Care
If you have diabetes, it is important to get a comprehensive diabetic eye exam at least once a year. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can cause your eyes to fluctuate as well. If your blood sugar and A1C are not at a healthy level, your eye’s health could be in danger.
The doctors at Cutlerville Eyecare are able to assess your retinal health in relation to your diabetes. Every year, we will perform a dilated eye exam and send a report to your primary care doctor and/or endocrinologist.
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Digital Retina Imaging
Using a digital camera system, our optometrists at Cutlerville Eyecare can clearly see and examine your retina, located at the back of your eye. This examination is critical to monitoring the health of your eye as well as to the early detection of many medical problems. The pictures generated through retinal imaging helps us identify problems with your vision, and can also help diagnose other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, or even brain tumors.
Dry Eye Treatment
Cutlerville Eyecare is proud to offer dry eye treatment for our patients. Ocular Surface Disease, also known as dry eye, can occur from certain medications, natural aging, or as a symptom of systemic diseases (such as Sjogren’s syndrome, Rheumatoid arthritis, or Lupus). There are many types of dry eye: not making enough tears, making poor quality tears, or draining tears off the surface of the eye too quickly. After an eye examination, your doctor will be able to tailor a treatment plan for you, based off which type of dry eye you have.
Mild dry eye symptoms include irritation, excessive tearing, fluctuating vision, and a burning sensation in your eyes. If dry eye goes untreated, it has the potential to damage the clear tissue on the front part of your eye (the cornea). This is important because scarring can occur, leaving the tissue no longer clear and permanently blurred vision.
Emergency Care
Here at Cutlerville Eyecare, we are here for you in the case of an eye emergency. There are times when you may need immediate care for your eyes. Any time that you experience trauma to your eyes, you need to be seen. If you get something in your eye, especially chemicals and foreign objects, you should call to be seen immediately. This will limit the potential damage to your eye. If you have symptoms of an eye infection, do not wear your contact lenses until you are seen by one of our optometrists.
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Frames
There are many different styles, shapes, and materials to choose from when picking out the best frames for your lenses. This can sometimes be an overwhelming and difficult decision, but at Cutlerville Eyecare, we are happy to help you find the best frames for your specific wants and needs. Although frames are primarily a style choice, they are also affected by prescription strength. High-index prescriptions may limit which frames can support your lenses, but our friendly opticians are happy to help you find the right solution!
Frame material is also an important factor when choosing your frames. For our patients with metal allergies, we offer several options in alternative frame materials, such as plastic or acetate. Since plastic and acetate frames are generally not adjustable, it is crucial to get the proper fit. For those with sensitive skin, stainless steel frames are also an option, as it tends to be less irritating than other metals. Titanium is another alternative, and they are incredibly lightweight, durable, and hypoallergenic.
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Glaucoma
Glaucoma occurs from damage to the eye’s optic nerve, typically due to high eye pressure. This can lead to loss of vision and blindness. To detect glaucoma, our highly trained doctors will perform a proper screening to examine the damage, determine severity, and help you manage your glaucoma. At Cutlerville Eyecare, we have special testing equipment for glaucoma, such as an OCT, visual field machine, and retinal imaging. Glaucoma cannot be diagnosed or treated without these important testing devices.
Early detection of glaucoma is crucial in preventing vision loss and blindness; the earlier the better. However, there is no official cure for glaucoma. There are several treatment options to slow down the process. Treatment for glaucoma will vary depending on the stage and severity for each individual patient.
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Hard To Fit Contact Lenses
Do you find wearing contact lenses impossible? Are your regular contacts painful or constantly uncomfortable? You are not alone. Due to a variety of factors such as individual eye shape, specific conditions, impairments, or the aftermath of surgery, some patients are considered to have more difficulty wearing contacts than others.
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Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory disorder that affects the cornea. The cornea becomes thinned and steepened, resulting in distorted vision, sensitivity to light, and decreased vision. Symptoms typically first appear between teenage years and late 20s.
Keratoconus can affect a person’s ability to read and drive, which can be a major obstacle for people. Luckily, this is a condition that can be diagnosed through a routine eye exam. This shows the importance of scheduling regular eye exams for you and your children. In the early stages of keratoconus, glasses and soft contact lenses can help. In the later stages, hard contact lenses and preventative surgeries are better options.
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LASIK Co-Management
LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis, and is a popular surgery to correct vision problems. LASIK can help people who are nearsighted or farsighted, as well those who have astigmatism. There are other refractive surgeries that are similar to LASIK as well. Your doctor will help determine which is best for you.
LASIK works by reshaping the cornea with a laser, which allows light to be correctly focused onto the retina. A laser is used to create a small flap in the cornea, which is peeled back so another laser can reshape the cornea. The flap is placed back down and the surgery is complete.
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Macular Degeneration
The macula is the center portion of the back of your eye (the retina). It is responsible for your clearest and most central vision. With macular degeneration, the macula starts to deteriorate and cause a loss of central vision. Certain factors increase your risk for macular degeneration, such as genetics, cigarette smoking, and age.
Most people have dry macular degeneration. This typically entails an eye exam every 4-12 months. The most severe type of macular degeneration is referred to as “wet”. This is when the macula starts to grow new blood vessels, which results in a large, permanent decrease in vision.
Annual eye exams can help catch macular degeneration in the early stages. Currently, there is no treatment. However, multiple methods of prevention and management are being studied and used. The doctors at Cutlerville Eyecare are able to use special testing equipment (such as retinal imaging and OCT) to track the progression and manage your macular degeneration.
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Myopia Management
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a condition that is on the rise in large part because electronic devices have become more and more common in our homes, classrooms, and workspaces. Constant strain with prolonged time on electronic devices and “near work” causes the shape of our eyes to elongate and become more nearsighted. Most progression occurs during our childhood and teenage years.
The majority of nearsighted patients can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. In some cases, the eye elongates too much, and the structure of the eye can begin to break down. With this breakdown, there is an increased risk of several diseases that can cause vision loss such as retinal detachments, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration.
At Cutlerville Eyecare, we offer special contact lenses (MiSight) and eye drops (low dose atropine) to slow down myopic progression of young people. Both of the methods demonstrate roughly a 50% reduction in progression of nearsightedness. Prevention is most effective when it is started early, ideally around elementary school age. If you are interested in discussing this in further detail, call to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Bieszczad.
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Pediatric Eye Exams
Here at Cutlerville Eyecare, we are proud to offer pediatric eye examinations. Children should have their first eye exam around the age of twelve months. If the first exam finds that their eyes are healthy, they won’t need another appointment until they are between the age of two and three.
Although many schools offer annual eye exams, they are not complete visual exams and the results can be inaccurate. For this reason, you should schedule yearly or bi-yearly examinations to ensure that your child’s eyes are healthy and that he or she can see clearly.
The early years of your child’s life is when it is most important to rule out eye turns, unequal prescriptions between the eyes, congenital cataracts, and even rare ocular tumors. If a child is not able to see clearly while they are developing, it could impact the neural signals from the eyes to the brain for the rest of their life. This is referred to as amblyopia, and it preventable with early eye exams and intervention.
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Sunglasses
Sunglasses are designed to protect your eyes from sunlight. While all tinted lenses help to protect your eyes from sunlight, some will protect your eyes better than others. Sunglasses with lenses that block ultraviolet sunlight are the best option. Although sunglasses can be expensive, there are many affordable brands that provide great protection from harmful sunlight. If you are interested in finding the best brand of sunglasses for your lifestyle, we can help you find them.
We have a variety of options for you to choose from that will comfortably fit your face and let you enjoy the warm weather in style. Prescription lenses can be applied to most sunglasses. We can help you order a specific brand if we don’t have them in the store.
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