A Holiday Wish List from your Developmental Optometrist

Dr. Spokas hopes that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season. She would like to share some of her wishes for her patients and future patients.

An Annual Eye Exam:
Yes we enjoy seeing your smiling faces, but an annual eye exam is about more than just seeing those grins on the other side of the refractor.

An annual eye exam allows optometrists to check your vision, rule out any significant issues, adjust prescriptions, and make recommendations for further evaluation if it is warranted. While you may not notice any big changes year to year in your vision, your optometrist can often provide recommendations to make your life easier.

More than that, though, your optometrist likes seeing you each year to help you learn about your vision, and help you make positive changes that will impact your eye health. For instance, did you know that quitting smoking can reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration?

Just like an annual check up with your primary care physician or a flu shot, an annual trip to the optometrist can help you learn about your eye health. With more information, you can make better decisions about your vision and your overall health.

Consider a Functional Vision Exam for your Child:
Dr. Spokas sees a lot of children who have challenges in school. Did you know some vision problems are easily confused with behavioral issues or learning disabilities? A child with vision related learning difficulties might look like a child with ADHD. A functional vision exam with a developmental optometrist can help identify any issues with vision that go beyond the typical eye exam. In a traditional eye exam, 20/20 vision is assessed and issues of visual clarity are the focus.

By contrast, functional vision exams will explore the way the eyes team together to see, the way binocular vision works, the ability of the eye muscles to control where the eye looks or focuses, and other tests of “real world” eye mechanics. By evaluating this information, the Clarendon Vision team can identify whether a child (or adult!) could be helped by vision therapy. Take a look at some of our case studies about children whose school challenges were resolved with vision therapy.

Prioritize Your Eye Health
Like all medical providers, Dr. Spokas wants the best for her patients. In that regard, she hopes all patients will make their eye health a priority. And the information she has to share is going to sound similar to what you hear from your other healthcare providers. Get adequate sleep, nutrition, and reduce stress, all of which will contribute positively to your vision. Raise any concerns as soon as they come up so that Dr. Spokas can rule out serious issues and answer your questions. Don’t put off preventive care like regular eye checks for yourself and your family members. And most importantly, have a safe and happy holiday season!

Here at Clarendon Vision we have been providing vision guidance and vision therapy since 2002. With so many years in practice, we’ve developed our expertise in numerous ways to bring the best vision possible to you or your child. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (630) 323-7300 or request an appointment online.