Human beings rely on sight more than any of our other primary senses to observe and navigate the world around us. Our eyes are almost miraculous in their function – taking in light and focusing it on a highly specialized group of cells that detect that light and send images back to our brains almost instantaneously.
Maintaining optical health is vital for preserving eyesight. In addition to the many potential diseases and other conditions that can affect our eyesight, refractive errors require as many as two billion people around the world to wear corrective lenses or undergo corrective surgery in order to enjoy clear vision.
When you’re choosing the professionals who will help you monitor and maintain good eye health, you have several options. You can choose to find an ophthalmologist and an optometrist with independent practices, and an optician unconnected to either of your eye doctors, or you can choose a complete eye care center where you can have eye conditions treated, refractive errors corrected, and corrective lenses made all in one place.
For the most convenience, an eye care center is how most people receive eye care today. Here are some things you should be looking for when you choose a complete eye care center.
Choose a Complete Eye Care Center With an Ophthalmologist
Many “eye care centers” are really just optical shops with an optometrist on staff to do regular eye exams and correct refractive errors. If a patient shows up with a severe eye condition, such as cataracts or glaucoma, these facilities can’t provide beneficial treatment options. They have to refer patients to a third-party ophthalmologist or ophthalmologic surgeon.
When your complete eye care center has an ophthalmology staff, you can receive expert care for medical conditions of the eye right there on site. If your eye condition requires further subspecialists, such as a retina specialist or neurologist, your ophthalmologist can connect you with a trusted physician who can provide the care you need.
Choose a Complete Eye Care Center With a Surgical Suite
The quality, ease, and cost of corrective surgeries mean that more and more patients are able to live their lives without requiring contacts or eyeglasses. Many of these common procedures can be done on an outpatient basis, right in the ophthalmologic surgeon’s office.
When you choose a complete eye care center with a surgical suite, should you someday need a corrective surgery such as a LASEK procedure, implantable collamer lens, or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), you’ll be able to receive it in-house without being admitted to a hospital.
Choose a Complete Eye Care Center With an In-House Optician or Optical Shop
By the time they reach age 65, most people will require some type of refractive correction. In most cases, that refractive correction will be made with corrective lenses of some sort: eyeglasses or contacts.
With an optical shop or in-house optician, a complete eye care center can help you select the right eyeglasses or contacts for your needs. For eyeglass wearers, they’ll have a selection of different frames to choose from to help you look your best and can offer special lenses to help you see your best. Options may include:
- Prescription safety lenses for people who frequently need eye protection
- Specially-coated lenses that resist scratching and other damage
- Prescription sunglasses in a variety of different tints and polarization to fit your activities
- Light-sensitive lenses that darken in sunlight
If you choose contacts, the in-house optical shop can help you choose from several different types of contact lenses. If you choose a disposable lens, they’ll work with you to ensure that you always have a fresh set of contacts ready to go when you need it.
Choose a Complete Eye Care Center With Experience
Your eye care is essential, and you should trust eye care professionals with a broad base of experience in helping people maintain healthy vision. An eye care center whose team has worked together for a number of years has established excellent communication between different practice areas and is better equipped to help you navigate the sometimes complex world of eye care.
Choose a Complete Eye Care Center Near You
If you enjoy 20/20 vision with no eye health concerns right now, you may not consider this to be an important point. But as you age and your vision starts to weaken, you’ll breathe easier knowing that your entire eye care team is right around the corner, not scattered all over the map or in some distant city.
Even if you only have a mild refractive error, you’ll need to make at least a couple of visits to your optometrist and optical shop each year to keep your prescription up to date. If you have any more complicated eye issues, you could find yourself needing to schedule monthly appointments, and having an office nearby will save you a ton of hassle.
Let Eyesight Associates Be Your Complete Eye Care Center!
From basic and comprehensive eye exams to surgical procedures, including LASEK and PRK, Eyesight Associates is Middle Georgia’s and Coastal Georgia’s choice for optical health. With eight locations around the midstate and the Golden Isles, we’re always close at hand to help you maintain clear vision! Call to learn more or make an appointment: 478-923-5872.
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