Dr. Christopher Kuc Stresses Importance of Eye Exams
We’ve all heard that routine eye exams are important, but just how important are they? To answer this question, we recently sat down with Dr. Christopher Kuc, an optometrist on our staff, to gain a little insight into eye exams performed at Chester County Eye Care Associates. Read our eye exam Q&A with Dr. Kuc below.
Question: How often should patients receive an eye exam?
Dr. Kuc: I recommend an annual eye exam for most patients. When patients are healthy, under age 60, and have no ocular problems, I will sometimes suggest every two years.
Q: How would you convince someone who believes they have good vision that it is still essential to receive a regular exam?
DK: There are many diseases that can affect the eye of even the healthiest individuals. For example, glaucoma is a disease that many times has no symptoms until you have permanently lost vision. High eye pressure leads to glaucoma in most cases. No health care provider checks your eye pressure other than your eye doctor.
Q: How do you conduct an exam?
DK: First, a medical history is taken as it relates to the eye. We then check your visual acuity one eye at a time. Neurologic and muscle function of the eyes are tested while assessing the eye externally with a penlight and cover paddle (occluder). A new glasses prescription may or may not be checked at this time. We then examine the anterior surface of the eye with a microscope and check the eye pressure. Here we may see signs of dryness, glaucoma, or cataracts. At this time dilation drops are normally administered. Once the pupil is dilated, we examine the posterior chamber of the eye. We look at the optic nerve, blood vessels, and macular region of the retina for signs of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetes, to name only a few.
Q: If an issue is detected during an exam, how do you proceed?
DK: For routine refractive problems, I will prescribe glasses or contact lenses. If contact lens training is needed, a second appointment is always scheduled. If risk for eye disease is detected, depending on what the problem is and how urgently care is needed, some screening tests can be performed the same day. Usually, I will bring the patient back for further testing such as visual fields, photographs, or special imaging of the eye. In emergency situations, consultations will many times happen on the same day within the office with the appropriate eye care specialist. If the eye problem is not urgent, I will have a patient return within a week or two for consultation or second opinion.
Q: Is there anything else you want patients to know about eye exams at Chester County Eye Care Associates?
DK: We try to screen every aspect of the health of the eye and visual system during our comprehensive eye exam. There is no sense more precious than your vision, so we do everything we can to help our patients retain a lifetime of clear vision and healthy eyes.
Contact Chester County Eye Care Associates
For more information about the importance of eye exams, or to schedule an eye exam with one of our experienced eye doctors, please contact Chester County Eye Care Associates today.
