Comprehensive Eye Exams
At NY Ophthalmology, we perform all ranges of comprehensive general ophthalmology services. Refractions (measurements for glasses) are performed using state-of-the-art computerized autorefractometers. Measurements are then personally fine-tuned by our experienced staff to achieve the most accurate measurement for your eyes.
We see children of all ages and perform vision exams to test for eye glasses, strabismus and lazy eyes. We also offer soft and toric (astigmatic) contact lenses. We see patients for corneal, eyelid, retinal and neurological problems related to the eye.
We see eye emergencies promptly. We manage patients with corneal foreign bodies, eye infections, corneal abrasions, red eyes, eyelid lacerations, and other eye emergencies.
Our friendly, experienced staff, in conjunction with our top notch equipment, will assist in addressing all your eye needs, and achieving the best results for you eye health.
Prescription Glasses
At NY Ophthalmology, we utilize a variety of tests to ensure the health of our patients’ eyes. The tests include eye chart exams, glasses and contact lens fitting, intraocular measurements, and evaluation with specialized microscopes. We also check for symptoms of potentially dangerous eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. We believe that our job is to not only correct vision problems, but also safeguard against potential problems before they actually occur.
In addition to vision correction procedures, we also offer fittings for traditional glasses and contact lenses. We offer many different brands of contact lenses and frames, including specialty lenses designed to specifically correct vision problems such as presbyopia, astigmatism, and irregular corneas. Our goal is to find an attractive, comfortable, and effective way of correcting your vision.
Contact Lenses: Evaluation, fitting, and contacts lenses
A regular eye exam is a comprehensive analysis of your visual and eye health systems. It does not include any of the contact lens fitting process. Additional measurements of the eye and more extensive evaluation of corneal health must be done before a contact lens fitting is completed. One of the steps in arriving at an accurate contact lens prescription is placing diagnostic lenses on your eyes and evaluating how they fit and how well you see. To insure the safety and health of your eyes, your doctor will most likely require one or more follow up visits after you’ve worn the lenses for a period of time before the final contact lens prescription is determined.
It is important that contact lens patients be seen at least once a year by their eye doctor. Annual eye health evaluations by your eye doctor can pick up small problems with your eyes or vision that you can’t feel or see. Unlike glasses, contact lenses are foreign objects that rest and move around on the surface of the eye, therefore there is a higher potential for serious eye problems. Additionally, changes in your health, medications, home or work environment can affect the way a contact lens interacts with your eye health.
Glaucoma Evaluation and Treatment
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It occurs when the pressure inside the eye rises, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. The condition often develops over many years without causing pain or other noticeable symptoms – so you may not experience vision loss until the disease has progressed.
Symptoms that you could be developing glaucoma include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, halo effects around lights, and painful or reddened eyes. People at high risk include those who are over the age of 40, diabetic, near-sighted, African-American, or who have a family history of glaucoma.
To detect glaucoma, your physician will test your visual acuity and visual field as well as the pressure in your eye. Regular eye exams help to monitor the changes in your eyesight and to determine whether you may develop glaucoma. Once diagnosed, glaucoma can be controlled. Treatments to lower pressure in the eye include non-surgical methods such as prescription eye drops and medications, laser therapy, and surgery.
Cataract Evaluation and Treatment
Over fifty percent of people over the age of 60, and quite a few younger than that, suffer from cataracts. In fact, cataracts are so common it is said that everyone will develop a cataract if they live long enough.
A cataract is a progressive clouding of the eye’s natural lens that interferes with light passing through to the retina. Sufferers usually describe the condition as being similar to looking through a waterfall, or a piece of wax paper, with a gradual blurring or dimming of vision.
Reading may become more difficult and driving a car can actually become dangerous. Cataract sufferers may also be troubled by bothersome glare, halos around lights, or even double vision. And as the cataract becomes worse, frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions may become necessary.
Treatments for Cataracts
Currently there is no medical treatment to reverse or prevent the development of cataracts. Once they form, there is only one way to achieve clear vision again, and that is to physically remove the cataract from the eye and insert a clear artificial lens. Today, this condition can be corrected surgically on an outpatient basis.
Retinal Exams
The retina is the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of our eye. Light rays are focused onto the retina through our cornea, pupil and lens. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that travel through the optic nerve to our brain, where they are interpreted as the images we see.
At NY Ophthalmology, we take great care in diagnosing and treating problems and diseases of the retina including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that affects diabetic people and eventually leads to blurry, distorted vision and blindness. When people suffer from diabetes they may often have unstable glucose levels and they are prone to circulation problems in the back of the eye, known as the retina. The retina is a very sensitive part of the eye that is responsible for interpreting the images that you see and then transmitting these images to the brain. In the case that someone is diabetic they may experience a restriction on the flow of blood through the vessels within the retina. When this restriction occurs swelling, bleeding and even hemorrhaging may result. Aside from the threat of blood, sometimes fluid can collect under the retina-this problem is known as macular edema.
Many diabetic patients can have diabetic retinopathy without knowing it. Usually, there is no pain and no outward sign. Over time, you may notice gradual blurring or some vision loss. Symptoms may come and go. If diabetic retinopathy is severe, you may have clouded vision or blindness. You should have regular eye exams to help your doctor detect changes in your eyes before your vision is damaged. Treatment may help slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy and sometimes can restore lost vision. Your treatment depends on your condition, but may include frequent exams to monitor your condition, laser treatment, surgery or other procedures.
Macular Degeneration.
Many people are not aware that age-related macular degeneration, often called ARMD, is the leading cause of blindness in the world. If vision is lost, it might never be regained. According to the eye-health organization, Prevent Blindness America, some 13 million Americans have evidence of ARMD. The disease attacks and breaks down the macula, the light-sensitive part of the retina responsible for the sharp, direct vision needed to read or drive. This damages the retina and the part of your vision that is critical for your central vision. Macular degeneration is more common in people over age 60-65 years old, and females get the disease more often than males. Most cases of macular degeneration are related to aging, but it also can occur as a side effect of some drugs, and it appears to run in families. Macular degeneration can produce a slow or sudden painless loss of vision similar to that with the glaucoma eye disease. If straight lines look abstract and vision begins to seem fuzzy, or there are shadowy areas in central vision, it may indicate early signs of age-related macular degeneration.
Retinal Photography and Retinal Imaging
We offer a High Resolution Retinal Photography, which uses a computer-integrated digital imaging system to record a detailed view of the retina. Since nothing touches the eye, photo-documentation is painless. This digital image provides an excellent reference point for future comparisons.
Retinal photography assists in the detection and management of problems such as diabetic changes, hypertensive retinopathy, macular degeneration, optic nerve disease, and retinal holes or thinning.
We recommend that all our patients receive this test. It is especially important for people with a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, retinal diseases, flashing lights, floaters, headaches, or a strong glasses prescription.
This digital image will be a permanent record in your file and is very valuable for present and future diagnosis. It is an important component of the current health of your eye and for safeguarding the health of specific structures of your eye such as the retina, optic nerve, macula, and blood vessels. It will also serve as a baseline – an initial point from which to compare, as we follow your health in subsequent years.
Comprehensive, Advanced Ophthalmologic Care
At NY Ophthalmology, we offer comprehensive, advanced ophthalmologic care for our patients with a variety of common optical problems, as well as complex eye disorders. Patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, require the care and commitment of an ophthalmologist with specialized skills and equipment to properly diagnose and treat their eyes. At NY Ophthalmology, we are qualified to treat advanced eye diseases and disorders including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment and many othe