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PEDIATRIC EXAMS
Have your childs' eyes examined with us.
Pediatric Eye Exams in Edmonton - FAQ
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1. What can I expect during a complete eye exam?A complete eye exam is performed to assess and correct your vision and diagnose ocular diseases. It includes a comprehensive vision test to determine your prescription for eyewear, an ocular motility exam to test eye movements and an assessment of your overall eye health. Following the exam, you’ll receive information on your eye health status and advice on the best eyewear options if applicable. On average, the exam takes 20 minutes.
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2. What can I expect from a Dilation Exam?A dilated fundus exam (DFE) is used to detect a number of common eye disorders, including macular degeneration and glaucoma. During the DFE, your eye doctor will administer drops that relax the iris muscles and widen the pupils. This will provide the doctor with a better view of the back of the eye. The average exam length, including the time it takes for the drops to take effect, is 30 minutes. The dilation can last four to eight hours, so patients are advised to have a driver.
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3. What can I expect from a contact lens assessment?A contact lens assessment can be provided in addition to a complete eye exam upon request. The contact lens assessment is used to determine which type and fit of contact lens are ideal for you. The doctor will also provide detailed advice on lens care.
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4. How often should I get my eyes tested?In general, our clinic adheres to the following guidelines for eye exams: Healthy adults: every two years Contact lens wearers: yearly Seniors and children: yearly Diabetics or those with other ocular diseases: yearly dilations However, everyone has different needs for their eyes, so it’s recommended that you consult us for personalized advice.
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6. Why do some people require more frequent eye exams?Certain individuals are at higher risk of eye disease and therefore need to have their eyes examined more frequently. You should get your eyes checked on at least a yearly basis if: You wear contact lenses You’ve had an eye injury in the past Your eyesight gets worse over time You have a family history of eye disease You have diabetes Ask your eye doctor about additional risk factors for eye disease.
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7. What are the signs that it’s time for an eye exam?If you have any of the following symptoms, don’t wait to get your eyes tested: Eye strain. If your eyes quickly become tired when you’re reading, or if you get headaches due to squinting, you likely require glasses or need to update your prescription. Blurred vision. Blurred vision is a sign of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. If distant objects appear blurry, you may be nearsighted. If nearby objects appear blurry, you may be farsighted. However, if you have difficulty perceiving both nearby and distant objects, you may be suffering from astigmatism. Light sensitivity. If normal light levels seem bright and cause discomfort, you should have your eyes tested. A variety of eye disorders and infections are linked to light sensitivity. Double vision. This problem may be caused by abnormalities in the cornea, lens, retina or nerves. It may also be linked to astigmatism, keratoconus or dry eye. Eye infection. If your eyes are red, swollen, itchy and/or producing a discharge and you’ve ruled out allergies, you may be dealing with an eye infection. Poor night vision. If you’re having increased difficulty seeing at night (for example, when driving after dusk), you may be experiencing the onset of cataracts. An eye exam is the first step to diagnosing and treating these and various other eye problems.
Proper eyes care is an important part of your child’s development and can sometimes be overlooked or seen as unimportant. If left unchecked, impaired vision in your child can lead to falling behind in class, confidence issues, acting out, or, at worse, medical conditions arising without you knowing. Make sure you contact your pediatric optometrist in Edmonton to book an appointment before that happens.
A child should receive their first eye exam at 6 months old, again at 3, and then at 5 or six to ensure they’re not dealing with any visual impairment as they start school. This is the time that foundations for critical skills are being built and a child dealing with vision impairments may not be able to complete tasks they’re asked to or can’t fully concentrate on the tasks at hand and fall behind. If your child is acting out, you’re hearing from their teachers that they’re not willing or are avoiding reading in class, or your child is having headaches or have little to no attention span for visual tasks, you might want to get their eyesight tested by booking a pediatric eye exam with your Edmonton pediatric optometrist as soon as possible. They may require something as simple as a pair of glasses or something a little more complex such as eye therapy or surgery.
Eye and Vision Issues that Might Affect your Child
Amblyopia: Commonly known as “lazy eye,” this shows up as decreased vision in one or both of the eyes without any damage or eye health problems. Treatment may include a patch on the dominant eye in order to strengthen the weaker eye.
Strabismus: Misalignment of the eyes. Sometimes caused by a congenital defect to the muscles around the eye in charge of movement and positioning. May require surgery depending on severity and cause.
Convergence insufficiency: Inability to comfortably keep an eye aligned when reading or any near tasks. Often successfully treated with vision therapy and eye exercises.
Focusing problems: Also called accommodating problems, this is trouble changing from near to far focus or vice versa, or trouble maintaining focus for reading. Often successfully treated with vision therapy and eye exercises.
Eye teaming problems: More subtle than strabismus and can cause depth perception and coordination problems.
If you suspect your child may have any of these issues, call your pediatric optometrist in Edmonton to book an appointment today!
Comprehensive Pediatric Eye Exams in Edmonton
When booking an eye exam, it’s best to book for a time that your child is generally happy and alert in order to get their cooperation and best results. The exam will typically involve taking your child’s medical history, a vision test, eye alignment testing, and eye health examination.
Some things for you to look out for in your child are:
If you notice more than one of these, and haven’t already, it’s time to book a pediatric eye exam with your Edmonton pediatric optometrist today!
Vision Problems in Children
Take a look at the following eye problems faced by children:
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Colour vision: Testing for colour vision is important to better understand a child’s colour perception. Although there is no cure for “colour blindness”, specialized lenses including Enchroma are available to aid with colour perception.
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Myopia control: There is increasing research on trying to slow down the progression of nearsightedness in children. There are multiple therapeutic options including specialized glasses such as Zeiss Myovision and Hoya Miyosmart as well as contact lenses including Cooper MiSight daily disposable contact lenses. A daily low dose atropine drop may also be added to the regime to help reduce myopia.