Lone Star Vision - Optometrist in Plano, TX

What is an Optometrist?: Doctors of Optometry are independent primary health care providers who examine, diagnose and treat disorders of the eye, visual system, and related structures. After completing an undergraduate degree and four-year doctorate program and national Boards, optometrists in Texas are licensed by the Texas Optometry Board.

Optometrists examine the internal and external structures of the eyes to diagnose eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal disorders, systemic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, and vision conditions such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Systemic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid disease can often times be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. They also perform additional testing to determine a patient's ability to focus and coordinate their eyes. Depth perception and color vision is also evaluated in a comprehensive eye exam.

Doctors of optometry in Texas are licensed to prescribe glasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, and vision therapy programs. Optometrists are also authorized to prescribe both topical and oral medications to treat eye diseases and associated conditions. As primary eye care providers, optometrists are an integral part of the overall health care team. They are skilled in coordination of care that affects the eye health and vision of their patients and are an excellent source of referral to other health care professionals when necessary.
When should a child have an eye exam?: Our office closely follows the recommended eye exam schedule of the American Optometric Association. Children should receive their first thorough eye evaluation as early as 6 months old, then again before they start preschool (age 3), and followed every year or two thereafter depending on their risk category. It's best to bring your child in as soon as you suspect any abnormal vision problem.
How can you test a toddler's eyes if they don't know their letters?: The doctor will use symbols instead of letters to check their visual acuity. Much of the testing that is done by the doctor requires little input from the child. The child's eye exam is focused on assessment of the strength of the eyes, eye muscle alignment and movements, and overall eye health to ensure proper vision development. Critical information can be obtained about the health of your child's eyes without them even saying a word!
What symptoms would indicate that my child has vision problems?: There are many symptoms your child may exhibit that require attention including rubbing their eyes, squinting, turning or tilting their head, losing their place when reading, moving head or mouthing words while reading, complaints of headaches, noticeably red eyes, wandering or crossing of their eyes, and complaints of blurred vision. Many times children will not complain of any vision problems despite not seeing as well as they could. ALL children need a comprehensive eye examination by age 3.
Will my pupils be dilated during an eye examination?: Our doctors provide the most superior eye care available and will do what is necessary to ensure the best possible health of your eyes. The decision to dilate your eyes will be determined at the time of visit based on your medical and eye history. The pupil is the black hole in the very center of the colored part of the eye. The pupils of the eyes should be dilated for one main reason - to carefully examine the inner lining of the eye, called the retina. When your eye doctor looks through your pupil, the retina is viewed. The retina has small blood vessels bringing it nutrients and oxygen. The appearance of these blood vessels changes with high blood pressure, diabetes, trauma and other diseases. When the pupil is too small, examination of about 60% of the retina is possible at best. This leaves about 40% of the retina difficult to examine. There is no additional charge for dilation and may be rescheduled for another time if necessary.
What should I consider when purchasing new glasses?: When you receive a glasses prescription from your eye doctor, there are many factors that need to be considered to obtain the right pair of glasses for you. At our practice, you will closely work with an experienced optician who can guide you through the decision-making process, taking into account the severity of your prescription, your lifestyle and activity levels, how often you'll be wearing them, and what will best suit your specific vision needs. In summary, be sure to take the time to discuss with your eye doctor and your optician what you need your spectacles to do. By working as a team, you will end up with a great looking and great functioning pair of glasses.
Will my eyes get worse by wearing my glasses too much?: Our doctors will explain the purpose of your prescription and recommend the most appropriate use for your glasses. In most cases, glasses will not cause any vision deterioration that would not otherwise occur. However, wearing glasses for activities different than recommended may make the eyes work harder than they need to.
How can I prevent my vision from getting worse?: Although vision is a result of environmental and genetic factors, there are some things you can do to help slow the degradation of your eyes. Take frequent breaks from up close activities like reading or computer work, look up and out in the distance throughout near tasks, don't hold reading material too close to your face, use good lighting while reading, practice eye-focus skills as recommended by your doctor, and ensure you are wearing a current lens prescription. Studies have also shown that wearing rigid contact lenses also help slow down the progression of myopia (See CRT below).
How often are disposable contact lenses to be replaced?: Our doctors will recommend the appropriate contact lens wearing schedule for your eye health and vision needs. Disposable lens replacement options can vary from daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and even quarterly. Final selection of the replacement interval varies depending on overall eye health, tear makeup, lifestyle and environmental factors, and your preference of time worn per day and days worn per week.
Are all contact lens solutions the same?: No. Always use the solutions prescribed by your eye care specialist. Certain solutions are definitely superior to others, and are able to get rid of potential bacteria that could contaminate your contact lenses and cause infection.
What is Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), also known as Ortho-K?: Corneal Refractive Therapy is a non-surgical process clinically developed to reshape the cornea while you sleep. The result is the temporary correction of myopia with or without moderate astigmatism. This amazing technology allows you to be free of daytime contact lenses or glasses and enjoy great vision during your daily activities without undergoing surgery! Recent clinical research combined with the latest corneal surface mapping technology, computerized manufacturing and space age oxygen-breathing materials have brought new science to corneal reshaping. Similar in appearance to standard contact lenses, Paragon CRT therapeutic lenses gently reshape the corneal surface during sleep to provide clear, natural vision when the lenses are removed upon waking. CRT is one of the few forms of correction that has been shown to reduce the progression of myopia.
How long has Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) or Ortho-K been around?: Both doctors and patients have realized the safety and advantages of corneal molding for more than 40 years. These benefits, however, depend on the doctor's ability to perform an exacting diagnosis to include precise measurement of the corneal shape and overall health. Modern advances in computer technology and diagnostic instrumentation have made CRT a more precise science. Today's computerized Corneal Topographers, which precisely measure and map the cornea, as well as major advances in corneal molding lens design and materials, have dramatically improved the effectiveness of this procedure.
What is LASIK?: LASIK (Laser in-situ Keratomileusis) is currently one of the most frequently performed elective procedures in North America. It is a highly effective outpatient eye surgery that is suitable for most prescriptions. LASIK uses a cool beam of light from the excimer laser to gently reshape the front surface (cornea) of your eye.
Am I a good candidate for LASIK?: There are several factors that determine whether a person is a good candidate for LASIK. These include the corneal health, stability of your prescription, pupil size, corneal thickness, age, and overall health. For women, you cannot have LASIK during pregnancy. Call our office for a Free consultation.
How safe is laser eye surgery?: With the advent of new refractive surgery technology, laser eye surgery has become infinitely more safe and effective. Recovery from laser eye surgery is brief and the procedure is more comfortable than ever before. The laser eye surgery techniques used by eye surgeons have also been refined over the years to minimize the risk of side effects.
Does laser eye surgery correct all vision problems?: Laser eye surgery is used to correct many cases of myopia (blurred far vision) and astigmatism safely and predictably. Laser correction for hyperopia has been approved although the results are not as predictable, nor as successful. Presbyopia, which causes the need to wear reading glasses or bifocals, cannot be corrected by laser surgery. As a result, individuals over 45 years will require reading glasses in most cases following surgery. Amblyopia (lazy eye) or other existing conditions that have caused damage to the eye or loss of vision cannot be corrected by laser surgery.
What is the difference between PRK & LASIK?: Both of the procedures use the excimer laser to reshape the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. The difference is that with PRK the laser is used on the surface of the eye and in LASIK the laser is used under a thin protective corneal flap. The long-term results are similar. With LASIK, however, visual recovery is faster and there is less post-operative discomfort. With PRK, post-operative drops are needed for several weeks. With LASIK, drops are only needed for 4-10 days. In addition, you should be able to return to work in 1-2 days after LASIK, and drive within 1-3 days. With PRK, you should plan on taking at least 3 days off from work and drive within 3-7 days.
Can laser eye surgery correct my need to wear reading glasses?: If you have good distance vision without glasses, and need only need glasses for reading, laser refractive surgery may not be an option for you unless you're interested in monovision. Monovision entails making the non-dominant eye myopic (nearsighted) in order to improve your overall reading ability. If you wear bifocals to correct both distance and near vision, you may be a candidate to have the distance vision corrected, but still have to wear reading glasses afterwards.
Are laser eye surgery results permanent?: Yes. During laser eye surgery, the shape of the cornea is permanently changed to correct refractive error. However, aside from refractive error, there are several age-related conditions (cataracts and presbyopia) that may affect vision at a later time. Fortunately, newer lens implants such as Crystalens, ReZoom, and ReSTOR are available for the correction of cataracts and presbyopia.
Is laser vision correction painful?: No. At our laser center, patients have their eyes numbed with eye drops prior to laser eye surgery. There are no needles or shots to prepare for treatment and during the surgery there is no pain. Patients may experience some discomfort following surgery, including swelling, but this can be managed with medication.
How do I determine if I am a good candidate for laser eye surgery?: The easiest way to find out if laser eye surgery is right for you is to visit our office at Lone Star Vision for a FREE surgical screening. Your screening will take about thirty minutes. During your visit, our doctors will examine your eyes to determine the best treatment for your vision problems. From there you may select to go through the comprehensive surgical evaluation and choose to schedule surgery.
How long does laser eye surgery take?: From entering the laser center to departing after the procedure, patients can expect to spend between one to two hours at our facility. For LASIK eye surgery, time spent in the treatment room is approximately 15-30 minutes. Actual laser activity typically lasts less than 2 minutes per eye! Our doctor will complete a final check to ensure optimal vision recovery and you'll be on your way home.
Is laser eye surgery covered by insurance?: Laser eye surgery is not usually covered by insurance. However, some employers offer plans with flexible spending that would allow patients to put money toward laser surgery.
What are Cataracts?: Cataracts are largely an age-related condition, but many factors can enhance earlier onset. Ultraviolet Light exposure has a cumulative effect and can be reduced by wearing a quality pair of sunglasses. The latest studies have found that smoking causes cataracts to appear earlier.
Why haven't I been able to see up close since I turned 40?: Our near vision begins to blur in our early 40's due to the loss of flexibility of the crystalline lens in the eye. This condition is called presbyopia. It is a normal part of the aging process of the eye and cannot be prevented, but we have several ways to precisely correct presbyopia including glasses, contact lenses, laser vision correction, or intraocular implants.
What is an eye allergy?: Many people experience eye irritation caused by common things in the environment such as pollen, dust, or pet dander. These substances are called allergens, and they can cause symptoms such as itching of the eyes. An ocular (eye) allergy can happen suddenly or some time after you come in contact with the allergen. Your doctor may refer to your ocular allergy by its medical name, allergic conjunctivitis.