General Eye Exam

A comprehensive eye exam will evaluate not only how well you see, but also identify potential eye diseases. Some eye diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, can result in serious vision loss if not detected and treated early. Often patients with these diseases don’t experience any visual symptoms before vision loss occurs.

If you are over 35, you should have a comprehensive eye exam every two years. Patients over 65 or with a family history of glaucoma,diabetes or diabetic retinopathy should have a yearly eye exam.

Our doctors will most likely dilate the pupils of your eyes, in order to better see the retina at the back of your eye. You may want to consider making transportation arrangements, as your vision may be blurry for a few hours after dilating.

To help us create an enjoyable experience for you here at SIEHT, please remember to bring the following to your next appointment:

• Driver’s License or valid ID card
• Medical insurance cards
• Referral form from your Optometrist or Primary Care Physician
• List of current medications
• Glasses and/or contacts
• Eye drops currently being used

After your exam or post-operative procedure, our trained Optician at Optical @SIEHT will help you select the frames that best suit you. We carry the following designer frames, eyewear, and sunglasses:

• Banana Republic
• Betsey Johnson
• BCBG
• Callaway
• Calvin Klein
• Caviar
• Charmant Titanium
• Costa del Mar
• Ellen Tracy (including Petites)
• Helium
• Isaac Mizrahi
• Jessica McClintock (including Petites)
• Jimmy Crystal
• John Varvatos
• Jones New York (including Petites)
• Kay Unger
• Liberty Sport
• Lilly Pulitzer
• Liz Claiborne
• Maui Jim
• Robert Graham
• Serengeti
• Ted Baker
• Vera Bradley
• Vera Wang
• Wiley X

Color Your World - Sunglasses

What is your favorite color? Does your answer vary depending on the mood you’re in or current circumstances? Is it the same today as it was when you were a child?

Color is personal and more than just a simple preference. Consider color the next time you shop for sunglasses. Believe it or not, the color of the frame is not the more important decision; rather, the color of the lenses. Did you know you have choices?

Various sunglass technologies promise a color-enhancing experience. What I mean is that a properly designed filter can actually improve visual contrast. That can really be helpful when tailored to specific activities. Imagine having sunglasses with lens specifically designed so you can have the best possible vision for boating, golf, tennis, driving, or simply to provide enhancement to your everyday activities!

Our eyes typically have difficulty with blue light when it comes to focusing. When I work with a patient, I start with color enhancement that takes into account the difficulty with blue light. From there, I can target enhancement for different lifestyles and activities. For example, in activities where you might need a high level of contrast, such as hunting, golf, or other sports, tints like brown, orange, or even rose can be used to selectively block the blue end and increase contrast.

Something as simple as changing the color of your sunglasses can heighten your awareness to your surroundings. Your brain is used to certain inputs and when something changes, you can go into overdrive and pay more attention to everything going on. You might benefit from having several different pair with colors that match your activity – whether that might be sports, hobbies and day-to-day living.

Here at Optical@SIEHT, one can find sunglasses from some of the most reputable names in the industry including Costa del Mar, Maui Jim, Serengeti, and Wiley X. All of which are available in prescription, too! Besides unique frames and lens colors, we have options that can provide you with additional benefits. These include mirror coatings, polarization, photochromic, and backside non-glare coatings. Remember – proper frame fit is also of great importance!

I invite you to come in and look through some of these different lenses. Just ask for me, Sharon Hanneman, so together we can find the best fitting frames and discover YOUR favorite LENS color.

If you have specific questions for our Optical department, you can email directly to optical@sieht.com. You can also call us at 800-572-2722. 

Diabetic retinopathy is vision-threatening damage to the retina of the eye caused by diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, many cases can be prevented with regular eye exams and appropriate treatment.

It is estimated that 90% of diabetics may experience some form of diabetic retinopathy over the course of their life. However, only a small percentage of those developing diabetic retinopathy have serious vision problems and even a smaller percentage become blind.

Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Fluctuating vision
• Eye floaters and spots
• Development of a scotoma or shadow in your field of view
• Blurry and/or distorted vision
• Corneal abnormalities such as slow healing of wounds due to corneal abrasions
• Double vision
• Eye pain
• Near vision problems unrelated to presbyopia
• Cataracts

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy depends on the location of the disease and the degree of damage to the retina. If retinopathy occurs in the peripheral retina, careful monitoring of the disease may be all that is necessary. When retinopathy affects the macula and central vision, laser treatment is usually necessary.

In cases of background diabetic retinopathy, lasers may be used to seal blood vessels that have leaked serum. Laser treatment may not halt the disease entirely but can reduce further visual loss by delaying the onset of proliferative retinopathy. The proliferative stage of the disease is also treated with lasers to curtail the growth of new abnormal blood vessels.

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Dry eye syndrome is caused by a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye.One way to alleviate dry eye is to assist the eyes in the production of lubricating tears. This can accomplished through Punctal Occlusion, a procedure which involves closing off the small funnel-like drain hole found in the inner corner of the upper and lower eyelids.

What are the symptoms?

• Dryness
• Itching
• Burning
• Stinging
• Tearing
• Redness
• Sensation of something in your eye
• Sensitivity to light

These drain holes,called punctums, can be closed with tiny plugs called punctal plugs. The plugs can be placed in the two tear ducts, top and bottom, in both eyes or in only the lower ducts. The punctum can also be permanently closed with a heat or laser procedure.

Punctal plugs can be temporary or permanent. Temporary plugs dissolve a few days after insertion. If your dry eye symptoms disappear when the temporary plugs are inserted, our doctors may consider permanent punctal occlusion.

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If you deal with the pain of red, itchy, watery eyes, you may be dealing with an ocular allergy.

While eye drops and anti-histamine medications may temporarily sooth the irritation of an allergy, if we can diagnose the allergy we can treat the cause rather than the symptoms. 60 million Americans suffer from allergies with approximately 40% having reported some form of ocular allergy.

In order to treat your allergy, it is essential that we know the specific allergen that triggers your symptoms. We offer a quick and painless 15 minute test, done in office with same day results. You will be tested for 60 environmental allergens specific to this region.

Allergy skin testing is covered by most insurances.

Effective March 1, 2023

There are two parts to your eye examination, which are billed separately.

• The first charge includes the fee for the doctor to evaluate the health of your eyes. This charge is billable to your insurance company, and also to Medicare.
• The second (vision) portion of your exam is called a “refraction,” which is a test performed to determine the best corrective lenses to be prescribed for each eye.

Although a refraction is a very important vision test, it is considered a non-medical procedure. Medicare and most insurance plans do not pay for this service, the fee of which is now $55.00, effective March 1, 2023.

We request that payment for this service be made at the time of your visit. Thank you.

Call us at 800-572-2722 to schedule your next appointment!