Eye Exams
We offer a variety of Eye Exams and Eye Services:
Comprehensive eye exams on site for adults and children by an independent optometrist or an independent ophthalmologist.
Full contact lens exams
Glaucoma screening
Eye strain and headaches
Pink Eye
Contact lens fittings (from eyeglass Rx)
Multifocal contact lens fitting
Pediatric eye exams
Geriatric eye exams
Cataract evaluation
Rehabilitation of “lazy eye”
Transient blurry vision
It is important to remember that a vision screening is not a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam, but rather a tool to catch the worst problems. An ophthalmologist or optometrist should see your child by around age three even if no problems have become apparent to you or your child’s doctor. Until around age three or four, as your child primary care giver, you are in the best place to check much of what is needed.
Look at your child to see that their eyes appear to be tracking together. If one eye wanders or appears not to be looking ahead, even if it is just occasionally, this could be a sign that your child is not seeing well out of one eye and should be evaluated by an eye physician. If not treated, this could lead to your child having only one usable eye.
Also, take your child outside and spot planes and birds in the distance to get an idea if they are seeing normally. Then spend time looking at small bugs and plant parts to see if they are seeing small things normally. Kids with normal vision will look very intensely at all sorts of things that we as adults ignore. If a child ignores these things, it is usually a sign of poor eyesight. Another sign of poor eyesight is inattention to people and objects and conversations, because it is much harder to pay attention to things when you are struggling to see them clearly.
About Pediatric Eye Exams
Vision care for children starts much earlier than one might think. From the first day your child is born, the doctor or nurse will check their pupils for the appropriate dilation reflex. Your child’s pediatrician or primary care physician will also check the pupil reflex at every visit and at some point around age four will conduct a vision screening.
What to Expect at Your Child’s First Eye Exam
Your child’s eye physician will do special tests on your child’s first eye exam that you as an adult will not have done at your eye exam. A child’s eye exam will include tests for fusion, stereoscopic ability, undilated and dilated visual acuity, pressure check, and visual exam of the entire outside and inside of the eye.
After a thorough eye exam, which usually takes about and hour to an hour and a half, the eye physician will give a report of the general findings and expected outcomes. The treatment plan can range from prescription eyeglasses to eye exercises to retesting within six months to a year, depending on findings.
After the office visit most patients will be sensitive to light for about an hour and a half and vision will be blurry up close. Children describe their vision as 3-D and sparkly.
As a parent, you can prepare your child to be comfortable with the experience as an exciting and special experience because there should be no discomfort and the doctor’s staff will provide your child with temporary sunglasses to wear until their eyes go back to normal.
Approximately 25% of children have a vision problem that affects their learning. Call us to schedule an eye exam for your child today.
What age children does our optometrist see?
Dr. Barber sees children above the age of 5 that know their alphabet. We recommend children younger than 5 to be seen at UF ophthalmology if they show signs of not being able to see far away or if their caregiver notices that their eyes are not tracking.