Copyright ©1997 Dr. Kenneth L. Burke
175 Main Street South, Woodbury, Connecticut 06798
203.263.3391
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Vision is a dynamic living process as individual as your fingerprints. While seeing starts with your eyes, your brain interprets what you see and this process, called vision, influences your body and effects your personality and behavior. The following are vital parts of a good examination.

Case History - a complete discussion of your health history, recording your age, general health, medications, type of work, complaints and symptoms.

Ocular Health - external and internal - Typically check for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, peripheral retinal disorders, corneal diseases, pupillary abnormalities, lid disease, lacrimal disorders and tear deficiency. Measurements of eye pressure (re glaucoma) and dilated retinal exam are recommended once a year.

Refractive Exam - rules out myopia (nearsightedness - distance blur), farsightedness (near blur and fatigue when reading), astigmatism ("no point focus") - a degree of blurring at all distances, presbyopia (accelerated near focus due to aging).

Visual Skills - includes measurement of binocular skills (how eyes work together at distance and near), accommodative skills (ability to focus from near to far, far to near, focusing ranges and focusing speed), eye dominance - critical to athletes, computer users and students, eye tracking - pursuits, saccades, rotations.

Color Vision - may effect driving and choice of jobs.

Depth Perception - judge how close or far objects appear.

*Computer users - special Prio test to evaluate focusing on screen re "pixels" or "pells" and "convergence".

Perceptual Skills - how we "process" what we see. These skills are learned and are influenced by normal development in early childhood, as well as lenses, prisms, and vision therapy and nutritional factors.

Peripheral Vision - screened by use of visual field tests (octopus and campimeter evaluation). Important in screening for glaucoma, neurological disorders, tumors, macular degeneration, optic nerve abnormalities.

Special Tests - contrast sensitivity (subtle vision changes), interferometry (potential vision at retina), glare sensitivity (re night vision), quick zone tear test, corneal topography (rule out early corneal disease).