Littlefield Optometry, LLC
13014 State Line
Leawood, KS 66209
913-498-1363
4 Generations of Eye Care - Since 1909
If I get my eyes examined will you test me for glaucoma and cataracts?
We routinely test you for all eye conditions including 1. focus problems (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia), 2. glaucoma, 3. cataracts, 4. macular degeneration, 5. dry eyes, 6. eye allergies, 7. eye infections, 8. retinal problems, 9. binocular vision (ability to use your eyes together), 10. eye motility (ability to move your eyes smoothly, 11. pupils, 12. corneal problems, 13. peripheral vision 14. lazy eye, 15. conjunctivitis.
I have 20/20 so I have perfect vision and don't think I need an eye exam.
Not necessarily. You can have 20/20 and still have problems with peripheral vision, problems with vision in dim light or low contrast, problems with muted colors, problems with glare, problems with comfortable vision eyes and/or vision and difficulty with near vision. Most importantly there are several serious eye conditions such as glaucoma that give no warning until it is too late to recover your vision. 
You may have 20/20 and still have difficulty using your two eyes together.
So 20/20 doesn't mean you have perfect vision?
Many people are told that they have 20/20 and therefore they have "perfect vision". But in reality they have vision problems that affect the efficiency and comfort of their eyes. They may even have double vision! Vision problems that you may have - even if you've been told otherwise, because you may not have been tested for it - include poor depth perception, lack of 3-D vision, tired eyes when working on the computer or reading, poor eye-hand coordination, headaches, trouble focusing from far to near or near to far, losing your place when reading, poor peripheral vision, or not following the action as easily as others in a football game or action movie etc.
A person may be told that there is nothing that can be done to fix a vision problem that they have because they are "too old". Be assured that it is never to late to help treat vision problems. A good example is lazy eye. There are many recently discovered techniques that can improve a lazy eye.
"I had a glaucoma test at a health fair and I can see fine with my glasses. So I don't need to worry about my eyes."
I wouldn't be so sure about that. A simple pressure test is merely a screening test for glaucoma. A thorough glaucoma evaluation includes multiple tests. At the bare minimum not only should pressure be tested, but also the optic nerve needs to be evaluated carefully with sophisticated lenses and instruments and the visual fields need to be assessed. If there are "red flags" raised by those tests then further testing that might be done would be pachymetry (measuring the thickness of the cornea), nerve fiber layer analysis, gonioscopy (evaluating the anatomy of the angle at the front of the eye) and contrast sensitivity. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness. Sadly most blindness can be prevented if caught in the earliest stages. Glaucoma is an eye problem that cannot be treated with eyeglasses but must be treated with eyedrops or in more advanced cases with surgery. At Littlefield Optometry eye center we thoroughly check for glaucoma and macular degeneration with advanced instrumentation because we take the prevention of blindness seriously.
What is 20/20 vision?
It is a measurement of sight in high contrast (black against white) conditions. If you can see a letter 8.7mm tall at 20 feet than you have 20/20 vision. If you have to be closer- say 10 feet away - to see this same object than you have 20/40 vision. As noted above, 20/20 does NOT necessarily mean you perfect vision since it is only a measurement of one facet of vision. In fact many people with 20/20 still require eyeglasses to give them more efficient vision. Amazingly, it is actually possible to be legally blind and have 20/20 vision. One of the two definitions of legal blindness refers to your visual field (or peripheral vision) and if it is less than 20 degrees you are legally blind. For all practical purposes you would also consider yourself blind because you would be unable to function independently in a normal world. You would always be running into things and bumping into them. Incidentally, your vision without glasses or contact lenses does not determine legal blindness - only your best corrected vision with glasses or contact lenses.
What are cataracts?
Cloudiness of the crystalline lens of the eye. A clouded lens interferes with light reaching the retina, causing blurred vision. Cataracts rarely lead to blindness because they can be corrected by surgery. After eye surgery you may not even be required to wear eyeglasses.
What is Astigmatism?
A visual defect caused by an eye surface that is irregularly shaped. People with astigmatism see less clearly at any distance. Astigmatism will cause a different focus in different directions. Many people think that astigmatism is a serious eye problem, but it can be easily corrected by glasses. A well fitted pair of eyewear with a fashionable eyeglass frame will make you more likely to wear your vision correction.
What is nearsightedness?
It is also called myopia. You can see clearly up close, but not at a distance. Myopia tends to become progressively worse throughout childhood especially for children who do a lot of reading and close work. Myopia levels of until around 40 or so it rarely increases. Myopia oftentimes is found together with astigmatism.
What is farsightedness?
It is also called hyperopia. It means that you have to strain your eyes to focus. If you are young you may still be able to see at both far and near. If you are over 40 you may not see well at either far or near. If you are at an in-between age, you will see better at far than near, but still not well.
What are bifocals? Who needs to wear them?
Bifocals use two different powers in one lens. Typically, the upper portion of the lens is used for distance vision and the lower portion is used for viewing objects up close. Bifocals correct for a decreasing ability to focus, a problem that sneaks up on just about everybody as they age. It is likely that most people will need bifocals, or what is known as progressive lenses, at some point in their lives. Bifocals not only correct for the two focuses, but correct for myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism and hyperopia (farsightedness). They are sometimes used even in children for esotropia or conditions that can cause lazy eye. Unfortunately they only correct for focus problem - not cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma or any other types of eye problems unrelated to focus.
Are there ways that might help my eyes if I don't want glasses or contact lenses?
Absolutely. There have been many advances in LASIK in the past few years. In addition, there are now contact lenses that can correct your eyes. You sleep with them at night and remove them during the day. Glasses and contact lenses and refractive surgery all correct for focus problems of the eye - astimatism, myopia, hyperopia and presbyopia. They don't help for eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration or conditions such as lazy eye.
Are there vitamins that can help my eyes?
There has been a hugh increase in our knowledge in just the last couple of years as to what can be done to keep your eyes healthy throughout your life. Even more significantly we can now measure the amount of protective pigments in your eye, lutein and zeaxanthin. They help protect your eyes from developing dry macular degeneration and can also make you less likely to be bothered by glare.
Lutein and zeaxanthin and omega 3 fish oils are often recommended and are available in supplement form. Foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin are green leafy vegetables such as kale or spinach and bright orange or yellow vegetables such as orange or yellow peppers. Vitamin C, beta carotene, zinc and omega 3 fish oils are also important to help prevent macular degeneration. The easiest way to get the lutein and zeaxanthin is in supplement form since few people eat enough of the proper vegetables.
I have worn contact lenses for years, but now I cannot wear them for as long as I used to. Why?
The longer you wear a pair of contacts the less tolerant your eyes become to the protein deposits that naturally collect on the lenses. Your eyes can actually become allergic to those deposits. That is why wearing fresh contact lenses is essential. In the last couple of years new contacts have become available that are more comfortable and moist on your eyes.
Littlefield Optometry
13014 State Line, Leawood, KS 66209
E-mail:drlittlefield@sbcgobal.net
913-498-1363
