On January 1, 2008 a new state law went into effect in Illinois requiring comprehensive eye examinations for children entering kindergarten or enrolling for the first time in public, private, or parochial elementary schools in Illinois. The new law requires eye examinations to be performed within one year prior to kindergarteners starting school in the fall and for all students entering a school in Illinois for the first time. Students must provide proof of the required eye examination to the school by October 15 of each school year.

Pupil Dilation is the final part of a comprehensive eye examination. Dilating eye drops are used to enlarge the pupil, which allows your doctor to view the inside of your eye. When the eye drops have taken effect, the lens, vitreous, macula, optic nerve, ocular blood supply and far retinal periphery can be examined easily by your doctor.

Cataracts, age related macular degeneration, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, optic neuropathy, retinal vascular disease and retinal inflammatory and infectious diseases are easily detected during dilation. Peripheral retinal degenerations and structural abnormalities, such as retinal breaks or detachments, are also detected during this part of the eye examination.

This eye surgery is a way for an eye doctor to permanently correct near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism by using a surgical laser. In the typical LASIK procedure, a flap is cut from the outer edge of the cornea. The flap is then lifted, laser correction is applied and the flap is replaced. LASIK is the most common laser eye surgery being performed today. Your doctors at Geertz Eye Care are trained in consultation, candidate selection, pre-surgical consultation and testing, and co-managing post-operative Lasik surgeries.

Children adapt to contact lenses extremely well. The determining factor as to whether or not a child should wear contacts should not be his or her age, but rather the child’s maturity level, personal cleanliness and ability to follow directions.

Contact lenses are great for children especially in sports or physical activities. Contacts lenses do not fog up, they fit beneath helmets and goggles, they improve the peripheral vision and, in most cases, improve overall vision and depth perception. It is important to understand that contact lenses do not replace the need for eyeglasses.