Complete EyeCare Center

Optic nerve damage caused by glaucoma affects the visual field

Anyone can develop sight-threatening glaucoma.  It’s the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. But an eye doctor can detect it before significant vision loss begins.  Glaucoma occurs when pressure inside the eye slowly rises, and this leads to optic nerve damage and vision loss.  During every eye health exam we measure ocular pressure and use advanced visual fields technology to detect glaucoma as early as possible.  Early glaucoma detection is one of many reasons why routine eye exams are so important, even when you’re seeing clearly.

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but some people are more at risk than others:  African Americans over age 40;  Everyone over age 60, especially Mexican Americans;  People with a family history of glaucoma; People who are severely near-sighted; Anyone with diabetes.  For these people, it is especially important to have an exam at least once a year.

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but there are things we can do to minimize the risk of vision loss. 

• Follow recommendations for a healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity & diabetes, which can increase the risk of glaucoma.  Exercise.  Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, specifically leafy greens and foods high in antioxidants.  Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol. 
• If you are prescribed eye drops for treatment of glaucoma, follow the prescribed regimen diligently.  Non-compliance is a major reason glaucoma leads to blindness.  
• Early detection during an eye health exam is the best way to control the disease often called “the sneak thief of sight”.  That’s why, based on your individual health and risk factors, Dr. Olson prescribes how often you should be examined.  

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but we want to help you detect it early and prevent vision loss.  Prevent Blindness American estimates that over 4 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half of those know that they have it.   If you haven’t had a comprehensive eye health exam in the last year, call us today at 319.385.9534 to schedule an appointment.

Visit AllAboutVision.com to learn about eye diseases, including forms of macular degeneration, causes of glaucoma, and signs of a cataract.

Complete EyeCare Center utilizes quality diagnostic instrumentation like the award winning Optovue RTVue

The RTVue visualizes the retina and underlying nerve fiber layers

When it was featured on Good Morning America in May 2007, the Optovue RTVue spectral OCT  was one of only 100 worldwide.  As soon as May 2008, Dr. Olson was introducing that same instrument to his patients in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, at Complete EyeCare Center.

The GMA reporter was “able to get access to one”, and you have that same benefit without traveling to a metropolitan center or university.  Spectral OCT with the Optovue RTVue is a new generation of Optical Coherence Tomography for detection, classification, and management of ocular diseases and pathology.

Why should that interest you?  Because this exciting tool has the ability to help Dr. Olson detect and treat progressive eye diseases at a much earlier stage.  Slowing or stopping  disease progression early means less likelihood of vision loss or blindness, and better health for you.

Several eye diseases, like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms in their early stages.  But a skilled eye doctor using the RTVue can detect and manage them.  Painless and quick, the ultra-high speed and high resolution features of the RTVue enable Dr. Olson to visualize retinal, anterior segment, and corneal tissue with ultra-high clarity.

Watch this interesting Good Morning America segment by clicking here.

Many eye problems can develop without you knowing.  You may not even notice any change in your eyesight.  But, diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal tears or detachments, and other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure can be seen with a thorough exam of the retina.  Until the optomap®, the only way to evaluate the retina for these abnormalities was to dilate the eyes–which can be time consuming and uncomfortable.  Now a wide retinal image can be captured quickly and painlessly.  Convenient for patients, while providing critical eye health information–that’s why we were the first in Iowa to introduce the technology! That’s also why optomap® technology was featured on an episode of the popular TV show “The Doctors.” (You can see the TV clip by clicking here.)

An optomap® Retinal Exam provides:

• A scan to show a healthy eye or detect disease.
• A view of the retina, giving Dr. Olson a more detailed view than he can get by other means.
• The opportunity for you to view and discuss the optomap® image of your eye with Dr. Olson at the time of your exam.
• A permanent record for your file, which allows the doctor to view your images each year to look for changes.

The optomap® Retinal Exam is fast, easy, and comfortable for all ages.  To have the exam, you simply look into the device one eye at a time and you will see a comfortable flash of light to let you know the image of your retina has been taken.  Your optomap® is immediately captured so Dr. Olson can evaluate and review it with you on a computer screen during your exam.  Click here to see a video demonstration of the optomap experience.

Please schedule your annual optomap® Retinal Exam today by calling our office at  319.385.9534 .

You’ve broken out the new calendar, or at least turned the page to a new year.  Are you wondering where 2008 went?  None of us seems immune to this syndrome, perhaps a sign of the busyness of our culture.  So, it should come as no surprise that you’ve probably underestimated how long it’s been since your last eye exam.

Not all people need a comprehensive eye health exam every year.  Every two years can be adequate for people who are not considered “at risk”.  Having said that, children and students may need more frequent care since their eyes are growing and changing quite rapidly.  That’s why it’s important for parents and teachers be educated to recognize signs of vision problems in children.

So who needs to been seen at least annually?  Those over age 60, contact lens wearers, anyone who has had eye surgery, people who take prescription or non-prescription drugs that can have ocular side effects, diabetics, anyone with high blood pressure, those who have a family history of ocular disease (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.), those who work in occupations that are visually demanding or with eye hazards, children with a high refractive error, an eye turn, or eyes with unequal refractive power,  children born prematurely, with low weight, or through difficult or assisted labor, children who received oxygen as newborns, children with family history of certain diseases, and people with other health concerns or conditions.  (Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list, and some conditions require more frequent monitoring.)

After examining and talking with you, Dr. Olson will make a recommendation about how long it should be until you have your next eye health exam.  Our first concern is your health, so we help you keep on track with convenient scheduling and reminders tailor-made to your situation.  But we won’t be surprised if your response is, “Has it really been a year?”

A new instrument gives Complete EyeCare Center patients a distinct health advantage.  The RTVue OCT* creates ultra-high speed high resolution 3-D scans, maps and images of the eye.  It can even allow Dr. Olson to visualize discrete layers of the retina.  This is the first instrument to provide such high resolution capabilities.

What does this mean for Dr. Olson’s patients?  Early detection, early intervention and better patient outcomes.  In other words, slowing or stopping disease progression, and reducing potential vision loss.

Why is early detection important to you?  Most people have no knowledge of serious eye problems in their early stages.  As medical knowledge has progressed, doctors have learned that there are discreet changes taking place in the eye which can be pre-indicators of such diseases.  When Dr. Olson detects these early signals, intervention can begin before your eyesight or health has been dramatically affected by serious diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or macular disease.

This instrument is the latest addition to the Mt. Pleasant, Iowa practice of Dr. Christopher Olson, Complete EyeCare Center–which has been the first to introduce technology to the state of Iowa on more than one occasion.  Today OCT technology is viewed by experts as the most clinically superior way to detect and manage glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Dr. Olson prefers the RTVue over other OCT instruments for several reasons, including its being 65 times faster, and having twice the resolution for significantly clearer images.

With a few months of experience with the RTVue OCT, Dr. Olson says, ”I can’t imagine going back to diagnosing or managing glaucoma without this valuable new tool.  I am very thankful to be able to provide this important service to our patients and Southeast Iowa.”