While we have many senses we depend on, our vision is one of the most important. But when strong prescriptions and eye disease start to develop, they can affect how you go about your day-to-day, and in severe cases, they may even cause vision loss.
So how can we help you manage your eye health? The very first step is to have a comprehensive eye exam with our team at Shuswap Optometric Centre. Please, book your appointment with us today!
Did you know that vision impairment is one of the top 5 disabilities found in older adults? But with an eye exam, we can help you respond to your vision problems early and possibly preserve your vision.
Eye exams will help you discover so much more about your eyes than just your prescription. During one of our exams, we will observe every aspect of your eyes and sight, including your retina’s health, your intraocular pressure, and the sharpness of your vision. We will also consider certain visual skills like accommodation and hand-eye coordination to ensure your vision is working effectively and efficiently.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, you should have an eye exam every 2 years. But to ensure you’re getting the best eye care possible, we recommend annual eye exams.
By observing the exterior and interior of your eyes, we can diagnose issues that could affect your vision in the future. Some of the most common eye problems patients experience include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and cataracts.
You have a busy life, so we’ve designed our eye exam process with convenience, speed, and quality in mind.
When you arrive for your eye exam, one of our doctors will personally escort you to the examination room. From there:
We begin our eye exams with a discussion about you and your eyes’ overall health. By ensuring your health history and family health history is up-to-date, we can orient the exam to your specific needs and risks.
We strive to provide you with unparalleled service, so please feel free to ask us any questions or stress any concerns you may have! Once we’ve determined your medical information is accurate, we will get started with assessing your visual acuity.
Your visual acuity is just another way to refer to the sharpness of your vision. By assessing it, we can determine the prescription you may need to achieve clearer vision.
We do this using tried-and-true tests and tools like a Snellen eye chart and a phoropter. Once we’ve determined your prescription, we’ll then take a look at your eye health.
Many eye diseases can develop without symptoms for years, meaning you may not notice that you have a problem until your vision is permanently damaged. However, with the help of cutting-edge technology, we observe the areas of your eyes at risk of disease, including your retina, macula, and optic disc.
At the end of the eye exam, we’ll provide you with all of our findings plus any medications, prescriptions, or recommendations you may need.
If you’re visiting us for glasses, we will escort you to our optical team, where they will help you find the eyewear that best suits your needs and unique personal style. If you’re visiting us for contact lenses, please visit our Contact Lens Exams & Fittings page for more information.
If there’s one thing that makes Shuswap Optometric Centre stand out from the crowd, it’s our line-up of cutting-edge technology to observe your eye health.
Some of the tools we use include:
Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technology that creates cross-sectional images of your retina. OCT technology is comparable to ultrasound but uses light to generate images.
OCTs can help us look for signs of diseases like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
Fundus photography, another non-invasive imaging technology, takes high-definition images of the back of your eye, also known as the fundus. This area includes the retina, optic disc, and fovea. Observing your fundus allows us to detect various diseases and conditions, such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and more.
Our Optos retinal scanner takes detailed and ultra-widefield digital photographs, also known as an optomaps, of your retina. These images also help us look for eye issues and diseases related to your retina, allowing us to detect diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Please, book an eye exam with us today and find the vision and eye care you deserve.
How To Find Us
From the Trans-Canada Highway, turn on to Alexander Street NE going south and take your immediate right into our spacious parking lot. Accessible parking spaces are available.
How To Find Us
Our clinic is located on Shuswap Avenue, right across the street from Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and Western Financial Group.
We’re closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:00pm every day.
How To Find Us
From the Trans-Canada Highway, turn on to Alexander Street NE going south and take your immediate right into our spacious parking lot. Accessible parking spaces are available.
How To Find Us
Our clinic is located on Shuswap Avenue, right across the street from Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and Western Financial Group.
We’re closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:00pm every day.
Shuswap Optometric Centre
Chase Optometric Centre
