Your eyesight is an often-overlooked but serious part of your overall health. Though you may believe that your current glasses or contact lenses are good enough, it is important to see your eye doctor regularly to ensure that your vision has remained the same and that you are properly caring for your eyes. One of the most important things you can do to keep your eyes healthy is replacing your contact lenses after the recommended amount of time. Do you know how you can keep your eyes in top condition? Find out with Dr. Mark Skowron, Dr. Kerry John, Dr. Lavender Streiff, and Dr. Mirjana McCarthy at Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL.

When should I see my eye doctor?
Most doctors recommend seeing your eye doctor every one or two years for a comprehensive eye examination. The American Optometric Association says that eye examinations should occur around six months of age, three years of age, and school age, then every two years. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you should see your eye doctor every year or every other year.

What can I expect from an eye examination?
An eye examination will begin with your doctor gathering your family, lifestyle, and medical history and asking about any issues you have had with your eyes in the past. Then, your doctor performs several evaluations, including one to check your actual vision itself and others to look for signs of issues like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, glaucoma, and cataracts or muscle degeneration. They will also ensure your eyes work together and do not function individually.

How often should I replace my contact lenses? 
Since contact lenses now come in many forms, you should replace your lenses depending on their instructions. Disposable lenses are available in daily, weekly, or monthly form. This means that you should replace those lenses every day, week, or month. Reusable lenses should be replaced at least every six months.

Contact Lenses in Elmhurst, IL
Your eye doctor can help you determine if contact lenses are best for you and when you should replace them. For more information on contact lenses or when you should replace them, please contact Dr. Skowron, Dr. John, Dr. Streiff, and Dr. McCarthy at Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL. Call (630) 834-6244 to schedule your appointment with your optometrist today!

Are you worried that you may have pink eye? The Elmhurst, IL, eye doctors at Skowron Eye Care discuss the condition and share a few common signs.

What is pink eye?

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the layer of tissue that lines your eyelids and the whites of your eyes. About three million people in the U.S. develop pink eye every year, according to the National Eye Institute.

What are the symptoms of pink eye?

Pink eye symptoms include:

• Redness: Your eyes may look very red and bloodshot if you have pink eye. If you take a look at your eyelids, you might notice that they're also red.
• Tearing: You may need to constantly wipe your eyes due to increased tear production.
• Uncomfortable Sensations: When you have conjunctivitis, it may feel as if something's stuck in your eyelid, even though your eye looks perfectly fine. Your eyes may also burn or itch.
• Light Sensitivity: Light sensitivity is a common complaint in people who have pink eye. Both sunlight and indoor lighting may hurt your eyes and cause excessive tearing.
• Discharge: You may notice a stringy white, clear, green, or yellow discharge from your eyes if you have conjunctivitis. You may also wake up in the morning and discover that a thick crust has formed over your eyelids, making it difficult to open your eyes.

How did I get pink eye?

Your eyes may have become inflamed due to a viral or bacterial infection, or by exposure to an allergen or a substance that irritates your eyes. Up to 80 percent of acute pink eye cases are caused by a virus, according to a systematic review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Despite the various causes of the condition, the symptoms are the same.

How is pink eye treated?

If your condition is caused by a virus, it will get better on its own. Until it does, you may want to use artificial tears to relieve burning and itching, wipe away discharge with a moistened cloth, and apply warm or cool compresses to your eyes. If you have bacterial conjunctivitis, you'll need a prescription for antibiotic eye drops. When pink eye is caused by allergens, we may recommend eye drops that contain antihistamines, decongestants, steroids or mast cell stabilizers during your visit to our Elmhurst office.

Whether you have pink eye or need an eye exam, the optometrists at Skowron Eye Care can help you care for your eyes. Call our Elmhurst, IL, office at (630) 834-6244 to schedule an appointment.

Find out if you can actually skip the eye exam when you want to get new glasses.

So, you’ve been considering new glasses, huh? With the start of the New Year many people are figuring out different ways to change their appearance and perhaps you want to give your glasses a makeover. This is where our Elmhurst, IL, optometrists can help. Of course, many people wonder if they actually need to get an eye exam every time they want to swap out their frames. Here’s the real answer…

One important questions to ask yourself is, “Do you notice any changes to your vision?”

If you said “yes” then you are going to need to undergo an eye exam before getting new glasses. It’s important that everyone, no matter how healthy they are, gets an eye exam once a year to make sure that if there are any issues that our Elmhurst, IL, eye doctors are able to catch them before they cause serious or permanent damage to your eyes.

During your exam, we will perform a series of tests to check your vision, as well as talk to you about your current health and lifestyle to determine which kinds of glasses are best suited to your day-to-day needs.

However, we also know that there are a lot of people out there that stubbornly hang on to their glasses or don’t change them regularly. Perhaps it’s because they don’t feel like scheduling an appointment. Perhaps it’s because glasses can be rather expensive. Whatever the excuse might be, if you haven’t gotten an eye exam in the past year, then you are well overdue.

You might not even notice it, but if you are wearing old glasses regularly this could be putting unnecessary strain on your eyes, which can lead to eye discomfort, dry eyes, fatigued eyes and other issues. Why deal with these issues when a simple exam can get you the fresh new prescription you need to see more clearly?

When you come in for your eye exam it’s important to let us know that you are interested in replacing your old glasses. Even if you get reading glasses over-the-counter at your local drugstore, you should still be coming in for regular exams to make sure nothing has changed with your prescription.

Plus, eyewear is constantly changing, which means the unique features and offerings that weren’t even possible a year or two ago are now possible. Anything that can improve the way you see is a major benefit for those who wear glasses (or even contact lenses).

Whether you are dealing with eye problems or you just want to schedule your annual eye exam, turn to the specialists at Skowron Eye Care to provide you with the gentle and comprehensive eye care you’ve been looking for.

According to the Vision Council of America, about 75% of adults actively use some kind of vision correction. This staggering number means that there are many individuals who need to care for contact lenses. Being familiar with the best way to care for your contact lenses can help you keep your eyes healthy and functioning well for years to come. Learn more about contact lens maintenance and what makes it important with Dr. Mark Skowron, Dr. Kerry John, Dr. Lavender Streiff, and Dr. Neelam Patadia at Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL.

How should I care for my contact lenses? 
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, caring for your contact lenses and their case correctly can help avoid eye infection. Always wash your hands with soap and water before taking out or putting in your contact lenses. Never rinse or store your contact lenses in normal water, only contact lens solution. Always place your lenses into fresh solution in a clean case. Rinse the case out with contact solution instead of plain water and allow the case to air dry. Wear your lenses according to the schedule set out by your eye doctor.

Do I need to replace my contact lens case? 
You should replace your contact lens case at least once every three months. Always clean your case every day with contact solution and ensure that it air dries between uses. Use fresh solution daily in which to store your contacts. Avoid storing your lenses for an extended amount of time and always throw the case and contacts away after 30 days without disinfecting them. Never use a cracked, dirty, or broken case.

Eye Examinations in Elmhurst, IL 
Caring for your eyes themselves is just as important as caring for your contacts and their case. Always remove your contact lenses immediately if you experience discomfort. If you have redness, blurry vision, swelling, or other painful symptoms, contact your optometrist right away. See your eye doctor for regular eye examinations at least once a year.

For more information on caring for your contact lenses, please contact Dr. Skowron, Dr. John, Dr. Steriff, and Dr. Patadia at Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL. Call (630) 834-6244 to schedule your appointment with your optometrist today!

Three of the most common refractive eye disorders are nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatisms. There are many ways to correct these eye problems, however, and Lasik from the eye doctors at Skowron Eye Care is one of them. Your Elmhurst, Illinois eye doctor can examine each patient to determine whether or not they are a candidate for Lasik surgery.

About Lasik

Lasik is an outpatient procedure that takes less than 20 minutes to perform with no pain. During the surgery, an Elmhurst, Illinois eye doctor creates a corneal flap that is lifted with a blade or a laser to reveal the inner part of the cornea. The use of the laser is much safer. This flap is repositioned to correct these eye issues. Because the surface layer is preserved, there is less discomfort after Lasik surgery.

Some benefits of Lasik are that it is a quick and painless procedure. There also is less chance of infection. Because of the simple outpatient aspects, recovery is quick at just one to two days. Patients will receive clear vision without the need for any corrective lenses in a matter of days. There is a reduced chance of error due to the use of laser technology. With the use of a laser, a thinner and more precise flap is made and fewer complications are experienced.

Patients over 21 with healthy eyes with no retina problems, any eye disease or corneal scars are generally great candidates for Lasik. If your corneas are thick enough, you have adequate tears and your vision is stable, Lasik is for you. Poor candidates for Lasik include those with thin corneas, those with very dry eyes or individuals with constantly changing eye prescriptions.

To learn more about what our Elmhurst, Illinois eye doctor can do for you, call 630-834-6244 today. We are ready and willing to evaluate any patient to determine their candidacy for this procedure.