COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS
ADULT & SENIOR EYE EXAMS
Regular eye exams for adults and seniors are a crucial aspect of preventative eye care. Contrary to popular belief, a comprehensive eye exam involves more than just determining a prescription for glasses or contact lenses. Your optometrist is trained to detect any early signs of ocular diseases that could potentially impact your vision quality, either immediately or further down the road. One of the key challenges with many vision changes and ocular diseases is that they tend to progress slowly and without any pain, making it difficult for individuals to recognize that anything is amiss.
EYE CARE OPTOMETRY IN SOUTH EDMONTON
At Trifecta Optometry, we provide comprehensive eye care services in South Edmonton. Our experienced eye optometry team is dedicated to ensuring your vision health through personalized care, advanced eye exams, and modern treatments. Whether you need a routine check-up or specialized eye care, we are here to help you maintain healthy vision.
A TRUSTED EYE DOCTOR IN SOUTH EDMONTON
Are you looking for a reliable eye doctor in South Edmonton? Trifecta Optometry offers a welcoming eye care clinic environment and expert care for all your vision needs. Visit us today for professional eye exams and customized eye care solutions.
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY
At Trifecta Optometry, we believe to serve you best as your optometrist, we must have the latest technology to help us do our job well. We have invested in state of the art technology to provide the quality of care for our patients.
(Non Contact Tonometry/Non Contact Pachymetry/Autorefractor/Autokeratometer)
This is a multimodal instrument that provides important objective measurements for the optometrist. The autorefractor provides an objective starting point for a patient's refractive error (prescription). The autokeratometer provides the anterior curvature of the corneal tissue. The non contact tonometry measures a patient's intraocular pressure. The non contact pachymetry measures the central thickness of the cornea.
Nidek TONOREF(TM) III
This portable handheld tonometer offers a modern and reliable option to measure intraocular pressures with ease and with minimal discomfort for the patient. Local anesthesia is not necessary and is an ideal tool for both screening and monitoring for glaucoma. At Trifecta Optometry, we can offer this in place of the dreaded 'air puff test'.
iCare IC100 Tonometer
Certain eye diseases affect a person's peripheral vision before it causes central vision loss and is often painless. The Zeiss Humphrey Matrix Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) provides rapid screening testing for the detection of visual field loss.
Visual Field Screening
The images taken become a body of work for our patients to photodocument the appearance of the retina over time - this is a standard of care for all our patients coming in for a comprehensive eye examination. At Trifecta Optometry, we have the iCare EIDON that provides the first TruColor Confocal imaging device for ultra-high resolution widefield imaging up to 200 degrees of the retina. This technology provides guaranteed image sharpness, better optical resolution, higher details and greater contrast to help the optometrist diagnose disease promptly.
Retinal Photography
Taking a step further, we go deeper into the layers of the retina by way of the Zeiss CIRRUS HD-Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). This is a non-invasive scan that creates a cross-sectional image of the major structures of the retina to screen for subclinical changes. Common conditions screened for include glaucoma, optic neuropathy, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and macular holes. At Trifecta Optometry, we have also invested in the Anterior Segment Premier Module that expands the capabilities of the HD-OCT. This allows for the measurement of corneal epithelial thickness maps, high definition corneal imaging and anterior chamber depths and angle.
Retinal Imaging
As a leading Dry Eye Centre in Edmonton, Trifecta Optometry considers meibography imaging of the lower eyelids as standard of care screening for Dry Eye Disease at your Comprehensive Eye Examination. The dysfunction of the meibomian glands is the most frequent cause of Dry Eye Disease. With meibography, we are able to use infrared imaging to visualize the state of the meibomian glands to detect morphological changes to the tissue.
Meibography Screening
EYE EXAMINATION
Once you have completed the diagnostic testing and pre-test screening portion with the optometric assistant, your optometrist will take the information to complement the rest of the comprehensive eye examination.
INITIAL CONVERSATION
The case history is an important aspect to a comprehensive eye examination. It aids in understanding the main concerns of the patient and focuses the energy and direction of the examination for efficiency. Your optometrist will also review your personal and family medical and ocular history including current medications and allergies. Many ocular diseases are connected to health conditions as well as having a hereditary factor as well.
VISION ASSESSMENT, BINOCULAR VISION TESTING, AND BEST CORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY
Your optometrist will establish your visual acuity baseline unaided or with your current vision correction. Other auxiliary testing including binocular vision, eye muscle movement, neurological function, and colour vision will be assessed as well. The phoropter will then be used to determine your refractive error (prescription) to provide you with the best vision used in prescription spectacles and contact lenses.
OCULAR HEALTH
Using the slit lamp, your optometrist will perform biomicroscopy to assess the anterior and posterior health of your eyes to assist in early detection of any abnormalities and to screen for silent eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts. Numerous ocular conditions are asymptomatic early in the disease process and can many times uncover underlying health conditions.
PATIENT EDUCATION
At Trifecta Optometry, we place the most value on this portion of the comprehensive eye examination because we take all the testing that has been performed and provide the full ocular status for the patient. It does not matter if everything is healthy or if additional
MOST COMMON EYE CONDITIONS AMONG ADULTS AND SENIORS
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Myopia (Nearsightedness)This refractive error makes it difficult seeing distant objects, but can see objects that are nearby. The reason is generally because the length of the eye is too long and the focal point of light rays lands in front of the retina making objects appear blurry. This can be corrected optically using prescription spectacles and contact lenses. Myopia is becoming a genuine public health concern globally as by 2050, it is estimated that 50% of the world's population will have some form of myopia. As an individual's myopia increases, it places them at a higher risk to develop potentially blinding conditions in their adulthood such as retinal detachment, maculopathy, and early cataract formation. We are now living in an era where there are many different options to address this pandemic that manages the progression of myopia in our children. Trifecta Optometry is proud to be a clinic that recognizes this disease and places high value in managing it for our patients. Click here to learn more about Myopia Management
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Hyperopia (Farsightedness)Simply, it is theoretically the opposite to myopia. One has the ability to see objects in the distance, however can struggle to read at near. Depending on how high the prescription is, one may be functional unaided, while others may require prescription spectacles part time typically with near work, and others may need them full time for all distances. In this case, the length of the eye is generally too short and the focal point of light rays lands behind the retina making objects appear blurry.
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AstigmatismThis is a common vision condition that can contribute to blurry vision. However rather than experiencing blurriness at one distance, it is usually at every distance. Most astigmatism originates from an irregular corneal shape causing light to be dispersed in multiple directions causing the visual obscuration. In other scenarios, the astigmatism can come from the lens of the eye as well. It can be corrected by prescription spectacles and contact lenses.
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PresbyopiaThis is a natural effect of aging, usually occurring after the age of 40. This is a phenomenon in which the ability to focus on close objects decreases over time and can occur simultaneously and in addition to one's existing refractive error. Left uncorrected, it can cause difficulty with intermediate and near work requiring more light and at times can cause headaches. The need for reading glasses or bifocals and progressive lenses will be necessary to correct.
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CataractsAs we age, the lens of the eye becomes cloudy. The process is typically gradual and one may be asymptomatic initially, however as they continue to progress, there are many symptoms that can affect the quality of vision. This can include: Blurry or foggy vision Difficulty with night time driving Difficulty with near vision Increased halos, glare, starburst around lights Fading colours Early signs generally start at the age of 60 and once it becomes visually significant, surgical removal will be necessary with the replacement of an implantable intraocular lens.
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Diabetic RetinopathyIn individuals with uncontrolled blood sugar levels, it can cause changes to the tissues of the eye. Many changes can occur including the development of new blood vessels, white blood cells, swelling and leakage of fluid in the retina only to name a few. These episodes can cause immediate to long term changes to vision including: Spots or floaters in vision Distortion around objects Decreased vision Darkened areas of vision
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Age-Related Macular DegenerationThis is the leading cause of vision loss among the older population. The macula, the portion of the eye responsible for clear central vision, undergoes a slow deterioration of the tissue as the disease progresses. This causes the central part of the vision to blur and/or distort while sparing your peripheral vision. Some of the early symptoms may include: Blurry and decreased central vision Straights lines may seem bent and distorted Difficulty seeing fine details
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GlaucomaGlaucoma is also known as the "silent killer of sight". It is a disease that starts with almost no symptoms for the individual; once it becomes noticeable, a considerable amount of damage has already been done. Glaucoma is a disease that causes the gradual thinning of the thickness of the tissues of the optic nerve head. At times, high intraocular eye pressure may be associated with the disease however a majority of the time, it is not the case. There are also numerous subtypes of glaucoma as well. Eventually in the disease's end stage, it causes significant peripheral vision loss eventually into tunnel vision. Some symptoms may include: Perception of becoming more clumsy Difficulty shoulder checking when driving Eye pain Redness Headache
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Dry Eye DiseaseLiving in one of the dryest major cities in Canada, Edmonton's environment certainly contributes to the symptoms of Dry Eye Disease. It is simply more than the eye not producing enough tears - in fact, that is typically not the reason for the majority of individuals suffering from Dry Eye. Dry Eye Disease is a multifactorial disease that starts gradually and can compound to the point of causing a negative impact to someone's day-to-day activities. Some of the symptoms can include: Foreign body sensation in the eye Constant red eyes Burning or stinging eyes Itchy eyes Sensitivity to light Fluctuation in vision
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KeratoconusIn keratoconus, the cornea begins to thin and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape. This can cause blurry and distorted vision. It generally begins at puberty and progresses into the mid-30s. It typically affects both eyes, with one eye being more severely affected than the other. In the early to mild stages, it can be corrected optically with prescription spectacles and contact lenses, however in the moderate to severe stages, more aggressive treatments may require surgical intervention. As with many eye conditions, early detection is key.