FAQ
Dr Gallo & Associates provides their patients with a list of frequently asked questions from other patients and visitors of our website. If you do not see the answer to a question or concern you may have, please feel free to contact us anytime.
What is an optometrist?
Optometrists are health care practitioners who diagnose, treat, manage and prevent diseases and disorders of the eye and visual system and related structures. Optometrists prescribe and/or provide eyeglasses and contact lenses, low vision aids and vision therapy.
The practice of optometry includes the examination of the internal and external structures of the eye in order to diagnose vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia; diagnose eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts and retinal disorders and to detect signs of other diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Also, optometrists do testing to determine the patient’s ability to focus and co-ordinate the eyes, and to judge depth and see colours accurately.
If I don’t have any problems, should I have my eyes examined?
Will I have drops put in my eyes when I have them examined?
If I keep wearing glasses will my eyes get worse?
To date, every well-designed scientific study has failed to prove that wearing your glasses increases your prescription. Instead, several studies convincingly indicate that increases in prescription have a genetic basis. It’s also possible that extended reading causes myopia progression. However, this does not warrant nearsighted patients to reduce near work. If your prescription does increase, you should think of your eyes as “different” instead of “worse”.