Why should I see an eye doctor?
It’s essential you don’t miss your annual eye exam. Showing up helps ensure your eyes are healthy, functioning correctly, and allows Dr. Lovero to monitor any changes in your vision and keep up to date with your eye health.
Your eyes can also be an indicator of your overall health, showing early warning signs of underlying health complications.
How can I take care of my eye health?
In addition to your annual eye exams and checkups, and, of course, monitoring how your eyes look and feel in between your visits, there are other methods you can try, including:
- Don’t smoke
- Eat food that’s more nutritionally-dense
- Take a break when looking at a computer screen
- Get enough sleep, so your eyes have sufficient time to rest
- Avoid excessively bright, artificial lights when it isn’t necessary
- Use eyewear to protect your eyes, such as sunglasses when you are outside
What is Optomap®?
Optomap® ultra-wide digital retinal imaging is a newer advanced technology available to help protect your vision. Dr. Lovero uses this technology as a vital part of comprehensive eye exams for his patients.
The Optomap allows Dr. Lovero to examine over 80% of your retina, as opposed to traditional imaging that could only reveal up to 15%.
The retina is the lining at the back of your eye, through which light strikes through before being sent to your brain for you to process an image. An unhealthy retina can’t send clear signals to the brain, and this negatively impacts your vision.
The Optomap system can reveal:
- Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetes and prediabetes can affect the eyes at an early stage. It can damage the blood vessels in your retina: the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of your eye. This can lead to vision loss, but Optomap technology can detect the damaged blood cells.
- Age-related macular degeneration: The macula at the center of the retina can become diseased with age and alter your vision. Optomap easily detects this condition.
- Hypertension: Hypertension is otherwise known as high blood pressure and can cause changes to the blood vessels in your retina that are also clearly visible with Optomap. Hypertension can increase your risk of heart disease.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma refers to damage to the optic nerve which often develops without any symptoms. With no symptoms to attract your and the doctor’s attention, the Optomap imaging system is a great way to check for glaucoma.
What is iWellness by Optovue?
iWellness powered by Optovue's Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology is a fast, non-invasive CT scan that allows Dr. Lovero to see beneath the surface of your retina by generating high-resolution, cross-sectional and three-dimensional (3D) images of the retina, optic disc and anterior segment. Vision-threatening diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetes often have no outward signs or symptoms in the early stages. This type of imaging visualizes the structures of your eye — from the front, or anterior segment, to the back, or retina to give Dr. Lovero valuable information that aids in the diagnosis and management of a range of ocular diseases.
Dr. Lovero chooses to use high quality, advanced technology to give his patients the best eye health possible. Call or book online to visit the Houston, Texas, office.
