We know your vision is important to you – and it’s important to us. When you come for your appointment, we make sure to schedule ample time for your appointment so you will never feel rushed.
Our office provides complete eye care for both adults and children. Our comprehensive eye examinations will check your eyes inside and out for any potential eye disorders or diseases. Your visual skills and abilities are carefully evaluated and appropriate treatment is prescribed, whether it’s medication, lenses, or vision therapy.
We are prepared to handle whatever your eyecare needs are, and will treat them with the latest in diagnostic equipment and are committed to keeping up with eye care technology.
The American Optometric Association recommends people get comprehensive eye exams at:
·6 to 12 months of age
·At 3 years of age
·Before 1st grade, then ages 6 to 18 every 2 years or as recommended
We are pleased to inform you that your next visit to our office, you will experience the benefits of the latest technolgy in eye exams - the Optomap Retinal Exam. The Optomap will produce a more thorough exam than was previously possible. The result is that we can better prevent or reduce vision loss in our patients with a simple, quick and patient-friendly new exam
Any routine eye exam should always include a careful look at the retina, which is located at the back of the eye, to screen for abnormalities or disease. The sensitive tissue that makes up the retina is susceptible to a variety of diseases that can ultimately lead to partial loss of vision or even complete blindness.
As you think about your child's development milestones, remember it is never too early to consider your child's eye health. Because vision plays a major role in infant development, visual health must be checked regularly. In fact, the American Optometric Association recommends that children receive their first comprehensive eye assessment at six months of age.
The Doctors at Heartland Eye Care look forward to helping you make the most of your child's future. With InfantSEE™, a program that provides eye assessments to children at no charge within their first twelve months of life.
"The American Optometric Association guidelines recommend that all children have a complete vision and eye health examination at the age of 6 months, 3 years, upon entering kindergarten, and routine vision care (every 2 years) thereafter throughout their school years." (http://www.aoa.org)
Our professionals can help fit you into a pair of lenses that is just right for you. We are experts in fitting contact lenses and can handle the most specialized needs. Whether rigid or soft lenses, we are experienced in handling the most difficult of prescriptions.
If you have allergies, then you know allergies can be particularly annoying to contact lens wearers. In the past many people had to quit wearing their lenses during the allergy season. However, new lens materials, contact lens solutions and allergy medications have made it possible for these people to eliminate the burning itchy eyes associated with allergies. Prescription medications such as Patanol and Alocril are amazingly effective and safe even in children as young as three. Let us know when you come in for your appointment if you have special allergy needs and we will be happy to help you.
Our optical dispensaries have the latest in frame styles and information on lens materials and enhancements for everyones lifestyle. Our highly qualified staff are able to adjust and fit your glasses to you for extended comfort and vision. They are also trained to help maintain and repair your eyewear should they become broken or damaged.
Our office provides emergency services for eye infections and eye injuries. Please call our office at 701-284-7330 in Park River or 701-352-1370 in Grafton during office hours. For emergencies after hours or on weekends call 701-284-7429. Our staff will work with you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. State of the art microscopes allow us to examine the front surface of the eye and facial areas around the eye for infection or injury. After assessing the extent of the injury or infection a treatment plan will be formulated and explained to you. Treatment may include medications and supportive care. Follow-up visits to monitor your recovery will be scheduled as needed.
Dry eye symptoms include scratchy eyes, burning, mild redness and gritty feeling eyes. Oral medications, reading, computer tasks and dry environments may aggravate marginally dry eyes. Dry eyes can be diagnosed by using dyes to observe tear patterns, evaluation of the amount of tears on the front of the eye and from review of your symptoms. Treatment may include artificial tears; eye drops for treating allergies; and/or punctal plugs inserted in the tear drainage canals.
Cataracts: The natural lens in the eye gradually becomes less clear as we get older. When opacities develop in the lens and the lens gets too hazy, vision will be impaired. Our office can diagnose and manage cataract care. When the cataract affects the vision to the extent that you cannot read or see distant objects comfortably, we will recommend cataract surgery. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists that are proven experts in cataract surgery. Cataract surgery can provide you with a bright new world of vision.
Diabetes: Diabetic patients should have a dilated retinal examination each year. Laser treatments have proven to slow the progression of retinal eye disease for many patients. Diabetes often stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the back of the eye, which ultimately leak and damage the retina. If this condition is discovered early, laser treatment can destroy these vessels. We have the latest instruments used to detect changes in the back of the eye. If we discover advancing diabetic eye disease that can be treated or needs further evaluation, we will refer you for consultation and further testing to a board certified retinal specialist.
Glaucoma: Glaucoma gradually destroys the optic nerve tissue in the back of the eye. The greatest danger of glaucoma stems from the fact that the disease is painless and without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. The most common cause is from pressure being too high inside the eye, but vascular disease and other diseases can also cause glaucoma. We always monitor for glaucoma during routine eye examinations. Tests include checking the pressure of the eye, screening for peripheral vision defects and analyzing the appearance of the optic nerve. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, we typically prescribe medications that lower the eye pressure. Most forms of glaucoma are successfully treated with eye drops. Laser treatments and eye surgery are secondary treatments that offer alternative ways to treat more advanced glaucoma.
Our office provides co-management care for surgical services such as Cataract surgery, Laser surgery, Refractive surgery and Strabismic surgery. We offer this in conjunction with the hospital and local eye surgeons.
Additionally, we have working arrangements established with other specialized eye care doctors to manage such things are retinal detachments, retinal tears and hemmorhages.
Most people with vision correction issues are wanting to know more about LASIK and whether it is right for them. Here is a brief description of the procedure;
A flap is surgically cut in the cornea and gently folded back. An Excimer Laser is used to reshape the cornea into a flatter shape (this is much like a contact lens corrects vision by forming a new shape on the cornea). The flap is then put back in place, acting like a natural bandage. The healing process is quick and the discomfort level is quite low.
People will often say that they did not feel anything, and could see well the very first day. Most people have improved vision in 24-48 hours. but it must be noted that each person will heal at a different rate. Vision, although greatly improved immediately after surgery, often continues to improve for some weeks, even months.
LASIK is not for everyone. People's eyes are different so even though you may have had a friend who has had LASIK, it may not be the best course of treatment for you. If you are interested in laser vision correction, we will be happy to guide you in picking the right surgeon, procedure and laser appropriate for you.
After the procedure, we take great care to monitor your eyes and adjust your medication for the best possible results.
People who have lost eyesight due to injuries or eye disease need special types of products to help them function as independently as possible. We offer a full range of these products through our office. Our paraoptometric staff is trained to demonstrate the use of some of these devices. They range all the way from a simple hand magnifier to a closed circuit TV system.
In addition, we can direct those who have low vision problems to products that will help them carry on the day-to-day tasks that they need to perform. In some cases we can set up a program for the low vision patient with the National Library of Congress to receive "books on tapes", which is a service for the blind.
Seeing clearly is not enough. For many people, reading and hand-eye coordination tasks can be very difficult. The act of sight not only includes ones eyes, but it also includes the neurological activity that processes the visual information. Throwing a ball or skiing down a hill, is a learned activity; to do either well takes practice. Those who do it best are those who started learning at the earliest age. Sight plays an important role in the learning of these activities. Sight is the steering mechanism; it is the main activity that provides feedback regarding what really is happening. We provide Vision Therapy to help individuals learn how to process visual information and develop better hand-eye coordination skills.
