- Arthritis
- Pediatric CareDr. Sherwood grew up in Pleasant Hill, MO. She attended the University of Missouri — Columbia before earning her Doctorate of Optometry at the University of Missouri — St. Louis. During her optometric rotations, she developed special interest in ocular disease, specialty contact lenses, and pediatrics.
- Primary CareOne of the best ways to treat diabetic eye disease in many stages (especially early on) is to establish good, (or tight) control over the underlying problem – the diabetes! We will work with you and your primary care doctor and/or endocrinologist to ensure that your daily blood sugar levels and A1C are at optimal levels. We communicate with your other providers after each visit you have in our office, and we can help counsel you on achieving healthy daily habits. Obtaining and maintaining good blood sugar control can minimize daily prescription changes and can reverse more mild levels of retinopathy!
- High Cholesterol
- Emergency Care24/7 urgent care access to OUR doctors not some random person across town who doesn’t have access to your records
- GlaucomaThey can find specialists for your needs, like doctors who work with scleral lenses, or manage retinal issues or glaucoma
- OphthalmologyThis National Eye Institute (NEI) page list of eye conditions and diseases, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology has a much more exhaustive than our glossary, and includes information about nearly every eye condition there is. The NEI is a part of the US’s National Institute of Health.
- Macular DegenerationThis is the most advanced form of the disease. This occurs when damaged retinal cells send signals that it needs more nutrients; new blood vessels begin to form to help support the damage tissue. The problem with these vessels, as mentioned above: they are leaky, causing tissue to swell, and can rapidly advance to form a disc-like scar (large area of complete vision loss). Roughly 20% of people with dry macular degeneration will eventually develop the wet form. This usually results in a much greater loss of vision than the dry type. There are ways to halt the vessel formation, but once a scar forms, the tissue is permanently damaged.
- Laser Eye SurgeryLASIK is a procedure that enables us to perform corneal sculpting with the excimer laser, under a protective corneal flap. Before LASIK, several eye drops will be placed in the eye to be treated. These eye drops will anesthetize the eye and prevent infection. Next, the patient lies down on a bed that is adjusted to perfectly align the laser.
- CataractsDiabetic cataracts can cause severe vision impairment, at which point they need to be removed surgically. This surgery is the same one that is performed for normal age-related cataracts. However, you will need to be more closely monitored due to the slower wound healing that occurs in diabetes. If you are young and develop a cataract that must be removed, you may end up needing bifocal glasses after the procedure, as you will no longer have the natural ability to shift your focus from far away to up close.
- Cataract SurgeryAlso, your new doctor will have your current doctor’s recommendations of potential future treatments like new dry eye treatment or cataract surgery in the future.
- Eye ExamOur skilled team can help you see more clearly for life! Call or Text us 816-524-8900 or schedule your eye exam online today.
- Mental HealthA 2008 study of patients with ocular surface disease treated with scleral lenses, including 45% with dry eye, reported a 73% reduction in ocular pain and a 90% increase in mental health. Benefits and Cost-Effectiveness of the Boston Ocular Surface Prosthesis, Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University April 18, 2008 Hundreds of patients with chronic ocular GVHD have had their vision restored and quality of life transformed with Scleral Lenses.
- Diabetes Care
- ThyroidOur doctors have a special passion for diabetic eye care, but evaluate all of our patients for many systemic issues that can affect your sight including high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, high cholesterol, and thyroid disease. Your overall health has a huge impact on your risk of vision changes later in life and many eye diseases are not obvious to you in the early stages. Many medications can also cause visual issues, especially dryness. Due to the reasons above, our doctors recommend that you have your eye health evaluated on a regular basis (usually annually).
- Diabetic RetinopathyDiabetic retinopathy describes damage to the blood vessels inside of the eyes, specifically to the retina. (Retinopathy translates to disease of the retina.) It is broken down into two main categories, non-proliferative (more mild) and proliferative (usually very severe).
- Skin CancerUltra Violet (UV) wavelengths can have some dramatic effects on your eyes and skin, causing things like cataracts and skin cancer, but did you know that the high energy waves in the visible light spectrum can also cause issues? Blue light deeply penetrates the eye and can cause damage to the retina over time, however this is minimal for most of us and takes many years. This is not what doctors are most concerned with, rather blue light suppresses melatonin production (the sleep hormone) that causes the most disruption: by reducing our quantity and restfulness of sleep.
- DermatologyThis newer treatment is both, non-invasive and avoids medications. Dermatology used IPL for various skin conditions for 20+ years. Examples include the treatment of age spots, fine lines, rosacea and hair removal. Dermatologists noted that patients with such skin conditions, especially rosacea, reported improvement in their dry eye symptoms following treatment of nearby skin.
- Cyst
- Skin CareOur doctors also spend a few weekends a year staying current on the latest technology, techniques and clinical care. We offer a few specialty services that has patients from all over the region visiting us. This includes scleral and hard lens fittings (especially for dry eye and keratoconus patients), cutting edge dry eye treatments, comprehensive knowledge about the best (and worst) eye related skin care and cosmetics, and myopia management.
- Allergies