Regular eye exams are an integral component of health care and can detect chronic systemic illnesses early. At Lappen Eye Care, our doctors are specially trained to diagnose, monitor, and treat all ocular and visual disorders medically or surgically.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Lappen earned both his undergraduate and post-graduate degrees at Ithaca College in New York; additionally, he graduated with distinction in visual sciences before receiving his Doctor of Optometry with clinical honors degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia, where he interned alongside some of the nation’s premier eye care professionals.
Eye Exams
Dr. Lappen received his bachelor of biology from Ithaca College in New York before continuing to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia to earn his doctor of Optometry degree. A member of both the American Optometric Association and Western Pennsylvania Optometric Society, he specializes in comprehensive eye care as well as managing eye diseases and disorders medically. Basic tests to establish your prescription may also be performed; eye exams can detect early warning signs for diabetes, high blood pressure, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Contact Lenses
Lappen eye care doctors possess the specialized training and professional expertise to diagnose, monitor, and medically or surgically treat all eye and visual disorders – from eye diseases and infections to congenital defects and injuries – and manage contact lens use or laser vision correction procedures.
This practice specializes in fitting daily wear soft contact lenses and bifocals that can correct vision in most cases without glasses, while they also specialize in specialty contacts for astigmatism and keratoconus patients. Their office offers an assortment of colors and styles of contact lenses for patients to select from.
Most contact lenses are intended to be worn daily and taken out nightly for cleaning until their expiration date arrives and must be replaced due to degradation in material quality. Some contacts, however, can be worn continuously for up to seven days without removal and cleaning; disposable soft contact lenses are particularly suited to those with sensitive eyes or difficulty wearing their lenses for extended periods.
Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are an emerging type of contact lens, offering greater oxygen flow to the cornea. While typically thicker than soft contact lenses, RGP lenses may be better suited for people suffering from certain corneal issues like keratoconus. RGP lenses may also be combined with Ortho-K to reshape corneas and reduce dependence on glasses or contacts.
Scleral contact lenses fit on the surface of the cornea and are often used in combination with Ortho-K to treat severe keratoconus. Sclerals are usually easily identified because they do not lay flat across your cornea’s surface.
No matter the kind of contact lens you wear, it is crucial that they are taken good care of. This includes ensuring your hands are clean before handling them, not using the same solution for both saline and cleaning solutions, and keeping your lenses moist utilizing a contact lens rewetting solution – especially during hotter weather when they may become sweaty and dirty more quickly.
Pediatric Eye Care
If your child is experiencing vision problems, they must visit an eye doctor immediately. Children who struggle to see in school often work in other aspects of life. If this concerns you, Lappen Eye Care in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and McMurray offers pediatric eye care for all these locations and more.
Lappen eye care providers are experienced in diagnosing and medically treating all forms of eye diseases, in addition to offering comprehensive and emergency eye care, as well as prescribing specialty contacts. Furthermore, they co-manage surgeries like LASIK and cataract removal while being certified to perform glaucoma treatment.
Dr. Lappan hails from Poughkeepsie, NY, and earned her Bachelor’s and Doctorate from Binghamton University and State University of New York College of Optometry, respectively. Additionally, she holds memberships in the New York State Optometric Association, American Optometric Association, and Western Pennsylvania Optometric Society and specializes in diagnosing eye diseases like Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration while treating injuries, infections, and conditions related to retinal macula diseases.
Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss caused by increased eye pressure due to fluid retention. When this fluid doesn’t drain out properly or becomes blocked by obstructions in its path, vision loss could occur. To treat glaucoma effectively, visit your physician immediately for treatment.
Glaucoma symptoms can quickly manifest themselves, such as severe eye pain and blurred vision. If this occurs to you, seek medical treatment from an eye doctor in Pittsburgh immediately – as acute angle-closure glaucoma should always be considered a medical emergency. If symptoms like these appear quickly for you, get immediate medical advice from a Pittsburgh, PA, eye care provider immediately.
Your doctor will likely treat your symptoms with medication or laser. Medication drops that reduce eye pressure may also help. Take any prescribed drops as directed to reduce stress in your eyes. An hour-long surgery called trabeculectomy or seton can remove fluid from your sight; this procedure usually occurs in an operating room under dim lighting; someone must drive you home afterward.
MIGS procedures offer another technique for treating glaucoma that directly targets the eye’s drain system, yet has yet to show their full effectiveness compared to more established treatments such as trabeculectomy or stenting procedures.
Preventing glaucoma requires regular eye exams by an eye doctor in Pittsburgh, PA. People with certain medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are at greater risk than others for developing it; your family history also plays a part.
An ophthalmologist is a doctor specially trained in diagnosing, monitoring, and medically or surgically treating all ocular and visual disorders. At Lappen Eye Care in Pittsburg, Greensburg, and McMurray, Pennsylvania, a board-certified ophthalmologist provides diagnosis and glaucoma treatment and treating eye injuries or surgeries like LASIK co-management services. Contact Lappen Eye Care now for your eye exam and schedule an eye exam with them today.
