The Lexington Lions Club offers important “Free” Health Screenings for families attending the Bluegrass Fair at Masterson Station Park, July 12 -22, 2012. Each year many people, children and adults who attend the Fair take advantage of the “Free” Hearing and Vision screenings that take place in the Exhibit Building. Members of the Lexington Lions Club who are trained to administer these screenings volunteer their time each year to help other people.
The screenings take up to 7 minutes each in most cases and give many people an update on how their hearing or vision has been affected as they get older. The screenings are open to people from young children to adults and are bilingual friendly.
A large number of people lose hearing as they age and do not notice the “High Frequency” loss that occurs as a result of the normal day to day noise that surrounds us. Eventually the hearing loss can involve the frequencies that are within our “Speech range” and affect how we hear each other. These screenings will identify if further testing is needed by a health professional that can make recommendations for treating or accommodating the hearing loss.
The hearing screening takes place in a “Sound Proof” booth where the individual puts on headphones, and then listens to a series of “Tones” that they verify they have heard by raising their hand.
An “Audiometer” is used to do the screening which generates these tones at different frequencies (pitches) and at different intensities or levels of loudness. During the screening, various frequencies are tested at a standard level of intensity or loudness to determine if the individual hears at that frequency or not.
If the person does not respond consistently at all frequencies and a problem is suspected, they are typically referred to their family physician, an “Audiologist” or “ENT” (Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor) for further evaluation.
For the Vision screening, a person sits down in front of a “Tonometer” and they put their face against the machine that measures the pressure within the eye. This machine provides a fast and forceful blast of air onto the surface of the eyes, which flattens the cornea. The instrument measures the time it takes for the portion of the cornea to completely flatten. The air-puff “Tonometer” does not require eye drops, and the results are available within seconds.
During the screening process people are checked on a machine for “Peripheral Vision” which is the visual field at the “outside” of your vision. That means that if you look at an object directly in front of you, you should still be able to see and recognize objects to your left, right, up and down—not directly in your line of sight.
“Peripheral Vision” loss can be a sign of a number of eye diseases, including Glaucoma and other optic nerve disorders. Other screenings check for “Visual Acuity” which are problems seeing things far away (nearsightedness) or problems seeing things close up (farsightedness).
There are certain guidelines that are followed that determine if an individual passes or fails. Anything over 20/50 in one or both eyes signifies a problem. They are then advised to have further evaluation.
The committee members that are responsible for all vision screenings not only do these screenings at the Bluegrass Fair but also throughout the year. Members receive training in the use of the various pieces of screening equipment and in the procedures involved in conducting these events.
The Lexington Lions Club offers assistance for families and individuals who are unable to afford hearing aids, eye glasses or eye surgery in the Lexington area from the funds that they raise doing the Bluegrass Fair.