March 1, 2026
At Eyes on Litchfield, Dr. Tabitha Plunske and Dr. Tommasina Pasqua Sideris provide comprehensive, doctor-led eye exams using advanced retinal imaging to detect early signs of systemic disease—pairing precision care with curated, boutique eyewear. Here, they answer key questions about protecting your eye health.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve caught during a routine eye exam?
Your eyes are the only place in the body where we can see blood vessels without making an incision, which makes them an incredibly powerful diagnostic tool. Between the two of us, we’ve caught early signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol—even a tumor—all in patients who walked in feeling perfectly fine. One patient came in for a routine visit and we noticed changes in the back of her eye that led to discovering dangerously high blood sugar she had no idea about. Another was referred out the same day and ended up in emergency heart surgery. A comprehensive eye exam is a window into your overall health—and sometimes, it’s the appointment that changes everything.
What’s something most people don’t realize is slowly damaging their eyes?
When you’re focused on a screen, your blink rate drops by more than half. The oil glands along your eyelids depend on regular blinks to function—when they’re chronically underused, they can become blocked and eventually stop working. I’m seeing more patients in their 40s and 50s with dry eye disease that’s been quietly building for years. The simplest fix: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
At what age should people start paying closer attention to eye health?
Forty is the magic number. That’s when the lens starts losing flexibility, but it’s also when glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts can begin developing—often with zero symptoms. The warning signs people brush off: occasional blurry vision, halos around lights, eyes that feel tired by mid-afternoon. Sometimes it’s nothing. Sometimes it’s the earliest signal of something we can manage much more easily if caught early.
People spend a lot on frames—what mistakes to avoid?
Two things. First, choosing what’s trendy over what complements their features. Second, ignoring how the frame interacts with their prescription. A gorgeous oversized frame with a strong prescription can end up thick and heavy at the edges. We factor your prescription into the selection so the final product works beautifully. It’s part styling session, part science—and something you simply can’t get ordering online.
A lot of people dread eye appointments. What are you doing differently at Eyes on Litchfield?
The dread usually comes from rushed exams, feeling like a number, and sometimes not even seeing a real doctor in the room. We built Eyes on Litchfield around the opposite of that. Every exam is with a doctor, in person, unhurried. When you’re in the chair, that time is yours—if you have ten questions, we answer all ten. The space itself feels more like a boutique than a clinic, and our eyewear is curated, not mass-produced. Patients tell us coming in feels more like a treat than a chore.
What’s one thing you wish every patient knew about protecting their long-term eye health?
Glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease—they’re all silent early on. We’ve invested in the highest-resolution retinal imaging available, which lets us track even the smallest changes in your eyes year over year and catch things when treatment is most effective. Your eyes are irreplaceable. The best thing you can do is partner with a doctor who knows your eyes and is watching out for you.
