Category: Eye Resources

If you live an active lifestyle, wearing prescription glasses or contacts can, at times, feel like a nuisance. But you can’t go without them, right? Not necessarily. It’s time you learned about the benefits of LASIK!

The benefits of LASIK

As the most commonly performed laser eye surgery, LASIK reshapes your cornea to allow light that enters the eye to focus on the retina for better vision. The surgery usually takes about 15 minutes for both eyes, can leave you walking out the door with your glasses left behind.

What to Expect 

Immediately after the procedure, you may feel a temporary burning or itching sensation that can cause blurry vision. These side effects are only temporary and should improve by the next morning. Always follow the care instructions set by your doctor in order to have a successful procedure. Although there are cases where you may still need to wear your prescription glasses or contact lenses, most people will achieve 20/20 vision or better after having LASIK. 

So are you the right candidate for LASIK?

Generally, there are a few things that you must consider before determining whether or not LASIK is right for you. 

• Your eyes must be healthy–if you have any condition that might affect how your eyes respond to surgery or heal afterward, you must wait until that condition is resolved. 
• Because LASIK reshapes your cornea, it’s also essential to determine whether or not your cornea is the right thickness to undergo this procedure. 
• Your prescription must be within certain limits; if your prescription is too high, it may not be wise to undergo LASIK. 

Because everyone’s needs and personal circumstances are different, talk to your doctor to see if he/she believes you’re a good fit for this procedure.

Want to learn more about LASIK? Give our office a call or ask our staff your questions at your next appointment. Our team is prepared to help you choose the right vision management options for your lifestyle. 

Blue light is the type of light with the shortest wavelength and highest energy. It’s everywhere! Although many people associate blue light with technology, the sun is the primary source of these rays.

Many human-made devices also emit blue light, and in recent years, the time individuals are spending on these devices has increased dramatically. 

Key Points About Blue Light

The anterior structure of your eye, made up of the cornea and lens, is very effective at blocking UV rays from reaching the retina, located at the back of your eye. However, blue light cannot be filtered naturally by the eye and passes through the cornea and reaches your retina. Your retina’s continued exposure to these harmful rays can result in a higher risk of developing macular degeneration over time, and eventually, permanent vision loss. 

Not all blue light is bad, though. Some exposure is proven to be good for your health. Blue light–taken in appropriate amounts–can boost alertness, improve memory and cognitive functions, and elevate your mood. 

Symptoms of Overexposure 

Some of the most notable signs of overexposure are: 

• Eye Strain
• Headaches and Migraines
• Blurry Vision
• Dry Eyes
• Inability to Focus
• Disruptions in Sleep Patterns

Protecting Your Eyes

Digital devices aren’t going anywhere, so it’s essential to ensure that you are taking preemptive steps to protect your eyes from blue light. With electronic devices, consider these few tips to reduce the harmful rays reaching your retina. 

• Hold your Device at an Angle
• Wear Blue Light Blocking Glasses 
• Use a Screen Filter
• Install a Blue Light Blocking App
• Take Advantage of “Comfort View” Settings

Ready to take protection to the next level? Ask us about computer eyewear! Computer eyewear will drastically reduce eye strain by filtering emitted light before it reaches your eyes. Many electronic devices are starting to offer apps or different settings that are intended to lessen the amount of blue light that is emitted so it’s less harsh on your eyes. While these settings don’t necessarily protect your eyes from the blue light, it does cut down on eye strain considerably by lessening the contrast. 

Do you have more questions about how you can protect your eyes? Stop by our office or give us a call and we would be more than happy to answer your questions!

Thanks to our busy lives, multiple hobbies, and all the activities in between, having multiple pairs of eyewear handy is a necessity. Even contact lens wearers should have alternative pairs of eyewear. But some of us still haven’t jumped on that bandwagon. If you’re still on the fence, here are a few reasons why it’s a great idea to have at least two pairs of eyewear:

Misplacement

We’ve all been there, searching for missing glasses just when we need them the most. An additional pair of eyewear can’t guarantee they won’t keep slipping through the cracks, but it will significantly reduce the chances of having to go without. Lost a contact lens and don’t have a replacement? Backup glasses can hold you over until your new contact lenses come in!

Style

Think about it: a night out on the town is going to call for more stylish eyewear than the amber-tinted lenses you wear at your computer desk. Funky frames may better showcase your personality, but a more neutral pair may be needed for professional situations. Having different styles of glasses removes this dilemma by giving you situation-specific options.

Protection

Chances are, your standard glasses aren’t going to adapt and darken in reaction to sunlight (unless you have photochromic lenses), so it only makes sense to invest in a pair of prescription sunglasses to protect your eyes. Polarized lenses are a good option, especially since the tint can be tailored to your specific sport or hobby.

Contact Lens Wearers

Plano sunwear is a must have for all contact lens users. Contact lenses do not protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. We recommend plano sunwear that blocks 100% of UV rays for anyone who wears contacts.

Schedule an appointment with our office if you’re interested in investing in a second pair of glasses! We will help you find the best frames and lenses for your lifestyle!

Childhood is a critical time for vision development. Nearly 80% of what a child learns in school is presented visually. Arguably making vision the most important of the five senses. Visual skills start developing during pregnancy and continue to evolve and develop as a child grows. Undetected vision problems can cause developmental and educational delays in children.

Infant Vision Development

Your infant’s vision starts developing during pregnancy. It is crucial that toxins are not consumed during pregnancy as they can cause serious vision problems. At birth, babies only see black, white, and shades of gray. Infants are unable to focus on objects for several months and can only see the outline of objects.

As infants grow, they can distinguish between high contrast colors. By six months your child can see color, has sharper vision, and has begun developing hand-eye coordination skills. Schedule your child’s first eye exam at six months to make sure their eyes are healthy and on the right developmental track. Detection of eye health issues and vision problems at this stage in development can help to ensure your child does not experience setbacks in learning and growth.

When your infant begins to crawl and potentially walk they are learning to coordinate their body movements and their vision. Over time, your child will become better at judging distances. However, this is also a time when your child may grow more injury prone because they are exploring their environment. Bumps, bruises, eye injuries, and other injuries can occur which is why it is so vital to ensure that your infant’s vision is on track to prevent these injuries as much as possible.

Early Childhood Vision Development

During these years your child will be growing, developing, and improving their visual skills. It is recommended to schedule your child eye exam at three years old. Even if you don’t think your child has vision problems, your child is growing and changing. A comprehensive eye exam before your child enters school provides enough time to catch and correct any vision problems.

They are discovering how to integrate their vision and body position to complete new tasks. They learn this through playing games, throwing a ball, and riding a bike. Children are also working on developing their fine motor skills. The primary way preschool age children are learning this is through writing their name and the alphabet.

Between the ages of 3 to 6 is when you, as a parent, may begin to notice signs of a vision problem. If your child complains about headaches or tired eyes, this could potentially be due to a vision problem. Signs of vision problems include squinting, tilting the head, frequently rubbing eyes, and closing one eye to see. Additionally, look for sitting too close to a tv, holding a book too close, or avoiding activities that require near or distance vision. Some of these activities include coloring, reading, playing ball, or tag if you notice these signs in your child schedule an eye exam as soon as possible. Correct their vision before any learning is delayed!

Have you thought about eye safety in your home? Over 2.4 million eye injuries each year in the United States. Experts say wearing safety glasses and taking a few common-sense precautions can prevent or reduce the severity of eye injuries.

Common causes of eye injury in the home:

• Household cleaners and chemicals
  Tip: Keep out of reach of children, high shelves in cupboards or childproof cupboards.

• Toys and games (hard or sharp edges)
  Tip: Always check the age recommendation to ensure toys are appropriate for your child.

• Eye makeup and applicators
  Tip: Throw out old or damaged products to avoid potential eye hazards.

• Lawn, garden, and hand tools
  Tip: Wear protective eyewear when completing house or yard work.

• Champagne Corks
  Tip: Never face the cork towards anyone’s face, including your own.

• Fireworks
  Tip: Attend a professional firework show, avoid the risks associated with at home fireworks.

What to do in case of eye injury

If you or your child has an eye injury contact your eye doctor immediately. If it is after regular work hours, try an emergency contact number or call 911. It is always better to be over cautious when it comes to your eyes.

The next steps after your phone call vary greatly depending on the eye injury. Typically, we either recommend you come to our office or go to the emergency room. Depending on the situation your eye doctor may also ask you to flush your eye, remove your contact lenses, or cover your eye.

When in doubt treat all eye injuries as potential emergencies. You only have one pair of eyes, and we want to ensure they are taken care of.

What to look for in safety glasses

Safety glasses should be worn when doing any house repairs/renovations, yard work, or sports activities. This is the best way to protect your eyes from potential harm. When looking for safety glasses, it is important to have impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses and safety rated frame.

If you have additional questions about eye safety in the home, ask our staff. We want to help you keep your eyes safe and healthy!

Have you considered getting online eye tests? The idea of being able to get an eyeglass prescription and buy glasses without a trip to the eye doctor may sound appealing. Before ditching the traditional eye exams, there are a few things you need to know!

Online Eye Tests

The most important thing to know about online eye tests is they do not evaluate the health of your eyes. Even if they are called “online eye exams,” these exams only measure your visual acuity and refractive error. Some online eye tests can check for contrast sensitivity and color blindness. However, none of this can tell the health of your eyes.

The only way to know the complete health of your eyes is through eye exams with your doctor. During an eye exam, your doctor can detect vision-threatening conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Early detection of these conditions can prevent vision loss and blindness.

Know The Risks:

• Online eye exams cannot detect eye diseases
• Improper testing can occur due to error or misreading instructions
• Higher chance of getting incorrect prescription due to self-administered the eye test
• If you think the prescription is incorrect, your only option is to pay again and retake the test
• An eyecare professional is not present to answer questions or concerns

Validation of Online Eye Tests

The results of online eye tests have not been guaranteed to be accurate measures of your prescription. Due to this being relatively new technology, there have not been enough studies to determine the reliability and validity of online eye tests.

Additionally, many online eye tests say their technology is suitable only for people between the ages 18 and 40 who are in good health. The limitations of the eye test raise concerns to the overall validity of the test. For these reasons, we do not recommend them as your sole option for your receiving your prescription.

The best way to ensure your eyes are healthy, you receive the correct prescription, and get answers to all your questions is through face-to-face eye exams with your eye doctor. Our staff of trained eyecare professionals will help you through every step of the process. Our office is here to address any questions or concerns you may have.