The Benefits of Yearly Eye Exams

The Benefits of Yearly Eye Exams

There are many ways to help protect your vision and keep seeing the world sharp and clear. Eating healthy is one way to be proactive about your vision health. A diet full of dark, leafy greens and high in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to help prevent macular degeneration. Taking the time to rest your eyes when working on a computer, even for just 20-seconds at a time can reduce eyestrain and headaches. But the number one way to protect your eyes is to get regular eye exams. Visiting your local optometrist every year can help detect and treat slight changes in your vision, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and headaches to name a few. During your eye exam, the doctor will check your vision, diagnosis any correction needed, and do a dilated eye exam. This allows the eye doctor to understand how you are seeing and to look for any internal problems related to your eye health. Diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and optic nerve abnormalities do not have warning signs and the only way to check to see if your eye is healthy is through dilation. Dilation forces the pupil of your eye to open wider than normal allowing the eye doctor to have a better field of view of the blood vessels and any contributing causes to abnormal vision. An eye exam is an affordable, painless way to guarantee your vision is in pristine health and make any eye care changes needed to maintain your vision for years to come. Make your yearly appointment...
3 Things All Optometrists Wish More People Knew

3 Things All Optometrists Wish More People Knew

No one would go years without putting oil in their car, or checking their house for leaky plumbing, yet when it comes to our health we often ignore preventative maintenance. On a list of essential healthcare professionals, optometrists are almost always down near the bottom. This is unfortunate, as your eye doctor is your first line of defense against declining eyesight later in life. If you can’t remember the last time you had your eyes checked, here are some things you should know. Everyone Needs An Optometrist Most people only think about going to the eye doctor when they notice a problem with their vision, but few realize that the key to avoiding vision problems is regular check-ups. Even if you were told 15 years ago that you have 20/20 vision, you still need annual eye exams to catch general health conditions, like diabetes, before they cause significant damage. Sunglasses Are NOT Optional It’s easy to remember sunglasses when you’re hanging out at the beach all day, but did you know sunglasses should be worn almost every time you leave the house? The UVA and UVB protection provided by high-quality sunglasses or transition lenses can prevent cataract growth and protect against macular degeneration. These threats don’t disappear just because the weather is cold! Smoking Is Detrimental To Your Eyesight There are thousands of reasons to stop smoking, but not everyone realizes that vision impairment is one of them. Smoking cigarettes drastically increases your risk for eye conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration later in life. If it’s been more than two years since your last eye exam, don’t...
Why Summer Is The Most Dangerous Season For Contact Lenses

Why Summer Is The Most Dangerous Season For Contact Lenses

If you wear contact lenses to correct your vision, you probably only think about them twice a day: In the morning when you’re putting them in, and at night when you’re taking them out. It’s important to realize that there are lots of environmental factors that put your lenses at risk, however, especially in the summer. As you prepare for warmer weather, keep these eyecare warnings in mind. Swimming Swimming in a chlorinated pool can dry your contacts significantly while keeping them on in an open body of water dramatically increases the risk for infection and contamination by waterborne organisms. If you don’t already wear disposable lenses, you may want to ask your Vision Care Centre doctor about purchasing a few pairs for the summer. Then, after you go swimming, just toss the lenses and put them in a clean pair! Air Conditioning When you’re hot and sweaty, air conditioning feels great on your skin, but it’s actually very hard on your contacts. Air-conditioned environments are extremely dry which can make contacts extremely uncomfortable. The solution is to carry around a bottle of contact-approved rewetting drops that will help your eyes maintain a healthy level of moisture. Seasonal Allergies Many people battle seasonal allergies, but did you know that your contacts could be making symptoms worse? Allergens and pollutants in the air can settle on the lenses. When allergies strike, we often run our itchy, watery eyes for relief. This only agitates the debris on the lenses and makes everything worse look at this now. Keep a pair of backup glasses handy and swap them for contacts on days...
3 Questions To Ask When Choosing Prescription Sunglasses

3 Questions To Ask When Choosing Prescription Sunglasses

If you wear glasses on a daily basis, the summer sun creates an inconvenient problem. Although high-quality sunglasses are necessary to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. It is very hard to wear two pairs of glasses at once! Some people opt for sunglasses that fit over regular glasses, while others choose clip-on options. Sadly, neither of these options is very convenient or stylish. The best option is a pair of prescription sunglasses that can be swapped for your regular glasses in high-light situations. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a pair. What Type Of Lens Do I Need? People who only need a single-vision lens have a larger variety of frame options to choose from. However, if you require bifocals or trifocals, your Vision Care Center doctor may recommend a deeper frame for a larger viewing area at all distances. Do I Have Skin Allergies? We often think about allergies when it comes to food and medicine, but it’s important they be considered when choosing sunglasses as well. Patients who are sensitive or allergic to certain materials should ask about a hypoallergenic frame such as all plastic, nickel-free metal, stainless steel, and/or titanium. What Will I Primarily Be Doing In These Glasses? Will you be driving, looking at a phone or computer screen, or participating in outdoor activities like running or hiking? If you’re going to be active, look for durable frames with anti-scratch lenses. If glare from traffic or a screen may be an issue, consider asking your doctor about anti-reflective coating options. Now that you know some of the most...
What Your Eyes are Trying to Tell You: Warning Signs Telling You to See Your Optometrist

What Your Eyes are Trying to Tell You: Warning Signs Telling You to See Your Optometrist

Many people when they catch the flu they go to the doctor, so why do individuals who experience changes in their vision neglect to see their local eye doctor? Just like getting your regular physical with your M.D., seeing your optometrist for yearly check-ups or with a change in symptoms is imperative to eye health. Consider these warning signs as crucial indicators to get an eye exam. 80-90% of the population suffers from tension headaches. Some of these headaches can be reduced, if not resolved with a simple vision check. Even if your vision seems normal to you, your correction could be minimal but just enough to aggravate tension headaches. If your M.D. can’t figure out your headaches, give your eye doctor a chance to resolve the problem. The narrowing of your field of vision or blind spots is an immediate indicator that something is markedly wrong with your vision. The narrowing could be an early indicator of glaucoma which can lead to blindness. Blurring or clouding in your vision is potentially an early indicator of cataracts. Both systems should be immediately addressed. Immediate action can slow the progression of both diseases. Lastly, see your eye doctor promptly if you have blind spots in your vision. In conjunction with diabetes, blind spots or floaters could be indicators of diabetic retinopathy which left untreated can lead to blindness. If your diabetes is under control the likelihood of acquiring diabetic retinopathy is greatly reduced. Your eye doctor can even provide valuable information regarding the state of your diabetes by examining your retina, leading to better disease management. An optometrist is an...