Keep Sunglasses Handy All Year

Keep Sunglasses Handy All Year

There’s something wonderful about the summer months when the sun is shining strong and the air is warm. Since the days are longer and the weather is nicer, people spend more time outside during the summer than during other months. Whether it’s packing up for a trip to the beach or heading out on the town for a day, one thing that lands itself on everyone’s list is sunglasses. Sunglasses can be worn for style, like our favourite designer sunglasses, or they can be worn for eye health. Whatever your reasoning may be, it’s important to remind yourself that the sun can easily damage your precious peepers, even in the depth of winter. The powerful light energy from the sun doesn’t waver after summer ends. The harmful UV rays from the sun can cause serious damage to unprotected eyes. We recommend wearing sunglasses anytime you go outside during the day so you can protect your eyes from cataracts, macular degeneration, and pterygium. Cataracts: The lens of the eye develops a cloudy layer that leads to foggy vision. It is estimated by the National Eye Institute that 20 percent of cataracts cases are caused by UV exposure. That means about 500,000 of the 2.5 million Canadians with cataracts could have prevented the disease by wearing sunglasses. Macular degeneration: A disease that can lead to blindness is not one to be reckoned with. Macular degeneration is generally caused by either the middle of the retina deteriorating, fatty deposits under the retina accumulating, or leaky blood vessels growing under the retina. Pterygium: A piece of tissue grows over the white part of...

Things to do Before School Starts

It’s August! And that means summer is winding down and you’re trying to cram in a few last summer activities before it’s time to shop for school supplies, stay up late helping with homework, and days of chauffeuring around the kids. The final weeks before school opens back up can be hectic, but take a breath and try to enjoy these last days. If you need a final summer family fling, here are a few options and some tips to help you jump back into the school year, including the best school supplies and making a trip to your local Langley optometrist for a checkup. Hayward Lake Take the family to the beach at Hayward Lake, just under an hour away from Langley. This reservoir and recreation area has hiking trails, including a 10 km Reservoir Trail that connects to the 6 km Railway Trail. You can bring your bikes or hiking shoes for an enjoyable afternoon viewing the scenery and wildlife. Vancouver Zoo Close enough you can make a day trip of it, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is just 20 minutes away from Langley. You can visit with frogs, lions, cheetahs, ostrich, pythons, and more! A great introduction for kids interested in science, wildlife, and the earth. For younger children who need a break from walking, jump on the safari train to see the perimeter of the zoo. What Supplies Young Students Need Most Pencils: Teachers recommend Ticonderoga #2 pencils that are sturdy and won’t be destroyed by pencil sharpeners. Stay away from cheap options that break and snap in the sharpener. Eraser Caps: Because you know kids...
Optometrist Eye Exams Are Good For Your Health

Optometrist Eye Exams Are Good For Your Health

When was the last time you visited an optometrist for an eye exam? If you already wear glasses or contacts, chances are you’ve at least been in for a check-up in the past year. However, if you have had a healthy vision in the past, it is likely you haven’t been to the eye doctor for quite some time. During school, children are given eye exams at least once a year during an annual physical. However, once those children graduate into adulthood, the frequency of keeping up with those exams diminishes. This is bad timing because regular eye exams are more beneficial for your health than determining whether or not your vision is keeping up to par.     Regular Eye Exams Can Prevent: Glaucoma – The nerve that connects the eye to the brain is damaged, which causes a collection of eye conditions that can lead to blindness. Cataracts – Like looking through a fogged-up window, cataracts cause the lens on the eye to develop an opaque layer that leads to cloudy vision. Retinal detachments – This is an emergency-type of case when the retina pulls away from the tissue and blood vessels that nourish the eye. Macular degeneration – Fatty deposits accumulate under the retina, the middle of the retina deteriorates, or leaky blood vessels grow under the retina are all ways one can experience macular degeneration. The most common symptom is blurred vision, which can eventually lead to vision loss. Diabetes – The body has too much sugar in the blood, which causes many different diseases that are collectively known as diabetes. High blood pressure –...