Author: innexus

Suffering from eye discomfort or blurry vision can be scary, especially if it comes on suddenly or is a result of a dramatic event. Below are some of the common eye-related disorders. However, remember that common doesn’t mean it should be ignored. If you are experiencing any of these systems or if you have questions about your eye health, call us to schedule an appointment with one of our caring eye care professionals. 

Symptom One: Red Eyes

Many things can cause red or bloodshot eyes, including allergies, pink eye, or eye trauma. Our eye care professionals can help determine the cause of your redness and develop a treatment plan for you! Be sure to mention your red-eye symptoms when scheduling your appointment! 

Symptom Two: Itchy Eyes

Itchy eyes are one of the most common eye symptoms that people experience. Again, there are many potential causes that could lead to itchy eyes, including allergies, contact lens usage, and prolonged use of digital devices. Even though it may provide temporary relief, you should never rub your eyes as it can add allergens or bacteria into your eye, compounding the issue. 

Symptom Three: Puffy Eyes

Swelling around the eyes is due to excessive fluids in the skin tissue, but there are a variety of reasons for that extra fluid to be present. Allergies, Dehydration, overconsumption of salt, lack of sleep, stress, and crying can all lead to eyes appearing puffy. 

Symptom Four: Burning Sensation in Eyes

If certain products, makeup, facial cleaners, or shampoo, come in contact with our eyes, we may experience a burning sensation in our eyes. If the burning sensation is a continued problem, identify your surroundings and the products you are using and try to reduce your exposure. If reducing your exposure isn’t an option, or if you are still suffering, call our office to schedule an appointment.

Symptom Five: Spots in Vision

Although this sounds scary, it isn’t necessarily a reason to worry. Spots or floaters are caused by protein and tissue in the gel-like matter in your eyes, and it is normal to occasionally see spots in your vision. This will even become increasingly common with age. If you are experiencing more spots or floaters than normal, call our practice to schedule an appointment, and be sure to mention your vision changes! 

Symptom Six: Painful Eyes

Call our office immediately if you have a foreign body enter your eye or if you are experiencing prolonged eye pain. While waiting for your appointment, remain calm, avoid rubbing your eye, and do not try to remove the object yourself. When speaking with our team, we may ask you to describe your symptoms in detail to help us pinpoint the cause. 

Our team of trained professionals is here to answer all of your eye-related questions! Schedule an appointment with us today, even if your eye health feels like it is in perfect condition!

While we love colored eyewear lenses as an opportunity to make a bold fashion statement, that’s not all they can do. A different lens color for your eyewear or sunglasses can help filter light differently to fit your unique needs best. Unsure if you could benefit from a pair of colored lenses, read below! 

Whether you need to enhance the colors you see, make your colors more vivid, reduce glare, or improve visual acuity, there is a colored lens for you! 

Choosing Your Lens Color

Green

Green eyewear lenses create contrast in your vision by filtering out a larger percentage of blue light. This color lens reduces glare and allows you to see more comfortably on bright sunny days. If you are a golfer or tennis player, a pair of green lenses may be a great addition to your game! 

Gray

Gray lenses are one of the most common for a standard pair of sunwear. This color reduces the glare of light when reflecting off of surfaces like water or pavement. In addition to cutting glare, gray lenses easily shield bright light, making them an excellent option for sunny or cloudy days. While gray lenses are a perfect everyday lens for most people, the glare reduction is the ideal addition to individuals who spend time on the water. 

Blue or purple

Blue tinted lenses improve color perception and increase your ability to see object contours. This color of lenses also increases visibility by reducing glare on snowy surfaces or in foggy/misty environments. Our favorite part? Blue lenses look great at almost any skin tone keeping you looking and seeing your best!

Red or rose

Rose-colored lenses are the perfect pair of lenses for many sports activities like skiing and cycling. Red or rose-colored sunglasses block blue light, helping to reduce eye strain. They also increase your vision’s depth of field and provide enhanced detail.

Yellow, orange, or gold

While yellow, orange, or gold lenses may distort your vision’s color, they are an excellent solution for indoor sports with lower lighting conditions. By providing improved visibility of objects, this color lens makes your surroundings seem brighter. This color lens also provides increased depth perception. 

Amber or brown

Like rose and orange-colored lenses, amber or brown lenses reduce glare and help brighten surroundings when in lower light conditions. Activities like golf and baseball that need improved depth perception across the green or blue landscape will benefit from this color lens. 

Ready to try out a new pair of colored lenses? Before purchasing sunglasses with colored lenses, stop by the office, and we can help evaluate which lens color will be the best fit for you. Or during your next appointment, ask us about sport-specific eyewear. Some frames allow you to change your lens based on your activity! 

Today, Myopia presents itself at an earlier age in more children than in the past. Studies have shown that part of the increase in nearsightedness is because more people are doing work up close; this isn’t just a computer and increased screen time, though–reading for long periods can also impact your eyes.

There are four options your eye doctor may use for myopia control in children.

Atropine Eye Drops

Myopia occurs when your eye is too long, or your cornea is too curved. The light that enters your eye has a harder time focusing the way it should, and this results in blurred vision. When you use atropine eye drops, you’re temporarily dilating your pupil, which relaxes your eyes’ focusing ability, making it easier to see. The recommended dosage is .01. At this dosage, side effects typically are not noticeable.

Multifocal Contacts

The primary use of multifocal contacts is to help achieve clear vision at all distances. According to studies, children who wore multifocal contacts had a 50% reduction in the advancement of Myopia compared to children who stuck with traditional soft contacts.

Multifocal Eyeglasses

Like multifocal contacts, multifocal eyeglasses intend to help you gain a clearer vision regardless of the distance. These glasses have two parts, one being the top, which allows you to see objects far away. The second part is on the bottom of your lenses and assists when you read. These glasses slow the progression of Myopia.

Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology is a treatment that uses a gas-permeable contact lens to reshape the corneal surface on your eye temporarily. A patient wears these lenses overnight, reshaping the front surface of the eye so vision is clear upon waking up. This treatment is temporary, and the effects of the overnight treatment will usually last throughout the day.

Do you want to take the next steps in ensuring your child has full potential regarding his/her vision? Contact our office today to ask our staff any questions you have about your child’s next appointment.

Children today are developing myopia sooner than in the past. Myopia, or nearsightedness, results in prescription glasses or contact lenses. Many parents might prefer the traditional frame over having their child wear contact lenses. But, the same question crosses through a lot of minds: contact lenses for children – what is the right age?

The answer depends on the eye doctor.

The right age for contact lenses

In a recent study, 51% of eye doctors surveyed felt the earliest age to prescribe contact lenses is 10, while only 12% felt 8 is a good time to introduce them.

67% of eye doctors felt if your child is younger than eight years old, they should stick to a traditional frame. But as your child gets older, the introduction of contact lenses becomes more prevalent. 66% of eye doctors recommended contact lenses as the primary vision correction method for children between the ages of 15-17.

For eye doctors that prescribe contact lenses at an earlier age, most say they prescribe daily disposable lenses for ease of use and maintenance.

Reasons for contacts

Two out of five optometrists say that many parents request their child be fit to wear contact lenses because their child refuses to wear glasses, or the frames interfere with sports or even their daily activities.

Many young people feel more confident wearing contacts. Some kids feel self-conscious in glasses. For children active in sports, contact lenses offer added convenience and safety. If. Sport contact lenses can eliminate the chance that their glasses break or cause injury. They provide other benefits as well, such as better peripheral vision since there is no frame in the way.

Do you want to take the next steps in ensuring your child has options with his or her vision? Contact our office with any questions.

Many people with medical eye diseases don’t show symptoms immediately, but with an underlying disease, the damage is already underway. Regular comprehensive eye exams are essential in diagnosing eye diseases early.

Comprehensive Eye Exams Diagnose Medical Eye Disease

By not getting a comprehensive eye exam on a regular basis, you’re putting your eyes at risk because once symptoms show, it might be too late for effective treatment. If detected early, your eye doctor can help treat and improve your vision.

An eye exam can reveal health conditions unrelated to your eyes. During an eye exam, your eye doctor can evaluate the health of the blood vessels in your retina and help predict the overall health of the blood throughout your body. Diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia can all appear during a routine eye exam

Common Eye Diseases

Refractive Errors

Refractive errors are the most commonly diagnosed eye disorder in the United States. Myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision), and presbyopia (loss of the ability to focus up close) are all refractive errors that can be corrected if diagnosed early. Early symptoms of a refractive error include seeing a glare around bright lights, having to squint, and having double vision.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is typically associated with aging. The results are a loss of the clear central vision needed for many day-to-day tasks.

Wet age-related macular degeneration: abnormal blood vessels form under your retina. They may eventually bleed and leak fluid, and cause the macula to rise and distort your central vision.

Dry age-related macular degeneration: more commonly diagnosed than wet age-related macular degeneration, this eye condition presents fewer symptoms in the early stages. By the time symptoms appear, vision is likely already impaired.

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of your eye’s lens. A cataract makes it challenging to read, drive a car, and perform day-to-day activities. Cataracts can strengthen over time and interfere with your vision. Symptoms usually include clouded or blurred vision, sensitivity to bright light, a halo effect around bright lights.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy causes damage to the blood vessels in your retina. As the disease progresses, common symptoms include floating dark spots, blurred vision, impaired color vision, or vision loss. It usually shows no symptoms in the early stages, but can eventually lead to blindness.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerves and doesn’t typically show symptoms in the early stages. Signs in the later stages include eye pain, blurred vision, red eyes, and seeing halos around bright light. There is no cure for vision loss caused by glaucoma, so it’s essential to have annual vision exams before it’s too late.

Contact our office today and ask our staff any questions you might have about scheduling your eye exam and treating medical eye diseases.

It’s always fun to go out in the sun, but sometimes, the sun can cause more harm than good. Many people are aware of the damage the sun can cause on the skin but don’t know about the impact on our eyes. Without proper protection, the sun’s UV rays can negatively impact the health of your eyes years down the road.

Eye Conditions Caused By UV Rays

Extended and unprotected exposure to the sun increases your risk of developing the following:

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss occurring when the retina starts to deteriorate. Over time, macular degeneration will cause central vision loss, impacting your ability to see with fine detail.

Cataracts

A cataract is the clouding of the lens in your eye. Many people are unaware they have a cataract in its early stages. Over time, cataracts can blur your vision, make objects less colorful, and cause difficulties reading or doing other day-to-day activities.

Pterygium

A pterygium is a growth of the conjunctiva or mucous membrane covering the white part of your eye over the cornea. Often, a pterygium doesn’t cause vision problems or require any treatment, but this growth can be removed if it interferes with your vision.

Corneal Sunburn

Corneal sunburn is an effect of being exposed to high UV-B rays. Although temporary, corneal sunburn can cause a gritty feeling in your eyes, causing eye pain, tearing, swelling redness, or sensitivity to bright light.

UV Rays & Children

Typically, children are exposed to more annual sun exposure than adults. In addition to exposure time, a child’s lens cannot filter UV light or prevent it from reaching their retinas as effectively as an adult. As a result, by the age of 18, half of a person’s lifetime exposure to UV radiation has already occurred.

Sunwear is a Must-Have for All Ages

With the proper protection for all ages, you can keep your and your child’s eyes safe from UV damage. To best protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, always wear sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV rays, as well as a pair that protects the skin around your eyes.

In addition to sunglasses, try wearing a wide-brimmed hat on sunny days. It has been shown that wearing a hat can reduce exposure to UV rays by up to as much as 50%.

So, are you ready to take the next steps in protecting your eyes from the sun and dangerous UV rays? Contact our office today to learn more.

Your eyes allow you to interact with the world around you every day and are a vital part of your daily life. By taking care of your eyes today, you are ensuring you will see your best for years to come. Let’s take a closer look at five reasons why routine eye exams are so important.

1. Eye exams help children succeed in school.
2. Myopia is becoming more common.
3. Vision screenings should never substitute a yearly comprehensive eye exam.
4. Glaucoma does not present symptoms in the early stages.
5. Annual eye exams can help detect other health issues.

Eye Exams and School

During a child’s schooling, 80% of the information presented for learning requires good vision. By scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam, you are ensuring your child sees clearly and comfortably in the classroom. Even more, an eye exam is the only way to know for sure if your child is able to see their best for sports and other activities.

Reducing Myopia Progression

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is being diagnosed more than ever before, and at an earlier age, too. Children who become nearsighted early in life tend to experience a worsening progression of nearsightedness throughout childhood. This progression puts them at a higher risk of developing cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment later in life.

By scheduling a routine eye exam, your doctor can evaluate your risks of developing myopia. When detected early, you and your eye doctor can dramatically slow the progression of myopia and decrease the chances of developing eye problems down the road.

Vision Screenings Vs. Comprehensive Eye Exams

While commonly provided, a vision screening test is not a replacement for a yearly routine eye exam. Vision screening tests only look to see if a vision problem exists. These tests cannot diagnose the vision problem you have but are able to signify a larger exam is needed. During a comprehensive eye exam, your optometrist will perform tests that evaluate your vision and eye health.

As you age, your risk of eye problems also increase. Routine eye exams are essential to detecting eye-related issues when merely getting a vision screening would not.

Reducing Your Risk of Glaucoma

Many people who develop glaucoma often don’t show symptoms at first. These individuals usually develop vision loss before they have learned that something is wrong with their eyes. This type of vision loss is irreversible if caught too late. With a routine exam, your optometrist can detect high eye pressure and other early signs of glaucoma before any serious damage to your vision occurs.

Detecting Issues During Your Annual Eye Exam

An eye exam can detect other health-related issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even cancer. During your exam, your eye doctor will evaluate the health and condition of the blood vessels in your retina, which are predictors of the health of blood vessels throughout your entire body. By scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam, you can reduce your risk for diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.

So do you want to take a burden off of your eyes? Contact our office today and ask our staff any questions that you might have about scheduling your eye exam.

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.

Your day-to-day tasks change, so the glasses you need will vary. Below are five types of eyewear everyone needs!

Computer Eyewear

The average person spends about eight hours looking at their computer a day, and this often results in tired and strained eyes. Computer eyewear helps alleviate the eye strain that is associated with staring at a computer screen for extended periods. There are three options when it comes to this type of eyewear:

Single Vision Computer Eyewear: used to reduce blurred vision and help alleviate eye strain and poor posture

Occupational Progressive Lenses: a multifocal lens that corrects near, intermediate, and distance vision

Occupational Bifocal Lenses: higher zone and improved vision for intermediate and near vision

Computer eyewear comes with many benefits, including clearer vision and a reduction in the need to strain your eyes and back.

Photochromic Lenses

It’s essential to protect your eyes outside, but it can be inconvenient to switch between eyeglasses and sunglasses. With photochromic lenses, you can protect your eyes without having to switch between frames. They are clear while you are inside but darken when exposed to ultraviolet light. Even on an overcast day, your photochromic lenses will protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays.

Polarized Eyewear

With polarized lenses, you can prevent the glare from sunlight reflecting off of surfaces and into your eyes. These lenses can be helpful in many situations which boating, fishing, going to the beach, and even driving.

Safety Glasses

It might be worth looking into glasses strictly meant for protecting your eyes. This eyewear–often in the form of safety glasses, sports goggles, or shooting glasses–is durable and useful for protecting your eyes and providing more coverage than typical lenses.

Fashion Eyewear

Depending on the look you are going for, you may find it necessary to have a pair of glasses complementing the look. A night out on the town is going to require a more stylish frame than what you need for work. Having different styles of glasses can help remove the dilemma of having a pair that doesn’t match the occasion by giving you situation-specific options.

Do you want to take the next steps in getting eyewear for all occasions? Contact our office today to ask our staff any questions you have about these types of eyewear.