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November is American Diabetes Month, an appropriate time to raise awareness of this epidemic that impacts 34 million children and adults in the United States. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a group of diseases that result from blood sugar being too high because of...

In our previous post, we explored 7 serious health issues your optometrist can detect during your annual comprehensive eye exam. These include: Diabetes High Blood Pressure Thyroid disease Rheumatoid Arthritis Brain tumors High cholesterol Cancer But your...

The eyes are sometimes called the windows to the soul. That may be true, but for health purposes, they’re also a window that provides a clearer view of your total body health. Did you know that your optometrist can detect 20 or more health conditions that may be...

Whether your child is back in the classroom this year or learning virtually, you want your student to learn in the most effective way possible. Did you know that there’s one key factor in learning that is sometimes overlooked? That factor is how well the eyes...

It’s been a back-to-school season like no other! And whether your student is learning in a classroom or you’re overseeing their virtual learning program from home, vision is critical to how kids learn in a multitude of ways. The first way vision is...

While this back-to-school season is unlike every other back-to-school season we’ve ever experienced, one thing that remains the same: It’s important that your student is seeing their best so they can take advantage of every learning opportunity presented...

It’s back-to-school season. And whether that means in-person or virtual learning for the students in your school district, the vision needs and capabilities of school-age children remain the same. Making sure that your child has the visual skills necessary to...

Wearing a facial covering or mask—as many of us are doing this summer—draws a lot of attention to your eyes! Because of masks, you’re likely noticing other peoples’ eyes and eyebrows more than ever. Have you ever wondered why humans evolved to...

If you’re like most Americans, you’re spending more time than ever at home this summer. And while you’re reaching new heights in cooking, cleaning, yard work and home projects, you may not have considered that each of these activities can cause eye...

You might be spending more time outside this summer than usual, especially since many inside activities have been moved outside to lower the spread of coronavirus. Because of that, it’s more important than ever for you and your loved ones to wear high-quality...

June is Cataract Awareness Month, as declared by Prevent Blindness America. There’s a strong correlation between the month of June and cataracts: Cataracts are the top cause of vision loss in America, and the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays—which are...

How to Avoid Lens Fog while Wearing a Mask with Glasses The White House coronavirus task force has confirmed that there is clear scientific evidence that wearing face masks is an effective way to limit the spread of coronavirus. People should wear face masks if they...

It’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves or experience anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We didn’t want our lives to change so dramatically, and we didn’t do anything to “deserve” this complete change in lifestyle, and yet here we are,...

How Adopting an Attitude of Gratitude Can Help You Through The COVID-19 Crisis         We’re all in this together. There’s a global pandemic in our midst. Businesses are closed, sporting events have been canceled,...

It’s Save Your Vision Month, which the American Optometric Association (AOA) decrees as the perfect time to bring awareness to the importance of good vision, healthy eyes and steps you can take to achieve both. Did you know that more than 40 million Americans...

March is Save Your Vision Month, as designated by the American Optometric Association (AOA). This month is an ideal time to increase awareness of the importance of scheduling a comprehensive annual eye examination with your optometrist. Optometrists diagnose eye...

In our most recent post, we explored the rare diagnosis of eye cancer—specifically ocular melanoma, which occurs in about 5 people out of a million. That’s around 2,000-2,500 cases diagnosed per year in the US. Risk Cancers for Eye Cancer Eye cancer is...

The good news about eye cancer is that it is not a common cancer: Only 5 in every 1 million adults will develop it in their lifetime. However, though uncommon, it’s in our patients’ best interest to understand the basic facts around the disease. Types of...

It sounds so futuristic; it’s a new decade and a year we’ve been eagerly anticipating here in your optometrist’s office. Why? Because we want to help all of our patients to enjoy 20/20 vision both in the year 2020 and for many years into the future....

There’s only a couple of weeks left in 2019, which means you only have a handful of days remaining to spend your Flex Spending Account (FSA) funds before they’re forfeited back to your employer. That’s right: It’s a “Use it or Lose...

It’s December already, and we’re counting down the final days of 2019 before we get to the year 2020—and you know that’s going to be a favorite year for all of us in optometry, right? After all, 20/20 vision is the measurement of ideal visual...

Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease that can cause extreme changes to your eye health, and is a leading cause of blindness for those under the age of 74. Because the condition causes changes in the blood vessels that feed the eyes, it can cause eye problems...

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, an ideal time to take a deeper dive into the disease we hear so much about. As eye care professionals, one of our areas of concern is that uncontrolled diabetes can affect your vision, and is a leading cause of...

The US Food and Drug Administration recently pulled online vision testing, because that method of vision test doesn’t provide the comprehensive eye health care necessary to keep individuals seeing their best now and for years to come. In fact, online vision...

The internet provides fantastic access to information and professionals—just think about all of the things you can learn through watching YouTube videos alone! Technology’s many uses to promote human health—information sharing, video conferencing and...

5 Ways to Protect Your Student’s Vision This School Year Kids all over the country are back to school, burying their noses in computers and books in pursuit of the knowledge necessary to succeed in school and in life. The connection between good vision and...

Are Your Student Athlete’s Eyes In Top Shape for the Season? Fall is in the air! If you haven’t already had your first pumpkin spice latte or seen your first football game—what’re you waiting for? Now that the school year is in session, for...

The 17 Visual Skills Kids (and Adults) Need to Succeed in Life Back-to-school season is an ideal time to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for your children. Why? Because it’s critical to ensure that they’re seeing their absolute best and that all aspects...

Is Your Student’s Vision Ready to Go Back to School? It’s back-to-school season! If you’re the parent of a school-age child, you likely have a list of supplies and are busily checking off items to make sure your student has everything they need for a...

You’ve likely heard of Dry Eye disease and the discomfort it can cause. But what is this condition, and who is most likely to suffer from it? Your eyes require tears to lubricate and nourish the cornea – the front surface of your eye. Tears serve many functions,...

Picking the Perfect Sunglass Shape For Your Face It’s incredible how many different styles of sunglass and eyewear frames there are to choose from, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if you could narrow your selections down, rather than trying on pair...

If you wear prescription eyewear, have you ever experienced this scenario? For whatever reason, you don’t have contact lenses in. Maybe you don’t wear them, or if you do, maybe it’s allergy season, or you ran out of contacts or perhaps you just...

Optometry Myth Busters: 6 Facts You Need to Know about Sunglasses Did you know that the first sunglasses were invented in 12th century China? They weren’t quite as sophisticated as the styles you’ll see in our office, but they served their purpose: a cut...

Are you a safety- and health-conscious parent? You are if you teach your kids the importance of brushing their teeth, buckling their seatbelt, and wearing the proper protective equipment for sports including shin guards, helmets and knee pads. But are you overlooking...

If you wear glasses, you’re probably thankful that they help you see clearly. But what else can your glasses do for you? Some eyewear goes above and beyond the call of clear vision, supporting and protecting your eyes and vision in innovative ways. Today’s...

March is Save Your Vision Month, a time to remember that we’re born with one pair of eyes to last our entire lives, and serious injuries can happen in an instant. With a focus on awareness and adopting a few simple best practices, you can protect your eyes for a...

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): Who’s at Risk? Bette Davis, the gorgeous American actress and star of film, television and screen in the 1930s through 1980s, is famously quoted as saying, “Old age ain’t for sissies.” Though we...

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): What is it? Who’s at Risk? February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Low Vision Awareness Month. As we age, there are increased risks that may cause us to lose visual acuity, which is a significant and noticeable...

My LASIK Laser Vision Correction Experience: One Patient’s Story It’s hard to believe that LASIK laser vision correction has been around for nearly 30 years! Since so many of our patients are curious about LASIK, we interviewed a patient who underwent the...

Not seeing Red or Green This Season? You May Be Color Vision Deficient For many of us, the holiday season includes festive displays of red and green. But for those with color blindness, the season takes on an entirely different hue. THREE TYPES OF COLOR BLINDNESS...

Flex Spending: Time to Use it Or Lose it Nothing says “happy holidays” like a brand new pair of designer glasses! If you enjoy holiday shopping but dread the inevitable January credit card bills, treat yourself this year by using your Flexible Spending...

The Dangers of Diabetic Retinopathy More than 100 million Americans are living with diabetes. Over 84 million more have prediabetes. These statistics seem staggering, but so is the list of possible complications from diabetes. Individuals with diabetes face an...

November is National Diabetes Month, and that means communities across the country are teaming up to raise awareness about the many ways diabetes impacts the lives of Americans. With diabetes causing more deaths per year than breast cancer and AIDS combined, raising...

Protect Your Student Athlete from Eye Injuries If you have children who play sports, it’s critical to protect their eyes from injury while on the court, field, mat or pitch. According to the National Eye Institute, there are approximately 100,000 sports-related...

Keep Your Eye on the Ball: Student Athletes Need Good Vision It’s Fall, and for a lot of kids, that means it’s prime sports-playing time. Whether you have a student athlete participating in soccer, tennis, football, basketball, softball, baseball or...

Back to School Tip: Prevent Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) Now that kids are back in school, they’re around lots of other kids--and lots of other kids’ germs. Viruses and bacteria are present on objects kids touch every day, including door handles, keyboards,...

Is Your Student at Risk for Digital Eye Strain and Fatigue? With an ever-increasing amount of technology in schools, back-to-school season can mean more screen time, and that puts kids at risk for digital eye strain and fatigue. What is Digital Eye Strain? From the...

Attention Parents: Earlier is Better for Amblyopia Treatment What is Amblyopia? As the leading cause of visual impairment among children, amblyopia affects approximately 2 to 3 of every 100 children. The condition occurs when vision in one eye is reduced; though the...

Is a School Vision Screening “Good Enough” for Your Student? It’s August! Where did the summer go? In just a few short weeks your kids will be heading back to school in a flurry of photos and emotions as you watch them start the new school year. You...

Scratched Cornea? What to Do―and What Not to Do July is Eye Injury Prevention Month, which makes it the perfect time to highlight one of the most common eye injuries, corneal abrasions. What are Corneal Abrasions? If you’ve ever scratched your cornea (the front...

July is UV Safety Month, and while we are huge proponents of applying SPF 30 (or higher) on our skin before going outside in the sun, the primary focus in our office is the importance of protecting your eyes from damaging UV rays. It’s common knowledge that...

Patient Testimonial Part 2: Cataract Surgery and Recovery Do you or someone you know suffer from cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can negatively impact your vision? By age 80, more than 50% of Americans notice deteriorating vision due to cataracts....

Patient Testimonial Part 1: My Cataract Experience June is National Cataract Awareness Month, so it’s the ideal time to learn more about this condition, which is a leading cause of vision impairment in the United States. Cataracts are a clouding of the...

8 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Computer Vision Syndrome With just about everything in the world accessible at the touch of a screen, our techy lifestyles keep us constantly connected. But for many of us, all that screen time comes at a price: We suffer from Computer...

4 Ways to Safeguard Your Retinal Health The eye is second only to the human brain in complexity, performing its work with precision nearly continuously during all of our waking hours. In fact, your eyes are more efficient than the fastest camera. Try this: glance...

We explored the critical role the retina plays in maintaining healthy vision in our previous blog post and offered lifestyle adjustments that promote retinal health for you and your family. Here’s a brief recap: eat lots of orange veggies (carrots, sweet...

If you’re like most Americans, you or your kids may be involved in multiple sports and have specific safety gear and helmets that you use when skiing, playing football or riding your bicycle. Similarly, you likely have specific footwear for those same...

Brain Awareness Week is March 12-18, 2018, a time when the National Eye Institute focuses on brain neuropathy and how it impacts vision—because without the complex function of our brains working in conjunction with our eyes, we couldn’t see. The optic...

Of the five human senses, the eyes are our most important sensory organs, helping us perceive up to 80% of the impressions and input we use to make sense of our surroundings. While other animals rely more heavily on their senses of smell―think of how important smells...

Happy New Year! As we ring in a fresh, new year, it’s human nature to consider ways to improve our life experience. These can range from the simple (Drink more water) to the complex (Raise funds for a passion project) to the philosophical (Bark less, wag more)....

LASIK eye surgery may mean freedom from dependence on corrective lenses - but it's not right for everybody. Learn whether you're a good candidate and what to consider as you weigh your decision. LASIK is a type of refractive eye surgery that uses an advanced laser...

FLEX YOUR DOLLARS, LOVE YOUR EYES: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS “Tis the season to be jolly” and tax-savvy as well.  As the year end approaches, it’s time to remember your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and put it to good...

According to a 2016 UV protection report by the Vision Council 75% of Americans are concerned about UV eye exposure yet only 31% wear sunglasses when they go outside. There are six main reasons why you should wear sunglasses more often, especially when you are...

A common question many parents have is: "When is my child old enough to wear contact lenses?"  Contact lenses can offer several benefits over other forms of vision correction for kids but how do you know the timing is right? Physically, your child's eyes can...

Even a minor eye injury can cause serious, lifelong eye damage. Bleeding in the eye caused by an eye injury may lead to glaucoma later in life. Eye injuries can cause loss of vision or complete loss of an eye. Eye injuries can happen at any time anywhere. Children in...

Good Vision….Important for a Successful School Year for Students Parents everywhere are racing to get the entire back to school checklist completed; school supplies, new clothes, bigger shoes and physical exams at the Pediatrician.  Eye exams need to be...

If you play sports, you should keep two things in mind related to your vision: protection and vision performance. Sports lenses protect the wearer’s eyes. Sports such as tennis, baseball, softball and racquetball may have ball speeds of 90 mph or more. In...

Children usually get more sun exposure than adults because many of their activities are outdoors including recess, sports and playtime. This increased exposure to sunlight also increases children’s exposure to damaging ultraviolet (UV) light – an...

For most of us, the eyes are the most cherished of our senses. Yet we potentially expose them to danger simply by going outside. Over time, the sun’s rays can seriously damage the eyes and surrounding skin, sometimes leading to vision loss and conditions from...

Many athletes choose contact lenses because of the competitive advantage they can provide. More than half of American adults have vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and need corrective lenses.  ...

In sports, we take precautions to protect ourselves from broken bones, bruises, concussions, and other injuries, but how do we protect our eyes? An unprotected eye can be injured in numerous ways and nearly all sports pose some type of risk: Baseball – Risks...

Nearly Half of all Eye Injuries in this Country Happen at Home Home is where we feel safe, comfortable, and at ease but is also the setting for nearly half of all eye injuries. From flying wood chips to weed whacker debris to even an errant champagne cork, our eye...

Interest in high performance sunglasses has been booming in recent years.  There is a growing selection of products available to address vision challenges unique to sports such as mountain biking, skiing, golfing and many other outdoor activities.  Providing...

All contact lenses, whether they correct vision or not, require a prescription and proper fitting from an eye doctor If you have ever wished that your eyes were a different color or that you could give them a different “look,” you might understand why...

There may have been a time when glasses were considered “nerdy” or “geeky” but today “geek is chic” and bold eyewear that make a statement are in style. Best of all, glasses can enhance your appearance as well as your sight. If you...

“Eyeglasses? No thanks, I wear contact lenses” Your eyecare professional will guide you through the decision process but the best vision solution for your eyes often includes both eyeglasses plus contact lenses. Choosing to wear eyeglasses or contact...

With good communication between us and your vision insurance carriers, we can often get vision plan benefits to apply to medically necessary contact lenses. Elective contact lenses for cosmetic purposes are often covered as well. It all starts will all of us being on...

1. Sharp-Edged ToysAs gifts are opened Christmas morning, take the time to check for any sharp/pointy edges. Eye injuries often occur on Christmas Day when excited children play with new toys. 2. Mistletoe CollisionsThe mistletoe is meant to be a surprise, but...

Are you considering LASIK? Here are a few of the questions to ask during your appointment: Is my prescription within the approved range?  LASIK is approved by the FDA to treat certain degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness and certain types and degrees of...

In the U.S. there are between 20-30 million dry eye sufferers. Unfortunately only about 5% of those have been diagnosed with the disease and treated. Millions of people are unaware that there is a solution to their discomfort. Dry Eye Syndrome happens when your eyes...

As the US population ages, cases of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are expected to double.  Right now more than 2 million people are affected by AMD. Although AMD is the most common cause of eyesight problems in people over 50 years old, it doesn’t affect...

Healthy eyes are an important part of your overall health plan.  There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best.  Follow these simple steps as you age: Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Your vision may seem fine to...

It’s Football Season Again! Football season opens more discussions about concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) but they are not isolated to football – soccer and field hockey are also sports with risks for head injuries.  In fact, cheerleaders have the fifth...

Back-to-school time is upon us and while many students’ lists include backpacks, rulers, and new shoes, there’s one more thing parents need on their back-to-school checklist – a comprehensive eye health and vision exam for their student. Studies show that as much as...

The school year is almost here! As kids prepare to work their brains, keep in mind that being a student also places great demand on their eyes. Time for an Eye Exam It’s always a good idea to have your student’s eyes checked at the start of a new school year. As much...

Early eye examinations are crucial to make sure children have normal, healthy vision so they can perform better at schoolwork or play.Students may give up on their classwork rather than admit they can’t see what their teacher is writing on the board.  This seemingly...

In addition to having lenses that block 100 percent of the sun's UVA and UVB rays and a significant amount of potentially harmful blue light, children's sunglasses should also have these features: Impact-resistant lenses.The best lenses for children's sunglasses are...

Most of us look forward to summer but hot weather can be dangerous, particularly to adults over 60. A University of Chicago Medical Center study found that 40% of heat-related fatalities in the U.S. were among people over 65. There are several reasons why boomers and...

According to most eye doctors and researchers, the answer is an emphatic "yes."  Because children tend to spend more time outdoors than most adults, experts say nearly half of a person's lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation can take place by age 18.  ...

One of the side effects of the beautiful explosion of color known as Spring is itchy, red, watery eyes from seasonal allergies.According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, seasonal allergies develop when the body becomes sensitized and...