Are you the person who just HAS to check Facebook and HAS to make one more move on Words with Friends right before bed? Yup, me too. But I’m going to try to stop! You see, smartphones and laptops emit very bright blue light, which mimics the brightness of the sun. This tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime and tells it to stop producing melatonin, which tells your body “it's time to go to sleep." Interestingly, one study found that subjects who read a printed book before bed (versus those who read on a smartphone) had longer REM sleep, secreted more melatonin, and had more energy the next day. Another study found that looking at a smartphone before bed had an even worse effect on the subjects’ sleep schedule than a double espresso!
Why would I see the eye doctor? I'm still seeing just fine.
Regular eye exams are important. This is especially true over the age of 55 when the risk for cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration increases. When somebody has very early glaucoma or macular degeneration, there are almost always no obvious symptoms. The person would never FEEL anything was wrong with their eyes. Or even notice any vision changes. However, if somebody does end up with one of these diagnoses, once vision is lost, it’s generally lost forever. As an eye doctor, one of the most sad and frustrating things for me is seeing these sorts of cases in which a person loses vision permanently, yet the vision loss could have been preventable if they would have just come in sooner rather than waiting years and years, until it’s too late. Case in point: Just because your eyes FEEL good or you are still seeing “just fine” ever since your LASIK surgery that was many years ago, I still encourage you all to have regular check ups. Most insurance will cover exams yearly since that what is generally recommended, though even every 2 years may be acceptable for some. Better late than never, right?
Should I buy the "eye vitamins" I see for sale at the grocery store?
Great question! So, there was a large study done several years ago called the “Age-Related Eye Disease Study” or “AREDS” that investigated the potential benefit of a certain cocktail of vitamins on a very specific eye disease: macular degeneration. The study found that there are specific vitamins and micronutrients that can reduce the progression of INTERMEDIATE DRY macular degeneration to more advanced stages by about 25%.
Nothing is known about the possibility of these vitamins possibly preventing macular degeneration down the road. And the vitamin dosages are not small. Because of this, it is generally not recommended to just start taking these vitamins if there is no sign of macular degeneration present. The best thing that can be done to possibly prevent macular degeneration and other eye diseases is making specific “eye health friendly” lifestyle changes, if needed. These changes include having a well-rounded diet, remembering to include (if possible) fruits, veggies (especially leafy greens) and eggs (which are great for macular health). Other changes that are recommended include smoking cessation as well as protecting the eyes from the sun with a GOOD pair of sunglasses.
Case in point: Ask your eye doctor before simply starting any vitamin or supplement, to be sure it is something that truly makes sense for you and that also won’t interfere with any other medications you may be taking.
What's on your back to school checklist?
You’ve purchased most of the items on your school supplies list. Glue sticks. Crayons. Notebooks. Tissues. Scissors. But have you gotten your child in yet for his/her yearly eye exam? A child’s vision can change even every several months, and it is often found that children will not complain even though their world is blurry…they will instead often simply squint their way through it. The screening done at the pediatrician’s office doesn’t check for any sort of focusing issues that may be present with reading, a possible small eye turn, or overall eye health. Give us a call today or request an appointment on our website to be sure to get them in before the first day of school! Being able to see the board well and not get headaches with near work is essential to success in the classroom.
What we are actually looking at with all those bright lights....
Since the retina is one of the only places in the body we can easily see blood vessels, a retinal evaluation (performed at every eye exam) can sometimes be one of the first indicators of systemic disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other possibilities. With the advent of retinal photography, we can sometimes catch subtle changes earlier and better montior changes that may occur over time.
Introducing our newest frame line!
We have just added more color to our frame boards with Etnia Barcelona, our newest frame line. We have about 40 pieces coming in any day now!
Can your glasses do this?
We are now a proud retailer for OVVO Optics, which will provide you with the latest and greatest engineering in the eyewear industry. Quite literally space-age technology. If you appreciate quality engineering and reliability, we have what you’re looking for.
New Eco Frames!
We just placed a very large order with our Eco rep today, one of our most popular lines! Most Eco frames come with a magnetic sun clip and all are made from recycled materials. Also, for every pair you purchase, the company plants a tree. We should have these new pieces in next week!
