Children and Contact Lenses: Is Your Child Ready?

Perhaps your child wears glasses and wants to switch to contacts. Maybe your child was just diagnosed with the need for corrective lenses and he or she wants to wear contact lenses, but you aren’t sure they are ready. These scenarios, and others like it, raise the question: at what age are children ready for contacts?

Every child is different as is every situation, so there is no correct age set in stone. There are however, several factors to consider when deciding if your child is ready for contacts.Physically, most children’s eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a relatively young age so you are looking more at factors such as maturity and responsibility, personal hygiene, their main activities, and self-esteem.

Maturity and responsibility 

Studies have shown that over 90% of children ages 8 through 11 have no problem putting in or taking their contacts, and keeping up with proper maintenance. It’s really about your child’s maturity level and how responsible they are. Does your child perform their chores and homework in a timely and orderly fashion? If not they may not be ready for contacts yet, if so they are a great candidate.If your child can be responsible enough to follow the doctor’s instructions in how to care for and maintain their contacts then they are ready.

Personal Hygiene

This is very much related to maturity and responsibility. If your child can’t keep their room clean and needs to be reminded to shower or take a bath they might not be ready for contacts just yet. If they are clean and orderly then that’s another story.In regard to personal hygiene and preventing infections, make sure your child knows:

• Not to share or swap contacts
• To never use saliva, tap water, distilled water, or anything other than sterile saline solution for storing contact lenses.
• Use hypoallergenic skin products and cosmetics marked "for contact lens wearers" or "for sensitive eyes
• For girls: remember to apply make up after applying contacts

Your Child’s Activities: Sports

If you child is active then contacts may be a better option than glasses. Face it: contacts are better for sports than glasses. If your child is responsible and is involved in sports then your child should be ready for contacts. Contact lenses also provide better peripheral vision which allows for better awareness and performance.

Self-esteem

Many children would prefer not to wear glasses to school, at events, or many places where their peers are present. Children are very self-conscious about looking different or standing out. Wearing contacts can help boost their self-esteem and this will likely spill over into their studies, relationships, and over all well-being.

If you think your child is ready for contacts call us today to set up an eye appointment!

5 Bad Habits That Are Prematurely Aging Your Eyes

Do you love your fast food? Staying up late? Smoking? We all have vices and many of us can laugh them off. However, some of our bad habits can affect our eyesight and leave us with poor vision or blindness much earlier in our life than expected.

The following are several bad habits that are aging our eyes:

Smoking

This shouldn’t be that much of a surprise since smoking can negatively affect many aspects of our health. Smoking cigarettes can your increase your risk for optic nerve damage, macular degeneration and developing cataracts. All of these conditions can cause eventual vision loss.

Poor Nutrition

Eating lots of junk food and fast food while not consuming enough fruits and vegetables can leave your body lacking the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy eyes--not to mention lack of anti-oxidants. You need a well-balanced diet to obtain essential vitamins and minerals as well as anti-oxidants. You also need fatty acids that are in foods such as fish and olive oil for optimum eye health.

Soaking Up the Sun without Sunglasses

Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV light, any sunny day, any month of the year. They also protect your eyes from Blue light, which is important since long term exposure to the blue and violet lights of the solar spectrum can lead to macular degeneration.

Wear those shades: look good and feel good!

Not Being Hydrated

The American Medical Association recommends that you consume at least 8 glasses of water a day for optimum health. If you don’t keep adequately hydrated your eyes may not be able to produce the necessary tears to keep your eyes moist and properly nourished. Since your tears carry nutrients to the cells on the surface of the eye and carry antibodies to prevent infection, being properly hydrated is key to maintaining healthy eyes. So drink up!

Poor Sleeping Habits

Obviously not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc on the body and age you faster. For your eyes, not getting a good night’s rest can cause puffy, bloodshot, and dry eyes. The long term effects of not getting enough sleep can potentially damage your optic nerves and lead to impaired vision

If you engage in any, or several, of the bad habits discussed above, then eliminating them will go a long way in optimizing your eye (and overall) health. Keeping up with regular eye exams can go a long way too!

If you would like to set up an appointment to discuss optimizing your eye health or are due for an eye exam please give us a call today!

Potential Causes of Eye Twitching

Are you getting funny looks because people think you are winking at them? Are they wondering if you are some kind of shady dealer because after you say something you end with a wink?

Eye twitches can be annoying and at the very least be the source of insecurity in social situations. So what causes them and are they a health concern?An eyelid twitch, referred to as a blepharospasm by eye care professionals, is an involuntary and repetitive spasm of the eyelid muscles. They are often mild and feel like a gentle pulling on the eyelid.

In most cases eyelid twitches are a result of everyday life, from external things to diet and lifestyle.

The following have been known to cause eye twitches:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Fatigue and or lack of sleep
• Bright lights
• Smoking
• Stress
• Irritation of the eyes or eye strain
• Side effects of medication

Luckily, you can control most of the causes above by what you put into your body. By altering the amount of alcohol or caffeine consumed your eye twitch will likely dissipate on its own. The same can be said for cutting back or quitting smoking and trying to improve your sleeping patterns. Additionally, limiting your time staring at computer or televisions screens, which can cause eye strain, could help to alleviate the problem.

In some rare instances, eyelid twitches can be a sign of certain brain and nervous system disorders. If an eye twitch is a predecessor to a chronic illness it is always followed up by other symptoms. Illnesses with symptoms that include eye twitches are as follows:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Bell's palsy
• Cervical dystonia
• Dystonia
• Tourette syndrome
• Oramandipular dystonia and facial dystonia
•  Parkinsonism

If you have had an eye twitch that has been persistent and have other associated symptoms contact your physician. If you have been experiencing persistent eye twitches please feel free to set up an eye exam with us today!

Keeping an ‘Eye’ on the Kids: Children’s Eye Exams

As a parent of an infant you may wonder at what age should I take my child in for an eye exam and how often after that? Is it really that important when they are so young? Taking your child in for an eye exam is important because it allows eye care providers a chance to diagnose the onset of any vision problems early in a child’s life. Early diagnosis can lead to more effective treatments as young children are more responsive to treatments than adults.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA) 5% to 10% of preschoolers have vision problems and 25% of all school aged children do as well. Early diagnosis can help your child not fall behind and have a happy, well-adjusted life.Additionally, early eye exams are important for children’s ability to learn. The basic skills below are directly related to a child’s ability to learn:

•  Hand-eye coordination
• Ability to focus 
• Near and distant vision
• Binocular (two eyes) coordination
• Eye movement skills
• Peripheral awareness

The AOA recommends that infants receive their first eye exam at 6 months of age. After this, children should receive eye exams at age 3, and around ages 5 or 6 (or just before they enter first grade). School aged children who don’t have any vision problems should get an eye exam every two years, and those with glasses or contacts annual visits are recommended.

Eye exams vary on the age of your child but typically eye exams for children focus on the following: family and case history, standard vision testing, eye health evaluation, and to determine if your child needs any vision correction, such as glasses.

If your child is ready for their first eye exam, is about to enter first grade, or is due for an eye exam feel free to give us a call to set up an appointment today.

Goodbye to Dry Eyes!

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from dry eyes. That is a lot of people, enough to make you want to cry…unless of course you can't because you have dry eyes. If you suffer from dry eyes don’t fret there are treatments, something we will discuss.

First off: what are dry eyes and why is it a concern?

There are several reasons why it is important for your eyes to maintain enough tears to coat the surface of your eye. These tears serve a protective function:

• wash away debris such as bacteria, various microorganisms, allergens, and any chemicals that come in contact with your eye
• tears carry antibodies to prevent infection
• tears carry nutrients to the cells on the surface of the eye

So you can understand that tears serve many functions to help provide you with healthy vision. This is also why concerns about dry eyes are more than just dealing with discomfort.

Causes

Dry eyes can be caused by a variety of conditions. In certain cases the lacrimal gland can be damaged and affect the eye’s ability to secrete tears. Certain medical conditions such as lupus and sarcoidosis can inflame the lacrimal gland.

In other scenarios, the side effects of medications, taken for non-eye related conditions, can cause dry eyes. Many medications will list dry eyes as a possible side effect.

Dry eyes can also be caused by abnormalities of the lipid layer of the tear film. What happens then is that oil glands get plugged up (a condition known as blepharitis) and can’t properly secrete the oily layer of tears that prevents evaporation.

Treatments for Dry Eyes

*First and foremost: see an optometrist or eye care specialist

*Artificial tears or preservative free artificial tears (if you use more than 4 times a day)

*Lubricating gels or ointments—best used before bedtime

If you are having problems with dry eyes or any eye care issues please feel free to call Vision Pro today to set up an eye exam with one of our optometrists. We take pride in helping you maintain healthy vision!

http://www.visionpro-optical.com/pages/eye-care-services/optometrists.php

What is Color Blindness?

Men have often been accused of being color blind by women for their inability to distinguish slight differences in certain hues of colors, such as the difference between periwinkle and powder blue. Yes, this is a tragedy. However, this has more to do with not knowing—or caring—what the different shades of blue are. Color blindness is a real medical condition where the afflicted have an inability to see colors in the usual way.

People suffering from color blindness often have a difficulty seeing red, green, or blue, or a mix of these colors. It is very rare for someone to not be able to see any colors at all.

Most color vision problems are genetic and are often diagnosed during childhood. People have three types of cone cells in their eyes that sense red, blue, and green light. Inherited color blindness may result from a lack of one of these cone cells or they are not working properly. However, color vision problems can also result from:

           *Injuries to the eye

           * Aging

           *Side effects from medication

           *Eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

Those suffering from color blindness might have difficulty distinguishing the number in the image above. If you can’t decipher what the number is in the circular image you may want to consult an eye care professional.

For children that are suspected of having color blindness tests are typically conducted between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. For children, it is important to diagnose color blindness as soon as possible since color vision can affect learning abilities and reading development.

If you think you or your child might have color blindness or a color vision problem please contact Vision Pro to set up an appointment with one of our eye care professionals. We would be more than happy to help you on your way to healthy vision!

Eye Myths: Dispelling Four Common Misconceptions About the Eyes

Chances are when you were a little kid your mother told you to quit making faces or your face will stay that way. We know this not to be true, but when you were a kid it made you stop and think. Well, life is full of old wives tales that many of us still believe to be true. In the case of our eyes, there are a lot.

The goal of this blog is to dispel some of these popular misconceptions about our eyes.

Does Too Much Reading or Too Much TV Ruin Our Eyesight?

Although you may feel eyestrain from reading, watching TV, or working at your computer too long, this does not permanently damage eyesight.

Your eyes are like a digital camera and your brain a computer: the camera (your eyes) captures the image, uploads to the computer (your brain), then the computer (your brain) processes the images to make sense of them. The camera is not damaged taking pictures neither are your eyes for what you are looking at.

Eating Carrots Will Give You Superior Vision

First of all, eating carrots is good for your long term vision and overall eye care since it provides vitamin A and beta carotenes which help stave off macular degeneration. However, going overboard on carrots will not give you superior vision. If this was the case then Bugs Bunny would have had X-ray vision.

Unless you are suffering from a severe deficiency of vitamin A, which can cause night blindness and possibly lead to permanent blindness, then going nuts on carrots will not improve your vision.

Children will Outgrow Crossed Eyes (Strabismus)

At times newborns and early infants may have unsteady eye alignments as their vision develops. However, after about four months of age any strabismus should be a concern and you should take the child to an eye care specialist.

If a strabismus is left untreated it can result in a lazy eye or lead to other vision impairments.

Tea Bags and Cucumbers to Reduce Puffiness and Swelling Around the Eyes

We condone healthy eating habits and smart home remedies that have the backing of modern science. However, there are some home remedies and beauty secrets that lack any scientific credibility: tea bags and cucumbers as natural compresses for the eyes. Although these may work to slightly reduce puffiness it’s a health risk. The only reason that these methods work is because they are cold which shrinks blood vessels, thus reducing swelling. So there are other, safer remedies.

Putting food directly against your eyes is unsafe because food may contain bacteria, especially once it is exposed to the environment for a period of time. Bacteria in the eye is never a good thing especially if you wear contacts, such practices could lead to nasty infections.

If you would like to reduce temporary puffiness around the eyes try a cold compress, such as a wash cloth wrung out under cold water.

With these myths debunked we hope that we can help you make healthy decisions about your eye care. If you have any more questions or need an eye care exam please call one of our Vision Pro locations today!

What is Pink Eye? The Story of Conjunctivitis

Almost everyone has had pink eye. You probably had it as a little kid and don’t even remember it. Still, knowing about pink eye can help prevent future infections. So this can help you keep an ‘eye’ out for the pink.

What is it? What to do?

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outer layer of the eyeball) and is a common cause for a sore eye. There are several types of conjunctivitis: viral, bacterial, herpes simplex, and allergic, or it can be caused by eye drops.

Viral conjunctivitis, as the name implies, is caused by a virus and is the most common kind of pink eye. Similar to the common cold, the immune system will work the virus out over a couple of weeks. Viral conjunctivitis is very itchy and will emit a watery discharge. It is typically treated with eye drops to relieve the symptoms otherwise the virus must run its course.

For a period of 10 to 12 days those that have the virus are highly contagious. To prevent the spread:

*Avoid touching your eyes then people or objects.

*Avoid sharing towels and linens

*Wash your hands often

*Handle and clean all eyewear to sterilize it

Bacterial conjunctivitis is obviously caused by bacteria. Bacterial conjunctivitis will emit a pus like discharge from the eye but is rarely itchy. This is typically treated with antibiotic eye drops.

Herpes simplex conjunctivitis is caused by the herpes simplex virus. This typically causes more pain and discomfort than other kinds of pink eye. Blisters may present themselves on your eyelids of conjunctiva. Doctors will likely prescribe anti-herpes medicines.

Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by allergies such as hay fever that lead to itchy, watery, and red eyes. Typically, antihistamines to treat the allergy will help to cure the condition.

Eyedrop conjunctivitis can result from regular use of medicated eyedrops. Sometimes the preservatives or the medication in the eye drops can cause sensitive eyes to redden and become sore. Switching to a different kind of eyedrop is usually the solution.

Although pink eye is a common eye condition there are other eye ailments that can present themselves similar to pink eye. If you are having any sort of prolonged eye redness please call Vision Pro today. Our on staff of optometrists are here to help you maintain healthy vision.

Sunglasses: An Invention for the Ages

For many of us hopping in the car or stepping outside on a sunny day without a pair of sunglasses on can make us feel kind of naked. We squint and think ‘something’s not quite right.’ On sunny days sunglasses are a must. 

Sunglasses are great because not only do they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays but squinting for any prolonged period of time is uncomfortable and can cause a headache. Thank goodness for shades. We salute those pioneers whom created these sun blocking 

devices of style!

So who did invent sunglasses? Certainly there were early sun blocking devices to protect people’s eyes?

Many Native American cultures used paper birch to fashion a pair of anti-snow blindness goggles. Paper birch was used for a variety of uses from canoes to lodges, the flexible yet durable material was shaped into a goggle and eye slits were cut into it. This would allow winter travelers to traverse snow covered  landscapes on sunny days and see in comfort.

In the ancient East, Chinese judges in the 13^th century would wear smoke-tinted quartz lenses in order to conceal their emotions and facial expressions during a trial. This was to not reveal the outcome of a trial until all the evidence had been presented. They were also used as sunglasses.

In the 1430’s tinted eyeglasses were created in Italy and exported across the world. Their primary function was vision correction but they also (somewhat) served as sunglasses.

Modern day shades can be attributed to Sam Foster and his savvy marketing skills. Along the sunny boardwalk of coastal Atlantic City, NJ, Foster found a market ready for sunglasses. Foster founded The Foster Grant Company and began selling eyeglasses in 1929. By 1930 they were a sensation! 

Then in the 1930’s the US military commissioned Bausch & Lomb to create sun glasses for high altitude pilots. In 1936 Ray-Ban created Aviator glasses for WWII pilots. The rest is history!

Lucky for you sunglasses have had a few centuries to get it right. Stop into one of our 10 locations and treat yourself to some quality sunglasses. Our professional staff will help you find the right shades to showcase your unique look!

Don’t Let Summer Get Away! 5 Reasons to Wear Sunglasses This Summer

Summer is quickly coming to an end but that doesn’t mean it’s time to put away the shades, or worse, keep putting on those scratched up and blurry shades. Its Ok to treat yourself to some new shades. Sunglasses are actually good for your vision too…so there is all the rational you need!

Sunglasses = healthy eyes? Really?

Yes. Here are five quick reasons:

1. Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV light, any sunny day, any month of the year.
2. Comfortable vision: don’t squint.
3. Vision adaptability: your eyes will adapt easier to the dark or inside light if you are wearing shades outdoors.
4. Blue light protection: protect your eyes from long term exposure to the blue and violet lights of the solar spectrum. Long term exposure leads to macular degeneration.
5. They look cool! Life is short: look good and feel good

So don’t let summer get away! Keep those eyes protected and end in the summer in style. Visit our Facebook page to enter for a chance to win some new sunglasses!

Aging and Eyesight: Is it Time for an Eye Exam?

Most people don’t want to get old. However, growing older is inevitable and so are the associated aches and pains along with diminished eyesight. The onset of changes in your eyesight varies among people due to genetics and overall health of each individual.

If you are over 40 years old you may have noticed changes in your eyesight. These may be subtle changes such as having more difficulty seeing clearly while reading or focusing on close up projects. Typically, these changes begin to occur between ages 40 and 60.

Most adults in their 40s will begin to experience symptoms of presbyopia, a normal condition where your eyes lose their focusing ability over time. As you age your lenses lose their flexibility making it more difficult to see clearly. Here are some signs that this may be happening to you:

• Need for more light to read or work on projects.
• Problems with glare. For example, while driving at night the headlights of oncoming traffic will create more glare than when you were younger because the light is scattered rather than focused directly on the retina.
• Changes in the way you perceive color. The normally clear color of the lens may discolor overtime affecting the way you perceive colors.
• Difficulties reading and focusing up close.

If you are experiencing any of these signs there is some good news. However, this good news does require that you can be proactive. It may be time for eye glasses, contact lenses, or even corrective laser surgery.

Set up an eye exam today with Vision Pro and our professionals can help you find the best solutions for your eyesight!

Eagle Eyes: How Much Sharper are an Eagle’s Eyes than a Human’s

Perhaps you once spotted something that no one else saw and someone responded by complimenting you on your eagle eyes. Sure, we all pretty much know that eagles, hawks, and predatory birds have excellent eyesight but how much better do they see than a human and how?

The average human has 20/20 eyesight. This is a measure of visual acuity developed using the Snellen chart. 20/20 means that a test subject sees the same line of letters at 20 feet as a normal person does at 20 feet from the chart. 20/30 vision would mean that the test subject can see the same line of letters a normal person would at 30 feet but needs to be within 20 feet to read the line of letters.

The physical properties of human eyes limits the sharpest eyesight to be somewhere around 20/10, maybe even 20/8 at best—a good trait for a fighter jet pilot. This means that a person with 20/8 vision could see a line of letters at 20 feet that would require a person with 20/20 vision to move within 8 feet to read, get it?

The vision of a bald eagle is 4 to 5 times sharper than the average human. Tests conducted on eagle’s have shown that they have 20/4 vision! If you truly had eagle eyes you could see an ant running on a sidewalk from atop of a ten story building. This is ideal for eagles as they circle overhead for prey and carrion. At a height of 300 feet an eagle can see a fish just below the surface of the water!

One of the main factors believed to give eagles such excellent eyesight is that their retinas are more densely coated with light detecting cells called cones. This allows eagles to enhance their power to resolve fine details, much like a high pixel cameras.

The other factor that enable eagles to have superior vision is cone-shaped depressions in the back of the eyes called fovea, which detect light from the center of our visual field. In humans they are shaped like a shallow bowl. In eagles they are shaped like convex pits acting like a telephoto lens.

Eagles also have superior color vision allowing them to see colors more vividly. They even have the ability to see ultra-violet light! Seeing UV light allows them to see and follow the urine trails of prey.

So you might not ever have the vision of an eagle, but there are things you can do to maintain and improve your vision. Protecting your eyes from the sun and eating healthy are the best ways to maintain your vision. For eating for optimal eye sight check out our  blog: Four Nutritional Tips for Optimum Eye Health: Eating Your Way to Healthy Eyes

Celebrate Your Independence With a New Look!

In the Northland summer is short…too short! Make the most of your summer in style and comfort with a pair of new sunglasses. Stop squinting while driving. Stop wearing that pair of scratched up gas station glasses and treat yourself to some quality shades!

In the spirit of the 4^th of July we want you to: Celebrate your independence with a new look! From July 10^th through the 17^th visit us on Facebook for a chance to win a pair of sunglasses up to $150 in value!

It only takes a few moments for a chance to win. And even of you don’t win, we encourage you to stop into one of our 7 locations and treat yourself to some quality sunglasses. We have great deals on brands like Ray-ban, Oakley, Nine West, Gucci, Versace, Bolle, Nike, and many more!

Celebrate your independence with a new look!

Visit us on Facebook and enter now!

Eye of the Tiger: Sports Training for Your Eyes

If you have ever seen any of the Rocky movies there is usually a really awesome training montage where the song ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is blasting as Rocky is sprinting up a long series of stairs, doing clean and jerks, and working over a punching bag. The part where he ‘trains’ his eyes must have ended up on the cutting room floor. However, YOU can train your eyes for your favorite sports activities.

Training your eyes for various sports may sound silly but it is something you can really do. Certain sports require excellent hand eye coordination, such as golf, while others require visual memory, such as team sports where you have to see multiple people at once and make split second decisions on where to move. Contrast sensitivity and depth perception is something Olympic alpine skier Lindsey Vonn might work on to train her eyes to read shadows and contours on the mountain.

So here are some eye exercises you can do to train your eyes.

Focus flexibility

This exercise is training your ability to change focus from a close object to a faraway object, or vice versa. One method would be to quickly change focus from your computer screen to an object outside of your window. The bonus to this one is that this can help relieve eye strain if you have been on the computer working for hours.

Depth perception

This is all about how you make spatial judgements, such as how far away a person is from you. Threading a needle or trying to drop a small pebble into a straw at arm’s length are two exercises to train your depth perception.

Peripheral awareness

This is about seeing what is going on alongside of you without turning you head. This is important for team sports on courts and fields where you need to be aware of the people around you. To train your peripheral awareness try looking at a busy scene, such as a baseball game, with your head turned to the side. Remember to train both sides.

Color vision

In games where you have opposing teams in different colors, as well as the playing field and equipment used, you need to be able to distinguish different colors and shades of them quickly. This is one where you can wear sports performance enhancing contacts or glasses.

If you feel you are having issues with any of these vision skills make an appointment for an eye exam today. At Vision Pro we would be more than happy to help you maximize your eye sight to get your ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on!

Four Nutritional Tips for Optimum Eye Health: Eating Your Way to Healthy Eyes

You have probably heard the old adage that ‘you are what you eat.’ What you consume plays an essential role in the cellular maintenance, growth, and functioning of your body. Maintaining a healthy diet, in addition to healthy lifestyle choices, optimizes your vision. This is especially true as we age we need various vitamins and minerals to keep our eyes working properly.

The following are four crucial tips to help you eat your way to healthy eyes and a healthy life:

1.      Beta-carotene: Eat those carrots

What’s up doc? It seems that Bugs Bunny knew a thing or two about healthy eyes. Carrots are high in beta-carotene, an anti-oxidant that decreases your risk for developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Eat them raw, put them in salads, cook them in a stew, just be sure to eat your carrots!

2.      Vitamin C

Vitamin C can be found in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and is another key anti-oxidant proven to protect your eyes. If you love fruit, then kiwis, oranges, and strawberries are excellent choices as they rank among the highest in Vitamin C. Also try guavas and papayas.

Several vegetables are incredibly high in Vitamin C: bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and peas. These are great in salads, as snacks, in soups, roasted, or steamed. Eat them greens!

3.      Zinc

It’s time to think Zinc! Zinc is found in your retina where it helps the functioning of enzymes for optimum eye function. Studies have shown that people with macular degeneration often had low zinc levels.

Foods high in Zinc include: sea food, spinach (Go Popeye!), nuts such as cashews, cocoa and chocolate (an excuse to eat chocolate!), pork and chicken, and mushrooms.

Think Zinc for optimal eye health and maintenance. 

4.      Omega-3 Fats

Studies have shown that Omega-3 fats are excellent for cardiovascular health. Well, good news, they also help protect the tiny blood vessels buried in your eyes. If you love sea food such as wild salmon, oysters, sardines, herring, halibut, and fresh tuna then eat your heart out...or, umm, rather healthy!

A healthy diet accompanied with regular eye exams can help you optimize your eye sight for a healthy, full life.

For more information or to schedule an eye exam call Vision Pro to set up an appointment or stop into one of our 10 locations today!

Spring into Summer Contest

If you are like me you have probably sat on your sunglasses bending them out of shape, or dropped them and scratched the lenses. Or worse, you dropped them in the lake and watched them sink into the depths. Dang it! There goes another pair! Any on these scenarios sound familiar? If so, this may be the contest for you.

Spring into summer with some new shades! This week Vision Pro’s Spring into Summer  contest will award one lucky customer a pair of quality, name brand sunglasses up to $150 in value! If you have been afraid to treat yourself to some nice sunglasses this is the contest for you. Visit our Facebook page to enter. It only takes a few moments for a chance to win. And even of you don’t win, come see us, we have great deals on brands like Ray-ban, Oakley, Versace, Bolle, and more.

Visit our Facebook page to enter, or stop into one of our 10 locations and treat yourself to some quality sunglasses. Our professional staff will help you find the right shades to showcase your unique look!

Four Tips for Selecting the Perfect Eye Glass Frames

Vision Pro Optical Can Help You Select the Perfect Eye Glass Frames or Sunglasses for Your Unique Look.

One of the most wonderful things about the world is the diversity of people and how unique each of us look. Whether you have curly hair or straight hair, long hair or short, a square head or a round one, you can find the perfect eye glass frames to accentuate your best features and personal style. Here are four tips to help you select the perfect frames.

1. Contrast
The shape of the frames you select should typically contrast the shape of your face: if you have a sharp, angular face you want round frames; if you have a round face than you want more angular frames.

 2. Color
When selecting a color you want it to compliment your features. Black is the standard color to highlight your eyes. A color that contrasts the tone of your skin or hair will stand out more.

3. Proportion
This is rather simple: you want your frames to be in proportion to your face. Sunglasses tend to be slightly larger for more coverage.

 4. Face Shape
This is where things can seem a bit complicated. Whether you have a round, heart, diamond, oval, or square shaped face we’ll help you find the frames best suited to your unique look.

Our eye care professionals at Vision Pro will help you select eye glass frames or sunglasses that compliment your face’s best features while also considering your individual skin, eye, and hair coloring.

Call to set up an appointment or stop into one of our 10 locations today!

Putting the “I Care” into Eye Care: Eye Exams

     

                               
If you are like most people you probably dread going to the dentist, especially if you have a cavity. Even dentists know that it is unpleasant to have to sit with your mouth pried open while they tool around in there. Honestly though, how much worse is it to have a throbbing tooth ache or a tooth go abscess? Sometimes we are afraid to admit that we need help and to seek it. Face it, our quality of life really begins with our health. If you don’t have your health you have nothing. Taking care of your self should be a top priority. So, when was the last time you had an eye exam?

It’s time to put the “I Care” into eye care and that begins with you setting up an eye exam. Don’t worry, they aren't that scary. I will talk you through what to expect below.

Why Do I Need an Eye Exam?
We discussed above why you need an eye exam: to lead a healthy, active life. Eye exams may detect a potentially treatable disease that would otherwise leave you blind. As well as detecting ocular manifestations of systemic disease and signs of tumors or other potential problems of the brain. If you have a condition that affects your sight get it diagnosed and optimize your vision.

What happens at an Eye Exam?
An eye exam is an array of tests performed by an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or orthoptist to assess your vision and ability to focus on and distinguish objects. Additionally, eye exams look for any possible diseases that affect the eyes or present symptoms there.

Even before the eye exam begins your eye care specialist will obtain a thorough medical history to learn about your eyes. This could be done as simply as by asking questions such as: are your eyes bothering you; whether anyone in your family has any history of eye problems such as glaucoma; if you have any known eye diseases; if you have ever injured your eyes or have had eye surgery.

Typically, at an eye exam there are several routine tests, such as:

• Checking ability to read an eye chart
• Light reflections on eyes
• Lens choices to see when pictures become most clear
• Cover tests, to see the strain on each eye when the other is covered
• Magnified instruments to check for diseases and infections
• Measuring the pressure inside each eye
• Dilation of the pupils

These are all simple in office procedures conducted with your health and comfort in mind.

How often should I get an eye exam?
The frequency of eye examinations depends on a number of factors such as medical history, age, if you have any ocular conditions, or if anyone in your family has a history of ocular diseases. Once you have had an entrance exam your eye care specialist will help you determine how often you should have routine follow ups. Typically, you should have a checkup a minimum of once every 1-2 years.

See, that wasn’t so bad. Sure, this was just a ‘virtual’ tour of an eye exam, but you can do it, especially now that you know what to expect. Be proactive in your health and have the fore’sight’ to act, pun intended! Contact Vision pro today to set up an eye exam.

Optimizing Your Vision

Unless you are one of the rare few that never needed glasses or contacts chances are you will need some sort of vision correction to optimize your vision. Luckily, we live in a day and age where technological advances allow for glasses and contacts to be worn comfortably and where refractive surgery is an option.

In essence, eyeballs are perfectly rounded spheres that allow us to focus on objects both close and far away. However, not everyone’s eyeballs have developed into perfectly formed spheres. A developmental error of even the smallest fraction of a millimeter can affect a person’s vision. These tiniest of flaws result in a person being nearsighted, farsighted, or having astigmatism. In order to optimize your vision you may need glasses or contacts.

Nearsightedness
If you can read a book or work at a computer for hours and see with ease but need glasses to focus on objects far away you likely have nearsightedness. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, affects about 25% of the population. Distant objects appear fuzzy and out of focus but objects up close are easy to focus on. There can be several causes for myopia, such as the shape of your cornea, having a longer eyeball than normal (yes that can really happen), and the placement and shape of your eye’s lens. These slight errors make objects appear in front of your retina rather than on, so a blurred image is sent to the brain.

Farsightedness
Are you squinting to read this right now? Does reading give you a headache from squinting and trying to focus? If objects look blurry up close but distant objects, like road signs, aren’t a problem to focus on then you may have farsightedness. Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, affects about 10% of the population. The causes of hyperopia are similar to those of myopia, where the shape of the cornea, the placement and shape of your eye’s lens, and a shorter than usual eyeball are all causes.

Presbyopia
Sorry, nothing lasts forever, not the Grateful Dead, not Elvis, not summer, and not your perfect vision. Presbyopia is the loss of perfect vision with age. When we are younger our eye’s lenses are able to change shape to account for objects that are close to the eye. Over time the ciliary body inside our eyes begins to lose its ability to contract. The result is that the lens becomes thicker and more rigid. This is why many elderly people have to hold newspapers and books far away in order to read: time for glasses.

Astigmatism
A normal cornea is in the shape of a partial sphere where all directions are equally curved. For some people the angles of the cornea or lens may be steeper than others. This doesn’t allow for images to fall on the retina so these images are seen by the brain as blurry.

If any of these conditions sound like something that is bothering you then you definitely want to set up an appointment for an eye exam. Contact Vision Pro to set up  an appointment and see the world with perfect vision!

How the Human Eye Sees

The eyes have been said to be ‘windows to our souls.’ Although more aptly put they are image receptors. Regardless, they are incredible sensory organs, especially once you consider how they work. The human eye is capable of seeing the flame of a candle from miles away or a speck of dust on a table. Our eyes allow us to see thousands of colors, perceive objects in three dimensions, and pick up on the slightest of movements.

The human eye is spherical in shape and despite being a small organ it is quite complex. For perfect vision every structure of the eye must work correctly, even the slightest error, a fraction of a millimeter, can affect our sight. If everything is in working order, the eye will capture light, focus that light, and then relay that image to the brain to process what is taking place.

             

When we look at an object rays of light are illuminating it. These rays are reflected off the object and into our eyes. The first structure of the eye that light hits is the cornea where light is refracted and brought into focus. After these rays exit the cornea they travel deeper into the eye to the iris and the pupil. Here the iris blocks rays of light from going deeper into the eye while the rays of light that enter the pupil are processed. Your pupil will contract or expand depending on environmental conditions. If it is bright and sunny your pupils will contract to restrict light entering the eye. It if is dark your pupils expand to allow more light to enter the eye.

Once light has been processed by the pupil it reaches the lens. Here the rays of light are refracted to bring them into focus more.  The light then continues on to the vitreous cavity, and then into further focus on the retina. Within the retina different photo receptors are stimulated by different wavelengths of light. Those that are activated send their signals to the optic nerve, which then relays a signal to your brain. Then your brain processes this information.

If you consider all the amazing things that take place within our complex eyes in order to see you can understand how important it is to receive proper eye care services and products. If it has been awhile since you have had an eye examination or it might be time to get new glasses or contacts call Vision Pro today to set up an appointment.