Why do I have to get my eyes dilated?

                                    WHY DO I HAVE TO GET MY EYES DILATED?

It’s true that having your eyes dilated during your routine eye exam can be a bit inconvenient.  Dilation does take time, cause some light sensitivity and possibly some near blur, but it is worth it to be reassured that you have healthy eyes.

By using special eye drops to dilate your eyes, your optometrist has the ability to see not only the outer surface of the eye, but also through the pupil, to the retina, the very back part of the eye. This makes for a much more thorough look at your overall health. Through this process, your optometrist can examine your optic nerve and blood vessels and discover issues such as retinal thinning, tears, or holes that can lead to retinal detachment or blindness. Once it’s over, you have to wear a pair of sunglasses in order to avoid that dreadful light sensitivity, and you may even have to organize transportation from a friend or family member. But dilating your eyes is one of the most important aspects of your eye exam, and wholly worth the trouble.

In addition to eye-related diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, dilation also enables your optometrist to detect the early warning signs of more general health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Despite the inconvenience, having your eyes dilated during your regularly scheduled eye exam is an important part of preventive health, for both your eyes and your whole body. Never skip out on having your eyes dilated—reserve the time, take your sunglasses, and schedule a ride home, and rest assured knowing you’re staying on top of preventative health measures that could make all the difference in your eye health and general health.

Don't get stuck without a spare!

We have a spare tire in our vehicle. We backup our important files. We pack an extra pair of undies in our carryon. And the list goes on, but you get the point! There are a number of life’s situations we prepare for, but do you have a backup plan for your vision?

If you wear glasses, and have for a long time, you may have endured the stress of having damaged or lost your glasses at some point. Having access to a spare pair makes these unenviable situations less stressful (especially while traveling!) while you wait for a replacement or repairs. If you wear contact lenses regularly, it’s important to wear glasses when you can to give your eyes some relief. Whether you wear glasses or contact lenses, it’s important to always have a spare, up to date pair available. 

And it’s not just the unenviable situations that we recommend having a spare pair. For you fashionistas out there, style also comes into play! Just like shoes, jewelry, and scarves, glasses are a great way to add flair to your outfit. For others, it’s about practicality or safety.

Happy

Happy

Success in the Classroom Begins with Healthy Vision

What’s the most important thing to remember as you prepare your kids for success in the
coming school year? A new lunchbox so they can carry healthy meals that promote energy and focus in the classroom? Plenty of pens, pencils, and notebooks so they can prepare study materials and complete assignments? What about an eye health exam with your optometrist?
If you’ve never thought of an eye health exam as being part of your back-to-school preparations, consider this: More than 80% of a child’s learning happens through vision. An undiagnosed vision problem could impact learning and performance, grades, self-esteem, and more. Sometimes, undetected vision problems are mistaken for a learning disability, such as dyslexia or ADD.
Older children may be better able to communicate when their vision is abnormal, but elementary aged students may not. How can you determine if your child is suffering from vision problems? Some warning signs include:

• Sitting too close to the TV or other electronic device, or holding a book too close
  
• Using their finger as a guide and/or frequently losing their place while reading
  
• Closing one eye or tilting their head to see better
  
• Frequent eye rubbing or sensitivity to light
  
• Complaints of headaches or tired eyes
  
  
  Even if your child already wears glasses, their prescription can change frequently as they grow. Scheduling regular eye health exams ensures they have a prescription that supports proficient hand-eye coordination, accurate eye teaming (both eyes working together in coordination), smooth alternation between close and far focusing, and efficient peripheral vision.
  The new school year is right around the corner. In between shopping for new clothes and gathering school supplies, be sure to also arrange for an annual eye health exam with an optometrist that specializes in children’s vision. Success in the classroom begins with healthy vision!  Call to day to make an appointment. 
  
  Owen Drive 910-323-3698
  Ramsey Street 910-488-0211
  
  

June is Cataract Awareness Month

Have you ever heard of the word cataract and wondered what exactly a cataract was?? Well, a cataract is the clouding of the lens inside the eye.  The lens is a very important structure inside the eye that focuses images onto the retina.  If the lens is cloudy, the image focused will also be cloudy.  Imagine driving around with a muddy car windshield, the outside is hard to see until you wash off the mud, right?  Well, same concept with a cataract, but a cataract cannot simply be "washed off."

Causes of Cataracts

While cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world, no one knows for sure why the eye's lens becomes cloudy as we age, forming cataracts.  But researchers have identified many factors that may be associated with cataract formation.  Besides getting older, cataract risk factors include:

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources

Diabetes

Hypertension

Obesity

Smoking

Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications

Statin medicines used to reduce cholesterol

Previous eye injury or inflammation

Previous eye surgery

Hormone replacement therapy

Significant alcohol consumption

High myopia

Family history

Vision complaints associated with Cataracts

Sensitivity to glare

Double vision

Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy, or filmy vision

Loss of color intensity 

Difficulty seeing at night or in dim light 

Seeing halo around lights

Problems seeing shapes against a background of the difference between shades of colors

Frequent changing of glasses prescriptions, or seeing better without glasses 

Cataract Prevention

One easy way to prevent cataracts is to wear a pair of  100% UV-absorbent sunglasses.  Sorry guys, Wal-Mart cheapies will not protect the eyes enough.  Other preventable measures to take against cataracts include quitting smoking and consuming alcohol in moderations as both activities increase your chances of cataract formation.

While it is possible to reduce your risk of developing cataracts, they are not 100% preventable. There are many different factors that can contribute to the development of cataracts including family history, medications, and age. A comprehensive eye exam can diagnose cataracts and help you and your doctor here at Better Vision Optometric Center, PA  determine an effective plan for treatment.

Treatment of Cataracts

Cataracts can be removed by an extraction procedure.  The procedure is easy and recovery is fast.  The surgeon removes the old lens that has become cloudy through a small incision in the front of the eye.  After the lens is removed, it is replaced with a synthetic lens.  The coolest part of the procedure is that the replacement lens has your prescription in it, and majority of patients will no longer have to wear glasses to see distance.

Call today for an appointment.
Owen Drive        910-323-3698
Ramsey Street    910-488-0211

What are eye floaters?

                                                             OCULAR FLOATERS

Floaters are spots, specks or "cobwebs" that drift in your vision and are usually noticed on a bright white background,  or a sunny day.  While they can be very annoying, ordinary eye floaters and spots are very common and are not cause for alarm.

Floaters and spots that appear in your vision typically appear when the gel-like structure inside the eye begins to liquefy and allowing particles to float around entering your field of sight.  The gel-like structure is call the vitreous.

Majority of eye floaters are benign, but can be very annoying for the patient.  After time, they may improve, but will always remain inside the eye.  Most of the time people learn to live with floaters and ignore them.

Even though majority of floaters are not serious, sometimes they can be a sign of a serious eye condition.  You should always seek medical attention if you have a new floater, sudden increase of new floaters or associated flashes of light.  This could be a sign of a retinal detachment, retinal tear or bleeding within the eye.  If you have any questions about floaters, feel free to give us a call.

Better Vision Optometric Center, PA
Owen Drive 910-323-3698
Ramsey Street 910-488-0211