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

Better Vision Optometric Center EYEWEAR TRUNK SHOW

       Eyewear Trunk Show

Join us for our 1st annual trunk show at Better Vision Optometric Center, PA May 15th.  We will have food, entertainment, awesome vendors and door prizes!  Click the link below to get the details!

                                                 

  Click here for Better Vision Trunk Show details

Show patients why proper lens care is essential for healthy eyes. | VISTAKON®

 Proper lens care is essential for healthy eyes. | VISTAKON®

Snow blindness is real!

SNOW BLINDNESS is real!

Photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratitis is a painful eye condition caused by excessive  exposure to the ultraviolet  (UV) rays from either natural or artificial sources. Photokeratitis is  like a sunburn on the front part of the eye, affecting the cornea and conjuntiva. It is not usually noticed until several hours after exposure. The main symptom of snow blindness include tears, feeling of grittiness in addition to pain in the eyes.  The injury may be prevented by wearing eye protection that blocks most of the ultraviolet radiation, such as welding goggles with the proper filters, a welder's helmet, sunglasses rated for sufficient UV protection, or appropriate snow goggles. The condition is usually managed by removal from the source of ultraviolet radiation, covering the corneas, artificial tears and administration of pain relief. The corneas typically heal in 12 to 48 hours, and though painful, photokeratitis rarely results in permanent eye damage.   Photokeratitis is known by a number of different terms including: snow blindness, arc eye, welder's flash, bake eyes, corneal flash burns or flash burns. 

Better Vision Optometric Center, P.A.

910-323-3698 Owen Drive location

910-488-0211 Ramsey Street location

www.bettervision2020.com

Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration

National Glaucoma Awareness month

Click here for more information on Glaucoma

Glaucoma is defined as a group of diseases that steal sight from an individual without any warning. Over three million Americans have Glaucoma, while only half know about it. Regular and consistent eye exams are the key to protecting your vision from damage caused by glaucoma.
Everyone is at risk for glaucoma. Some groups have a greater risk to developing this disease, such as: African-Americans, people over 60, people who have family members with Glaucoma, Hispanics in older age groups, Asians, steroid users, and individuals who have had a previous eye injury. It doesn't matter who you are, you could still be affected and have the need to undergo treatment.
When an individual is diagnosed with Glaucoma, the treatment varies. Some treatments may include medication, while others use prescription eye drops. Other times, surgery is required in hopes to lower the pressure in the eye and prevent further damage.  The earlier Glaucoma is diagnosed, the better chance you have of preserving your vision.
We are dedicated to helping you maintain healthy eyes. Please contact us today to set-up an appointment.



Better Vision Optometric Center, P.A.
910-323-3698 Owen Drive location
910-488-0211 Ramsey Street location
www.bettervision2020.com