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Month: October 2018

Coastal Eye CareNews2018October
diabetes, eye exams, Eye Health, eyecare, wellness coastaleyecare

Myth Busters – Common Eye Exam Misconceptions

We can all agree that having healthy eyes is important, but did you know just over 50% of people get annual eye exams? Why you might ask? According to a recent VSP survey in partnership with YouGov, a majority of people skip eye exams because they don’t think they need vision correction, think eye exams are expensive, or don’t have vision insurance. Although common, these reasons are often related to misconceptions about eye exams. Let’s clear the air and bust these myths.

eye exam misconceptions

Myth: Eye Exams are Unnecessary

Those who don’t wear glasses or contacts might think, why would I need an eye exam? It’s a fair question. What most people don’t know is that an eye doctor can help detect early signs of more serious diseases and conditions through a comprehensive eye exam. Diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid diseases, and certain types of cancers can be detected through your eyes.

Although you might not have needed vision correction in the past, your eyes can change as you age. Perhaps when you were younger you could see objects up close, but as you get older those objects start to become blurry. Changes in your vision can be caught early by your eye doctor at an annual eye exam.

Myth: Children Don’t Need an Eye Exam Until They Start School

Children should have their first eye exam when they are six-months old. Most parents are unaware that eye exams should begin so young. Following a child’s first appointment at six-months old, eye exams should also take place at three years old, before starting elementary school, and then yearly thereafter.

Annual eye exams for kids are important because many children may not be able to articulate that they can’t see well. This becomes problematic because although, eight in ten parents agree that regular eye exams help kids do their best in school, almost half wait until their child complains about their vision to schedule an eye exam.

blue light, digital eye strain, Frames & Lenses coastaleyecare

5 Surprising Benefits of Anti-Reflective Lens Coatings

You may already know that anti-reflective (AR) coatings make your glasses easier to clean by preventing oil, water, and dirt from sticking to the lenses. But what you might not know is that they also play a big role in how you see, how you look, and how your eyes feel at the end of the day.

Anti-Reflective Lens Coating

Here are five little known, but important benefits to consider if you’re thinking about enhancing your lenses with a high-quality AR coating:

1. Increase Your Visual Clarity

AR coatings enhance the way you see the world by allowing more light to pass through the lens while eliminating glare, so you have clear vision on the job, in the classroom, around the house, and behind the wheel.

2. Enhance Your Appearance

By removing harsh reflections from your lenses, AR coatings allow others to see you – not that annoying glare. Whether you’re posing for a picture or video chatting with a friend, you can feel confident that your eyes take center stage.

3. Extend the Life of Your Lenses

AR coatings protect your glasses against scratches and smudges, resulting in lenses that last longer. This also means you’ll be replacing your lenses less frequently, which can help save you money.

4. Reduce Your Blue Light Exposure

Specialty AR coatings like TechShield™ Blue, combat digital eye strain by reducing your exposure to blue light from digital devices and lighting. If you’re unfamiliar with digital eye strain, it’s that tired, irritated feeling you get in your eyes after looking at a digital screen for a few hours.

5. Protect Your Eyes from UV Rays

AR coatings can also help protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays. UV protection can be added to the backside of the lenses to defend your eyes against UV rays reflected off surfaces like sidewalks and windows.

Ask your Coastal Eye Care doctor about enhancing your lenses with an AR coating.

This is a guest blog post by VSP employee, Paul Janes.

Frames & Lenses, Fun coastaleyecare

DIY Halloween Kids Costumes

October is here which means Halloween is right around the corner. Picking out the perfect Halloween costume for kids can be a big deal, especially when they want to impress their friends while trick or treating. If your child wears glasses then they may ask to forgo their eyewear, concerned that it won’t fit with the style of their costume. Instead of tossing their glasses to the side, make their frames a core part of their Halloween costume.

We’ve gathered a few of our favorite DIY costume ideas that feature glasses as a key costume component. Start by finding the costume below that works best with your child’s style or interest. If your child is due for a trendy new pair of glasses, we’ve also included where you can find each of the frames below.

Scientist

Halloween kids costumes

For the kid who enjoys science experiments, a scientist is just the thing.

Costume DIY:

  • A white lab coat
  • Black gloves
  • Plastic toy test tubes

Glasses: This costume works best with thick black frames.

Minion

Halloween kids costumes

For the kid who is feeling a little mischievous and really likes yellow, a Minion is the ideal choice.

Costume DIY:

  • Yellow shirt
  • Yellow beanie
  • Jean overalls
  • Black gloves

Glasses: This costume works best with grey round frames.

Where’s Waldo

Halloween kids costumes

For the kid who’s feeling adventurous, Where’s Waldo is the perfect match.

Costume DIY:

  • Red and white striped shirt
  • Red and white striped beanie
  • Jeans

Glasses: This costume works best with black or brown circular frames.

Cat Lady

Halloween kids costumes

For the kid who wants to be comfy while they trick or treat, a cat lady will do the trick.

Costume DIY:

  • A fuzzy pink bathrobe
  • Slippers
  • A few stuffed kitties
  • Velcro hair rollers

Glasses: This costume works best with bright colored frames, the brighter the better!

Your child is sure to have a new perspective on their glasses following Halloween this year. Just remember that no matter the costume, your child’s vision shouldn’t be obstructed, and they should be able to see properly for safe trick or treating. Happy Halloween!

eye conditions, eye exam, Eye Health, Featured Posts, wellness coastaleyecare

Serious Diseases Detected Through an Eye Exam

“You’re an eye doctor? I’d come see you except I have really good vision.”

“I don’t need to check my vision. My glasses I got 10 years ago are still working fine.”

“My kids don’t need eye exams. They get a vision screening at school every year.”

In my 18 years of practicing optometry, I’ve heard all of these comments or something similar, and everytime I want to proclaim an important message: Protecting your vision requires maintaining good eye health. And better eye health requires annual eye exams.

Did you know, according to a recent survey conducted by VSP Vision Care and YouGov, eight-in-ten people rate vision as the most important sense and nearly everyone agrees that having healthy eyes is important, but only half of people actually get annual eye exams?! Although alarming, I’m not surprised as most people are unaware an annual eye exam can check for more than just clear vision and the need for glasses or contacts.

eye health

I’ve noticed that in my practice most people don’t associate their eyes with the rest of their body and overall health. Virtually no one knows that signs of serious diseases and conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid diseases, and certain types of cancers can be detected through an eye exam. In fact, the eyes and overall health are all connected. And eye doctors are frequently the first to detect signs of abnormal health conditions.

During an eye exam, eye doctors have an unobstructed view of blood vessels and the optic nerve which is an extension of the brain. In addition to the serious diseases noted above, we are also routinely checking for dry eyes, digital eye strain, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and so much more. Regardless of age or physical health, eye exams can identify early signs of eye conditions before they impair your vision or cause permanent vision loss.

Typically, after I share the importance of an annual eye exam, most patients I talk to agree that it is a necessary part of their overall health plan. If your vision is important to you and you want to protect it, schedule an eye exam with your local eye doctor and have your eyes examined. And don’t forget, kids need regular eye exams too! A majority of learning is visual and screenings performed at school or at the pediatrician’s office are not meant to be comprehensive.

This is a guest blog post by Dr. Mei Fleming, the founder and practicing optometrist at Luminance Vision Optometry in Lafayette, CA. She is also the creator and author of Eye Like Fashion.