According to Prevent Blindness America, one in four school-age children have vision problems, that if left untreated, can affect learning ability, personality and adjustment in school. In order to improve your child’s learning ability, it’s best to schedule a mid-year, back-to-school eye exam should you see any of the warning signs below.

Does your child do any of the following:

• Sit too close to the TV?
• Hold a book too close to the face?
• Squint or tilt his/her head to see better?
• Frequently rub his/her eyes?
• Closes one eye to read or watch TV?
• Avoids activities that requires near vision, including reading, homework, or recreational activities?
• Complains of headaches/tired eyes?
• Avoids the computer because it hurts his/her eyes?
• Receives lower grades despite exponential effort?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s time to schedule an eye exam for your child at Valuvision. One of our specialized, friendly eye care specialists performs a thorough evaluation of your child’s eye care needs to provide an educational and social advantage after the holiday break is over.

A new study reveals that seniors who take aspirin daily are twice as likely to develop late-stage macular degeneration than those who never take the pain reliever. The findings, published in Opthamology, is a major concern as Aspirin is a popular drug used daily to prevent heart disease in senior citizens.

The study was led by Researches Paulus de Jong at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Academic Medical Center. The researches collected health and lifestyle information of more than 4,700 people over the age of 65. Those research group included Norwegian, Estonian, British, French, Italian, Greek, and Spanish seniors.

Of the 839 people who take Aspirin daily, 36 of them had an advanced form of the disease called wet macular degeneration – or 4 out of every 100 daily Aspirin users.

The wet form of macular degeneration is caused by leaking blood vessels in the eyes that lead to vision loss in the center of the eye’s field of vision. The study concluded that Aspirin was only tied to the wet form, and not the dry form. The dry form of macular degeneration is considered to be more common and less severe.

To learn more about macular degeneration or this study, contact Valuvision today. Our eye doctors and eye care specialists will be happy to schedule an appointment with you to ensure your eyes are protected against any type of degenerative disease.

Benefits of Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

Imagine if you had a fresh pair of contact lenses waiting for you each morning?  Or if you didn’t have to pack a lens case or bottle of contact lens care solution when you went on a trip?  What would this level of convenience be worth to you?  How about a dollar or less per day?  It doesn’t make sense not to when you think of the many benefits of daily disposable contact lenses.  And yet, daily disposable contact lenses are far less utilized in the US than they are in other countries.  In Europe and Asia they are the primary type of contact lens that is worn.  There are different brands of daily disposable contact lenses with benefits for everyone from teenagers to those who need multi-focal lenses or who want color contacts.

With daily disposable lenses, young patients and first-time wearers of contacts do not have to bother with following cleaning and storing procedures that are necessary for safe and comfortable wear with other disposable contact lenses.  Parents of these patients then do not have to worry that their son or daughter is not properly taking care of their contact lenses or doing harm to their eyes.  Daily disposables are fast and convenient and great for those patients who want to wear contacts only for sports or recreational activities or simply a night out.  Each time they want to wear their contacts, they do not have to worry about how long their pair has been sitting in solution and if they are still clean or not.

Disposable Contacts help with Allergies

Allergy sufferers can have problems with their contacts itching, feeling gritty, and drying out.  Some will not even try contacts or stop wearing them and switch to glasses because of this.  Sometimes, no matter how well these patients clean their lenses, they are not able to wear contacts comfortably for the full 2 week or monthly time period they are supposedly good for.  Daily disposable contacts greatly reduce the amount of protein and biofilm buildup on the lens surface which leads to uncomfortable lens wear and allergic conjunctivitis.  Allergic conjunctivitis can occur with a without contact lenses and can affect patients in spring and fall or throughout the year.  A more severe allergic reaction  that affects contact lens wearers is giant papillary conjunctivitis(GPC), in which bumps form under the eyelid from the mechanical action of the contact lens rubbing against it.  This is aggravated by the amount of buildup on a lens.  For this reason, daily disposable contacts are recommended to any patient who has had GPC or who is at risk of this happening.

Multifocal disposable contacts and color disposable contacts.

Cibavision® makes multi-focal and color contact lenses in daily disposable form.  This gives more freedom to those who normally have to wear reading glasses over their contacts.  Focus® Dailies® Progressives are also a good for progressive glasses wearers who want another option for near and far vision correction on special occasions.  This was, they don’t have to worry about paying a lot of money for one pair or a package of lenses they may only use once and lose or be unable to keep clean enough for a second time of wear.  Teenagers and adults who wear other brands of contact lenses most of the time but who want to change their eye color on occasion can try the Freshlook® One Day Color contact lenses for these times.  Both Focus® Dailies® Progressives and Freshlook® One Day Color are available in certain powers so check with your eye doctor to see if you can wear them.

Erin Mark, O.D.  (Sources on next page)

Sources:

Nixon GJ.  A Review of Contact Lens Modalities.  Cl Spectrum.  2006 Mar.  ( HYPERLINK “http://www.clspectrum.com/article.aspx?article=12967″ http://www.clspectrum.com/article.aspx?article=12967)

DeNaeyer GW.  Promoting Healthy Contact Lens Wear.  Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses.  2009 Nov.  ( HYPERLINK “http://www.arenaeyesurgeons.com/documents/arenaeyesurgeons/016_rccl1109_CE.pdf” http://www.arenaeyesurgeons.com/documents/arenaeyesurgeons/016_rccl1109_CE.pdf)

Is it true that the color of your eyes can have a direct effect on your vision?

New studies show that those with lighter eyes tend to be more sensitive to light because lighter-colored eyes tend to have less pigment in the iris to protect them sunlight. As a result, those with light-colored eyes are at a greater risk of macular degeneration and other eye-related problems. However, whether that extends to vision is not clear.

If are differences in vision, it appears to be subtle. For instance, there is little to no evidence that darker eye color equals greater visual acuity. However, one theory holds that it does produce faster reaction times.

Studies have examined this through sports performance. First, at the University of Louisville, which found that dark-eyed people performed better at “reactive-type tasks.” Those tasks include hitting balls, playing defense in a football game, and boxing.

However, people with light eyes did better at “self-paced tasks,” like hitting a golf ball, throwing baseballs or bowling. A similar study of college students found that subjects with darker eyes performed better at hitting racquetballs.

Nothing is yet conclusive and eye colors is wholly dependent upon your reaction times. As research continues to come in, it’s clear to see that more research is needed (no matter what your eye color is.)

UV radiation and Your eyes

Summer is here and we all remember to protect our skin from harmful UV radiation with sunblock-but what about our eyes?  There are three types of UV radiation:  UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C.  UV –C is absorbed by the ozone layer and doesn’t cause us any harm.  UV-A and UV-B can have both long term and short term effects on our vision and overall eye health.

Living in Florida means you are familiar to UV radiation and sunburns. Have you ever been so sunburnt you felt like your eyes were sunburnt? They probably were!

Photokeratitis is like a sunburn of the eye.  Symptoms include redness, a gritty or sandy feeling in our eyes and possible sensitivity to light as well as an increase in tearing.   Photokeratitis is usually temporary and usually artificial tears will alleviate this condition .

Dangers of UV radiation to eye health

Scientific research has shown that long term exposure to UV radiation can cause early cataracts and damage to the retina.  It also increases your risk of developing macular degeneration later in life. Cataracts,retinal damage,and macular degeneration are very serious and often irreversible diseases of the eye!Valuvision recommends wearing a quality pair of sunglasses that blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiation as well as screening out 75-90 percent of visible light.  Having a quality pair of eyeglasses is a absolute must for long term eye health! Polarized lenses offer the best protection against UV radiation and give the best optical clarity. There are also certain brands of contacts that filter out UV light.  All of the Acuvue products made by Vistakon have UV protection in their contact lenses. It is equally important for children to protect their eyes. We are constantly reapplying sunblock but often forget about sunglasses.  Children tend to spend more time outdoors then we do and should be wearing quality sunglasses made out of polycarbonate or impact resistant lenses.

Come see us for your yearly comprehensive eye exam and we can help you find the sunglasses that are right for you!  Visit www.valuvision.com to find our nearest location.

I have been getting this question a lot lately, especially with the yellow hue of pollen appearing on all cars.  Eye allergies can be more than a nuisance for a lot of patients and the specific cause must be determined in order to properly treat the symptoms.  There are some very good prescription, as well as non-prescription, solutions to this problem.  I will discuss the three main causes of itchy eyes and the different approaches to treating them.

Allergic conjunctivitis is what affects most seasonal allergy and hayfever sufferers.  It causes red, swollen, itchy, and watery eyes.  Oral allergy medications can help with the sinus symptoms, but  in the process can dry out your mucous membranes and eyes.  This is why you should see your optometrist for an ocular allergy evaluation.  Your doctor can prescribe a drop to help address the eye symptoms directly and help you get faster relief.  Usually, a lot of what you will find on the eye care aisle at the drugstore will not address the underlying cause and properly treat your itchy eyes.  There are a lot of “quick fixes” out there, make sure you see an optometrist before you try them.

Many over-the-counter drops fall into a class of medications called vasoconstrictors.  These are used to reduce redness of the eyes, and act by constricting the size of the blood vessels in the eye to make them appear less red.  These drops don’t address the dryness or offending agent that is causing the itch and so they have to be used over and over again.  This can lead to a rebound effect where when you stop using them, the blood vessels get more noticeable and your eyes become more red.

I recommend first determining the offending agent that is causing your symptoms.  Sometimes, this can be a particular preservative in an eyedrop or contact lens solution and so you would want to try a preservative-free formula.  If it is more of a seasonal event, you will want to see your optometrist for a drop that acts upon mast cells and the histamine they release as part of an allergic reaction.  The provides longer lasting relief because it acts on the source of the symptoms.  In severe cases, a steroid drop may be necessary to best reduce the swelling  and intense itch.

A second cause of itch in eyes is called Blepharitis, which in a condition in which the eyelids become inflamed from debris, bacteria, and blockage of oil-producing glands along the lid margins.  This causes itch, foreign-body sensation, dry and gritty feeling eyes.  An antihistamine drop or vasoconstrictor might not provide lasting relief in this type of ocular itch.  Eyelid cleansers, warm compresses, and antibiotic and steroid ointments are used to provide relief and to prevent future symptoms.

Contact lens wearers can sometimes deveop small to large bumps, called papillae, underneath the eyelids.  This is caused from a dirty contact lens rubbing on the underside of the lid.  Patients who suffer from outbreaks of large papillae underneath their eyelids have to stop wearing their contact lenses for up to one month to allow them to go away or get smaller.  I usually suggest a daily disposable contact lens for patients with allergies because it prevents build up on a two-week or monthly disposable contact lens from irritating the eyelids and causing this condition, which is called Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis, or GPC.

Erin Mark, O.D.

Kabat AG, Shechtman DL.  Current Therapeutic Approaches to Blepharitis Management.  Rev Optom.  2011 Feb: 60-66.

Miller JR.  Step Up Your Ocular Allergy Care.  Rev Optom.  2010 Apr.  www.revoptom.com/content/c/20384

It’s time to pack those lunches, organize those books, and send your little ones back to school. Aside from the new backpack, paper, and pens, ensure you add eye exam to the back-to-school checklist.

Education experts agree that good vision is essential to learning ABCs. In fact, during a child’s first 12 years, 80% of all learning comes through vision. Despite these results, most children have not had a comprehensive eye exam prior to starting school. Many parents believe the eye screening given at school is good enough to detect eye health problems. However, vision screening doesn’t address most eye health issues and it can miss other critical vision deficiencies that may impact a child’s eye health. A professional eye care exam is essential for the early detection of eye disease and is mandatory for children with diabetes.

A comprehensive eye exam measure a number of visual skills are critical for healthy vision. Among those skills include:

• The ability of the eyes to focus properly when reading a book or viewing a computer
• The ability of the eyes to move properly when reading across a page of print
• Color and depth perception
• Field of vision, which is the entire area that can be seen without shifting of gaze.

With proper vision, children can then go back to school ready to grasp what the education system brings. With strong vision, a clear focus, and a positive attitude, you child can be more productive than ever before. In fact, 60% of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision problems.

Don’t let your child’s education or health fall behind. Get a timely eye exam performed on your child today.

In the past, Optometrists have always known that all eyeglass lenses had distortions and aberrations as an innate characteristic of the lens.  These distortions would cause blurry vision at various points on the lens.  As a whole, the optical industry was unable to do anything about correcting these visual distortions.

Valuvision carries the highest quality eyeglasses

Now we can!  The scientists from Essilor Optical Laboratory have developed a way to remove the unwanted distortions and aberrations from eyeglass lenses.  This discovery has lead to the development of an eyeglass lens personalized for each individualized wearer.   Resulting in clearer, sharper vision, no matter what point of the lens you gaze through.

High Defnitiion vision at Valuvision           

These new lenses increase the contrast in your vision, thereby, giving you a high definition (HD) effect.  Essilor’s personalized lenses are for patients who demand the ultimate in vision correction and will not settle for anything less.  Val-Uvision is committed to offering you the best optical products available, because we believe you and your eyes deserve the best.  Check out www.valuvision.com to contact your nearest Valuvision office.

Have you been surfing the web on your smartphone?  Recent study shows 2 causes of increased eyestrain.

Chances are you or someone you know uses a smartphone.  And, if you’re like most you find yourself using these little technology gadgets to do a majority of your online reading.  However, a note worthy study was published in July’s “Optometry and Visual Science,” stating that the visual demands created by viewing websites on your phone and found two surprising conditions that set the stage for eye strain.

The study first found that the average font size of a website viewed on a smartphone was about 30% smaller than newspaper print, but could also range as small as 70% compared to your local newspaper.

The second finding was that patients held their smartphones much closer than the recommended reading distance of 16 inches.  They found the average reading distance on a smartphone was about 12 inches, and with many patients viewing them as close as 8 inches away from their eyes.

Regrettably, both of these conditions cause a much higher focusing demand on the visual system and commonly can cause headaches, blurry or fluctuating vision, and significant eyestrain.

Although smartphones apparently are causing harm to our eyes, this doesn’t mean you have to throw away your iPhone or Android.  Instead, here are some tips for reducing these eyestrain conditions:

• Use the pinch-zoom function to magnify the text
• Try to magnify it enough, at a comfortable reading distance, to be able to hold it at least 16 inches away from your eyes
• Try to save heavy web surfing for a larger screen, such as a tablet or home-computer
• Always be sure to give your eyes a break no matter what size screen you use

Adapting your eyes to technology doesn’t have to be difficult if you are just aware of how much time to spend in front of the screen and away from the screen.  The physicians here a Valuvision care about your eyes and certainly hope these tips help you adapt more easily.

When your eye twitches, it feels like a sudden jerk that might seem a little disturbing. However, it’s actually a very common problem. Often, the twitching that you feel in your eye or eye lid is called “eyelid myokymia.” Myokymia is a local irritation of the nerve that controls some of the muscles around the eyelid. It typically involves rapid twitching of the eyelid which is not visible to the individual or to other observers. Although it may occur on multiple occasion throughout the day, this event is often brief and only lasts up to several days.

Some of the causes of myokymia include:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Lack of Sleep
• Excessive Caffeine
• Excessive Alcohol Use
• Recent Illness

Although it’s a minor annoyance rather than a serious condition, there are some red flags in regards to myokymia. If you’re experiencing, pronounced flinching/twitching, numbness/tingling on one side of the face, or twitching on one side of the face, then you need to seek medical attention. These additional symptoms signal nervous issues that may be potentially serious.

For more information about myokymia or other eye conditions, contact the professional staff at Valuvision.