Let’s begin this look at eye injuries with a bit of sage advice, and that is to consider every single eye injury as if it were an emergency. Contact an eye doctor immediately afterward and get the issue examined and treated. That is the bottom line on the question of “when to see a doctor”. However, there is also the issue of what to do before you even get to the doctor. Read more »

Unlike so many other systems in the body, our vision is not something that gets stronger when we challenge it. In fact, the opposite is true – if we over challenge our eyes it will actually weaken them.

Thus, one of the first things that can be said about strengthening the eyesight is to find ways of giving the eyes a bit of a vacation. For example, if you are one of the millions of people who have to work on a computer or with print all day, take a ten minute break every 50 minutes or so. Close the eyes and count backward from one hundred, look to the right and left, and generally avoid staring at the screen (including that mobile device – yes, put it away!) for at least ten minutes. Read more »

Eye care is important for people of all ages. When you need high quality, competent eye care in Middleburg, Florida, Valuvision located at 1545 Branan Field Rd., Suite 5 is the place to turn to.

Each Valuvision location has an optometrist located in-house who is dedicated to bringing you the best possible service when you visit their office. Each location offers a variety of services, ranging from eye wear to doctor examinations, and we even have online specials for the value-conscious consumer.

Valuvision has been serving Northeast Florida’s eye care needs for over 40 years, and they base their practice on customer service and sound medical science practices. We specialize in treating every patient with the same goal of satisfaction and healthy vision in mind for each one.
We know there are a variety of eye care options to choose from to meet your eye care needs. Valuvision has been a locally owned business since we first opened in 1973, so the people we treat are our friends and family, not just our clients. Open 7 days a week, Valuvision offers the convenience of being open when you need them.  We even own our own labs, making your glasses on site instead of farming the job out to a contractor.

This also lets Valuvision pass even greater savings to their customers, which allows them to be very competitive with other practices, while never losing quality of their products or care. Since we make our glasses in house, we know exactly how they are produced, and stand behind each pair we make for our customers.

You can also find just the right pair for your needs, as they carry well-known brands and styles guaranteed to help you look as good as you feel. We also accept most insurance plans, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicare, Medicaid, and others.

Come in Today

Visit Valuvision today and see how we can provide you with the top quality eye care you deserve at a value that can’t be beat. Our competent and knowledgeable staff is on hand 7 days a week to serve you.  Come in and see how we can meet your needs and the needs of your family with affordable, top-notch vision care.

Often, when we get mysterious itches and swelling of the eye, it can be difficult to tell exactly what is causing it. Some eye abnormalities and conditions don’t start out with painful or noticeable symptoms, and once signs do start to appear, it can be hard to tell exactly what it is.

Seeking the opinion of a doctor can help identify what the trouble is and recommend a treatment to help heal the eye and let the patient resume a normal life more quickly. This can help cut down on time wasted trying treatments and medications that may not have any effect.

Characteristics of Pink Eye

Conjunctivitis, commonly known as “pink eye”, is most often caused by an allergy or infection and is known for causing the white area of your eye to turn red or pink. There is often a discharge of a mucus or pus like substance as well, however, little pain or change in vision is experienced in mild cases. A doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotic eye drops after making a diagnosis of conjunctivitis. “Pink eye” can be spread, as it is an infection, so care must be taken when touching the hands of the infected or handling any towels or wash cloths used when wiping eyes. If the patient or caregiver doesn’t use proper caution, they can spread the infection to themselves and others.

Characteristics of Styes

Chalazia, or a “stye”, is an inflammation or clogging of skin glands on the eyelid that features a tender spot, swelling, and redness in one place on the lid. Sometimes the inflammation can spread to other parts of the lid, resembling cellulitis, but the center of the irritation and tenderness will remain in the eyelid. Warm compresses will usually aid in relieving a stye, and no other treatment will be required. However, if there are any questions or concerns, a doctor will happily examine your eye, determine if it is indeed a stye and decide what the best course of treatment is for your symptoms.

See your Doctor

Conditions like pink eye can develop quickly, often leaving patients wondering what it is, or why it isn’t responding to treatment. By making an appointment with your eye doctor, you can find out exactly what is bothering your eye and get the right treatments to return your eye to perfect health.

As we become older, we can develop age related eye problems that can diminish our sight and create a diminished quality of life. Though there are some eye problems that can affect anyone, no matter their age, some of them become more common as we age.

In order to get the best treatment from your doctor and to restore your vision, it is important to be able to understand the signs and symptoms of the vision problem you are experiencing. This could help with your examination and ensure  you receive the right treatment for the right ailment.

Common Ailments

One of the most common problems that comes with age is the loss of the ability to see objects that are close to you, like small print when reading. Normally, this condition, called presbyopia, happens over the course of our lifetime and is often unnoticed until around age 40. This condition is generally remedied by contacts or reading glasses.

Retinal disorders, such as macular degeneration, occlusions, and detachment are also a pretty common malady among older people. The retina, which is a lining of special cells on the back wall of the eye where images are collected, can be greatly affected by these disorders, causing loss of vision. Early treatment by your doctor may be important to protect your vision, and frequent eye exams can help catch these problems before they have the opportunity to develop into a major problem.

Problems with the eyelids can also become common as we age. Not only do the eyelids protect the eyes, but they also help with the distribution of tears and block out light when we blink and sleep. Common problems with the eyelid can include itching or tearing, spasms, and inflammations. Many eyelid problems can be treated with medications, but for others, your doctor may recommend surgery as the best option.

Quality Eye Care

To best meet your needs and help with any possible vision problem you may develop as you grow older, remember to make and keep regular appointments with your eye doctor. Your doctor can help with the early diagnosis and treatment of any problem that could be growing without your knowledge, and help you with the right medications and eye wear.

Protecting your vision is always important, but it is even more so as we begin to age. A trained eye doctor can provide you with the high quality care you need to see clearly throughout your life.

Eyeglasses have been around for a very long time and throughout that time, they have evolved very little, or so it would seem. The truth is actually quite the opposite, there have been many changes to eyeglasses and the technology behind them.  This is particularly true in the last few years. What new innovations in eyeglasses should you know about?

Going Green

Going green is very important to many consumers today. Now, there’s a way to go green even with your eyeglasses. There are types of glasses available that are made with 95% recycled material, which helps to alleviate the load placed on our landfills, as well as reducing emissions from new plastics manufacture.

Unique Styles

Once upon a time, eyeglasses were pretty utilitarian. Today, that’s not the case at all. You’ll find styles to fit any personality or activity, from sportswear to those that have lacework edging around the lenses. Adding your own sense of style or fun is simple and easy today.

Temple Designs

Most eyeglasses have plain temples – they’re just there to help hold your glasses on your head. However, modern options offer a variety of styles, designs and details. If you want a bit of bling, there are options with rhinestones and crystals. If you want something a bit more pop culture, you’ll find printed designs like skulls and flowers as well.

Colors

Eyeglasses were once pretty dull when it came to colors. Browns, blues, beiges, and blacks were the extent of your options. Not so today – you’ll find every color imaginable, and many more you thought unimaginable in eyeglasses. Translucent, transparent, lattice styles and many other options await you with some of today’s eyeglass designers.

Always Try Them On

A new pair of frames are worthless unless they fit your face and compliment your features. It doesn’t matter how good your new frames help you see if they are constantly falling off your face or even worse if they just flat out look terrible on you. Don’t commit online and deal with shipping and returns, stop in one of our locations and try on multiple selections to find your right pair.

If you want to explore all the new innovations in modern eyeglasses, contact Valuvision today for a free consultation with an optometrist and to learn more about your options in glasses and prescription sunglasses.

Contact lenses were once difficult to wear and short-lived, but today this is no longer true.  Modern technology offers a broad range of innovations in contact lenses that you should be aware of if you use, or have ever used contact lenses.

Contact lenses have evolved considerably from what they once were. In fact, after an eye exam with a Jacksonville optometrist, you might be rather surprised at the new innovations with contacts you can enjoy today. Here’s a look at some of the recent changes that have been made.

One-Day Disposables – Many contact wearers suffer from blurred vision at the end of the day. Many people chalk that up to nothing more than the price they pay for wearing contacts, but it might actually be moisture loss. That changes the way your contacts fit and function. New technology offers a daily disposable contact that doesn’t lose moisture and won’t cause blurred vision.

One-Day Multifocal Lenses – Once, contact lenses weren’t possible for those with different prescriptions (those who would wear bifocals, for instance). Today, that is no longer true because you can find one-day wear multifocal lenses. These offer the best ability to see near, far and middle distances.

Better Comfort – Not all the innovations here are concerned with the contacts themselves. There have also been advances made in the technology of contact cleaning solutions. A new single-step hydrogen peroxide cleaner removes protein deposits, dirt and even lubricates your lenses better than any other option available in the past.

Moist Toric Contacts for Astigmatism – Those who have astigmatism have had to wear expensive toric lenses until now. Today, that’s changed; you will find one-day moist disposable toric lenses available for those with astigmatism.

Crisper Optics – One new innovation out there for those with astigmatism is the debut of “HD” lenses, or high definition optics. These are designed to provide you with clearer, crisper vision through a specially made toric lens.

To find out more about your options in contact lenses, make an appointment with Valuvision. You will find that our optometrists can conduct professional eye exams and then recommend the ideal contact lenses for you. Contacts are no longer hard, dry and uncomfortable – new innovations offer better comfort and eye health for anyone who wears them.

Until now, detecting Parkinson’s and ADHD has been a challenge for doctors in their diagnosing process. With a proven tested method, doctors now use eye movement techniques to detect a variety of medical conditions with great accuracy.

In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, doctors often struggle with making a diagnosis. However, recent studies have evaluated a test that has been developed over the last 10 years that could significantly change how we view the disease.

Shaking has often been considered the premier telltale sign that an individual has Parkinson’s disease. However, this first sign is thought to take years to display itself after the disease has already taken hold. Researchers’ current thoughts believe that an individual may be experiencing Parkinson’s disease decades before the first signs of debilitating motor symptoms appear.

Eye Tremor Indicators

Every person that has Parkinson’s disease will have a tremor behind their eyes. Knowing this, doctors test the patient while they wear a head device that monitors the movement of their eyes. The eye test requires that they follow a dot on a screen. Analyzing the data, the doctors can search for tremors. The test is also used to reconsider a misdiagnosis.

Doctors and research scientists would like to see this test become part of the tools used to screen patients’ medical conditions to either confirm or negate a diagnosis for Parkinson’s. The eye test is sufficient enough to be used for detecting other movement disorders including ADHD.

Lack of Dopamine

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating nervous system disorder. Over time, because of it degradation, men and women lose their motor skills. PD, like other varieties of motor system diseases, develops because of a lack of dopamine-generating brain cells. Dopamine is known to allow nerve cells to completely and successfully transmit messaging that is used to control the movement of muscles. Without dopamine, the brain tends to scramble its commands, with the subsequent result being impaired muscular function.

The Progression of Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, chronic condition that has varying degrees of severity. Generally, Parkinson’s tends to affect individuals over the age of 50, although it has been experienced by younger adults, and in a few rare cases, even children. To date, clinical studies have not been able to identify the root cause for the lack of dopamine-generating cells. Additionally, no standard blood or laboratory test has been developed that can conclusively identify Parkinson’s.

The eye movement technique has provided new quantitative insights in deciphering various aspects of gaze control and attention span that seem to be affected by a variety of disorders including ADHD and Parkinson’s disease. The eye test is inexpensive, and allows the patient to be screened quickly and accurately for a variety of debilitating medical disorders.

Through a simple process, you can apply your eye makeup to your eyes without causing damage to your contact lenses. Repeatedly cleaning your hands, and blinking, will reduce any problems you will have with your contact lenses while you apply your makeup.

Many women wear contact lenses as a simple alternative to using glasses or having eye surgery. As a temporary solution for an eye condition, they can be worn during many everyday activities. However, without proper instruction, contact lenses can often get in the way when applying eye makeup and stifle the process. The following tips will help maximize your efforts of applying makeup without hurting your appearance or eyes.

• Put Your Contacts in First – Putting in your contact lens first is important. You will need to see exactly what you are doing when applying your makeup, which might be better to perform without glasses on. Be sure to wash your hands and dry each one completely before inserting a contact lens in your traditional way.
• Apply Your Eye Shadow – By gently closing your eye you can hold your eyelash down using your finger. Avoid getting your eyelashes in the way of your contact lens. By gently laying a single finger over the eyelid you can apply the eye shadow using the other hand. Always use sweeping motions across your eye so you will not wrinkle or tear the contact lens that resides underneath the eyelid. Once completed, repeat the process on the other eye.
• Apply Your Mascara – Mascara should be applied when the eyes are open wide. Remember to blink repeatedly before starting the process. Mascara should also be applied slowly and from the middle of the lashes. In a sweeping motion, move the eyelash wand up from the center. Any mascara applied closer to the eye runs the risk of dotting the contact lens. Make sure you repeatedly blink your eyes to wet your contact lens.
• Apply Your Eyeliner – By propping your arms and elbows on a steady flat surface, your eyeliner can easily be applied. It is important to remain steady as you place a sharp pencil close to your eye. Keeping your eyes calm, it is important not to blink during the process of eyeliner applications. Remember to look up through the process. Looking down could cause severe damage the contact lens, or run the risk of poking yourself in the eye.

Additional Tips

It is important to remember that you need to blink through the entire process of applying eye makeup to your eyes. Eyes that dry out tend to make the contact lens feel uncomfortable and can possibly drop out. Always clean your contact lenses and your hands before putting them in.

Never before in the past have older individuals approaching the middle ages of their life had to rely on their visual acuity as much as now. Part of the aging process that diminishes eyesight, often times makes it very challenging to focus on any object (especially small) that is less than two feet away. As a result, most people turn to reading glasses in an attempt to make the image crisper and more recognizable. As electronic equipment continues to evolve, a vision test application has been developed to keep an individual’s vision much sharper for many years longer, well beyond the typical age when glasses are usually required.

The applications that have been developed and used on an iPhone help train the brain to automatically translate blurry text and images into significantly clearer ones. The process works by displaying a group of blurry lines (referred to as Gabor patches) onto the screen at several points. The individual then must identify when a single “patch” appears at the center of the screen. Clinical studies have shown that individuals averaging at least 51 years old develop the ability to read text at least two lines lower on a testing eye chart, after only 40 times of using the eye enhancing application.

As an effective way to counteract the “read-limiting” effects of presbyopia, an iPhone application named GlassesOff was developed. Presbyopia is an eye condition that limits the eye’s abilities to focus on near text and objects. Older individuals are finding that they no longer need to hold books, menus and magazines out at the end of their arm’s length just to read the text.

As an effective technique, this brain training application had been continually researched and tested for almost two decades. Using the app for only 15 minutes, at least three times each week, for 90 days has resulted in very positive clinical results. The reading speed of an individual between the ages of 42 and 51 years have shown to be reduced by four seconds per each sentence read, saving tremendous amounts of time for the average aging reader.

The application works very well because it uses iPhone’s high-quality retina display. The results are so impressive that it helps reduce response time to a variety of visual events including sports, detailed work and driving. By developing the brain’s image processing, the application can help nearly anyone suffering from vision deficiencies, and those that experience severe headaches while reading.