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How Sleep Apnea Affects The Eyes

Did you know that some eye conditions are associated with sleep apnea? According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, and Health Canada reports similar prevalence. It’s a sleep disorder where people stop breathing — often multiple times per night — while sleeping.

If you have sleep apnea: it tends to take longer for your tears to be replenished, you’re more likely to have ocular irritation, you have a higher chance of developing floppy eyelids, and you’re at increased risk for glaucoma.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are different types of sleep apnea. The most common one is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During OSA, your airway becomes partially blocked due to relaxed muscles in your nose and throat. This causes apnea (the absence of breathing) or hypopnea (abnormally shallow, slow breathing). It’s twice as common in men, and is more likely to affect people with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.

What are the common symptoms of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much to allow normal breathing. These temporary breathing lapses cause lower-quality sleep and affect the body’s oxygen supply, which can lead to potentially serious health consequences.

While snoring is a common symptom, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Interrupted sleep can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability or depression, headaches in the morning, difficulty concentrating and thinking, and a sore throat.

Which Eye Conditions Are Associated With Sleep Apnea?

Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when increased pressure within the eye damages the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, leading to vision loss and sometimes blindness. In some cases, it might be due to a drop in blood oxygen levels, which happens when you stop breathing. However, CPAP machines, one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea, can also cause glaucoma.

So, people with sleep apnea — even if it’s being treated — need to get their eyes checked on a regular basis for glaucoma.

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (FES) is an eye condition where a person has an unusually large and floppy upper eyelid. It can cause eye redness, irritation, discharge, or blurry vision — and over 90% of people with FES also have sleep apnea.

Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is an eye condition that occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the optic nerve. Patients typically complain of significant vision loss in one eye without any major pain. Approximately 70-80% of patients with NAION have been found to have OSA.

Retinal Vein Occlusion

Also referred to as an ‘eye stroke,’ retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a blockage of the small veins that carry blood away from the retina. A recent study of 114 RVO patients found that sleep apnea was suspected in 74% of the patients that had previously been diagnosed with RVO.

Other Eye Health Issues Associated With Sleep Apnea

Some other ocular conditions that are more common in patients with sleep apnea include: papilledema, keratoconus, and central serous chorioretinopathy. Furthermore, in addition to glaucoma mentioned above, CPAP machines are associated with dry eye syndrome and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Talk To Your Doc

Get eye exams regularly to rule out eye disorders and prevent potential vision loss, especially if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. At Brampton Family Eye Care in Brampton we encourage you to share your medical history with us so we can better diagnose and treat any eye conditions or ocular diseases you may have, and help you keep your eyes nice and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions with Dr. Arinder Basra O.D.

Q: What Causes Sleep Apnea?

  • A: Sleep apnea occurs when in-part or completely stop breathing when sleeping. This causes your lungs to strain harder for oxygen, and makes the brain send signals that jerk your body awake to resume proper breathing.

Q: What are the Warning Signs of Sleep Apnea?

  • A: A common sign of sleep apnea is loud snoring. Snoring that is loud enough to disturb the sleep of the patient as well as others around, even across the walls. That said, not everyone who snores suffers from obstructive sleep apnea.

Quality Frames For Prescription Eyeglasses & Computer Glasses In Brampton, Ontario. Visit Brampton Family Eye Care for an eye exam and eyeglasses that match your style.

3 Benefits of Anti-Glare Coating

Glare refers to the excessive brightness caused by direct or reflected light. It can cause eye strain, digital eye strain (when using a computer, for example), halos, and headaches. Glare can also reduce visibility, making it unsafe to drive.

Anti-glare coating, also known as anti-reflective (AR) coating, is a thin layer applied to the surface of your eyeglass lenses that allows more light to pass through your lenses. By reducing the amount of glare that reflects off of your lenses, you can see more clearly and experience more comfortable vision. You can request anti-glare coating for lenses when you buy eyeglasses.

AR Coating Offers 3 Major Advantages

Better Appearance

Without an anti-glare coating on your glasses, camera flashes and bright lights can reflect off your lenses. This can hinder your appearance when speaking to people or in meetings, cause flash reflections when picture-taking, and make it difficult to find the right angle for video calls. Anti-reflective coating eliminates the harsh reflections and allows others to clearly see your eyes and face.

Reduced Digital Eye Strain

You know that tired, irritated feeling you get after staring at a digital screen for several hours? That’s digital eye strain. Anti-glare coating helps reduce digital eye strain by lowering exposure to excessive glare from digital devices and lighting.

Safe Driving at Night

The bright headlights from cars driving in the opposite direction can pose a serious danger when driving at night. These sudden glares can lead you to momentarily lose focus of the view ahead. AR coating on your prescription eyewear effectively reduces reflections from headlights at night, allowing you to enjoy a better view of the road and safer driving at night.

Let your eyes look and feel better every day with anti-glare coated lenses. Contact us to book your appointment today!

Frequently Asked Questions with Dr. Arinder Basra O.D.

Q: Can you request lenses made from glass? Is glass still used for lenses?

  • A: Yes. Opticians still sometimes use glass for lenses. However, glass is not used very often because they aren’t as safe. If these glass lenses breaks, they can shatters into many pieces and can injure the eye. Glass lenses are much heavier than plastic lenses, so they can make your eyeglasses less comfortable to wear.

Q: Can a coating be added to eyeglasses to protect them from further scratches?

  • A: A protective coating can’t be added to a lens after it’s scratched. The coating is applied when the lens is manufactured and can’t be put on later.

Quality Frames For Prescription Eyeglasses & Computer Glasses In Brampton, Ontario. Visit Brampton Family Eye Care for an eye exam and eyeglasses that match your style.

What You Should Know About Night Blindness

If you don’t see well while driving at night, there’s a chance you have night blindness. Night blindness, or nyctalopia, is the inability to see well at night or in dim lighting. It’s not considered an eye disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem.

Our eye doctor in Brampton can help diagnose, manage and treat your night blindness with specialized digital eye exams, so that you can enjoy being out and about at night again.

Here are 4 things you should know about night blindness:

Causes of Night Blindness

The inability to see well at night can be the result of a condition such as:

  • Vitamin A Deficiency — Vitamin A helps keep your cornea, the layer at the front of your eye, clear; it’s also an important component of rhodopsin, a protein that enables you to see in low light conditions. Although uncommon in North America, deficiency of this vitamin can induce night blindness.
  • Cataracts — A buildup of protein clouds the eye’s lens, leading to impaired vision, especially at night and in poor lighting conditions.
  • Diabetic Retinopathy — Damage to the eyes’ blood vessels and nerves can result in vision loss, including difficulty seeing at night.
  • Glaucoma — This group of eye diseases is associated with pressure build-up in the eye that damages the optic nerve. Both glaucoma and the medications used to treat it can cause night blindness.
  • Myopia — Also called nearsightedness, myopia makes distant objects appear blurry, and patients with it describe a starburst effect around lights at night.
  • Keratoconus — An irregularly shaped cornea causes blurred vision and may involve sensitivity to light and glare which tend to be worse at night.
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) — A progressive genetic eye disease which can be associated with other diseases, RP leads to night blindness and peripheral vision loss.
  • Usher Syndrome — This genetic condition causes both hearing loss and vision loss, including night blindness and RP, mentioned above.

Symptoms of Nyctalopia

Since night blindness is a symptom of some serious vision problems, it’s important to get your eyes checked regularly to ensure that everything is in good working order. Contact your eye doctor as soon as possible if you notice that you don’t see as well in dim light as you used to, such as when driving at night or when adjusting from being outdoors in the sunshine to being indoors.

Symptoms of Night Blindness Include:

  • Reduced contrast sensitivity
  • Difficulty seeing people outdoors at night
  • Difficulty seeing in places with dim lighting, like a movie theater
  • Trouble adapting to the dark while driving
  • Excessive squinting at night
  • Trouble adjusting from bright areas to darker ones

Treatments for Night Blindness

Your eye doctor will want to diagnose the cause of your night blindness in order to treat it. For example, in the rare case of vitamin A deficiency, it can be treated with vitamin supplements and vitamin-A rich foods; myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Other conditions may require medications or surgery.

If night blindness is caused by a birth defect, Usher syndrome, or retinitis pigmentosa, low vision aids and devices can help you make the most of your remaining vision.

Prevention

While there is no proven way to prevent night blindness resulting from genetic conditions or birth defects, consuming healthy, nourishing foods and taking certain vitamin supplements may prevent or slow the onset of some eye conditions that cause night blindness.

If you experience poor vision at night or in dim lighting, we can help. Contact Brampton Family Eye Care in Brampton to schedule your appointment today.

Frequently Asked Questions with Dr. Arinder Basra O.D.

Q: Can you request lenses made from glass? Is glass still used for lenses?

  • A: Yes. Opticians still sometimes use glass for lenses. However, glass is not used very often because they aren’t as safe. If these glass lenses breaks, they can shatters into many pieces and can injure the eye. Glass lenses are much heavier than plastic lenses, so they can make your eyeglasses less comfortable to wear.

Q: Can a coating be added to eyeglasses to protect them from further scratches?

  • A: A protective coating can’t be added to a lens after it’s scratched. The coating is applied when the lens is manufactured and can’t be put on later.

Quality Frames For Prescription Eyeglasses & Computer Glasses In Brampton, Ontario. Visit Brampton Family Eye Care for an eye exam and eyeglasses that match your style.

12 Tips for Optimal Eye Health

Expert Eye Care| Optometrist in Brampton | Brampton Family Eye Care

Good Eye Care Habits & Hygiene

By practicing good eye care habits and hygiene, you can prevent many vision problems from occurring. Eye problems and the risks associated with vision loss only grow as you age. By neglecting eye care, you place yourself at a higher risk of suffering from cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and low vision.

So make sure you maintain great eye health by following these 12 tips for optimal eye health.

1. Avoid rubbing your eyes

Itchy eyes can be a hallmark symptom of allergies, and though rubbing may bring temporary relief, it ultimately increases swelling and worsens the itch. If you wear contact lenses, rubbing your eyes can also dislodge or even break a lens, causing the lens to get lost or scratch the cornea. Plus, eye rubbing can lead to eye infections, since our hands are typically covered with a host of germs.

2. Regularly wash your hands

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is often caused by germs and bacteria carried to your eyes by unclean hands. Frequently washing your hands with soap and warm water helps keep bacteria away and prevents eye contamination. Prior to inserting or removing contact lenses, make sure to wash your hands with mild soap and dry them using a lint-free towel.

3. Beware of UV rays

By exposing yourself to sunlight and UV rays, you increase the risk of developing macular degeneration and corneal sunburn. Beyond just adding some style and zest to your look, sunglasses should protect your eyes from dangerous UV rays. Speak to your optometrist about the different options available for people who wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses too, to keep your eyes safe in the sun.

4. Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial for your body’s overall health and wellbeing — and that includes your eyes. Among other complications, if you don’t have enough fluid in your body, it impacts tear production and can cause dry eyes and irritation. Drink up!

5. Don’t smoke cigarettes

Need some extra motivation to quit smoking?

Smokers are more prone to developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other eye conditions. Cigarette smoking can also destroy optic nerves, which can adversely affect your vision over time. So think twice before you light up, and speak to your doctor about getting help to quit.

6. Eat a healthy diet

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to ensure that your diet is rich in antioxidants, such as Vitamins A and C. These can be found in leafy greens (your mom was right about spinach!), orange vegetables (think, carrots and sweet potato) and citrus fruit. Furthermore, fatty fish like salmon contain essential omega-3 fatty acids which also promote excellent eye health.

7. Keep a healthy distance from screens

Nip digital eye strain in the bud by positioning your computer monitor about an arm’s length away from the eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Ideally, work in a room with enough diffused lighting to reduce stress on your eyes from the computer light.

8. Remember the 20-20-20 rule

Speaking of computers, have you heard of the 20-20-20 rule? When using digital devices, rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking 20 feet away for 20 continuous seconds.

Once you’re at it, blink 20 times in succession to prevent dry eyes, and make it a habit to rise from your seat and take 20 steps to promote good posture and blood circulation, which helps your vision too.

9. Be careful with eye make-up

Make sure that your eye shadow, mascara, and eyeliner don’t cause your eyes an allergic reaction. Get in the habit of removing your make-up before going to sleep in order to avoid bacterial build-up from residual make-up left in the eye area. And, from time to time, clean your make-up brushes, especially those used to apply cosmetics around the eye area.

10. Sleep is golden

Just as with the rest of your body, your eyes need a break. So make sure that you get sufficient shut-eye (8 hours) each night to keep your eyes revitalized and healthy.

11. Wear protective eyewear

Whatever you do, make sure your eyes are well-protected. If you’re swimming, wear goggles to prevent chlorine from entering your eyes. If you’re gardening or engaged in a DIY project at home, wear safety glasses to keep dust particles and bacteria at bay and prevent eye injuries. Ask your local eye doctor about protective eyewear for sports and other activities.

12. Regularly visit your eye doctor

Don’t underestimate the importance of getting a routine eye exam, whether you need an updated prescription or not. Even if you can see well today, a comprehensive eye exam can pick up early signs of eye diseases and conditions before symptoms become noticeable, such as glaucoma, diabetes, retinal holes which could lead to retinal detachment, and cancers like melanoma. Early detection and management can prevent further complications and serious vision loss down the line.

Only an eye doctor has the required knowledge, experience, tools and techniques to determine whether you have these or other eye conditions.

It is recommended that everyone gets a comprehensive eye exam once a year (or at least every two years). Children, whose eyes are rapidly developing, and people at higher risk for developing eye problems such as diabetics and older people, need to undergo eye exams even more frequently: at the minimum, yearly.

During the evaluation, the eye doctor will check for things like:

  • Farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism and/or presbyopia
  • Eye coordination
  • Optic nerve and eye pressure tests to spot glaucoma

It’s also important to be on the look-out for any changes in your vision. If you experience hazy or double vision, worsening eyesight, red eyes, eye pain, swelling or floaters, contact Dr. Basra.

Incorporate these tips and habits into your lifestyle to maintain healthy eyes and a high quality of life. Brampton Family Eye Care offers comprehensive eye exams in Brampton, Ontario, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about ways to maintain healthy vision.

Brampton LASIK – Does LASIK eye surgery hurt?

Your eyes are extremely sensitive – the smallest particle of sand or thinnest eyelash stuck in your eye can lead to intense pain. With this in mind, you may be wondering how do people tolerate LASIK eye surgery? The concept of a laser eye specialist cutting your corneal tissue sounds unbearable. However, on the other hand – the thought of seeing clearly without the nuisance of eyeglasses or contact lenses! sounds like a dream. So – what’s the bottom line? Is the process of laser eye surgery and LASIK healing something you can handle?

Our Brampton eye doctors can answer that question with an emphatic YES – you can! LASIK is virtually painless. Need more reassurance? Read on to understand the full experience of having this popular procedure in our LASIK surgery clinic.

What is LASIK?

LASIK refractive surgery is an advanced and contemporary way to decrease or eliminate your need for eyeglasses and contact lenses! During this laser procedure, your eye surgeon will direct the cool light of an excimer laser to reshape your cornea in order to correct any refractive error. LASIK can thereby resolve your nearsightedness – leaving you with sharp vision without eyewear. In general, the results are outstanding and many of our Brampton, Ontario, patients enjoy crisp and clear vision after the surgery.

Is the process of laser eye surgery and LASIK healing something you can handle?

Our Brampton eye doctors can answer that question with an emphatic YES – you can! LASIK is virtually painless. Need more reassurance? Read on to understand the full experience of having this popular procedure in our LASIK surgery clinic.

What is LASIK Co-Management?

LASIK co-management is a helpful and essential service that our Brampton Family Eye Care optometrists provide before and after your LASIK surgery. We will work together with your eye surgeon to make sure that you receive comprehensive instructions and information about LASIK, as well as first-rate eye care when you need it.

    • Part 1: The Consultation. We’ll tell you all about the procedure, including the benefits and risks. Bring your questions and we’ll answer them! Dr. Basra will perform a thorough eye exam to determine your candidacy for LASIK, checking your vision prescription, corneal curvature and thickness, eyelid structure and tear film. If the results indicate that your eyes are suitable for LASIK, we will refer you to a top eye surgeon in the Brampton area.
    • Part 2: Pre-operative Care. We will assist you to set up your LASIK surgery with an experienced eye surgeon and Dr. Basra will handle your preoperative check-up. He will dilate your eyes and take detailed measurements. We will also provide you with all the information and instructions you need for the day of your surgery, as well as what to expect during the healing process.
    • Part 3: Post-operative Care. Typically, you will visit Dr. Basra on the day after your LASIK surgery so he can ensure that your eyes are healing smoothly. Afterward, you will return at regular intervals throughout the next weeks and months for follow-up eye exams and care.

    Benefits of LASIK Co-management

    You will receive compassionate pre-op and post-op care from an accessible eye doctor who knows you personally and LASIK surgery from a top-notch eye surgeon in Brampton, Ontario. When it comes to first-rate eye care and patient satisfaction, this is a win-win combination.

    What is the LASIK healing experience?

    About 20 – 30 minutes after eye drops are applied, the numbing effects will wear off. At that point, you may feel some mild discomfort, itching, or dryness. Although you may feel tempted to rub your eyes, it is critical to hold back – as your cornea will still be healing. To counter these sensations, the laser eye specialist will supply you with special postoperative eye drops that facilitate LASIK healing.

    Now that you know what to expect, we invite you to schedule a consultation with an eye doctor at our Fort Worth LASIK surgery clinic to discuss your candidacy for this painless procedure. Call today – it is the perfect time to free yourself from your bothersome eyeglasses or contact lenses!

    Now that you know what to expect, we invite you to schedule a consultation with an eye doctor at our Brampton eye clinic to discuss your candidacy for this painless procedure.

    Call today on 905-497-1422 – it is the perfect time to free yourself from your bothersome eyeglasses or contact lenses!

    Alternatively book an appointment online here CLICK FOR AN APPOINTMENT

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    Just in case you missed them, here are some of our previous blog posts :

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    Why You Regularly Need to Replace Your Sunglasses

    Dry Eye Syndrome Causes and Cures

    6 Crazy Holiday Eye Injuries to Avoid

    Eye Care for Kids in Brampton

    Personalized & precise pediatric eye exams!

    Kids do not have the same visual needs as adults, and they need specialized eye care from an eye doctor who knows about pediatric vision issues. At Brampton Family Eye Care, we welcome children of all ages to experience our friendly, professional eye care services in Brampton.

    Eye exams check more than just kids’ vision

    When our eye doctor, Dr. Basra, checks your child’s eyes, we will inspect for much more than 20/20 vision. Many common and uncommon vision conditions are not detected by routine vision screening, only a comprehensive eye exam will reveal the signs. That’s why it’s essential to bring your child for regular eye exams with a qualified eye doctor, even if he or she passed a school vision test with top marks!

    Your child’s eye exam will be quick and pain-free. We will evaluate refraction to detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, as well as screen all functional vision skills. Dr. Basra is an expert at diagnosing childhood eye conditions, such as lazy eye (amblyopia), misaligned eyes (strabismus), and trouble with focusing (accommodation). Our Brampton optometrist will also inspect pediatric eye health by using high-power magnification to view retinal tissues and the optic nerve. If necessary, we may apply dilating eye drops to get a better view.

    When left undetected or untreated, many of the eye conditions that are common in children can seriously affect their ability to learn and perform in school, on the sports field, and when socializing. Don’t wait until there’s a problem, contact our experienced kids’ eye doctor to book an eye exam in Brampton today!

    Every eye exam for children is individualized to address the child’s unique needs, based on age and stage of development. Kids of all ages, from babies to teens, are welcome, and we use age-appropriate diagnostics and a gentle bedside manner to perform every pediatric eye exam.

    Parents beware: the warning signs of a pediatric vision problem

    Now that you understand the importance of bringing your child for regular eye exams, it’s also important to be aware of warning signs that indicate your child needs an immediate eye exam. Many common kids’ eye problems present symptoms that should be evaluated by an eye doctor. These signs include:

    • Squinting, or closing one eye to see
    • Head tilting or turning
    • Excessive blinking
    • Inability to hold a steady gaze
    • Frequent eye rubbing
    • Poor tracking skills
    • Wandering eye, or crossed eyes
    • Droopy eyelid

    Vision correction – out-of-sight optical collection for kids!

    If your child requires vision correction, we have a stylish optical for kids in Brampton. Our staff will show you the best eyeglasses options to support your child’s vision prescription and match his or her personal fashion. Kids can be extremely picky about their glasses, and if their frames don’t match their favorite “look”, they won’t keep the glasses on their face. We feature a diverse display of designs and colors for kids’ eyeglasses and sunglasses in our Brampton vision center; stop by anytime with your child to see what we have to offer!

    Contacts lenses for kids with hard-to-fit eyes

    Many kids prefer to wear contacts, either because they are more convenient and comfortable when playing sports, or simply because they are self-conscious about the way they appear in glasses. Whatever the reason, kids need to have their contact lenses fit perfectly by a qualified eye doctor. Our Brampton optometrist is experienced in fitting contacts for all pediatric vision conditions, even the most complex, hard-to-fit prescriptions.

    Vision therapy

    If prescription eyewear cannot correct your child’s vision condition, then we will often recommend vision therapy as an effective treatment. Vision therapy consists of a series of custom-designed exercises to strengthen visual skills and reinforce the connection between the eyes and the brain.

    Myopia control for kids

    Myopia (nearsightedness) has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Why is this so scary? Because myopia is linked to many more eye problems than just needing to wear glasses. Research has shown a strong association between high myopia and sight-threatening ocular diseases later in life. That’s why myopia control has become such a hot topic in recent years.

    Myopia control reduces the progression of nearsightedness in kids. There are several methods for doing this, such as soft multifocal contacts, or CRT (corneal refractive therapy), and atropine eye drops. To find out if your child is a good candidate, contact us to book a consultation about myopia control in Brampton.

    Your child’s eye care starts with you – the parent

    Call us to schedule a pediatric eye exam at Brampton Family Eye Care, in Brampton.

    905-497-1422

    Exercise and Your Eye Health

    Regular exercise is an essential component of overall health and wellness. It is proven that exercise reduces sickness and disease; it increases strength, immunity, and mental health; and it also helps regulate bodily functions and maintain a healthy weight. Research shows that exercise can lower our risk of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, as well as other eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

    Whereas, a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of these diseases and of vision loss, studies show that even moderate exercise at least three times a week can improve the prognosis of the above-mentioned chronic illnesses and reduce the risks of developing vision threatening eye diseases. 

    Inactivity is an even higher risk factor if you have other co-factors for developing eye diseases, including: a family history, previous eye injury or surgery, diabetes, high blood pressure or very high myopia. A combination of healthy lifestyle habits which include regular exercise and a nutritious diet and tending to your mental and emotional well-being can reduce these risks significantly.

    Tips for Incorporating Physical Activity Into Your Day

    1. Make it a priority. Schedule your exercise time into your day as if it is a non-negotiable appointment. Find the time of day that works best – for some that is early morning and for others late at night. Work your way up to a half hour at least three times a week. 
    2. Be realistic. You don’t need to become a fitness expert to experience the benefits of exercise. Walking, yoga, swimming, even dancing around the house are all options for staying fit. Find a type of exercise that you love so you will enjoy working this habit into your life.
    3. Just move. Find ways to move your body throughout your day. Park your car a little further away from the mall entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk or bike to work. Remember, every little bit of movement helps.
    4. Find something you enjoy. Often finding the right exercise is a good stress reliever, and reducing stress will also reduce risk of many chronic diseases.
    5. It’s never too late. Exercise for the elderly can be a challenge especially during the cold winter months, when many seniors can’t get out of the house due to the weather. Even walking up and down the stairs in the house or following an exercise video can be helpful to keep from being sedentary.

    Protection & Prevention

    If you are exercising outdoors or playing contact sports, make sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses or sports safety glasses to ensure your eye health and safety. 

    Regular exercise can significantly decrease your risks of certain eye conditions but you still have to ensure that you visit your eye doctor for regular exams. Schedule a comprehensive eye exam every year to ensure your vision and your eyes are healthy and to catch any possible problems as early as possible.

    Eye health and disease prevention are just two of the many health and wellness benefits you gift yourself when you make exercise a regular part of your lifestyle. Speak to your doctor if you have any health issues that need to be considered. At any age or level of physical fitness, you can find some form of exercise that works for you. 

     

    Pink, Stinging Eyes?

    Conjunctivitis, also called pink eye, is one of the most frequently seen eye diseases, especially in kids. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria or even allergies to pollen, chlorine in swimming pools, and ingredients in cosmetics, or other irritants, which touch the eyes. Some forms of conjunctivitis might be quite transmittable and quickly spread in school and at the office.

    Conjunctivitis is seen when the conjunctiva, or thin transparent layer of tissue covering the white part of the eye, becomes inflamed. You can identify conjunctivitis if you notice eye redness, discharge, itching or swollen eyelids and a crusty discharge surrounding the eyes early in the day. Pink eye infections can be divided into three main types: viral, allergic and bacterial conjunctivitis.

    The viral type is usually a result of a similar virus to that which produces the recognizable red, watery eyes, sore throat and runny nose of the common cold. The red, itchy, watery eyes caused by viral pink eye are likely to last from a week to two and then will clear up on their own. You may however, be able to reduce some of the discomfort by using soothing drops or compresses. Viral pink eye is transmittable until it is completely cleared up, so in the meantime maintain excellent hygiene, remove eye discharge and try to avoid using communal pillowcases or towels. If your son or daughter has viral conjunctivitis, he or she will have to be kept home from school for three days to a week until symptoms disappear.

    A bacterial infection such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus is usually treated with antibiotic eye drops or cream. One should notice an improvement within just a few days of antibiotic drops, but be sure to adhere to the full prescription dosage to prevent pink eye from recurring.

    Allergic pink eye is not contagious. It is usually a result of a known allergy such as hay fever or pet allergies that sets off an allergic reaction in their eyes. First of all, to treat allergic pink eye, you should eliminate the irritant. Use cool compresses and artificial tears to relieve discomfort in mild cases. When the infection is more severe, your eye doctor might prescribe a medication such as an anti-inflammatory or antihistamine. In cases of chronic allergic pink eye, topical steroid eye drops could be used.

    Pink eye should always be diagnosed by a qualified eye doctor in order to identify the type and best course of treatment. Never treat yourself! Keep in mind the sooner you begin treatment, the lower chance you have of giving pink eye to loved ones or prolonging your discomfort.

     

    Welcome to our New Website

    We invite you to take a look around our new site to get to know our practice and learn about eye and vision health. You will find a wealth of information about our optometrists, our staff and our services, as well as facts and advice about how to take care of your eyes and protect your vision.

    Learn about our Practice specialties including comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings and the treatment of eye diseases. Our website also offers you a convenient way to find our hours, address and map, schedule an appointment online, order contact lenses or contact us to ask us any questions you have about eye care and our Practice.

    Have a look around our online office and schedule a visit to meet us in person. We are here to partner with you and your family for a lifetime of healthy eyes and vision. We look forward to seeing you!