health: Is It Time to Quit?

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Smoking is a leading contributor to many serious eye health conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye, vascular eye disease and optic neuropathy. Smoking contributes to early atherosclerosis which results in pre-mature hardening of the arteries throughout the body and reduced blood flow to the eye.

To help reduce your risk of sever vision loss in the future, it may be time to consider quitting or at least reducing how much you smoke on a daily basis. With your permission, your eye-bar optometrist can sign you up for the free AlbertaQuits Helpline by Alberta Health Care. The AlbertaQuits Helpline will pair you up with a smoking Cessation Counsellor who will guide you through the process and act as a resource. They will help you with quitting methods and aids, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, stress management, cravings, preventing weight gain, and getting through temporary relapses.

To learn more about this program please visit AlbertaQuits.ca.

Back to School: The Preschool Eye Exam

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When adults think of eye exams, we often think of reading the letters off an eye chart. How is possible to conduct a comprehensive eye test on a little one who doesn’t read? Quite easily!

Young children don’t have to know the alphabet or even speak to have their vision tested by an optometrist.  Many vision tests use pictures or symbols familiar to preschoolers, and children can respond by naming, matching or pointing.  Other tests are done objectively, so young children don’t have to be able to communicate well to be evaluated. 

Optometrists will test for visual acuity, the measure of the sharpness of vision; it describes the size of detail that a child can see and use in daily activities. On preschoolers, optometrists will use a retinoscope to objectively determine refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism). In this procedure, light is shone into the eye and a series of lenses are used to focus the reflection from the retina.  Eye drops to dilate the pupil and relax the eye’s focusing system may be used, to give greater accuracy to this procedure. Using this method, optometrists can refract babies and toddlers.

Eye health testing for preschoolers will also assess pupil reflexes, peripheral vision and colour vision.

Back to School: Detecting ‘Lazy Eye’ & ‘Turned Eyes’

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Optometrists are most concerned about a condition called amblyopia or lazy eye, and strabismus or turned eye. Failure to detect these conditions at an early age can result in a permanent reduction in a child's vision and limit potential career options requiring good working sight in both eyes.

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is the loss or lack of development of central vision in one eye that is unrelated to any eye health problem and is not correctable with lenses unless detected earlier. Lazy eye is often associated with crossed-eyes or a large difference in the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness between the two eyes. It can result from a failure of being able to use both eyes together. It usually develops before the age of 6, and it does not affect side vision.

Early diagnosis is the most important step to increase the chance for a complete recovery. This is one reason why eye-bar optometrists recommend that children have a comprehensive eye examination by the age of 6 months and again at age 3. Lazy eye will not go away on its own. If not diagnosed until the pre-teen, teen or adult years, treatment takes longer and is often less effective.

During a comprehensive eye exam, eye-bar optometrists will test eye co-ordination including eye alignment, movement, and tracking, and perception of motion and depth.

Strabismus (turned eye) and amblyopia (lazy eye) must be identified and treated in early childhood to allow proper visual development. Treatment for lazy eye may include a combination of prescription lenses, prisms, vision therapy and eye patching. Vision therapy teaches the two eyes how to work together, which helps prevent lazy eye from reoccurring. Your eye doctor may suggest treatment that also includes watching 3D movies or playing 3D video games, which force the eyes to work together at the highest level. (FUN!)

p.s. the adorable eye patches in the photo are from this brilliant etsy store created by a mother whose daughter needed to wear an eye patch for two hours a day.

Back to School Eye Test

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There’s more to school than book bags and lunch boxes. It’s also the perfect time for your child’s eyes to be checked by an optometrist.  Just when you think your child is seeing well, there could very well be a problem. And vision problems are responsible for a staggering number of learning challenges due to the fact that 80% of classroom learning is done through the eyes.

Do you know how well your child can see? It isn’t always obvious to a child or a parent. Children assume everyone sees the world exactly as they do and rarely complain. As parents, the signs of vision problems are not easily detectable.

Here’s a big statistic:  1 in 6 children have some form of vision problems.

Good vision is vital to developing skills such as reading, copying and hand eye coordination. So before your children hits the books again this fall book them in for an eye exam with an eye-bar optometrist.

Eye exams are covered under provincial health insurance when you show your child’s health card. This means that there is no out-of-pocket cost for the eye exam.

Book your child’s eye exam.

Are you at Risk?

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Did you know that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the primary causes of vision loss in people over the age of 60? In fact, 1 in 4 Canadians may develop macular degeneration in their lifetime, compared to only 1 in 10 who may develop glaucoma. The reality is that most people have never even heard of macular degeneration, let alone know whether they are at risk.

Like many other eye diseases, macular degeneration is a slow painless process that tends to occur over a number of years, with very few warning signs. In fact, macular degeneration can only be diagnosed after a thorough comprehensive eye exam conducted by an eye doctor.

Macular degeneration affects the central portion of the retina, or the area of the eye responsible for fine detailed visual tasks like reading or driving. Patients often initially complain of blurred vision, or a spot in their line of sight. But the reality is that most patients experience no problems in mild and even moderate cases of macular degeneration.

Currently, there is no pill or vitamin supplement that can guarantee that you won’t develop macular degeneration and certain risk factors may be out of your control.

Risks that are out of your control

Age – AMD increase with age
Race – Caucasians are at a greater risk then African Americans
Family History – Higher risk of developing late stage AMD
Gender – Females are more likely to develop AMD then men
Eye Colour – Blue or light colour irises


However, there are still some risk factors that you do have control over, that play an equal role in the potential development of macular degeneration.

Risks that you can control

Smoking – Just quit
Heart Disease – Watch your blood pressure and cholesterol
Exercise – Regular exercise
Weight – Obesity increases your risks
Diet – Eat a diet high in green leafy vegetables and fish
Sunglasses – Sunglasses help to reduce harmful UV light exposure
Eye Exams – Book an annual eye exam with an eye doctor

 

Learn more about age-related macular degeneration by visiting the CNIB @ eyeconnect or talk to your optometrist at your next annual eye exam.

 eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals

Acuvue Brand Contact Lenses

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At eye-bar we believe in clear comfortable vision, now and into the future. Our commitment is to provide our patients with access to quality eye care products that allow them to see their best, and offer a true daily benefit.

Acuvue Brand contact lenses provide UV-A and UV-B protection from the suns harmful rays, a quality not found in many other brands.  The tapered edge design of the contact lens allows for improved eyelid comfort and a less itchy sensation throughout the day.

Acuvue Brand products available at eye-bar

Acuvue Oasys with Hydraclear Plus
Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism
Acuvue Oasys for Presbyopia
1-Day Acuvue Moist with Lacreon
1-Day Acuvue TruEye with Hyrdraclear-1
Acuvue 2 Colours

              To learn more about Acuvue Brand contact lenses book a contact lens appointment with an eye doctor at eye-bar today. 

              eye-bar optometry – eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals

              Warning Signs of Serious Eye Disease

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              If you should ever experience any of the following symptoms please call eye-bar as soon as possible @ 780.467.3341. Most emergency visits to your optometrist are now covered under Alberta Health Care.

              •  Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
              • Seeing flashes of light in one or both of your eyes
              • Seeing a large number of spots or “floaters” in your eyes, especially if the number has increased dramatically recently
              • Double vision
              • Pain in or around the eyes
              • Headaches that progressively worsen over time.

              If you should ever experience any of these ocular symptoms outside of normal eye-bar office hours, please proceed directly to the Royal Alexandra Hospital or call Health Link Alberta @ 780.408.5465 for further assistance.

               

              eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits and ophthalmology referrals

              Comprehensive Sight Testing Now at eye-bar

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              Comprehensive sight testing is only one component of the comprehensive eye health exams at eye-bar optometry. Sight testing ensures that you can see your best at all distances. If your sight test determines that you require a prescription for eyeglasses, then our eye doctors will provide you with a copy of your prescription.

              Sight testing however without a comprehensive eye health evaluation is simply unethical eye care. Providing our patients a prescription for new eyeglasses or contact lenses without first determining the underlying cause of their vision problem is not what eye-bar optometry is about. So rest assured that the eye doctors at eye-bar optometry provide a thorough eye health evaluation with every eyeglass or contact lens prescription. 

              An eye exam performed by a licensed optometrist is about more then just updating your eyeglasses or contact lenses, it’s about peace of mind.

               

               

              eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits and ophthalmology referrals

              Caffeine and Cataracts

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              Could caffeine actually help to prevent or slow down cataracts from forming in your eyes? Recent research shows some potential promise in this area. The development of cataracts in humans is a normal age related change that most of us will face in our lives. Most cataracts develop because of an increase in free-radical formation within the lens structure. Typically this is caused by UV radiation from the sun, as the lens in our eye absorbs most of these rays. Caffeine is a natural free-radical scavenger, which may have positive effects for the eyes. Recently, scientists at the University of Maryland have shown that caffeine can slow down or halt the progression of cataracts. However, this research is only in its infancy, as all of these studies were conducted on lab mice. Many more studies will need to be carried out to determine the commercial viability for humans.

              In the mean time, the only way to slow down cataract development is to wear quality sunglasses whenever you are outdoors, stop smoking, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (which are also high in anti-oxidants).

              **Always discuss any medical treatment with your family doctor or with your eye doctors before starting any therapy to determine if it is right for you. 

               

              eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals


              What is Myopia or Nearsightedness?

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              Myopia or nearsightedness is a common vision disorder where by patients are able to see objects up close, but are unable to focus clearly on objects in the distance. Myopia is caused because of one of two things, either a persons eye grows to long or the outside of the eye is to steep, causing images to focus in front of the retina.

              Typically, patients will start to notice problems with their distance vision in their school years, but myopia can develop at any age. It may also be a sign of a more serious medical problem, such as diabetes or cataracts, especially if the onset of myopia is very sudden and dramatic.

              There has been increased research in the area of myopia in recent years, as the world as seen a sudden surge in the number of people requiring distance vision correction. Studies suggest that myopia may be related to near point stress, and numerous studies show that myopia increases along with a person’s level of education. Newer studies out of China also point towards dietary factors playing a large role in the development of myopia, however these studies are far from complete. A study out of the UK at the St. Thomas Hospital also showed the genetics probably plays a large role in the develop of myopia while environmental factors may only play a small or limited role.

              Initial symptoms of myopia include problems focusing on small objects far away like road signs or the channel guide on TV. People can find themselves squinting or developing frontal headaches from having to squint. Children often complain about being unable to see the board at school, while adults often complain about poor night vision or increased glare. Symptoms almost always worsen in low light level situations.

              Treatment options for people affected by myopia or nearsightedness are numerous. Traditionally, eyeglasses have been the primary treatment option, however, patients also have access to contact lenses, laser vision correction, and intra-ocular lens implants. It is important to always discuss lifestyle and your work situation with your optometrist or ophthalmologist when determining your best treatment option or options. It is also recommended that patients with myopia receive regular eye health examinations by an optometrist or ophthalmologist every one to two years.

               

              eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals