Northcenter Eye Care

Flex Funds for Your Eyes

November 8, 2016

According to investment experts at Motley Fool, taking care of your flex spending surplus is a smart money move for November. For those who have flexible spending account (FSA) money to use before the end of the year, there are a number of ways you can ease eye care expenses with those funds.

If you haven’t scheduled your yearly exam, make November the month to get your check-up and offset any deductibles. For those who have had their exam already this year, there are several ways you can use FSAs for the good of your eyes.

Computer eyewear. We are seeing more patients experiencing the effects of digital eye strain. Eyewear designed specifically for computer use is one way to make this aspect of modern life easier. Things like progressive lenses designed for mid-distance work, anti-reflective coating and blue light coating are some of the features that can benefit patients.

Prescription sunglasses. Many people are surprised that prescription sunglasses are a medical device and covered under FSAs. Ditch the clip-ons and treat yourself to a quality pair of sunglasses that are tailored to your eyes. Prescription sunglasses are a good alternative for contact lens wearers at the beach and pool, where contacts aren’t ideal. Anyone who uses readers will find prescription sunglasses very helpful.

Another advantage to prescription sunglasses is our ability to select the right UV protection for your needs, from blue-blockers and yellow lenses that heighten color contrast to gradient lenses that are lighter at the bottom (good choice for distance drivers).

Protective eyewear. It is estimated that the vast majority of eye injuries can be prevented with protective eyewear, but it has yet to catch on. Sports and home improvement projects are popular among our patients. Flex funds can make the difference between having the protection your need and a trip to the ER for an eye injury.

Schedule an appointment for an exam or talk to us about eyewear options. We are happy to help you find the right fit for your funds.

Three things to consider for your student’s eye health

September 29, 2016

As learning becomes more digital, taking care of kids’ eyes is important than ever.

You’ve heard us before — 80 percent of what students learn in a classroom is processed visually — so back-to-school time is an important one for healthy eyes. For students of any age, here are three things to consider when school begins again.

Digital device use. Parents may have spent much of the summer trying to get their children off their devices, but digital learning has become a reality in many schools. Unfortunately there seems to be a gap in how long parents believe their kids use digital devices each day and what kids report themselves. According to a recent study from the American Optometric Association, 83 percent of children say they use their devices three hours or more a day, while only 40 percent of parents believe their children are on their devices that long.

One possible reason is that parents may not be taking classroom use of devices into account. If you aren’t aware of how much time your students spend on devices, ask their teachers. Older students who spend more time at the computer may need glasses to help reduce strain, much in the same way adults who use computers on the job do.

Participation in sports. Back-to-school time means that more kids will be hitting the fields and courts. The top five sports for the most eye injuries include two of Chicago’s favorites — football and basketball. Unfortunately awareness of sports eye injuries is still low among sports programs. If you have a student-athlete — or participate yourself — click here for more information on eye protection for sports.

Study habits. Some research supports the idea that the close work of reading and other study activities can have an impact on eyesight. Other studies have shown that more time spent outdoors decreases the incidence and degree of myopia.

While more research is necessary for conclusive recommendations, it’s a good idea for parents to be conscious of their children’s study habits. Make sure the student in your life is supported with the right eyewear and make time for breaks away from the books by being active outdoors whenever possible.

If eyewear is on your back-to-school list this year, we have many fashionable and functional options. We recently added a new collection of Tom Ford eyewear to our practice and are now offering 30% off all Gucci frames through the end of the year.

As always, if you have any questions about your eyes, please get in touch.

Eyewear to relieve digital eye strain

September 14, 2016

Digital eye strain is a rapidly growing eye health concern. Research has shown that increased use of digital devices across the generations has long-term and short-term implications for eye health and vision.

One of the ways to address digital eye strain is by choosing the right eyewear. While some patients use reading glasses to improve their vision when working on computers and other digital devices, others will benefit from lenses specifically designed to address digital eye strain. Some of the features to consider include:

Single-vision lenses designed for computer use. Computers are mid-vision objects, which means that the correction one needs for near vision, such as reading glasses, or distance vision isn’t adequate. Patients who use their computers frequently and for long periods of time often find this type of correction helpful in reducing eye strain.
Computer progressive lenses. Like other progressives, these lenses have a smooth transition between different focal lengths. In this case, these offer correction for viewing a computer screen and up-close objects.
Anti-reflective coating. This reduces glare from indoor and outdoor light sources.
Blue Light filters. These customized filters block out harmful blue light while allowing other beneficial light to pass through.

Patients sometimes choose combinations of features for a custom pair that makes digital work (and play) easier on the eyes. If you are experiencing digital eye strain or spend a good amount of time on devices, talk to us about ways we can help you keep your eyes healthy.

Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Yakimov

Digital devices at bedtime can reduce sleep

February 9, 2016

Over the past few years the optometry community has been paying more attention to the growing concern of digital eye strain, its short-term symptoms and the possible long-term effects of blue light. But this kind of light also has an immediate impact — on your sleep.

Because we use digital devices for many of our daily activities, they are often at our bedside for things like checking the next day’s weather, checking messages, reading and for use an alarm clock. We can’t deny the convenience, but we need to be aware of the risks. A growing number of studies are finding that having a digital device on at bedtime has a negative impact on sleep patterns.

A University of Texas-Austin study found that college students lose an average of 46 minutes of sleep by using their digital devices to answer phone calls and check messages in bed.
Research published in Photochemistry and Photobiology found that a week of blue light exposure at bedtime results in 14 fewer minutes of sleep.
Multiple studies have shown that exposure to blue light at bedtime alters our melatonin levels and delays our circadian clocks.

Another big clue that blue light exposure should be taken seriously is the response of the companies who make digital devices. Recently both amazon.com and Apple announced changes to their products that alter the light from screen readers when clocks indicate evening or night hours, or in low-light conditions. Read more about these features in this article from the American Optometric Association.

One concerning statistic from all this research on digital eye strain is that 90 percent of patients do not talk with their eye doctors about their digital device use. There are several ways we can help alleviate symptoms of eye strain as well as protect your eyes in the longer term, including special lenses for patients who spend a significant amount of time in front of screens.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/Tuomas_Lehitnen

Digital devices and your eyes

January 20, 2016

The Vision Council recently released its latest report on digital eye strain, which has become a primary eye health concern for people of all ages. In fact, nearly 60 percent of people use their digital devices more than 5 hours a day, enough time to have an impact on your eyes.

Perhaps you’ve experienced one of these symptoms:

Back and neck pain
Blurred vision
Dry eyes
Fatigued eyes

The good news is that digital eye strain can be greatly reduced with good digital use habits (such as setting up your work station properly and taking breaks from looking at screens). Yet, research shows that in the longer term, your eyes suffer damage linked to macular degeneration and cataracts caused by over-exposure to blue light that is emitted from digital devices. To address this, we can fit with you glasses that have coatings that filter a certain amount of blue light.

You can read more about the Vision Council’s findings here. At your next appointment, make sure to talk with us about any concerns you have about your use of digital devices and its impact on your eyes.

Photo credit Eric Gross/freeimages.com

Protect your eyes from digital damage

March 30, 2015

It seems like computers, smart phones and tablets are an indispensable part of our lives for work, hobbies and home life. Have you ever considered how much time you spend with your eyes on a screen?

Earlier this year, the Vision Council did some research on digital use and found that more than 93 percent of adults spend more than two hours each day on a digital device. Sixty percent spend five hours or more. If you have ever felt physical discomfort after viewing a screen for more than two hours, you’ve suffered from digital eye strain.

Here are the most commonly used digital devices, per the Vision Council.

Blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches, neck/shoulder/back pain and general discomfort are all symptoms of digital eye strain. Taking a break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds and looking at something 20 feet away is a great way to give your eyes some rest. Other things you can do to alleviate digital eye strain include:

Increase the text size on devices to better define content on your screen.
Set up your desk for maximum comfort. When sitting in your chair with your arm extended, your palm should rest comfortably on the monitor.
Consider eyewear specifically designed for computer work. Glasses with blue light blocking, anti-reflective coating and/or progressive lenses can provide substantial relief to people who spend long hours in front of a screen.

If you think you are suffering from digital eye strain, please let us know. We can discuss various options for relief, from dry eye treatment to special lenses. As always, give us a call or schedule an appointment online.