Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Eye Doctor

 

Sight is one of our most valued senses, which is why it’s so important to visit your eye doctor regularly to ensure that your eyes stay healthy. There may be as long as a year or more between visits so it’s so important to make the most of your time with your eye doctor. After all, you don’t want to wait another year to ask a question that came to mind ten minutes after your last appointment ended.

If this scenario sounds familiar, do yourself a favor and arrive prepared so it doesn’t happen again.

Where to Begin

Every patient has a unique set of concerns, so you’ll want to develop a list of questions about topics that matter to you, but here are five important questions that are relevant to almost everyone.

1. Are my eyes as healthy as they can be or are there things I can do to improve my vision and ocular health? Many patients wonder if there’s anything they could do differently to better care for their eyes and to safeguard their vision over the long term. If you have a disease such as glaucoma, diabetes or age-related macular degeneration, your doctor will likely educate you thoroughly on many steps you can, and should, take to safeguard your eyes. But even if you don’t have a serious condition, it’s great to be proactive about your wellness—especially with regard to something as important as your vision. Sometimes doctors may shy away from suggesting additional tests or improved glasses or contact lenses because they’re uncomfortable with the transactional nature of the conversation. For example, 92% of eye care professionals say silicone hydrogel 1 day lenses are the best choice to safeguard their patients’ eye health related to contact lens wear1, yet only half (52%) of the daily disposable fits recorded in 2017 used silicone hydrogel materials.2 If improving your health matters a lot to you, say so. You may be presented with options you never knew you had!
2. What are the best vision correction options available for my eyes? Over two-thirds (68%) of consumers say they expect their ECP to recommend the healthiest option regardless of cost,3 but as was mentioned in the example above, sometimes doctors hold back and feel prevented from making this recommendation out of concern for the patient’s budget. In truth, how you spend your money is up to you, so if you want to know if there’s something better, tell your doctor that you want to hear about the best options—not just the most frugal ones.
3. Are my digital devices affecting my eyes and, if so, what I can do about it? More than 83 percent of Americans report using digital devices for more than two hours per day.4 In many children and adults, screen time can lead to digital eye strain.5 Common symptoms include eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain.6 The good news is that your doctor can offer several tips on how to find relief. These range from lighting and display settings to specialized prescriptions, including contact lenses, which may help address symptoms of digital eye fatigue.
4. Do I need to take any particular steps to protect my eyes? If your doctor hasn’t already spoken with you about eye safety, this question will likely initiate a conversation about topics including protective eyewear, contact lens care, ultraviolet (UV) light and more. Notably, more than 2,000 workers experience some form of medical treatment due to work-related eye injuries every day in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control.7 Talk to your doctor about your workplace conditions to decide if special eyewear is warranted. You should also take precautions against UV. Several eye problems have been linked to UV exposure, including cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae, pterygia, photokeratitis, cancers of the eye and surrounding skin, and more. Sunglasses are your eyes’ best defense, but studies have shown that UV-blocking contact lenses can help block the peripheral light that sunglasses can't block.89 If you are a contact lens wearer, always replace your lenses as prescribed by your doctor and follow the required care and cleaning regimen. If you sometimes fall asleep in your lenses, ask about continuous wear options. Or, if you don’t want the hassle of rubbing and rinsing your lenses each night, enquire about 1 day disposable lenses.
5. When should I return for my next visit and is it time to make an appointment for any of my family members? Your eye care professional will determine how often you need an exam based on your age, vision and medical history. Staying on schedule is important for you and for your loved ones. Many offices will schedule your next appointment right way. If not, set a reminder in your phone. Also, if your spouse, child or parent under your care sees the same doctor as you do, don’t leave the office without making sure their exams are on the books too.

Finally, never worry that your doctor will think less of you if you show up with a list. On the contrary, most eye doctors are thrilled when their patients care as much about their eyes as they should.

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5 Tips for First Time Contact Lens Wearers

July 01, 2021

Congratulations on getting your first pair of contact lenses! If you’re like most people, you’ll probably spend the first few days marveling at small visual details that you never noticed before—like dew on the grass and small specks of color on bright green leaves.

It’s a very exciting time but, as with anything new, it might be a little intimidating too. After all, contact lenses are high-tech medical devices and your vision is one of your most valued senses. As such, it’s important to make good choices for the health and comfort of your eyes. Here are five tips designed to put you on the path to a lifetime of success with your new contact lenses.

1. Relax. Lots of people worry that they’ll scratch their eyes while putting their lenses on or—worse—that the contact lens will get stuck behind their eye. Relax. Applying and removing lenses might make you nervous at first, but as awkward as it may seem, there is no need to be afraid to touch your eye as long as your hands are clean. Plus, the inside of your eyelids are connected to the back of your eye, so your lenses can’t possibly slip into an abyss.

2. Keep lenses clean. For monthly/2-week products, don’t take shortcuts with lens cleaning. Your doctor will give you instructions that are specific to the lens care regime that is chosen for you. For example, if you are told to use a multipurpose solution every time you remove your lenses, you should rub and rinse and then place them into fresh solution. Don’t just top off the solution that’s already in the case. When you put your lenses on in the morning, empty out the case completely, rinse with fresh solution and leave it uncapped and upside down on a paper towel to air dry. Your lens case should be replaced every 3 months. Interested in a fresh pair of lenses every morning that doesn’t require cleaning? Ask your doctor for a daily disposable, such as MyDay® daily disposable or clariti® 1 day. These lenses can be thrown out every night and exchanged for a fresh new pair each morning, eliminating cleaning and storage concerns.

3. Properly dispose of contact lenses and packaging. 

• Contact lenses:  Dispose of your contact lenses in a waste/garbage receptacle and follow guidance of your local sanitation authorities for further disposal – do not place contact lenses into drainage systems!

Depending on local recycling/sanitation vendors, the following can be included alongside other recyclable materials for regular pickup in ordinary bins. One of the most important tenants of recycling is to keep similar materials together, which makes sorting easier and prevents cross-contamination. Please check with your local government office and/or service contractor to ensure acceptance.

• Outer paperboard cartons: made from standard paperboard materials which are classified as recyclable paper (#21 PAP or #23 PAP, depending on location) in a typical  household collection
• Individual plastic blisters: classified as a #5/PP plastic, a designation similar to yogurt cups and hummus containers
• Foil blister covers:  remove the foil from contact lens blisters, then place collected foils together in a small ball in the recycling stream, allowing a better opportunity for it to be sorted as part of a municipality’s process

Interested in being more sustainable? Ask your doctor about the first net plastic neutral contact lens: clariti® 1 day1.

4. Follow your doctor’s recommendations. Use only the products that are recommended by your eye doctor. Don’t substitute lens care product without checking with your doctor first. The solution you have was chosen specifically for your type of lens, so don’t make assumptions based on broadly-defined packaging labels. It’s also important to keep your appointments. Whatever follow-up schedule your doctor sets, stick to it.

5. Adhere to the prescribed wearing and replacement schedule. Don’t try to write your own rules. Wear your lenses only for the amount of time that your doctor says is safe and replace the lenses according to schedule. Don’t try to stretch out the life of your lenses an extra week or extra day. Also, unless you were specifically prescribed continuous wear lenses, you should never sleep in your contacts.

Learning how to do anything new takes time. In fact, it may take about a week until you adapt to your new life with contact lenses and feel truly confident2. But, before you know it, contact lenses will become a valued part of your life.

Enjoy!

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Is Hitting the Books Hurting Your Eyes?

 

With the fall semester quickly coming to a close, cramming for exams can affect more than bedtime routines (or lack thereof). Sustained hours spent studying and researching can have a significant effect on how your eyes feel, particularly when the work is performed on a computer or other digital device.

Fortunately, visual fatigue doesn’t have to stand between you and your GPA (grades). Here are several strategies that can help ease your discomfort.

Understand Digital Eye Fatigue

First things first: If you are experiencing a sudden change in your vision, have eye pain, or significant redness, make an appointment with your eye care professional right away to identify the cause. However, if you’ve been spending long hours on schoolwork, and are experiencing symptoms such as eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain, you may have computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye fatigue.1 Digital eye fatigue is due, in part, to the reduced blink rate that is common with computer use.2

Digital device usage has increased substantially in recent years—both in and out of the classroom.2 According to The Vision Council, more than 83 percent of Americans report using digital devices for more than two hours per day and more than 60 percent experience symptoms of eye strain.3

Alleviate Digital Eye Fatigue

Although digital eye fatigue isn’t an emergency, it can affect your performance1, so you shouldn’t ignore it. Here are some simple steps you can take:

• Follow the 20/20/20 rule:  Take a 20 second break every 20 minutes and focus your eyes on something else that is 20 feet (6 meters) away.
• Blink: Make a conscious effort to blink more often when using your digital devices.
• Get moving:  Frequent breaks from working on digital devices can give your eyes a rest. Get up, stretch, and move around.
• Improve your position:  Your computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, which is about 4 or 5 inches  (10 or 12 cm) as measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches (50 to 71 cm) from the eyes.
• Adjust the lighting:  Position your computer screen away from fluorescent lights and consider floor lamps instead of overhead lighting. You can also prevent glare from outdoor light by using curtains.
• Adjust display settings: Match the brightness of your screen to the light around you. If your screen looks like a light source, it is too bright. If it looks dull or gray, it is too dark. Text size and contrast make a difference too. Typically, looking at dark letters against a light background is easier on your eyes.

Schedule an Eye Appointment

Talk to your eye doctor about options for digital eye fatigue. Even if you don’t wear glasses all of the time, a specialized prescription might lessen eye strain and reduce reflection and glare or filter out blue light.

If you’d rather opt for contact lenses, Biofinity Energys™ are designed for all-day wear, so you don’t have to switch eye glasses’ prescriptions throughout the day. If you’re a contact lens wearer who frequently uses a digital device, Biofinity Energys™ contact lenses with Digital Zone Optics™ lens design can help eyes better adapt so they can seamlessly and continuously shift focus between digital devices and offline activities.

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The Quick-Fix Mediterranean Diet

 The Quick-Fix Mediterranean Diet

By Michael Gollust

Adding international flair to your diet could quickly lead to a healthier heart.

After only 3 months of eating a Mediterranean diet, study participants reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by approximately 15%. A Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy, and olive oil. Planning your meals around these items may be even better for your heart than a low-fat diet.

In a recent study, two groups of participants with moderate risk factors for cardiovascular disease were placed on a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat diet for 3 months. By the end of the study, members of both groups experienced improvements in body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, and other risk factors. While those in the low-fat diet group reduced their risk for cardiovascular disease by an estimated 9%, participants in the Mediterranean-diet group lowered their disease risk by approximately 15%.

The abundant disease-fighting nutrients found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fish make a Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest around. Whole grains are rich in fiber, magnesium, and B-vitamins; fruits and vegetables are filled with heart-healthy antioxidants; and olive oil, fish, and nuts provide artery-friendly mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Make these delicious and healthful foods the foundation of your diet. In a few short months, you'll be on your way to reaping the long-term benefits.

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