Monthly Archives: October 2008

Survey Shows Most Young Children Have Never Had an Eye Exam

Posted on October 30, 2008 by | 2 Comments

Vision Service Plan has answered a question that many of us have long suspected with the release of  a study conducted by VSP Vision Care.  The nationwide study of almost 4000 Americans called the Consumer Eye Care and Eyewear Survey.  Revealed that 76% of the the children under the age of 5 had never had an eye exam.

“While most parents probably assume that vision screenings provided by pediatricians and school nurses are enough, those screenings are nowhere near as exhaustive as the comprehensive eye exams that optometrists and ophthalmologist provide,” said James Short, O.D., chair of VSP Vision Care’s board of directors.

Dr. Short elaborated further “Before children enter school, an eye doctor should examine the eyes for signs of astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightendnes and also examine the structure of the eye for telltale signs of serious diseases”.

The study goes on to discuss the importance of providing proper sunglasses for children, tips on how to get children to wear sunglasses, prevention of computer vision syndrome in children and how to spot when your child may need an eye exam.

Read more about the VSP Vsion Care Study here

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Posted in children, examinations

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Good Visibility is Essentially for a Safe Halloween

Posted on October 28, 2008 by | Leave a comment

On Halloween, an assortment of ballerinas, clowns, ghosts, and other goblins will have their eyes on just one thing—candy. Roaming dimly lit neighborhoods is part of the fun for children in pursuit of treats, but it can also be dangerous.

“Trick-or-treaters and parents need to remember that on Halloween, to be safe, you must be seen,” said Dr. Richard A. Driscoll from Total Eye Care in Keller. “Studies have shown that a child’s risk of injury or death as a result of being hit by a car doubles around Halloween.”  ……….. Read More

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Posted in children

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Acuminder – An Online Contact Lens Replacement Service

Posted on October 24, 2008 by | 2 Comments

Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, has developed a Facebook application that reminds patients to replace their contact lenses.  The application allows patients to receive reminders by email or via their Facebook feed.

Patients that are not Facebook users can still use the service by going to the  Acuminder website to register where the can elect to get reminders via text message or email.  There is also an option to download a reminder to you computer desktop.

This is a great idea! We constantly hear that patients forget to replace their contact lenses, thus increasing the risk of eye infections, because the get busy and forget to do it.  The more often contact lenses are replaced the healthier it is for our eyes.  So give your eyes a break and sign up.

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Posted in contact lens, Eye Care

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Patients and Doctors at Total Eye Care Discuss Dry Eye Syndrome

Posted on October 10, 2008 by | 1 Comment

Seeing patients with complications related to dry eye syndrome are a very common occurrence at Total Eye Care.  Last month we made this video about dry eye syndrome.  The video discusses how silicone punctal plugs are used to treat dry eye syndrome.  It ties in well with this post on the Eye Doc Blog a few months ago about what causes  dry eye syndrome.  Check it out and let us know what you think.

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Posted in contact lens, Cornea, dry eye syndrome, Eye Care, Vision

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Protecting Your Eyes While playing Sports

Posted on October 10, 2008 by | 1 Comment

If you have ever played sports and worn glasses, you know the limitations in doing so. Glasses present obvious mobility and peripheral vision issues. In addition, glasses offer little protection and actually can contribute to damage to the eyes if glass lenses are shattered.

Contact lenses offer a safe, clear and comfortable alternative for the athlete on any field or court. Peripheral vision is not an issue with contact lenses. However, contact lenses don’t protect the eyes other than offer some protection for the cornea.

Winter and indoor sports like ice hockey, basketball, football, and gymnastics, along with water and pool activities, baseball, softball, racquet sports and golf contribute the greatest number of eye injuries.  Read more here.

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Posted in children, Cornea, emergency, eye, Eye Care, eyecare, Vision

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