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Author: innexus

Screen Time and Children

Screen time is the amount of time a person spends staring at digital displays including computers, tablets, smartphones, and TVs. In our modern and technology-focused world children are spending time on digital displays for educational and recreational purposes. Children who spend several hours on digital devices are at risk of developing vision-related problems.

Average Time Children Spend On Digital Devices

According to the Vision Council, 72% of American parents report their children regularly spend more than two hours on screens per day. It is likely that children spend significantly more time on screens than their parents think. Common Sense Media reports that children under age eight spend more than two hours a day with screen media. For 8 to 10-year-olds screen time triples to six hours per day. Kids in middle school and high school spend up to nine hours per day looking at digital displays.

Risks of Screen Time

Too much screen time can be dangerous for anyone’s eyes, children included. Screens emit a broad spectrum of visible light. While most of these light rays are harmless, blue light is a high-energy visible light that can cause damage to your eyes. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and higher energy causing harm to the retina over time. Overexposure to blue light can cause:

  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Headaches
  • Neck/shoulder pain
  • Eye strain
  • Reduced attention span
  • Poor behavior
  • Irritability

Computer Vision Syndrome

Computer vision syndrome is a condition caused by visual stress. Symptoms include tired eyes, dry eyes, headache, and fatigue.

Unhealthy Posture

Your body naturally slouches inwards when on digital devices. Your back and shoulders round, your head tilts back, and your chin justs forward. This reaction to digital devices is called “turtling” and can cause neck, back, and shoulder pain.

How To Protect Your Child’s Eyes

It is clear digital devices will not be going away anytime soon. Therefore it is essential to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect your children’s eyes from digital screens. One way you can do this is by limiting screen time for your children while at home. You can also apply blue light filters or download blue light filtering apps to all digital devices. If your child wears prescription glasses, ask us about add blue light blocking to their lenses during your next appointment.

Nighttime Use

The largest source of blue light is our sun, which tells our brain when to be awake or sleep. The high use of digital devices emitting blue light may disrupt your natural circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) by miscommunicating the time of day and if you should be awake or asleep. Stop digital device time two hours before usual bedtime to ensure your child’s sleep schedule affected by blue light.

Do you have more questions about screen time and blue light? Stop by our office or give our office a call and we would be happy to answer your questions!

Smoking and Your Vision

Smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, including your eyes. It is the most significant preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. If you smoke, you have a higher risk of developing several eye diseases.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens in your eye, and the leading cause of blindness in the world. Smokers have double the chance of forming cataracts compared to non-smokers.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the macula in your eye, which impacts central vision. If you smoke, you are three times more likely to develop macular degeneration. Consequently, female smokers over age 80 are 5.5 times more likely than nonsmokers of the same age.

Uveitis

Uveitis is the inflammation of the eyes middle layer called the uvea. As a result, it harms the iris, retina, and can eventually result in blindness. Smokers have 2.2 times greater risk of developing uveitis.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Those who smoke and have diabetes have increased the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy damages the blood vessels in the retina and can result in vision loss. Smoking double the risk of developing diabetes, therefore, increasing your risk for diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic eye diseases.

Dry Eyes

Dry eye is when you do not have enough tears on the eyes surface, causing itchy and red eyes. Smoke is considered an eye irritant, consequently worsening dry eye symptoms for many. Therefore, those who smoke are twice as likely to experience dry eye and individuals who experience second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer from dry eye as well.

Infant Eye Disease

Smoking during pregnancy transmits toxins to the placenta and can harm the unborn child. As a result, smoking increases the chance of many fetal and infant eye disorders.

Infant Eye Disorders

  • strabismus
  • underdeveloped optic nerve
  • premature birth
  • retinopathy of prematurity
  • potential blindness

 

The best way to decrease your risk for developing these eye diseases is to quit smoking. It is never too late, at any age you can reduce your risk of developing these sight-threatening eye conditions. Contact our office to discuss the impact of smoking on your vision.

*All statistics are from https://www.allaboutvision.com/smoking/

Why You Need Multiple Pairs

Thanks to our busy lives, multiple hobbies, and all the activities in between, having multiple pairs of eyewear handy is a necessity. Even contact lens wearers should have alternative pairs of eyewear. But some of us still haven’t jumped on that bandwagon. If you’re still on the fence, here are a few reasons why it’s a great idea to have at least two pairs of eyewear:

Misplacement

We’ve all been there, searching for missing glasses just when we need them the most. An additional pair of eyewear can’t guarantee they won’t keep slipping through the cracks, but it will significantly reduce the chances of having to go without. Lost a contact lens and don’t have a replacement? Backup glasses can hold you over until your new contact lenses come in!

Style

Think about it: a night out on the town is going to call for more stylish eyewear than the amber-tinted lenses you wear at your computer desk. Funky frames may better showcase your personality, but a more neutral pair may be needed for professional situations. Having different styles of glasses removes this dilemma by giving you situation-specific options.

Protection

Chances are, your standard glasses aren’t going to adapt and darken in reaction to sunlight (unless you have photochromic lenses), so it only makes sense to invest in a pair of prescription sunglasses to protect your eyes. Polarized lenses are a good option, especially since the tint can be tailored to your specific sport or hobby.

Contact Lens Wearers

Plano sunwear is a must have for all contact lens users. Contact lenses do not protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. We recommend plano sunwear that blocks 100% of UV rays for anyone who wears contacts.

Schedule an appointment with our office if you’re interested in investing in a second pair of glasses! We will help you find the best frames and lenses for your lifestyle!

Vision Changes As You Age

As we age, our bodies experience declines in overall performance, including the performance of our eyes. The age-related vision changes become more noticeable as we reach age 60 and older. Some vision changes are entirely normal and do not indicate disease, whereas others may be indications of major eye diseases. This is why eye exams become particularly important when you reach age 50!

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is an ordinary loss of focusing ability, typically noticed after the age of 40. The lens inside your eye hardens as you age and causes difficulty focusing on objects up close. The first signs of presbyopia are often holding a phone or reading material farther away from your eyes. As you age, presbyopia will worsen. Eventually, it requires reading glasses, progressive lenses, or multifocal contact lenses to focus on objects up close.

Structures of the Eye

As individuals age, the structures of the eye can lose strength or desensitize which causes your vision to change. These are often subtle changes over time and make slight impacts on vision.

Pupil Size

Muscles that control pupil size and reaction lose strength over time, causing the pupil to become smaller and less reactive to light.

Dry Eyes

Our bodies produce fewer tears as we age. Women after menopause may experience worse dry eye symptoms than others.

Peripheral Vision

It is normal to experience some loss of peripheral vision. The average decrease in the visual field is 1-3 degrees per decade of life.

Color Vision

The cells responsible for color vision decline in sensitivity as we age, which can cause colors to appear less bright.

Vitreous Detachment

The gel-like substance in your eye, called vitreous, begins to liquefy as you age. It is potentially causing spots and floaters in your vision.

As you age, you should expect vision changes. However, the only way to ensure those changes are normal and not due to eye disease is through comprehensive eye exams with your eye doctor. Additionally, the standard recommendation is for individuals over age 50 to have annual eye exams to protect the health of their eyes.

Bad Habits: Aging Your Eyes

Do you feel like your eyes have aged? Some bad habits can make your eyes appear more aged than they are. The best way to preserve your eye health and appearance is to cut these bad habits out of your life!bits out of your life!

Rubbing Your Eyes

There are tiny blood vessels under their skin around your eyes, excessive rubbing can cause these vessels to break. As a result, you may notice dark circles, puffy eyes, premature crows feet, and drooping eyelids. We recommend you refrain from pulling or tugging this skin because it is very sensitive. If your eyes are irritated, place a damp cloth on them instead of rubbing.

Not Wearing Sunglasses

Protecting your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun helps your eyes to stay healthy and young. If you don’t wear sunglasses, you could damage the eyes or sunburn the eyelids. Additionally, you increase your risk for eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, pinguecula, and pterygium. To keep your eyes healthy, youthful, and safe wear sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays.

Smoking

Smoking is linked to eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, uveitis, dry eye, and diabetic retinopathy. This is a bad habit that drastically ages your eyes. Smokers are four times more likely to go blind than nonsmokers. Quitting smoking, no matter what your age, reduces your risk of developing severe eye conditions.

Not Sleeping Enough

Your eyes can appear aged if you don’t get enough sleep. Consequently, a lack of sleep can cause red bloodshot eyes, dark circles under the eyes, eye twitching, dry eyes, and blurry vision. Not sleeping is a bad habit for your overall health and wellbeing.

Dehydration

Not drinking water can make you dehydrated. When you are dehydrated your eyes do not produce enough tears. As a result, you may experience symptoms of dry eye.

Not Visiting Your Eye Doctor

The last bad habit you need to change is not visiting your eye doctor. Many eye diseases can go undetected and cause harm before you are even aware of changes in your vision. Some eye diseases have no warning signs and can cause irreversible vision loss. Regular visits to your eye doctor are the best way to protect the health of your eyes, detect vision problems, and find possible eye disease. Don’t forget to inform us of any family history that can help to protect the health of your eyes.

Eliminating these bad habits from your life can help to improve eye health and maintain a youthful appearance. Give us a call today to schedule your regular eye exam.

Don’t Lose Out On Your Insurance Benefits

The end of the year is fast approaching and you may have insurance benefits or flexible spending dollars that expire soon. With many insurance plans changing coverage in the new year, don’t miss out on using your benefits before they are gone.

Give us a call at 360-794-2020 to schedule an exam appointment, or request an appointment online, before it’s too late. If you need new glasses and have already had your eye examination, no appointment is necessary to have one of our Opticians review your benefits and find the perfect pair of eye wear to fit your needs.  

Request an Appointment

Are online eye tests any good?

Have you considered getting online eye tests? The idea of being able to get an eyeglass prescription and buy glasses without a trip to the eye doctor may sound appealing. Before ditching the traditional eye exams, there are a few things you need to know!

Online Eye Tests

The most important thing to know about online eye tests is they do not evaluate the health of your eyes. Even if they are called “online eye exams,” these exams only measure your visual acuity and refractive error. Some online eye tests can check for contrast sensitivity and color blindness. However, none of this can tell the health of your eyes.

The only way to know the complete health of your eyes is through eye exams with your doctor. During an eye exam, your doctor can detect vision-threatening conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Early detection of these conditions can prevent vision loss and blindness.

Know The Risks:

  • Online eye exams cannot detect eye diseases
  • Improper testing can occur due to error or misreading instructions
  • Higher chance of getting incorrect prescription due to self-administered the eye test
  • If you think the prescription is incorrect, your only option is to pay again and retake the test
  • An eyecare professional is not present to answer questions or concerns

Validation of Online Eye Tests

The results of online eye tests have not been guaranteed to be accurate measures of your prescription. Due to this being relatively new technology, there have not been enough studies to determine the reliability and validity of online eye tests.

Additionally, many online eye tests say their technology is suitable only for people between the ages 18 and 40 who are in good health. The limitations of the eye test raise concerns to the overall validity of the test. For these reasons, we do not recommend them as your sole option for your receiving your prescription.

The best way to ensure your eyes are healthy, you receive the correct prescription, and get answers to all your questions is through face-to-face eye exams with your eye doctor. Our staff of trained eyecare professionals will help you through every step of the process. Our office is here to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Computer Vision Syndrome: Eye Strain

According to The Vision Council, 65% of adults experience some form of computer vision syndrome. Often individuals associate eye strain as a “normal” part of computer work. However, the eye strain you are experiencing is a symptom of computer vision syndrome and can be reduced or avoided!

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

Computer vision syndrome is caused by the eyes and brain reacting to the characters on a computer screen. On-screen characters have less contrast than characters in print and are more challenging for our eyes to focus on. The difficulty of having to focus on the characters on computer screens is what causes eye fatigue and strain.

Symptoms of CVS

Depending on the individual they may experience one, several, or all symptoms of computer vision syndrome. These symptoms can cause discomfort for the individual and make it difficult to complete work effectively.

  • Headaches
  • Loss of focus
  • Burning eyes
  • Tired eyes
  • Red eyes
  • Double vision
  • Eye twitching
  • Blurred vision
  • Neck and shoulder pain

Ways to Combat CVS

Many computer users find their eyes feel strained working under fluorescent lights. Users feel more eye comfort when using floor lamps instead of harsh overhead lights. Minimize the reflection of glare off your computer screen by installing an anti-glare screen on your monitor. Consider closing the blinds to prevent the sun from reflecting off your computer screen as well.

The type of screen and settings of your screen can also impact your eye strain. We recommend making sure you have an LCD screen because it has an anti-reflective surface and is more comfortable for the eyes.

Additionally, you can adjust the settings of your screen for optimal viewing. A few settings to adjust are the brightness, text, and color temperature. The brightness should be the same as your surrounding workstation, the text size and contrast can be changed to your comfort level, and reducing the color temperature lowers the amount of blue light emitted by your screen.

Computer Eyewear

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of computer vision syndrome is to visit our office. Your eye doctor can perform a few tests to detect vision problems which could be contributing to your computer vision syndrome and help decide if computer eyewear is the solution for you. Many individuals discover computer eyewear helps reduce their symptoms and improves their productivity.

Schedule an appointment with our office to discuss the impact computer work is having on your eyes and the best ways to reduce your eye strain and fatigue.

 

2019 Fall Frame Show Sale

Join us for an exclusive event showcasing two amazing brands, 141 Eyewear and NW77th. For one day only Monroe Vision Clinic will have the entire collection of these frame brands on display, 30% off of your purchase, and raffles for prizes including a free pair of eyewear.

Date: Thursday, October 10, 2019
Time: 1:00pm-6:00pm
Location: Monroe Vision Clinic
14841 179th Ave SE, Suite 110Monroe, WA 98272

More about these brands:

NW77th

NW77th
NW77th is the latest eyewear line from Erker’s Fine Eyewear. The first collection of NW77th included 9 models with 3 colors each. Their longtime friends and partners in the industry, who also had retail stores, took notice and soon began asking if they could buy NW77th from them so they could sell in their own stores. They quickly began selling lots of it and kept begging them to come out with more. At this point they knew this collection had some legs! They quickly expanded the brand to 60 models and sent them out to our salesforce in the US and Canada where they have had great success.

Erker’s Fine Eyewear is a family-owned business with a rich St. Louis history, dating back five generations to the company’s inception in 1879.

Some fun facts about this brand:

  • All of their metal frames are named after micro brewery beers
  • They are a 5th generation independent eyewear manufacturing company (currently run by a father and his two sons)
  • The owners great great grandfather designed and creates the goggles that Charles Lindbergh wore on his first flight across the Atlantic!
  • They are the oldest optical in the United States still run by the original descendants
  • Their frames are designed by opticians

141

141 Eyewear
141 Eyewear is designed in Portland. For every 141 Eyewear purchase, they give a new pair of prescription glasses to a person in need. No portions of proceeds. No percentages. You buy, they give. 141.

In early summer 2009, while discussing eyewear and the possibility of starting their own company, they decided that they would change the optical industry by the way they do business. 141 Eyewear was on a mission to share their passions for eyewear and giving by creating a for-profit company with a non-profit soul. For every pair of glasses they sell, they would give a pair to a person in need. Plain and simple.

Imagine what the world would look like if every one of us took a portion of what we know and what we’re passionate about, and gave it to someone else in need. We would collectively change the world. It is that vision which inspires their design, mission, and movement.

Eye Allergies in Every Season

Eye allergies are caused by the same substances that give you a runny nose and sneezing. Individuals with seasonal allergies typically experience various reactions to their allergens such as sneezing, itchy eyes, or a headache. Symptoms of eye allergies include itching, redness, burning, and clear watery discharge. Additionally, you may notice dark circles under the eyes and puffy eyelids. It is essential to manage your allergies to prevent these allergy symptoms and other eye infections related to seasonal allergies.

Winter Allergies

Indoor allergens are the most common cause of eye allergies during the winter months. Spending more time inside with the house closed up tends to worsen these allergens. We recommend using mite-proof bedding to limit exposure to dust mites. Frequently wash bedding, blankets, and furniture to decrease allergy symptoms from both dust mites and pet dander. Additionally, using a dehumidifier is the best way to control mold in your home mainly focused on basements and bathrooms.

  • Dust Mites
  • Mold
  • Pet Dander

Spring Allergies

Spring can be a dreaded season for seasonal allergy sufferers. Pollen is the primary cause of reaction during the spring months. With the trees, flowers, and plants coming into bloom their pollen can severely irritate your eyes. Wearing glasses or sunglasses outdoors can help to prevent pollen from entering your eyes.

  • Tree Pollen
  • Flower Pollen

Summer Allergies

During the summer months, grass pollen and mold spores are the most common allergens. On high pollen count days, we recommend staying indoors as much as possible. To limit your exposure to allergens we recommend keeping your windows closed and using air conditioning in your car and home. Avoid using fans, as they can draw pollen and mold into the house.

  • Grass Pollen
  • Molds Spores

Fall Allergies

As fall comes around, seasonal allergies come back on the horizon. Check the pollen count and avoid spending time outside during peak pollen times. Mold spores begin to grow on damp leaves in the fall. While it can be challenging to prevent seasonal allergens completely, we recommend limiting your exposure as much as possible. Additionally, replacing the carpet in your home with hardwood, tile, or linoleum helps to keep pet dander and pollen from settling in your home.

  • Ragweed
  • Mold Spores
  • Pet Dander

Don’t let eye allergies stop you from living your life. We can help you manage your eye allergies and control your symptoms. Give our office a call or request an appointment to discuss your allergies with your eye doctor!