A Few Tips for Protecting Your Family’s Eyes This Summer

Summertime brings with it a number of potential hazards for every member of your family’s eye health. From excessive sun exposure to chemicals in swimming pools to projectiles from lawn mowers, special consideration should be given to each summer activity with regards to eye protection and eye health.

Here are a few tips for safe-guarding the eyes of every member of your family this summer:

Wear a Hat and Sunglasses

Sun bathing in your back yard, boating on Lake Erie, spending the day at your county fair or experiencing the thrills of the roller coasters at Cedar Point all bring with them the potential for over exposure to the sun’s powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays.  Too many UV rays can cause a variety of eye problems from burned corneas to accelerating the development of cataracts.

Putting on a hat with a visor and wearing a good pair of sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays can save you from painful eye problems and distorted vision both now and in the future.  Make sure every member of the family wears a hat and proper sunglasses from the youngest child to mom and dad.

Wear Safety Goggles

Mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, building a bird house or sawing wood for the camp fire all have great potential for generating projectiles that could damage someone’s eye.  Before starting any of these activities, invest in a quality pair of safety goggles that are specifically made to protect your eyes during these types of projects. Sunglasses or your regular eyeglasses probably don’t provide the protection you need in these situations. Anyone who is helping or in the vicinity when these activities are being performed should be wearing safety goggles too.

Avoid Strong Chemicals

Swimming in a pool with too much chlorine or other chemicals can lead to red eyes, burning eyes and dry eyes.  These eye conditions can all be very uncomfortable and irritating. If your eyes start to sting or hurt when swimming, simply get out of the pool and rinse your eyes with clean water. Then, don’t go back in the pool unless the chemicals have been balanced. If burning or irritation of the eyes persists for more than a few hours, you should contact your eye doctor.

Get Eyes Examined and Talk to Your Eye Doctor

Summer is a great time to get caught up on eye exams for every member of the family. While at your eye exam, talk to your eye doctor about your family’s summertime activities and what he or she recommends to protect each family member’s precious vision.

Learn more about quality eye care and eye wear from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for more than 35 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Keratoconus Awareness

Keratoconus is an eye disease in which the normally round cornea becomes thin and starts to bulge into a cone-like shape.  When this happens, light entering the eye is abnormally refracted. When the altered light reaches the retina, the result is distorted vision.

As the cornea becomes irregular in shape, it causes nearsightedness and astigmatism to develop and progress. It may also lead to light sensitivity.

Keratoconus can affect one or both eyes. When keratoconus impacts both eyes, the deterioration in vision can make it difficult to perform daily tasks such as driving and reading normal size print.

Keratoconus typically begins in the teen-age years or early 20s and progresses over time, usually reaching its peak by the age of 40.  On average, this eye condition affects one in every one thousand people. It is more prevalent in males.

What Causes Keratoconus?

While the exact cause of keratoconus has not been specifically identified, research indicates keratoconus may be linked to an imbalance of enzymes within the cornea. This imbalance causes the cornea to weaken and bulge into a cone-like shape.  The occurrence of an enzyme imbalance within the cornea may be genetic; it may be a result of the environment; or it may be a combination of both.

Keratoconus is also associated with overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun, excessive eye rubbing and chronic eye irritation.

Treating Keratoconus

With the early stages of keratoconus, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses often provide adequate vision correction.  As the eye condition advances into more advanced stages, rigid, gas-permeable contact lenses (RGP lenses) may be used to restore clear vision.

There are also many types of contact lenses which have been engineered specifically for keratoconus. These types of lenses are typically a blend of both soft and hard contact lenses.

In 10% to 25% of people with this eye condition, keratoconus will advance to the point where corrective lenses (either eyeglasses or contact lenses) are no longer effective.  At this point, surgery becomes necessary.

There are a variety of surgical procedures to treat keratoconus including: placing corneal inserts just under the surface of the eye; procedures for strengthening the cornea; surgical techniques for re-shaping the cornea and; corneal transplants.

Regular Eye Examinations and Advancements with Keratoconus

Eye examinations conducted on a regular basis are a very important part of maintaining optimal eye health and clear vision.  Diagnosing eye conditions like keratoconus early helps you and your eye doctor work together to develop the right treatment plan specifically for you and your needs.

Visiting your eye doctor regularly also provides you with access to the latest advancements in keratoconus research and treatment.  Much work is being done studying this eye condition. Many new tools and techniques are emerging to treat it.  Your eye doctor is a tremendous resource for gaining knowledge about these advancements and how they can help you.

Learn more about quality eye care and eye wear from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for more than 35 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Shawnee Optical Now a Part of the Ashtabula Community

For more than 30 years, Shawnee Optical has played an integral part of communities throughout Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania by providing generations of families with superior eye care, quality eye wear and unmatched customer service. Over those three decades, the company has earned a well deserved and respected reputation as a trusted and reliable source for family optical care.

On April 18, 2012, Shawnee Optical officially became a part of the Ashtabula, Ohio community with the opening of its new location at 3705 State Road in Ashtabula. Optometrists Dr. Angelo DeVivo and Dr. Dawn Barkan along with the dedicated Shawnee Optical staff are continuing the company’s proud tradition of quality and affordable eye care for families in the Ashtabula area.

“We are delighted to join this community”, exclaimed Bob Leonardi, president of Shawnee Optical. “We look forward to serving the eye care and eye wear needs of Ashtabula residents and becoming long-time members of this outstanding community”, he added.

For more information about Shawnee Optical and its new Ashtabula location, including the telephone number, hours of operation and convenience of scheduling an eye appointment on-line, please visit the Shawnee Optical website at http://www.eyeweareyecare.com/Ashtabula_Eye_Care_Location.html.

Shawnee Optical Announces New Location in Ashtabula, Ohio

For more than 30 years, Shawnee Optical has been providing generations of families with superior eye care, quality eye wear and unmatched customer service. The company has earned a well deserved and trusted reputation throughout Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania as a trusted and reliable source for serving the optical needs of every family member from the youngest to the most senior.

That reassuring tradition of quality eye care and eye wear will soon be available to families in the Ashtabula, Ohio area. Shawnee Optical announced today it will be opening a new office on April 18, 2012 located at 3705 State Road in Ashtabula.

“We are proud and honored to join the Ashtabula community”, exclaimed Bob Leonardi, president of Shawnee Optical. “We look forward to serving the eye care and eye wear needs of Ashtabula residents and becoming long-time members of this fine community”, he added.

With the opening of the new Ashtabula location only a few weeks away, Shawnee Optical has already started to take appointments for eye exams. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call (440) 997-2020.

To learn more about Shawnee Optical or to schedule an eye appointment any time day or night, visit the Shawnee Optical website at www.shawneeoptical.com.

For those constantly on the “go”, Shawnee Optical recently launched an easy-to-use and convenient mobile website. Access information about eye care topics, view the latest eyeglass frame fashions or schedule an eye exam using your smart phone or other mobile device.

Some Facts About Cataracts

A person’s age plays a big role in the risk of a cataract. By the age of 80, more than 50% of Americans have developed some degree of a cataract in one or both eyes.  By age 95, that percentage jumps to almost 100%.

Although it is rare, a cataract can also form in children and even new-born infants.

No matter what your age, it’s beneficial to gain a basic understanding of what a cataract is, how to limit the risk of developing a cataract and what can be done if one does form.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is an eye disease where the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy. The lens of the eye is typically clear like a clean window. This allows light to pass through and provide a sharp image to the retina of the eye.  A cataract causes light passing through the lens to become distorted and cast an imperfect image on the retina resulting in blurred vision. The extent of the impaired vision is related to the level of cloudiness in the lens.

A cataract can develop in one eye or cataracts may affect both eyes. Cataracts are not contagious nor do they cause physical pain.

Preventing Cataracts

There are many steps you can take to limit the risk of a cataract. Staying healthy, avoiding certain lifestyle habits and having regularly scheduled eye exams performed on your eyes are all at the top of the list.

Research shows eating healthy and nutritious foods has a significant impact on your chances of developing a cataract. Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition state a diet high in fruits and vegetables aids in the prevention of cataract development due to the high antioxidant content of these foods.

Healthy diets and lifestyles also reduce the risk of developing health conditions which increase the chances of a cataract forming. Diabetes is one of the most notable health issues where the risks of cataracts are highly elevated.

Smoking and the over consumption of alcohol may also increase the chances of cataracts.  Studies show people who smoke a pack of cigarettes per day may double their risk of developing a cataract.

To address the risk of radiation related cataracts, proper sunglasses should be worn outside by people of all ages (including children) to protect the eyes from UV exposure.

Regular eye exams performed by an experienced eye care professional are also critical to reducing the risk of cataracts and limiting the impact on clear vision if a cataract does form.

What to Do If a Cataract Develops

Cataracts won’t just ‘go away’.  Some cataracts do stop progressing while others continue to grow and progress to the point where they will cause blindness if left untreated.

Cataract surgery is currently the only remedy for removing a cataract. It is one of the most common types of eye surgery performed in the United States today. However, the need for surgery is usually not immediate. Cataracts may be properly managed with the use of corrective lenses and it may take many years before surgery is necessary.

If a cataract does develop, it’s important to seek and follow the care and guidance of a qualified eye doctor to deal with a cataract and determine if our when cataract surgery is appropriate for you.

To learn about a company and a team of eye care professionals that have been providing their patients with quality eye care and eye wear for more than 30 years, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Children Shouldn’t Be Scared of Cycloplegic Refraction

The term “cycloplegic refraction” certainly sounds intimidating. Tell this to a child and it can be understandably frightening.  As with many unknowns, a little knowledge and setting expectations can take away unnecessary fears.

What is Cycloplegic Refraction?

Cycloplegic refraction is nothing more than a procedure used by eye doctors to gain an accurate reading of a person’s refractive error to help them see more clearly and comfortably.

Refractive error is the inability of a person’s eye to bend light correctly. If light is not refracted properly as it enters the eye, the result is distorted vision.

During the testing in an eye exam, a patient’s eyes may auto- focus, or accommodate, which leads to inaccurate and inconclusive testing results. When your eyes are auto focusing, your eye doctor cannot decisively determine your true eye prescription.

Cycloplegic refraction temporarily stops the eye’s ability to auto focus allowing your eye doctor to correctly ascertain your prescription and optimize your ability to see clearly and comfortably.

Why is Cycloplegic Refraction Common with Children?     

Cycloplegic refraction is often times used with children. Children have a strong ability to unknowingly accommodate, or auto-focus, their vision which makes eye exams yield inaccurate or incomplete results.

As described above, cycloplegic refraction briefly suspends a child’s ability to auto-focus. This provides the eye doctor with an uninterrupted opportunity to obtain an exact reading on the child’s refractive error and derive a true and accurate prescription.

What to Expect with Cycloplegic Refraction

Cycloplegic eye drops are placed in the patient’s eye to prevent the ciliary muscle of the eye from contracting and relaxing. This muscle is attached to the crystalline lens of the eye and controls the shape of lens.

There are a variety of cycloplegic eye drops which differ in strength and duration.  When these eye drops are applied, it causes the pupils to dilate and vision will become blurred for a few hours. Some patients also experience tearing and redness in the eyes.

Not Just for Children

Cycloplegic refraction is not exclusively for children. Adults sometimes need this procedure performed to gain a more precise eye prescription. If eyeglasses do not provide the level of clarity needed, this procedure may be appropriate to deliver a refined eyeglass prescription.

Learn more about quality eye care and eye wear from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for more than 30 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Eye Glasses: a History and the Future

Eye glasses are in the process of changing significantly. The eye glasses of tomorrow will be noticeably different than the variety of lenses and frames being offered today.

Eye Glasses History Lesson

Historians generally give credit to Italian monks for fabricating the first pair of eyeglasses at some point between the years 1285 – 1290. These spectacles, as they were commonly called, were used for reading.  Eye glasses to correct distance vision are estimated to have been crafted in the early 1400’s.

One of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, invented bifocal lenses in the year 1784 which allowed for correction of both distance vision and near vision in the same lens. An Englishman, Sir George Airy, designed lenses to correct astigmatism in 1825.

Trifocal lenses which have three specific powers (one for near vision, one for intermediate vision and one for distance vision) were produced by inventor and musician John Hawkins in the year 1826.

In 1958, Essilor International introduced progressive multifocal lenses which further enhanced lenses with multiple powers for distance, intermediate and near vision.

Innovations in Eye Glasses

Technology is playing an increasing role in the evolution of eyeglasses. Lenses have been developed and continue to be refined whereby the entire lens adjusts with your vision needs.

Electronic eye glasses have been designed with a special type of lens filled with a clear crystal liquid layer that can be electronically controlled automatically or manually. A touch of the finger to the side of the frames or a tilt of the head in a certain direction changes the entire lens to serve your vision needs. If you want to read something, a tilt of the head downward will cause the eyeglasses to automatically adjust the entire lens for near vision. A split-second swipe of the finger across the temples of your frames will allow you to look up from what you were reading and see a distant object clearly through the convenience and comfort of the entire lens.

Electronic glasses are powered by a battery and need to be re-charged. They are currently offered to the public but as you may guess with any emerging technology, they are rather pricey today.

Computing via Eyeglasses

While not targeted towards vision correction, electronic display eyeglasses are being developed that use eye movements to control presentation of information. These eyeglasses contain a microchip that takes data from a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and displays it directly on the person’s retina, creating an illusion that the images and text are a few feet away. Eye movements can control menus, search information, play video and conduct many other tasks routinely performed on desktops, laptops and mobile devices today.

This advancement in eye wear is still in the prototype phase. The technology is not yet at a point where its purchase and every day use are feasible.

Discuss emerging eye wear technologies that may serve your unique vision needs, lifestyle and budget with your eye doctor at your next eye exam. The options and the choices are changing.

To learn about a company and a team of eye care professionals that have been providing their patients with quality eye care and eye wear for more than 30 years, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

A Time for Evaluating Vision and Eye Care

The start of each New Year brings a time for evaluation and change.  Assessing vision and eye care are important steps in maximizing and maintaining eye health for you and your entire family.

 

 

 

Here are a few important questions to ask yourself:

•  When was my and my family members’ last eye exam?
• Are my and/or my family’s eye glasses prescription(s) up to date?
• Are my and/or my family’s contact lenses prescription(s) up to date?
• Is my and my family members’ vision clear both at a distance and close up?
• Do I strain or do I notice my family member’s straining to see either at a distance or when reading?
• Am I happy with the eye care and the eye wear my family and I have been receiving in the past?

 If upon answering these questions, you realize it’s time to see an eye care professional, consider the following:

 Training  

It’s important to find an eye care specialist with the proper training to meet your and your family’s unique requirements. Be sure when selecting an eye doctor you investigate their education, training, licensure and other credentials to confirm he or she offers the services that match your needs. You can confirm credentials by contacting your state’s board of optometry.

 

Experience

Experience is a critical characteristic in the selection of an eye doctor, especially if you or a family member has complicated eye conditions. Experience enhances an eye doctor’s abilities and skills so they can catch eye problems early as well as detect other potential health problems through eye examinations.

 

Reputation

The recommendation of a friend, family member or co-worker can be a great resource to point you in the right direction for selecting an eye doctor.  The Better Business Bureau can also be a great tool.

Quality and Customer Service

When it comes to your eye care and eye wear needs, you are a customer. You have choices of where to go and who to give your business to. You should be treated with respect and provided friendly and professional service. You should also be offered products that are made with quality and serve your eye care needs precisely.

Long Term Relationships

Finding an eye doctor that you and your family can build a long term relationship with is also a vital element that should not be overlooked. You should be relaxed with your eye doctor and communicate with him or her so your eye doctor can understand you, your family, your lifestyle, your careers and how best to provide the eye care that will be critical to the eye health of you and your family members at every stage of life.

To learn about a company and a team of eye care professionals that have been operating based on the above for more than 30 years, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Dry Eye Want to Make You Cry? Learn Why

Dry Eye Syndrome or Dry Eye is a catch-all term used to describe an abnormality with the tears of the eyes. Dry eye doesn’t necessarily mean your eyes are arid.  In fact, many people with dry eye have watery eyes.  Dry eye means there is a problem with the tear film of the eyes.

Dry eye can be extremely painful and uncomfortable with burning, stinging, aching and itching along with sensitivity to light, dryness, redness and blurry vision. Chronic dry eye can place significant limitations on your daily life both physically and mentally that prevent you from doing the things you want to do.

The tear film covering the surface of the eyes is made up of different layers. There is a watery (aqueous) middle layer, an oily (lipid) outer layer and a mucin (mucus) inner layer. Normal and properly balanced layers of the tear film are essential for eye health, clear vision and comfort. If an abnormality arises within any layer of the tear film, the tear film may not function properly and the symptoms of dry eye develop.

There are a wide variety of reasons and causes for dry eye including: insufficient production of tears, poor quality tears, aging, hormonal changes, external environment, contact lenses and medications.  The following takes closer look at the most common:

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction or MGD is a leading cause of dry eyes.  In fact, a majority of dry eye suffers have MGD.  With MGD, there is a reduction in the supply of oil or an abnormal composition of the oil produced by the Meibomian Glands. These glands are located in the upper and lower eyelids.  The oils produced by Meibomian Glands are used in the lipid (outer) layer of the tear film and prevent tears from evaporating too quickly. When the Meibomian Glands aren’t delivering the quantity or quality of oil needed in the lipid layer, dry eye will typically follow.

Aging

As we age, our bodies go through many changes. One of these changes is the natural decline in tear production.  As a result, dry eye is a common complaint of senior adults.

Environment

While not a specific cause of dry eye, your environment can magnify the affects of dry eye. Wind, heat, air conditioning and exposure to chlorine from swimming pools or showering all exaggerate and heighten the symptoms of dry eye. Extended time reading or using a computer can also aggravate dry eye symptoms.

Medications      

Medications often bring side effects and dry eye is sometimes one of them. The following is a partial list of medications people have taken and reported experiencing dry eye:

• Antihistamines:  Help to reduce allergies but studies have shown they can also decrease tear production.
• Antidepressants:  Are known to cause ocular or eye-related drying.
• Sleeping Pills: Both over the counter and prescription sleep aids may cause side of effects of dizziness, confusion, dry mouth and dry eyes.
• Birth Control Pills: Birth control medications stimulate hormonal changes which may lead to dry eye symptoms.
• Diuretics:  Commonly used medications for treatment of high blood pressure may cause dry eye.
• Isotretinion Medications: Used to treat acne conditions but may also cause dry eye.

Dry Eye Treatment

While there is no specific cure for dry eye, it’s very important to discuss this condition with your eye doctor so he or she can properly diagnose the type of dry eye and develop the appropriate plan and guidance for you. There are a variety of treatments your eye doctor may utilize for dry eye symptoms including, but not limited to, artificial tear drops, lubricating gels, medications and plugs.

To learn more about quality eye care and eye wear, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Turkey Vision and Other Quick Gobbler Facts

Today is Thanksgiving and it’s appropriate to share a few brief facts about turkeys. After all, they are the centerpiece of so many American dinner tables today.

Our specialty is eye care, so we naturally asked ourselves the question, “How well can turkeys see?  We did our research and here’s what we found out about a turkey’s vision as well as some other interesting facts about these birds. Note, the below relates specifically to wild turkeys, not their domestic cousins, who are actually the ones that the majority of us will roast in our ovens.

A True Native American

Wild turkeys are native to the forests of North America and are the only breed of poultry indigenous to the Western Hemisphere. Turkeys live in a wide variety of habitat but are most commonly found in hardwood forests with grassy areas.

An adult wild turkey has approximately 5,500 feathers and weighs between 10-20 pounds on average.  Their lifespan usually ranges from 3-5 years.

Wild turkeys were first domesticated in Mexico. Spanish explorers returned to Europe with turkeys from North America as early as 1519.

Nearly Extinct

Wild turkeys were on the verge of joining the dinosaurs. In the 1930’s, habitat destruction and overhunting had placed this bird on the brink of extinction. However, do to the efforts of environmentalists and hunters alike, the wild turkey has made a remarkable comeback. Today, wild turkey numbers have swelled to over 7 million.

 

Exceptional Eyesight

Wild turkeys have excellent vision during daylight hours. Turkeys see color and have a very wide field of vision. In general, their eyesight is about three times better than a human’s.

As any experienced turkey hunter knows, particular attention must be paid to what a person wears on a turkey hunt. Camouflage attire needs to match the surrounding terrain very closely. Otherwise, the turkeys can distinguish a hunter’s slightest movement very easily from over 100 yards away.

When turkeys see danger, they can flee rather quickly. A wild turkey can run at speeds of 25 mph and fly short distances at 55 mph.

 

Our National Symbol

If Benjamin Franklin would have gotten his way, the turkey would be our national bird instead of the bald eagle. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin wrote:

For my own part I wish the Eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character…. The Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.

Thanksgiving is a time to pause and give thanks for all the precious things in life including healthy and clear vision. Shawnee Optical wishes you and your family a Peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving!

To learn more about quality eye care and eye wear (for humans, not turkeys), please visit http://www.shawneeoptical.com.