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Choosing an Optical Shop

An optical shop is far more than a place you go to choose lenses and frames. If you are truly concerned about your eye health and ensuring that you get the best possible care, it is important to take your time to choose the right optical shop for you.

You should take the following factors into consideration:

Experience and service

The right shop will provide you with an optician and support staff with adequate experience and knowledge. It is good to know that you are in the hands of a highly trained professional who understands and is able to meet your needs. The right optical shop should have an experienced and professional optician if not an optometrist. If shopping for your child, ensure that the optician is experienced working with children.

The staff should be able to answer your questions or at least help you find the answers to your questions. They should be respectful, friendly and willing to help.

Offer a wide selection

It is important to ensure that the shop offers a wide selection of products. This ensures that you’re likely to find what you need at the shop. They should carry a wide variety of products for different applications. They should also carry a wide variety of styles and sizes to suit varying needs.

Warranties

Good quality prescription glasses are not cheap. They are also delicate items that can easily be damaged. Replacing these items can be very costly. It therefore helps to ensure that the store offers warranties on these items.

Be sure to examine the terms of the warranty. Different shops provide different types of warranties for lenses and frames. It is therefore important to understand what is covered under the warranty and how long the warranty remains valid. It is also important to determine what would make your warranty void in order to avoid this situation.

Pricing

The pricing of products such as glasses depends a great deal on where you live as well as what is covered under your insurance. If your insurance doesn’t cover glasses, eye exams and other vision related treatments, you should consider shopping around for separate insurance coverage that will help you cover these costs. It is also important to find a store that offers reasonable prices on high quality items. Search for discounts and offers that can help you save money on items.

Don’t be bullied into buying anything at any particular store. Take the time to find the right you’re your particular needs.

Foods to Boost Your Eye Health

‘Eat your carrots. They’re good for your eyes.’ We all grew up with this phrase repeated to us over and over. Carrots were once believed to be the super food that promotes eye health. However, science has gone beyond carrots.

While it is true that beta-carotene (vitamin A that occurs in carrots) promotes smooth eye function, there are many more nutrients required for better eye health. If you want to boost your eye health, you ought to consider a wider variety of foods with various nutrients that work towards improving eye health.

Fish

Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna are great for protecting your eyes from drying. The omega-3 fatty acids also work to prevent macular degeneration as well as the development of cataracts.

Include fatty fish in your diet to not only improve your eye health but also benefit your bones, heart and brain. If you don’t like fish or other seafood, you can get Omega-3s by including fish oil supplements or flaxseed oils in your diet.

Green leafy vegetables

Spinach is for much more than building Popeye-sized muscles. Green leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, broccoli and kale play a vital role in protecting your eyes. They contain zeaxanthin and lutein. These two ingredients are key in preventing macular degeneration and cell damage in the eyes.

Eating those leafy greens will help to prevent degenerative eye diseases that can result in the complete loss of vision. Incorporate these vegetables in your daily diet if you want to maintain your vision for longer.

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein. If you’re in the habit of eating only egg whites, be sure to incorporate egg yolks once in a while. Egg yolks are a great source of zeaxanthin, lutein and zinc. These are all critical ingredients in reducing the risk of developing macular degeneration.

Berries and citrus fruits

Fruits are a great source of vitamins that are vital for the functions in our bodies. Citrus fruits and berries are especially rich in Vitamin C, which is vital for protecting the eyes from the development of cataracts as well as macular degeneration.

Citrus fruits also contain high levels of beta-carotene. This is the precursor for Vitamin A, which has been shown to promote healthy vision. Vitamin A helps in improving retina function to enable you to adjust to low light levels. It helps to prevent night vision.

To learn more about your eyes, talk to an eye care specialist today or read about the anatomy of your eyes.

Eye Problems and Diabetes

Eye complications are common in people who suffer from diabetes. This is because of the high blood sugar levels as well as high blood pressure suffered by diabetic patients.

It is therefore important to have regular eye exams if you suffer from diabetes. This will ensure that the complications are identified early and your doctor is able to treat them.

Some of the possible eye problems diabetes patients can develop include:

Glaucoma
Patients with diabetes often have high blood pressure. This prevents proper fluid drainage from different organs in the body including the eye. When fluid continues to build up within the eye, it damages the blood vessels as well as the nerves. This results to changes in vision. It can also result in the gradual loss of vision.

There are treatments for glaucoma. It can be diagnosed by most ophthalmologists during a routine eye exam.

Diabetic retinopathy
The retina is responsible for turning light into images. It is the group of cells that receive light that enters the eye and is refocused by the lens. The retina is supplied by small blood vessels. These vessels can be damaged as a result of high blood sugar levels. This in turn results in damage of the retina and the development of diabetic retinopathy.

The condition can lead to eventual blindness. It can also result in retinal detachment, which can only be corrected by surgery.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most important reasons why diabetics should schedule regular eye exams. If it is caught early it can be managed. However, the best thing you can do is maintain consistent blood sugar levels

Blurred vision
One of the first reactions people have when they notice they have blurry vision is to purchase glasses. However, the cause for blurry vision when you have diabetes could run much deeper. High blood sugar levels can cause the lens of the eye to swell up and interfere with your vision. If you are diabetic and notice that you have blurry vision, please see your eye doctor right away.

Cataracts
The lens is vital for focusing light entering the eye. It is responsible for ensuring that a clear image is formed. Cataracts result when proteins in the lens of the eye degenerate and clump together. They form cloudy masses that interfere with vision.

Although cataracts is normally an age related condition, people with diabetes can develop cataracts much earlier in life. Cataracts result in impaired vision and eventually cause complete loss of sight. Cataract surgery will be required to deal with the problem. The lenses with cataracts are removed and replaced with artificial ones.

Diabetic keratopathy
The cornea is the thin layer that protects your eyes from the elements of the environment including dust. It also controls and focuses light entering the eye. Diabetic keratopathy is a condition in which the nerves of the cornea are damaged. The condition results in corneal ulcers, dryness and infection.

The bottom line with all of these conditions is that if you have diabetes, you should schedule regular eye exams to identify any potential concerns early before it becomes a major problem for you. Find an ophthalmologist in your area today.

Protect and Preserve Your Eyesight

If you have great vision, it’s easy to take it for granted. But you shouldn’t. If you want to maintain your eyesight and avoid deteriorating vision for as long as possible, you must take an active role in protecting and preserving your eye health. That includes protecting your eyes from acute and long-term injuries.

Protect Your Eyes from Direct Injury

No one enjoys wearing safety glasses or goggles, but it can save you from permanent vision loss. Depending on what you do for a living, you may need to wear protective eyewear at work, even if your employer has never suggested it.

Eye protection is also needed for a wide variety of tasks at home from yardwork to home improvement projects, as well as many hobbies and leisure activities. Make sure you wear the proper type of glasses or goggles for the job. You may need protection from projectiles, dust, chemicals, or blows to the face.

Protect Your Eyes from The Sun and Other Radiation

Sun protection is easier to accomplish, but just as important. UV rays cause damage over time. Choose sunglasses that provide “100% UV Protection” or “UV 400 Protection”. And, you have to wear them. It’s easy to remember on bright days when you need them for comfort, but most of us are remiss on cloudy days. If you only wear your sunglasses when it’s bright because you can’t see well enough with them on darker days, get a pair with light tint or no tint at all. The tint has nothing to do with UV protection.

Indoor tanning is far worse for your eyes than sun exposure, because the rays are so concentrated. The safest bet is to avoid indoor tanning altogether. For those who choose to indulge despite the risks, goggles that are made specifically for use in tanning beds are a must. You do not get adequate protection from sunglasses, a towel, or closing your eyes.

To learn more about the best type of eye protection for your career, lifestyle and activities, please consult with an ophthalmologist near you.