OptimEYES your family’s vision & eye health, indoors and out
You've heard that the eyes are “windows to the soul,” but did you know they are also windows to other aspects of your health? A comprehensive eye examination will not only check your vision and your eyes’ health – the exam can also reveal signs of other health issues, including hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, high cholesterol — even certain cancers.
Every member of your family should see an eye care professional annually to ensure that their eyes are healthy and that they can see as crisply and clearly as possible. However, eye exams are but one (important) piece of the overall puzzle: adults and children also need to take steps to protect their eyes from everyday threats such as the damaging rays of the sun, as well as eye-straining indoor light sources, including the digital devices we all rely on for work and entertainment, plus LED bulbs and TVs.
Repeated, unprotected exposure of the eyes to sunlight (even during Fall and Winter) has many negative effects:
Short term: risk of photokeratitis (corneal inflammation – like a sunburn to the eye)
Longer term: Retinal damage, increased risk of cataracts, pterygium (a growth in the corner of the eyes) and pinguecula (a lesion on the surface tissue of the white part of your eye)
Over time, the very sensitive skin that surrounds your eyes will naturally get thinner, drier, and start to wrinkle. Ongoing exposure to the sun will accelerate this process, and can lead to skin cancer.
An annual eye exam will detect the above, and your optometrist can provide treatment options where available. To prevent sun damage, invest in a good pair of sunglasses (in your prescription if you need vision correction), with total UVA/UVB protection; polarized lenses are also a good choice to virtually eliminate glare. Quality sunwear will protect your eyes and should be worn all year round, even in overcast conditions and during months with fewer daylight hours. Ask your eye care professional about photochromic lenses (Transitions® are a popular brand) which are clear indoors and darken outside – like having two pairs of glasses in one!
With the prevalence of technology use by people of all ages, digital eye strain is becoming a significant concern in the optometric community. These devices – computers, tablets, and smartphones – emit High-Energy Visible (HEV) Blue Light, which can cause eye fatigue, blurred vision, headaches and sleep disruption in the short term, and may contribute to retinal damage over the long term.
Children are watching digital screens more than ever nowadays, with average use estimated to be 6+ hours daily. Ask your eye care practitioner about new technologies, including “blue defense” lenses and coatings, which alleviate eye strain by decreasing the amount of HEV blue light that reaches the eyes, and take steps to lessen your use of devices and get outside more (just don’t forget the sunglasses).
Due to employment changes and other life events, some people do not have vision benefits (or they have insurance, but it only covers an exam every other year), and as a result they do not visit their eye care practitioner and update their eyewear as often as they should. Enter the Metro Optics Vision Club, the ideal choice:
For those who don’t have eyecare insurance
As a supplement for those with vision benefits that only cover services every other year
The $99 Vision Club membership fee covers a comprehensive eye exam at any Metro Optics location, plus a pair of glasses (single-vision or bifocal) from the Vision Club selection. If you’re looking beyond the basics, Vision Club memberships also entitle you to discounts on frame and lens upgrades, as well as second pairs and contacts. Metro’s e-commerce site, www. metroopticsonline.com, offers easy online sign-up for the Vision Club. All major credit cards are accepted.