Tips for Those Who Wear Contact Lenses

It doesn’t matter if you’ve worn contact lenses for years or you’re about to wear your first pair—there are some basic tips you should know to avoid problems with your lenses. Read on to learn how you can properly take care of your alternative to glasses.

Inspect the lens. Before you place a lens in your eye, you need to check to see if it’s inverted or not. First, make sure you wash and dry your hands before you handle your lens. This will prevent any bacteria from being introduced. Next, put the lens on your finger so that it forms a cup. Bring your finger up to your eye level and look at the side of the lens. If it forms a “U” shape with its top edges flared out, your contact lens is inside out. If it forms a “U” without a flare, you’re good to go.

Make a routine. Your lenses are different, meaning the left and right lenses are meant to be put in your left and right eyes, respectively. (It’s really no different than your shoes. Think about it: You wouldn’t try to put your right shoe on your left foot, would you?)  To avoid putting the wrong lens in the wrong eye, make sure you start with the same lens and eye every time. This simple trick helps you avoid switching your left and right lenses.

Keep it clean. Again, it’s important you wash your hands properly. Do this with antimicrobial soap and follow up by thoroughly drying your hands. To prevent contaminating your lenses, avoid any soap that contains creams or oils.

Avoid damage. While it may be tempting to pinch a lens with your fingertips, try to avoid doing so. You can easily nick a lens with your fingernail and cause damage. Not only that, your nails are a good source of bacteria. For these reasons, it’s best to hold your lens in the palm of your hand.

 

Eat Your Way to Healthier Vision

It’s true that “you are what you eat,” even when it comes to your vision. By choosing foods that are full of powerful nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc as well as vitamin C and E, you can nourish your eyes with what they need to help prevent age-related eye problems.

Macular degeneration affects more than 13 million Americans, and approximately half of Americans over the age of 80 have cataracts. Simply by changing your diet, you can protect your eyes from these conditions. So, the next time you’re at the grocery store, try shopping around the perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find produce and protein to not only properly fuel your body, but also your eyes.

Super Foods That Do Your Eyes Good
Carrots, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Garlic, Turkey, Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Wild salmon, Sardines, Kale, Oranges, Eggs, Nuts and seeds

If you really want to pack a healthy punch, try some eye-healthy recipes. For instance, here’s an oatmeal recipe courtesy of the American Optometric Association that’s sure you start your day off right.

Creamy Orange-Cherry Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups DHA-fortified milk or soy milk
2/3 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat milk/soy milk and cherries on medium high, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When simmering, add oats. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until oats are cooked and liquid is absorbed, which takes approximately 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Add orange juice concentrate and stir thoroughly. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with nuts, if desired. 
Maximize the vitamin C content by adding the orange juice after cooking. This oatmeal is so sweet, you won’t even need sugar!

Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional information (per serving): 417 Calories; 13% fat (6 g total, < 1 g saturated), 75% carbohydrate (78 g), 12% protein (12.5 g), 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 26 mg vitamin C, 1 mg vitamin E, 136 mg sodium.

When Does Your Baby Need a Vision Appointment?

If you’ve welcomed a little one into your life, one of the greatest moments you’ll cherish is looking into their eyes for the first time. Not every baby makes eye contact, but there’s good reason for that. Much like walking or talking, the visual system of an infant takes some time to develop—in fact, in the first weeks after birth they don’t see much detail and only see in black and white plus shades of gray. While it takes several months for your child’s vision to develop, there are some steps you can take to ensure they have proper vision.

Once your baby is born, your doctor will quickly examine her eyes to rule out any serious problems. While such problems are rare, it’s vital to detect any issues right away in order to treat and minimize their impact on your child’s visual development.

During your child’s first few months, she will start to focus on objects that are 8 to 10 inches away from her face, which is generally the distance at which you keep your face from hers. This is also the period when eye-hand coordination starts to occur, as your baby will start to be able to track moving objects with her eyes and try to reach for them.

With important vision milestones such as these, the development of your baby’s eyesight will be checked during well baby visits. While you’ll make frequent visits to your baby’s doctor, it’s recommended that you also visit an optometrist after she has reached an age between six and 12 months for a more thorough eye examination. Generally, your baby will be tested for excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightness, farsightness, or astigmatism; eye movement ability; and eye health problems. Just like at birth, if any issues are found early on, it will be easier to deliver corrective treatment to your child.

If you need to schedule an appointment for your baby, please give us a call today!

Makeup Tips for Ladies Who Wear Glasses

Creating a good balance between your glasses and makeup can be quite the challenge. To help you hit the streets looking your best in your stylish specs, here are some makeup fundamentals you should know.

Stay neutral. You don’t want to compete with your fashionable frames, so stick to neutral colors for your eye makeup. Avoid cooler colors such as grey tones because they can leave you looking tired and dull. Instead, play up warm eye shadow tones for the most impact.

Keep it defined. Glasses can make your eyes appear smaller, so it’s essential to line your top lash line. And to maintain an even more polished look, make sure your brows are well groomed.

Punch it up. Opt for a couple coats of mascara instead of eye shadow and color your lips with a bright hue, such as a red, bright pink, or coral. With this quick and easy look, you’ll balance out your face with a modern flair.

Match your frames. Your eye liner should mimic the thickness of your frames. So, if you wear a thick, chunky pair, make sure your eyeliner follows suit.  

Add some glimmer. Your frames magnify your eyes, and you can use this to your advantage. Add a touch of shimmery eye shadow to your bottom lid, and you can subtly play up your look.

Conceal it well. Glasses can also enhance dark circles underneath your eyes, but using an under eye concealer will help make your eyes look bright and refreshed.

Curl those lashes. Not only will your eyes look bigger once you use an eyelash curler, but you’ll also prevent your lashes from touching your lenses.