Communicating openly with your eye doctor

Sometimes the things you don’t say can be just as powerful as the ones you do. In the case of going to the eye doctor, keeping an open and honest line of communication is vitally important to protecting your vision. Often, people will neglect to tell their eye doctor important information about their health, including problems with high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.

They may also remain silent about a family history with cardiovascular disease or stroke. While these health concerns may not seem immediately related to vision care, it is absolutely important to tell your eye doctor about your entire medical history. If an ophthalmologist is unaware of prior medical conditions, he or she may not be able to recommend the correct treatments or medications. This can lead to serious health consequences if you are prescribed medications with conflicting side effects or are allergic to a certain substance.

Before you go to your next eye appointment, make a list of any questions you want to ask your doctor, and bring along a sheet that outlines your medical history. It’s normal to want to say everything is fine when the doctor asks how a current treatment is working, but doctors appreciate honesty about your health. Being open about your struggles and conditions will allow you to be treated more safely and effectively. So, the next time you visit your eye doctor, speak up. The health of your eyes and body depends on it.

Your vision during nighttime driving

As we age, our eyes naturally start to change. You may find it harder to read at a distance, have trouble seeing in low-light situations, or notice that your vision becomes blurred – all of which can dramatically affect your nighttime driving skills. To help keep you safe on the road, the American Optometric Association recommends driving only on familiar, well-lit streets.

Because darkness can make it harder to distinguish objects and determine distances, older drivers should be extra careful when approaching intersections. It is also important to remove any distractions while driving at night, including the radio and cell phones. According to the American Optometric Association, keeping the windshield clean – don’t forget the inside! – can also help your vision. In any situation, it is always better to stay home or call a friend if you have doubts about driving in the dark.

Minimizing your driving from dusk to dawn can reduce the chance of getting in an accident or another unexpected incident. Talk to an eye doctor on your True Dental Discounts - vision plan about any concerns you may have about your vision as it relates to driving. The American Optometric Association recommends adults over age 61 schedule a comprehensive eye exam each year, so don’t wait.

Are you a good candidate for contacts

The popularity of contact lenses has skyrocketed over the last decade. It is not unusual to be unaware that someone you work with – or even one of your friends – has corrective lenses. But contacts are not for everyone. Many factors go into the decision to wear contacts, so be sure to talk to an eye doctor on your discount vision plan about your individual situation. In general, the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests that people who have the following issues may not be a good candidate for contact lenses:

• Severe allergies
• Frequent eye infections
• A dusty work environment
• Dry eyes that are resistant to treatment
• An inability to handle or properly care for the lenses

If you do get contacts, it is important to learn the proper method of cleaning and disinfecting the lenses. Dirty contacts can increase your chance of getting an eye infection, so make sure to thoroughly clean both the lenses and their cases. Also, anytime a lens is removed from the eye, it should be cleaned again before being reinserted.

If your eyes become irritated while wearing contacts, talk to your eye doctor and find a way to alter your routine. The fix could be something as simple as changing your wetting drops or, in some cases, it might be best to stick to wearing glasses. Your doctor will let you know which option is healthier for your eyes.

Hidden dangers to a child’s vision

It’s a well-known fact that sports can present a hazard for children’s vision, but did you know that one in particular is responsible for the most injuries? According to the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, baseball is the No. 1 cause of sports-related injuries in children ages 5 to 14. The unpredictable nature of sports makes it easy for accidents to occur, which is why experts recommend that kids always use protective eyewear. But the playing field is not the only place parents should be alert for dangerous objects. Some vision hazards – including scissors, forks and pencils – are found right at home.

The foundation suggests that parents look out for such common items as paper clips, rubber bands, fish hooks, clothes hangers, and other items with sharp or pointed edges. In particular, children should be closely supervised when in the presence of darts, BB guns, and other missile-firing toys. All of these objects have the potential to permanently damage a child’s vision should circumstances go awry. Finally, the foundation recommends keeping children away from all types of sprays and cleaners, as the chemicals can be highly dangerous.

Vigilance is a parent’s best tool, so keep your eyes out for any potential dangers – obvious or hidden. An eye doctor on your True Dental Discounts - vision plan can help you pinpoint specific hazards in your personal life and advise you on the best ways to keep your child safe and healthy.

Preventing and recognizing a lazy eye

Childhood is a time of rapid growth and change for the entire body, particularly for the eyes. A person’s sight undergoes critical developments in the early years, meaning parents must be extra-vigilant about their child’s eyesight during this time. One issue that can arise in young children is known as amblyopia – or “lazy eye.” In this case, one eye is strong while the other is weak, creating a harmful imbalance. True Dental Discounts, recommends that parents get their child’s eyes checked by age four because early treatment is the most effective.

Children who are treated before the age of nine are generally able to have better-restored vision than those who wait until their teenage years. It’s important to get the opinion of an ophthalmologist because it’s hard to detect a lazy eye (even the child may be unaware she has a problem). If an imbalance is detected, the eye doctor may recommend one of several treatments, most of which are geared toward building strength in the weak eye. This may be done by having the child wear an eye patch over her good eye or even using drops to blur vision in her good eye.

Both of these methods force the child to use her weak eye in order to regain strength and balance. While perhaps difficult at first, the payoff will be a lifetime of good vision. If you suspect your child may have a lazy eye, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your eye doctor. It’s always a good idea to get regular check-ups, and in case of a problem, your doctor can begin treatments early and effectively.

Are you a good candidate for contacts

The popularity of contact lenses has skyrocketed over the last decade. It is not unusual to be unaware that someone you work with – or even one of your friends – has corrective lenses. But contacts are not for everyone. Many factors go into the decision to wear contacts, so be sure to talk to an eye doctor on your True Dental Discounts, vision plan about your individual situation. In general, the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests that people who have the following issues may not be a good candidate for contact lenses:

• Severe allergies
• Frequent eye infections 
• A dusty work environment 
• Dry eyes that are resistant to treatment 
• An inability to handle or properly care for the lenses If you do get contacts, it is important to learn the proper method of cleaning and disinfecting the lenses.

Dirty contacts can increase your chance of getting an eye infection, so make sure to thoroughly clean both the lenses and their cases. Also, anytime a lens is removed from the eye, it should be cleaned again before being reinserted. If your eyes become irritated while wearing contacts, talk to your eye doctor and find a way to alter your routine. The fix could be something as simple as changing your wetting drops or, in some cases, it might be best to stick to wearing glasses. Your doctor will let you know which option is healthier for your eyes.

Should you replace your contacts?

You know the feeling: Your eyes begin to itch and feel dry. You notice redness and irritation. All of these signs point toward the fact that it’s probably time to replace your contact lenses. Despite popular belief, it’s not a good idea to stretch the time in between replacing your lenses. If an optometrist tells you to put in new lenses every month, you shouldn’t keep them in for six weeks. Same goes for keeping daily wear lenses in for a week or more. For one thing, contacts can acquire a buildup of bacteria or minerals that may scratch your eye and lead to infection.

The eyes are extremely delicate and must be taken care of with extreme caution; small changes in habit or environment can cause irritation or more permanent damage. So, while it may be tempting to put off replacing your lenses to save a few dollars, it’s not worth the risk to your eyes. Plus, with True Dental Discounts, the money you save with your membership card makes up for any benefits of stretching your lens-wearing time. What could be better than that?

Reading problems linked to poor vision

Does your child have trouble reading at school? If so, he or she may have undiagnosed problems with their vision. Even if a child has passed the vision screening at school, he or she may still have complications that go unnoticed during routine scans. According to the American Optometric Association, the eye chart test given in schools checks only for visual acuity – just one of seven skills needed to read properly. This results in many children “passing” the vision test who still need further testing and correction. Experts recommend children undergo a comprehensive optometric exam that tests not only for visual acuity, but also:

• Visual fixation – the ability to aim the eyes accurately, whether it’s on a stationary photo in a history textbook or on a moving line of text in a PowerPoint presentation.
• Accommodation – the ability to adjust eyes’ focus as the distance of an object in a person’s line of sight changes. This is especially important in school, where students often have to shift their focus from their textbooks to the chalkboard across the room.
• Binocular fusion – the ability to unify information gathered from each individual eye. If a child’s vision is not aligned correctly, the brain will begin to compensate by favoring one eye over the other, causing a lazy eye.
• Convergence – the ability to look at a nearby object by turning the eyes inward. This skill is important when children focus on doing homework or reading a book.
• Field of vision – the complete area able to be seen by a person’s eyes. Children must be tested for the appropriate levels of peripheral and central vision to ensure they can see and read well in the classroom.
• Perception -- the ability to process and recognize objects in a person’s field of vision. Proper vision skills are required for children to be able to consistently recognize shapes and other repeated images, like letters or numbers.

Once a child’s vision has been thoroughly tested, he or she will be given corrective lenses that address any diagnosed problems. This often removes a huge hurdle in the reading process and makes any additional reading therapies more effective. For more information about comprehensive visual exams for students, talk to an optometrist on your True Care Advantage vision plan. You can get significant savings on an exam that will set your child up for success in school, and in life.