• Drops to prevent infection
• Drops to keep the eye moist
• Drops or a bandage contact lens for pain.

Expect to see your eye doctor once a day until healing is established.

Once the pain has been managed you may start wondering how did this happen, and when will it heal.  Generally speaking, the eye heals very fast.  The cornea (the part of the eye a contact lens rests on) has many layers.  When the layers are disrupted or abruptly removed an abrasion is formed.  Causes can be mechanical (ex: tree branch in eye), chemical (ex: soap in eye), or from dehydration (ex: extremely dry eyes).  Most abrasions are completely healed in seven days; many times the intense pain is only for the first 24 to 48 hours.  Good clear vision takes the longest to heal.  One key point to remember is it is very important to keep the eyes wet so that the abrasion does not re-occur.

Most people, when this happens or any other minor eye condition, immediately think to go the their family physician to be seen. You should absolutely come to see your eye doctor first. Sometimes there may be additional problems that the or she is just not equipped to handle and will refer you to us anyways. Skip the extra medical bill and just come see us first.

Remember us next time you have any eye problems. Call us anytime – during working AND non-working hours for this or ANY eye emergency: 850.479.7379.

Thank you to ALL Veterans who have bravely served this great nation.

11.11.11: That’s the date today. All 11′s. the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year. That’s kind of cool. Many people have set out to have special events on days like this, particularly getting married. Most women seem to do that so their brand new spouse will have no trouble remembering their anniversary date. Yeah, good luck with that.

However, something also that’s pretty cool about the 11.11.11 date is today is Veterans Day. Here at Sight & Sun Eyeworks, we LOVE our veterans. We proudly wear red shirts on Fridays and give to many of the local and national charities such as Wounded Warrior Project & USO.

And what I have found is that some people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. Here’s a quick break-down of the two very important days that we celebrate:

• Memorial Day: This day is set aside to remember all of those brave and courageous men and women, who in the face of combat, laid down their lives for the greater good of our country. These men and women were often husbands and wives, fathers and mothers and at the very least, sons and daughters. These Airmen, Soldiers, Seamen & Marines were told told to protect and defend our great nation and unfortunately & regrettably lost their lives. This day is set aside for them and them alone – our fallen heroes.
• Veterans Day: On this day, we celebrate ALL who have served, past & present. Regardless of branch & time of service, we honor them. In today’s time, we have an ALL VOLUNTARY military. There is no requirement to serve – none. When the young men and women are sworn in to defend this country and Constitution, it is by their choice and theirs alone. So today, we honor them.

One of the things I teach my seven year old son to do is when we see a veteran or a military retiree is to stop what we’re doing, walk over to the gentlemen and I say, “Landon, let’s thank this real live hero for what he has done for our great country.” And I shake hands with the soldier and have my son do the same as we say “Thank you “.

So should you be out enjoying a lunch, shopping at the store or just walking in a park and you see someone in uniform or maybe one of those ubiquitous navy blue hats that say “retired”, shake their hands, look them right in the eyes and say, “Thank you”. That is the very least we can do for them. And trust me, it means a ton to them that you would even take the five seconds out of your day to do that.

And while we honor the veterans on this day, we also honor them every day by giving them 20% off services everyday. This includes pair of glasses & professional fees.*

Below is just an excerpt from Wikipedia on Veterans Day.

Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

History

The U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said

To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.

The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that the President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Alvin King the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11 to honor all veterans. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Celebration

Because it is a federal holiday, many American people have the day off from school or work for Veterans Day. A Society for Human Resource Management poll in 2010 found that 21 percent of employers planned to observe the holiday in 2011.

Non-essential federal government offices are closed. No mail is delivered. All federal workers are paid for the holiday; those who are required to work on the holiday sometimes receive wages for that day in addition to holiday pay. The holiday is often celebrated by having a ravioli meal. This tradition dates back to the ending days of World War I when President Woodrow Wilson, aware that the returning soldiers would be longing for home cooked meals, invited 2,000 soldiers to the White House and helped his staff chefs cook them ravioli, which had just become a mainstay in mainstream American kitchens due to commercial canning. Free meals for Veterans are offered in many fast food and casual dinner restaurant chains. In his Armistice Day address to Congress, Wilson was sensitive to the psychological toll of the lean War years: “Hunger,” he remarked, “breeds madness.”

*Discount may not be combined with any other offers and may not be used on contact lens.

Tommy L Neel is the Web Developer for Sight & Sun Eyeworks and a former United States Marine.

In honor of World Blindness Awareness Month taking place in October, SSEW encourages everyone to become more empowered about their eye health by browsing our vast collection of eye problem & eye health self educational videos. These high quality videos cover a wide range of eye issues that can occur (symptoms and treatments), as well as plethora of information to help you learn and prevent certain issues.

According to a 2005 study by Neilson/Net Ratings, a global leader in media and market research, the internet is considered the most trusted source for health information after physicians.  As the number of Americans seeking health care information on the Internet grows, SSEW plans to match that trend by providing website visitors centralized vision care information, written in language that is clear and easy for them to understand.

Contained within our site, you will learn more about the leading causes of blindness such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration, learn about any one of our 12 doctors on staff and even share important health topics with family and friends through our convenient social media buttons – Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail and others.

*According to the World Health Organization.

The old adage of “you get what you pay for” definitely holds true with eye makeup.  Look at all packaging when making your purchase.  In the U.S., these products are required to declare ingredients and color additives on the label.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates what is safe to use around the eyes, including mascara, eye liner, shadow, concealers, brow pencils, makeup removers, eye drops and contact lenses.  Always wash your hands before touching around your eyes or applying eye makeup.  Don’t share or swap and always be cautious about using “testers” at the cosmetic displays.  Do not use saliva or water to moisten eye cosmetics, as it will introduce bacteria and increase your risk of infection.  Use your head and do not apply makeup in a moving vehicle or a crowd.  Eye injuries are painful and potentially damaging to your vision.

Eyelash extensions and false eyelashes are very popular this time of year.  Use extra care when applying them and do not get the adhesives in your eyes.  Gently remove them as the skin on your eyelids is very thin and delicate.  Spray hair dye and glitter with your eyes closed and keep them closed until the fumes settle.  Monster and clown makeup should be applied sparingly on the lids and kept away from the “wet” inside lining of the lids.  Your body will produce more tears and mucous to rinse any foreign particles out, but that will blur your vision and you may miss out on seeing something memorable.

Contact Lens wearers need to take addition precautions:  put on soft contact lenses before applying makeup, avoid lash-extending or waterproof mascara, use oil-free moisturizer, use water based hypo-allergenic liquid foundations and remove contacts before removing makeup.  Never use someone else’s contact lenses and remember that your Optometrist can prescribe the correct fitting lenses tailored to your unique eyes.  Keep that healthy glow going when it comes to your eyes.  Take good care of them and follow all the instructions your doctor gives you.  You need them for a lifetime of fun!

Mary Charbonneau, OD

Legal blindness: The criteria used to determine eligibility for government disability benefits and which do not necessarily indicate a person’s ability to function.

In the US, the criteria for legal blindness are:

• Visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better eye with corrective lenses (20/200 means that a person at 20 feet from an eye chart can see what a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet);

or

• Visual field restriction to 20 degrees diameter or less (tunnel vision) in the better eye.

Note that the definition of legal blindness differs from country to country and that the criteria listed above are for the US.

Ok, so what that means is you can be totally blind in one eye, but if the other eye can see 20/100 or better with your glasses on, you are not considered legally blind.  From a practical standpoint, one eye blind and the other best corrected to: 20/20 you are considered normal; 20/50 your ability to drive comes into question; 20/80 you are not legal to drive in most states.

Another key point is the visual field restriction.  Visual field measures your side vision.  The two most common reasons for this kind of legal blindness are glaucoma and stroke.  What it looks like is tunnel vision; you can see great straight ahead, but things sneak up on you from the side.  Tunnel vision is very dangerous when driving, walking across the street, etc.

So when you ask me if you are legally blind when you take your glasses off, the answer is no, but you sure see better with them on!

That is all for now.

Dr. Jill Anderson

For children, eye injuries happen mainly during sports and other active play. According to Prevent Blindness America, approximately 40,000 sports-related eye injuries each year in the United States are severe enough to require emergency room care — that’s one every 13 minutes!  And experts agree that 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented by wearing protective eyewear.

The best way to encourage your kids to wear protective eyewear is to lead by example and wear it yourself. Also, educate your kids about the risk of eye injuries and insist that they follow your example.

Sight & Sun recommends scheduling a consultation to make sure your child’s eyewear fits well and provides the amount of protection needed for the sports and activities he or she participates in.

All children’s eyewear, including everyday prescription eyeglasses, should include lenses made of polycarbonate or Trivex. These lightweight lenses are considerably more shatter-resistant than standard plastic lenses, making them the best choice for safety and sports eyewear, too.

Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses also shield your child’s eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which may reduce their risk of eye problems such as cataracts later in life.

We carry the latest in Rec Specs from Liberty Sports. We have a wide variety of frames for the many sports your children play:

• Swimming
• Water Sports
• Scuba Diving
• Cycling
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Football
• And many others

A few facts:

• More than 600K eye injuries related to sports and recreation occur each year
• Over 85% of children do not utilize protective eyewear in situations that represent a risk of eye injury
• Every 13 minutes a person with a sports related eye injury visits an emergency room
• More than 90% off all eye injuries can be prevented with the use of appropriate protective eyewear.

Schedule an appointment to learn about other sun-protective features for your child’s eyewear, including photochromic lenses and polarized sunglasses. Come in and see one of our friendly Techs to get your child fitted properly. Click the button below or call (850) 932-4184.

Vision changes are common after age 40, and risk for several vision problems increases with age.

Here are a few important age-related eye problems to be aware of:

Presbyopia is the normal age-related loss of near focusing ability that affects virtually everyone after age 40. Presbyopia is not an eye disease and can easily be corrected with bifocals, progressive lenses or multifocal contacts.

Cataracts are opacities in the eye’s lens that most often occur as a result of aging, and are the most common cause of vision loss among seniors. About half of 65-year-old Americans have some degree of cataract formation. Typically, vision can be restored with cataract surgery.

Macular Degeneration (Age related macular degeneration or AMD) is a serious age-related eye disease and the leading cause of blindness among seniors. Though the cause of AMD is not completely understood, chronic inflammation and oxidative changes appear to play a role.

Glaucoma describes a number of conditions that cause vision loss because of optic nerve damage, usually due to high eye pressure. Early detection is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss.

Diabetic Retinopathy is eye damage from diabetes that can cause blindness. Among known diabetics over age 40, the National Eye Institute estimates that 40 percent have some degree of diabetic retinopathy.

Other age-related eye problems include Dry Eyes, Reduced Peripheral Vision and Decreased Color Vision.

The best way to protect your eyesight for a lifetime of good vision is to eat a healthy diet, maintain a proper weight, exercise and have routine comprehensive eye exams at least every two years or more.

To schedule an appointment to screen for these problems, click the button below or call 850.939.3459.

Usually only the bottom lid of one eye is involved, but the top eyelid also can twitch. Most eye twitches come and go, but some can last for days or even weeks.

Though no one knows for sure why they happen, suspected causes of eyelid twitches include:

Stress. Our bodies react to stress in different ways, and eyelid twitching can be one sign of stress.

Fatigue. A lack of sleep, whether because of stress or some other reason, might trigger lid twitches.

Eye Strain. Vision-related stress can occur if you need glasses or a change to your eyeglasses prescription. Your eyes might be working too hard, triggering eyelid twitching.

Computer Use. Eye strain and eye fatigue from computer use also can cause eye twitching. Sometimes special computer glasses can help.

Caffeine and Alcohol. Too much caffeine and/or alcohol can trigger eyelid twitching.

Dry Eyes. Some eye twitches might be caused by dry eyes. If your eyes feel dry, try using artificial tears to stop the twitching.

If you have a particularly annoying and persistent eyelid twitch, you might want to try placing a cold compress on your closed eye for a minute or two.  In most cases, eyelid twitches stop on their own without any treatment, but if you have a twitch that persists or worsens over time, you should schedule an appointment.

To schedule an appointment, click the button below or call 850.932.4184.