Brian Regan Eye Exam

What to experience in an Eye Exam…..from a patient’s perspective!

more about “Brian Regan Eye Exam“, posted with vodpod

Why don’t people have eye exams?

Having been in practice for almost 24 years, I always think that I’ve seen it all, that no patient or unusual case can suprise me.  But sadly, this is not true.  I was motivated to write this because of a patient I examined yesterday, which again made me wonder why people don’t have routine eye examinations.  The patient that I am referring to is a 14 year old high school freshman, just passing her courses, just getting by in school.  Her examination revealed poor uncorrected vision, and she noted that she suffers with constant headaches.  When I uncovered a large degree of Myopia (nearsightedness) and Astigmatism, I understood why she could not see.  The sadest part about this was that this was her first eye exam!   A teenager, with notably bad vision who had never been examined.  When I demonstrated how well she could see with the proper eyeglass correction (in  a trial frame), she smiled broadly, and was  stunned at how different her world looked. Her mother remarked that maybe now her grades will improve.  Do you think?

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated situation.  My colleagues and I see this all the time, children, teens  and adults who go through life with less than optimal vision or even poor vision, failing in school or on the job.  The last time I checked, we do not live in a third world country, and eye care is readily available.  Programs are available for those that cannot afford eye examinations and or glasses (Lions Club, Luxottica One Sight).  When polled about their greatest fears, loss of vision or blindness is consistantly one of the most frequent responses that people will list.  Yet generally, most take their sight for granted.  Hopefully, if we, as Eye Care Professionals continue to get the message out, the general public will stop taking optimal vision for granted and start having annual eye examinations.  There is no reason why anyone shouldn’t see their best.  I can’t help but wonder how different my patient’s scholastic career may have been if she had routine eye exams starting at an early age.

Want longer, thicker, darker eyelashes?

The FDA recently approved LATISSE for the treatment of hypotrichosis (lack of growth) of the eyelashes.  LATISSE has been shown to increase eyelash growth (length), increase fullness (thickness), and increase eyelash darkness.  LATISSE is a solution that is applied once nightly directly to the skin of the upper eyelid margin, at the base of the eyelashes, using FDA approved sterile applicators.  LATISSE is available by presciption only, and requires follow-up evaluation while using the drug.  For more information, visit the LATISSE web-site by clicking on the link below…..

Latest Contact Lens Update…..

The contact lens pipeline continues to flow……We are happy to have two new contact lens options to offer our patients.  For those patients over 40, who are experiencing the onset of Presbyopia (loss of ability to focus at near), Vistakon has launched Acuvue Oasys for Presbyopia.  So far, we are experiencing excellent results.  We also recently received our diagnostic fitting set of Air Optix Night and Day, which is really an improved version of Ciba Vision’s Night and Day, an extremely breathable material with approval for 30 days continuous wear.  Our patients have commented that the new Air Optix Night and Day is indeed even more comfortable than the original, and they like that the new version has a light blue visibility tint, for improved handling.  For more information about the newest contact lens products, or to schedule an appointment to discuss contact lens options, contact any of our locations.

Looking for a great deal on Eyewear?

Mike Sweeney,  General Manager of  Lenscrafters next to our Deptford, NJ office has made us aware of a great new promotion available at all Lenscrafters locations…….

Now through March 28th Lenscrafters offers 50% off all lenses with the purchase of a frame. 50% off all lenses includes all bifocals and progressive lenses including the new Advance View Progressive lenses, all sunglass lenses including polarized lenses, all clear wear lenses including anti reflective and transitional lenses.

some exclusions apply: not applicable with Oakley, Maui Jim, Revo lenses. Please talk to a Lenscrafters associates for all details.

2nd Annual World Glaucoma Day

Today, March 12, 2009 is Annual World Glaucoma Day.  Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide…..For more information on Glaucoma, click on the image below….

The Importance of Sight…….

Click on the link below to view a great video that drives home the message about the most important of our five senses…….

http://www.healthysightforlife.com/

AFFORDING MEDICATIONS…..

More and more in our practice, we encounter patients who tell us that they cannot afford their medications.  Usually, these are Glaucoma patients, who need to use eye drops usually once or twice a day for the rest of their lives.  Many of these patients are senior citizens, on fixed incomes, and either have no prescription plan or a very limited plan with high co-pays.  As the economy continues to worsen, and the cost of these medications escalate, our patients either use their drops incorrectly or stop using them all together, increasing their risks for serious vision loss or blindness.  Pharmaceutical companies, such as Alcon and Allergan, do have programs to assist eligible individuals, and we have been able to assist patients  in successfully enrolling in these programs.  Just recently, however, one of associate Doctors, Mary Ellen Gallick, O.D. made us aware of a web-based company, RxHope which helps people in need to obtain their medications.  RxHope is a company that acts to facilitate obtaining medications for those that cannot afford them either at no cost, or for a small co-pay.  They are dedicated to assisting the patient, health care provider and the pharmaceutical company in streamlining the delivery of medications to those who qualify, enabling the patient to continue with sight saving or lifesaving medications.

For more information about this great resource, click on the image below:

FACTS ABOUT EYES AND VISION……

In keeping with the spirit of  National Save Your Vision Month, we are sharing some interesting facts about eyes and vision……..

Did you know that:

• You can have 20/20 eyesight but still have a visual problem which prevents you from understanding what you see?
• That vision is learned and continues to develop from birth to adulthood?
• That blinking helps to protect our eyes by keeping them moist, and that when we blink, the eyelids spread tears across the eye surface?
• That the most active muscles in the human body are our eye muscles?
• That the most eye injuries are caused by baseball, followed by basketball, water sports and racquet sports?
• That reading in dim light can make your eyes feel tired, but is not physically harmful to your eyes?
• That you can’t use your eyes too much?  They won’t wear out!
• That poorly fit contact lenses can be harmful to your cornea?  Be sure to have regular yearly  eye examinations, especially if you wear contact lenses.
• That their are several, asymptomatic eye diseases that can begin prior to age 40, (glaucoma, for example)
• That cataracts cannot be removed with a laser?
• That, according to recent studies, Vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school age children?
• That almost 80% of pre-school age children never get an eye exam?
• That 25% of  junior high school aged children can’t read the board because of nearsightedness (myopia)?
• That 3.3 million Americans age 40 and older are blind or have low vision, and this number is expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2020 as the population ages?
• That according to the National Eye Institute, glaucoma is almost three times as common in African-Americans as in Caucasians?  Hispanics age 65 and older are also at increased risk of glaucoma.
• That Age Related Macular Degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in people age 50 and over?