How to Reduce Dry Eye Symptoms in the Winter

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Dry eye symptoms can often worsen during the winter months due to factors like low humidity, exposure to cold winds, and indoor heating. Therefore, many patients reach out for dry eye treatment in Wellington, FL, in the cooler months of the year. Here are some tips to help reduce dry eye symptoms in the winter.

1. Use a Humidifier
If you are using your heat to stay warm when Wellington temperatures dip below a comfortable level, it may also be a good idea to run a humidifier if you have dry eyes. Heat systems lower the humidity in the air, which can also mean tears evaporate quickly. Therefore, you may have more dry eye symptoms.

2. Reduce Indoor Irritants
If your winter months involve more time indoors, consider doing a quick indoor air quality evaluation. Poor air quality can do a number on dry eyes. What kind of pollutants or irritants could be contributing to your dry eye issues inside your home? A few common indoor irritants include:

Tobacco smoke
Pet dander
Dust mites
Cleaning chemicals
Home air fragrances
3. Stay Hydrated
Good hydration is key to tear production. In the winter, when the weather is a bit cooler and you’re not sweating, you may not reach for water as often as usual. Unfortunately, not taking in enough H2O can worsen dry eye symptoms.

4. Wear Sunglasses
If you have to be outdoors during the winter when the temperatures are lower than usual, be sure to wear your sunglasses. Cool wind can dry your eyes out faster than the typical warm, moist air of summer. However, sunglasses may help.

Discuss Dry Eye with a Wellington, FL Eye Doctor
Need additional support for dry eyes from a Wellington, FL eye doctor? Reach out to the team at Family Vision Center to schedule an appointment.

3 Reasons to See the Eye Doctor in 2023

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Seeing the eye doctor in Wellington, FL is good for your vision and your eye health. Have you made an eye appointment to see your doctor in the new year? If not, you should! Here’s why we recommend that our patients make an appointment for an eye exam in the new year.

1. Update Your Prescription

During routine eye exams, your eye doctor will check your vision for changes in your corrective lens prescription. If your prescription has changed, you should get new eyeglasses or new contact lenses (whichever applies to you). It’s important to update your prescription on a regular basis to ensure that your vision is clear and focused.

2. It’s Possible to Have an Eye Condition and Not Know It

Some eye conditions, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, have no symptoms in the early stages. Seeing the eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to catch these conditions before they become serious. Catching these conditions early can save your vision, and help you get on top of treatment.

3. Your Eye Insurance Likely Covers An Exam Each Year

If you have eye insurance, your insurance likely covers one eye exam each year. Find out from your insurance provider what’s covered under your policy. If your insurance policy does cover an eye exam, take advantage of the benefit. Get an eye exam in Wellington, FL.

Call Family Vision Center PA to make an appointment for your eye exam. We offer exam services, corrective lenses and treatment for a variety of eye conditions. We can help you take care of your eyes in 2023. Call today to make an appointment.

The Four Types of Myopia Control

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If you can see objects near you but not objects far away, you might need to see an optometrist in Wellington, FL to get a diagnosis. You might have myopia.

What Is Myopia?

Myopia is nearsightedness and it’s very common. Nearsightedness is when a person can see objects close to them but can’t clearly see objects far away.

What Is Myopia Control?

Myopia control in Wellington, FL is the process of and the steps taken to slow down the progression of myopia.

The Four Types of Myopia Control Explained

Here are the four most common types of myopia control. Your optometrist will recommend which solution is best suited for your particular situation.

1. Atropine Eye Drops

Altropine eye drops are generally used to help reduce the pain that sometimes accompanies different types of eye inflammation. Altropine eye drops also help relieve focus fatigue. They do this by dilating your pupil. This temporarily limits your eye’s ability to focus.

2. Multifocal Contact Lenses

Multifocal contacts help people with all types of vision issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism to see more clearly from any distance, specifically those experiencing normal age-related focusing issues called presbyopia. Additionally, multifocal contacts can help slow myopia progression in some kids as well.

3. Multifocal Eyeglasses

Multifocal eyeglasses can also help kids with myopia and adults with presbyopia. They work similarly to multifocal contact lenses. However, some studies show that multifocal eyeglasses only have a slight myopia slowing effect in kids.

4. Orthokeratology and Ortho-k Lenses

Orthokeratology is also known as corneal reshaping lenses. The contact lenses for this option are called Ortho-k. These lenses are specially designed gas permeable contacts and are only worn at night while you are sleeping. They are then removed in the morning. This nightly temporary correction is enough that no corrective lenses are needed during the day.

Contact an Optometrist in Wellington, FL Today

If you would like to make a vision appointment for yourself or your child, please Contact Vision Source Signature Eye Care today. We would love to discuss possible myopia control solutions with you. Together, we will find a myopia solution that best suits your needs.

Signs It’s Time to See An Eye Doctor

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Do you know when it’s time to see the eye doctor in Wellington, FL? Hopefully, you see the eye doctor on a regular basis. This is especially important if you have eyeglasses. Going to the eye doctor can help protect your eyes and vision. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s Been a Year Since Your Last Exam

If you need eyeglasses or corrective lenses to see properly, then you should see the eye doctor for a check-up at least once annually. Remember, prescriptions change. Seeing the eye doctor will help ensure that your prescription still meets your needs, and if your glasses aren’t working for you, then your doctor can prescribe new ones.

Even if you don’t have glasses, you should still see the eye doctor periodically. Some conditions, like glaucoma, present few or no symptoms before vision loss has occurred. Your eye doctor can catch glaucoma in its early (asymptomatic) stages, and can help slow the process to protect your vision.

You’re Exhibiting Symptoms

Some eye conditions have noticeable symptoms. See the eye doctor if you’re having any one of the following problems:

  • Red eyes
  • Blurry vision
  • Headaches
  • Eye fatigue
  • Eye pain

If you’re not sure whether you need to see the eye doctor, describe your symptoms to your eye doctor. He or she can let you know if you need to get help from a professional.

You Want New Eyeglasses

Before you can get new eyeglasses in Wellington FL, you’ll have to see the eye doctor first! Your eye doctor will check to be sure that your current prescription meets your needs – and if not, your eye doctor will update your prescription accordingly.

Is it time for you to see the eye doctor? Call Vision Source to make an appointment. Get started today!

Suffering From Dry Eye This Winter? What You Can Do

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Dry eye can be a pain – literally! Dry eye can make your eyes itchy and uncomfortable. When you’re fighting dry eye, it’s important to see the eye doctor in Wellington, FL. It’s also important to know what you can do at home to keep the dry eye at bay. Here’s how we suggest you manage dry eye.

Use Over-the-Counter Saline Products

Over-the-counter saline products can help prevent dry eyes. Saline mimics the effects of normal tears to keep your eyes moist. When using saline products, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get best results.

Humidify Your Home

Sometimes dry eyes occur because of a dry environment. One way that you can add moisture to your environment is by humidifying your home. Buy a portable humidifier to place in the parts of your house where you spend the most time. The bedroom, living room and dining room are often some of the best places to place a humidifier.

Avoid Using Blow Dryers

Blow dryers can dry the eyes through blasts of hot air. It’s best to avoid using blow dryers all together, but if you must use a blow dryer, aim it away from your eyes. Use a low setting and keep the temperature of the air on “cool”.

See Your Eye Doctor

Sometimes dry eye occurs because of a condition. Other times, dry eye occurs because of a medication or because of conditions in the environment. Your eye doctor can help you determine the cause of your dry eye, and which treatment is best. For dry eye services in Wellington, FL, call today to make an appointment.

Your Little One Is Nervous About the Eye Doctor? How to Help

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It’s not so unusual for your little one to be nervous about seeing a new doctor. If your child is nervous about seeing the eye doctor in Wellington FL, there are many things you can do to make the experience less scary. By saying positive things about seeing the eye doctor, describing what to expect during the eye appointment, and using other strategies, you can make the experience of going to the eye doctor better for your child.

Say Positive Things About the Eye Doctor

You know that going to the eye doctor isn’t a scary experience, but your child may not be aware. One of the ways that you can help your child develop a positive attitude about the eye doctor is to show your child that you have a positive experience when you go for your own appointments.

Start talking about how you enjoy your visits to the eye doctor because you enjoy getting new glasses when the time comes. Even if you don’t have eyeglasses, you can also talk about how your eye doctor is a nice person, and share qualities about the eye doctor that you appreciate.

Describe What to Expect

Many children are afraid of what they don’t know. You can quell your child’s fears by talking about what happens when you go to the eye doctor. Talk to your child about reading the eye chart, and about how the eye doctor looks into your eyes to check for diseases. None of these things hurts, so be sure to tell them that!

Get Them Excited About Choosing Glasses

The most exciting thing about going to the eye doctor is getting new glasses! If your child will be getting new glasses when they go to the eye doctor, ask them about the type of glasses they hope to get, what color, and so on. Get them excited!

Choose an eye doctor who offers pediatric eye services in Wellington FL. To make an appointment, call Vision Source today.

Can Myopia be Reversed?

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For the last 30 years, the rate of people being diagnosed with myopia has skyrocketed in the United States. This disease occurs when the eyeball is malformed, causing blurry distance vision. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with myopia in Wellington, FL, the question you might have is if this condition is permanent. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that simple.

Myopia is Not Reversable

First, you might just want to know if the disease is reversible. The simple answer to this is no. However, you do have some options to slow down or manage some of the symptoms of myopia.

Managing Myopia With Contacts

If you’re an adult, you’re likely looking at getting contact lens or glasses that will improve issues with blurry distant vision. Since adult eyes have already fully grown, slowing down the progression of myopia is usually not possible.

Managing Myopia in Children

There are some possibilities to help slow down the progression of myopia in children. Children may have a custom set of contact lenses called KIDS, standing for Keratometric Induced Dioptric Steepening, that are placed in their eyes overnight. These contact lenses send a signal to their eyes that they need to slow down growth, causing the effects of myopia to slow down. Your Wellington, FL optometrist can offer details about this.

Atropine, prescription eye drops, are also sometimes used for children with myopia. For those already wearing custom contact lenses, these can be used to add to enhance the effectiveness of the lenses. Smaller children also use these eye drops when they aren’t quite mature enough to wear contact lenses.

Whether you have myopia or your children do, there are options to help with vision or slow progression of the condition. Schedule regular appointments with an eye doctor to learn more about all of your options.

Is My Child Too Young For Eyeglasses?

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Poor vision can afflict young children just as it can adults. When a child’s vision is bad, it can negatively impact learning, development, eye-hand coordination and even self-confidence. Most experts agree that children should be screened for vision problems as early as six months of age. But can a child be too young for eyeglasses?

The Development of the Eyes

When a newborn comes into the world, they are not able to focus correctly. The muscles in the eyes are still learning to work together. It may be eight weeks or more before a baby is fully able to focus. Good color detection may not come along until around five months of age.

Give Children a Chance

Your Wellington, FL optometrist for children will want to wait until your child’s eyes have had a chance to develop fully on their own before prescribing eyeglasses. This is because wearing eyeglasses changes the way the eyes focus. You wouldn’t want to prevent eyes from being able to focus naturally without first giving an opportunity to do so without the use of corrective lenses.

Responsibility and Eyeglasses

Children’s maturity should also be taken into when determining if they are old enough for eyeglasses. A pre-schooler will not be able to independently care for their lenses. But with the guidance of the optometrist in Wellington, FL and the parents, the child can learn to keep the eyeglasses on while doing activities, and learn to put them in a designated cases when not wearing them. This is easily-learned behavior that is akin to taking care of their prized toys.

You and your child’s eye doctor will need to determine if and when your child should get eyeglasses. If glasses are prescribed, you can rest easy, knowing that your child’s vision is being well-treated.

Does Your Little One Need to See the Eye Doctor? 5 Signs

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This may come as a surprise: children need to see the eye doctor even if they aren’t experiencing symptoms of eye disease. Knowing when to take your child to the eye doctor in Wellington FL, and how often to take your child to the eye doctor, can help you take care of your child’s vision. All children deserve to see properly! Below are the signs that your child needs to see the eye doctor.

1. They Haven’t Been to the Eye Doctor Before

Your child should see the eye doctor for the first time when they’re about one year old. If your child is about one year old and has never been to the eye doctor before, then now is the time.

Once they’ve been to the eye doctor for the first time, unless the eye doctor recommends that they come back for a follow-up, your child won’t need to see the eye doctor again until they’re about to go to school. They should see the eye doctor every year before school.

2. They Sit Close to the TV or Whiteboard

Does your child sit very close to the television or the whiteboard in school? If so, this is a sign that your child could be having trouble seeing things up close. If this is the case, your child needs to see the eye doctor.

3. Your Child Squints

Squinting is a sign that your child is trying to adjust their vision without glasses on. Squinting might help your child see a little better without help from glasses, but if they need to squint, then they probably need glasses.

4. Your Child Holds Things Close to Them

Do you notice your child holding things close to their face in order to see them? Sounds like your child needs an eye appointment! Call to make your child’s pediatric eye exam in Wellington, FL.

contact-lenses

How Contact Wearers Can Prevent Eye Infections

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Contact lens wearers touch their eyes and the area around the eyes much more than eyeglass wearers, and in fact more than other people in general. Because of this, there is a higher risk for eye infections in those who wear contacts. If you wear contact lenses in Wellington, Florida, here are some tips for preventing eye infections.

Wash Hands Before Handling

Any time you touch contacts with your hands, there’s a risk of transmitting germs from your fingertips to the lens. Avoid this by washing hands with soap before handling your contact lenses. D

Use Lint-Free Hand Towels

After washing hands, dry with a lint-free hand towel. This will prevent bits of fluff from the towel from getting onto the lens, which could irritate the eye.

Use Branded Contact Lens Solution

There are many generic and store brands of contact lens solution now. However, branded contact lens solutions are more likely to be completely sterile and safe, since the company is protecting their brand. To be on the safe side, invest in branded solutions only. They cost only pennies more and are worth it.

Replace Contact Lenses

Be sure to replace your contact lenses with new ones according to the advice from your Wellington, Fl optometrist and the manufacturer’s instructions. If you have one-day lenses, don’t try to stretch their use into a week, for example. Old contact lenses disintegrate and you don’t want that material to possibly infect your eye.

Never Wear a Torn Lens

When you’re late for work or school and discover a torn lens, you may be tempted to wear it anyway, just for the day. Never wear a torn lens as this could cause an eye infection. Instead, keep a pair of prescription eyeglasses on hand and wear those until you can get new lenses.

For contact lenses in Wellington, FL, contact us to book an exam or to have your lenses checked for quality.