Recently we closed the office and took the entire staff of Bright Eyes downtown to participate in  a day-long class on a new lens. We learned all about the features of the new electronic eyewear called emPower by Pixeloptix! I did know from seeing them at optometry meetings and reading about them in the news that this was an amazing breakthrough in bifocal lenses technology. But I did not know how exactly they work or try it myself.

Basically here is the just of it: You can put the glasses on and are able to see in the distance clearly without the same type of side distortion as with a lot of progressive multifocal lenses. Then you can touch the right temple of the frame and turn on the lens for reading. Tiny LCD areas in the lens change to bring whatever you are reading into focus. Just like that. See a demonstration here.

10 years ago, when I was an optician before becoming an optometrist, I remember having a patient tell me that they were not happy with their progressive multifocal glasses. She was annoyed that she had to move her head so much and that there was a small area where she could read it clearly. She said, “I wish there was just a button right here that I could press and change the glasses it from distance to reading.” At the time I thought that would be amazing but would probably never happen in my lifetime. Well, it has!

Another thing I learned about at this meeting  that I think is amazingly exciting is that Florida will be the one of the first places in the entire world that is going to be able to sell these new electronic lenses. Even more exciting is that we here at Bright eyes will be one of the first accounts in Florida to offer them! I’ll tell you… between treatment for macular degeneration,  electronic medical records, the Nintendo 3DS, and now these LCD electronic bifocal glasses,  I really do feel like we are living in the future!!

We will keep you up to date about how soon we will be able to offer the emPower glasses. It should be in the next few weeks. If you are interested in being among the first patients to try these lenses…. let us know!!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

The American Optometric Association recently held a School Readiness Summit: Focus on Vision in which doctors, nurses, educators and advocates for children’s health gathered to examine learning-related vision issues that are keeping children from achieving in the classroom. This summit was created to address the concerns that our current system is flawed and a policy shift is needed. The problem is that currently, the U.S. educational system and some health care providers rely heavily on vision screenings to discover the kids that need comprehensive exams. These screenings do catch some types of vision problems but they can miss about 75% of those children that have learning-related vision problems. Detecting these vision problems is very important as “studies show that much of what children learn comes though vision, and undetected and untreated eye and vision disorders in children, such as amblyopia and strabismus, can result in vision loss, additional costly treatments, delayed reading and poorer outcomes in school.”

The take-home statement that the summit produced is that comprehensive eye exams must serve as the foundation to determine school readiness in school-aged children. Another important point established at this meeting is the establishment of the link between healthy vision and classroom learning.

This historic summit is an important step in ensuring that children receive the proper detection and treatment of vision problems before they become detrimental to their learning. Here at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, we are excited to see these changes being made, since it has been our goal from the beginning to not only catch vision problems at an early stage, evidenced by the InfantSEE program that we offer that provides free eye exams to infants between the age of 6 months and 1 year of age, but to also treat certain types of problems through our extensive one-on-one vision therapy program.

If you have any questions regarding the InfantSEE program, vision therapy program, or would like to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for your child before they start school, give our office a call or come in to schedule.

All the best,

Justin Schoonover, CPO

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

I was originally asked these questions by email for an interview about video games and vision.  I was excited because there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about how video games can affect your eyes. Unfortunately,  the interview was not published, so I decided to print them here. If you have questions like this, please let me know. -Dr. Nate

Does playing video games cause more stress to the eyes than watching tv?

Playing video games is considerably more stressful for the eyes than watching TV, but it depends a lot on which form the games take. Games on the TV like Playstation and Xbox are different than games on the computer, such as World of Warcraft, which are different than handheld games like those for Nintendo DS (and soon 3DS).

The visual system is designed for looking at things far away without effort, assuming the eyes are healthy and, if needed, the correct glasses or contacts are being worn. When looking up-close, the eyes have to change focus and position.  The, over time, adds up in a big way. If the visual system is overwhelmed, gamers can have blurry vision, eye strain or headaches. If the eyes are too stressed to move properly, double vision and reduced performance can result. All this is made worse under stressful situations, overall fatigue, and times of extended mental concentration.

As a former gamer (before I had kids), I know that an awesome video game is much more likely to generate stressful situations, require extended mental concentration, and lead to fatigue from sleep deprivation than a random TV show. So gamers are already predisposed to have eye and vision problems.

But here is an additional twist: When we are under stress we have a “fight or flight” response. In this situation, our eyes are evolutionarily adapted to focus in the distance. This was useful when we were hunters and gatherers to help us see what we were hunting and what was hunting us. But it’s counter-productive when at the computer.

Finally, it’s known that people blink much less at the computer than at other times – as much as 60% less. When people don’t blink, the moisture on their eyes evaporates leading to dry, burning, irritated eyes and blurry vision. All of these things together are referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS.) Although CVS gets more attention in the workplace, it applies to recreational computer users, too.

What’s the best advice for video gamers regarding eye fatigue?

Hands down, the best advice is to take frequent breaks. There is a rule of thumb that eye doctors tell patients called the “20/20/20 Rule.” This means that every 20 minutes, look away from the screen at something specific at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds, like a clock or a picture.  When looking away blink your eyes several times and take deep, relaxing breaths.

When looking away, take note if the object you’re looking at in the distance starts off blurry and then slowly gets clear, as this is an indication that your eyes are working too hard and that you should take a longer break. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done, because video games are extremely engaging. When gamers are “in the zone” they often don’t stop to eat or drink, let alone take a 20/20/20 Rule break. Some people will put post-it notes on the monitors or set alarms to remind them.

Also, set up your gaming environment ergonomically. Make sure that your monitor is approximately two feet away from your eyes and not at an unusual angle. It’s best if there are soft lights on in the room so there’s not a big brightness difference between the screen and the surrounding space.

Remember to talk to your eye doctor during your annual exam about your computer use – both work AND at home. Let him or her know if you experience blurriness, fatigue, double vision, burning or discomfort at the computer. Some people think those things are just “normal” and ignore it, but that isn’t a good idea. Sometimes these symptoms are the sign of more significant underlying problems. Your doctor can do specialized testing to determine the problem. You may be given a prescription for special eyeglasses for the computer, eye drops to use, or a recommendation for therapeutic techniques called vision therapy.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Here at Bright Eyes, we are proud to offer unique, high-quality eyewear. We are excited to announce that  Lightec is our newest line of frames. Made by Morel in France, these glasses continue our tradition of offering high quality and good-looking eyewear!

The name LIGHTEC comes from “lightness” and “technology” which allows for maximum comfort. The lightweight stainless steel frames offer flexibility and durability.  The high-tech spring hinges have no screws or internal hinges, meaning they are strong and secure. Lightec frames are available in a variety of eyeglass styles – full metal frame, semi-rimless and fully rimless – for men and women looking for fashion-forward, immediately comfortable frames.

We also feature the Lightec Carbon fiber frames – the temples are made with composite carbon and glass fiber materials for an amazing high-tech look. Take a look:

Stop by Bright Eyes Family Vision Care for our Eyewear Show on February 12 to see the whole Lightec collection, and save 25% off Lightec glasses – frames and lenses! If you buy any 2^nd pair, you will receive 50% off the lesser priced frame. (Prescription or non-prescription sunglasses included!)

And if you bring a friend to the show, you will receive an extra $25 off your purchase.  We would love to show them our optical and give them a chance to meet our optometrist, Dr. Bonilla-Warford.

Cristina Bonilla-Warford
Office Manager
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

It can come with no warning and no noticeable symptoms. It is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States. “IT” is Glaucoma, the Silent Thief of Sight.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and we encourage all people, especially those at higher risk for this disease, to familiarize themselves with the potential symptoms and need for regular eye examinations. A regular eye examination is especially critical since a person with early-stage Glaucoma may not notice any symptoms at all. While the early stage symptoms may not be noticeable, persons with more advanced Glaucoma may notice blurred vision, the presence of halos around lights, loss of peripheral vision and difficulty focusing on objects.

Glaucoma affects an estimated 4 million Americans.   Some people are more at risk than others. Those at higher risk include:

• People over the age of 60
• African-Americans over age 40
• People with diabetes
• Individuals that have experienced a serious eye injury
• Anyone with a family history of glaucoma

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Don’t forget!! Many vision insurance plans and flexible spending accounts(FSAs) expire at the end of the year.  Expenses for eye exams, contacts lenses and prescription eyewear are all eligible for reimbursement under FSA.  If you haven’t used your benefits or you still have money in your FSA, you may want to consider getting those computer glasses, sports goggles or a funky new pair of glasses to update your look!

UPDATE: I was just emailed this link with official FSA info: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p969/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000204190.

Image “Expired” via ®ian

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

]]> http://www.brighteyesnews.com/2010/12/13/fsa-use-or-lose-it/feed/ 0 http://www.brighteyesnews.com/2010/09/10/the-optometrist-song-video/ http://www.brighteyesnews.com/2010/09/10/the-optometrist-song-video/#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:27:06 +0000 Dr. Nate http://www.brighteyesnews.com/?p=1955

Fun Video!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

This video is EXACTLY the way I remember optometry school in Chicago.

Check to watch on Youtube

Bright Eyes News is BACK on Technorati! A long time ago it, was listed, then it was dropped. Now there are so many blogs that the confirmation/evaluation period takes weeks to complete. Now we are back as one of the few eye doctors with blog, we have an authority of 116!

Here is the full link:

http://technorati.com/blogs/brighteyesnews.com

So next time you are on Technorati, drop us a comment or make us your favorite!
Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.