What Does an Optometrist Do All Day? Glasses....Glasses....Glasses....or....

Have you ever wondered what an optometrists does all day?  

Most people know that if they are experiencing blurry vision, they can visit an optometrist who will provide them with a prescription for glasses or contacts.  But did you know that your optometrist does much more during your eye exam than merely prescribing glasses? And that not every cause of blurred vision can be fixed with glasses? That’s why every comprehensive eye exam also includes a thorough health check of your eyes.  Why do your eyes need a health check? And what exactly is your Optometrist looking for?

For us to be able to see, light must travel into and through the eye without difficulty, from front to back. When light enters your eyes, it must pass through several layers before reaching the back of the eye, where visual information is then sent to your brain via the optic nerve.

Your Optometrist needs to examine all of these anatomical layers to evaluate your eye's ability to receive and appreciate the light. To do this, they use an instrument called a "slit lamp", which utilizes a series of lenses and mirrors to magnify your eye, similar to a microscope.

The health of your eyes can change at any time and can be happening without you knowing it. The only way to be sure that your eyes are healthy is to have regular eye health checks. Most optometrists would recommend yearly eye health checks, just like your medical doctor and dentist do.

So what exactly is your optometrist looking for
 during these health checks?  

Let's start by reviewing the anatomy of your eyes!

• The outermost layer of the eye is called the cornea. Many people confuse the cornea with the iris, which is the coloured part of the eye. The cornea is crystal clear and needs to stay that way to optimize the movement of light through its layers. The shape of the cornea is also partly responsible for determining the prescription of your glasses and contacts. For example, if your cornea is not perfectly spherical in shape, then you likely have some degree of astigmatism. Infections and scratches can cloud the cornea, causing a decrease in your vision. The cornea is protected by a tear film layer that is left behind after each blink you take. A compromised tear film can lead to dry eye symptoms such sandiness and grittiness on the front of your eye.
  

• Surrounding the cornea on all sides, the “white of your eyes” is called the sclera. This area is a tough outer layer that acts like a shell to protect the eye from puncture. You might notice that the sclera appears red from time to time. This redness is due to the enlargement of blood vessels sitting on top of the sclera. These blood vessels are normally very thin and difficult to see but become enlarged as a reaction to irritation. This irritation can be caused by many things, including infection, inflammation and dryness.
  

• Sitting behind the cornea is the iris or “coloured part of the eye”. The colour of the iris ranges from dark brown to pale blue depending on the amount of pigmentation present: a tremendous amount of pigment in brown eyes, a tiny bit of pigment in green eyes, and almost no pigment at all in blue eyes! In the middle of the iris, there appears to be a round black dot. However, this dot is actually a hole known as the pupil. You may have noticed that the size of the pupil changes throughout the day. This is normal. The pupil size will be large in dim lighting and small in bright lighting. It is the job of the iris to respond to the surrounding light levels with the appropriate pupil size for optimal vision. Inflammation of the iris, called iritis or uveitis, can affect the function of the iris, and lead to pain and light sensitivity.
  

• Sitting behind the iris is the crystalline lens. "Crystalline" because it is crystal clear the day you are born. Just like the cornea, the lens needs to remain as transparent as possible to allow us to see the world around us. The lens is made up of collagen, is very flexible, and natural movements within the lens allow us to read. The lens becomes less flexible with time, and consequently, our reading ability gets weaker and weaker as we age. Decreased lens flexibility leads to the eventual need for reading glasses or progressive lenses. If the lens becomes cloudy or opacified in any way, whether by ageing, systemic conditions, or as a side effect of certain medications, it becomes what is known as a cataract. A cataract can significantly block the light travelling through the eyes and lead to a decrease in vision.
  

• Sitting between the crystalline lens and the back surface of the eye is the vitreous humour. The vitreous is colourless and clear. It is a jelly-like tissue that is 99% water. The remaining 1% is made up of collagen, proteins, salts, and sugars. The vitreous provides protection to the eye as well as helps it to keep its spherical, or ball-shaped, appearance. With time, the collagen and proteins become "stringy", and the vitreous begins to liquefy. This creates symptoms of "floaters" which are more noticeable when looking at a white wall or a blue sky. Sometimes various health conditions necessitate the removal of the vitreous humour, and this is done through a process known as a "vitrectomy".
  

• Once the light moves from the outside world, through the cornea, into the pupil and through the crystalline lens and vitreous humour, it finally hits the retina. The retina is where all the millions of receptors and nerves that convert the light into vision is located. Therefore it needs to be checked very carefully by your optometrist who will assess the macula, the optic nerve head, the blood vessels, and all other areas of the retina.
  

• The macula is densely packed with photoreceptors and is responsible for your central, high-resolution vision. Damage to the macula can permanently affect your vision, and even cause blindness. Common causes of damage to the macula include smoking cigarettes and excessive sunlight exposure, which can lead to macular degeneration. The macula can also be damaged by uncontrolled diabetes. Permanent loss of vision due to damage to the macula can result in loss of one's driver's license and limited job opportunities.
  

• The optic nerve is a collection site. Photoreceptors from the entire retina carry information to the optic nerve head, which is a direct line from the eye to the brain. Nerve damage from glaucoma is visible at the optic nerve head. Another important problem to rule out is papilledema, or swelling of the optic nerve head. This can cause headaches, blurred vision, and signal possible swelling within the brain itself.
  

• The blood vessels carry oxygenated blood and nutrients to the retina to maintain optimal function. Many systemic problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure can disrupt these blood vessels. It is important that your optometrist assess the blood vessels for leaks and proper blood flow.

Let's look at a few case examples, where your optometrist does a little more then you might think 

Case Study 1:

Debbie Johnson goes to her optometrist, Dr. McKenzie, complaining of pain when opening and closing her left eye. Her left eye is also red and watery. Her right eye feels perfectly fine. Dr. McKenzie uses his slit lamp to examine her cornea. He notices a thin, whitish line on her cornea. It looks like a corneal abrasion, or scratch to the front of the eye. He then uses an orange dye called Sodium Fluorescien to help highlight the cornea and confirms that it is indeed a corneal abrasion

A corneal abrasion is an open wound to the eye and therefore can become infected if not treated. Dr. McKenzie starts Debbie on a course of antibiotics eye drops to fight any infection and to allow the cornea to heal itself. He may also prescribe lubrication eye drops to aid in comfort. It is important to discontinue any contact lens use while the cornea heals.

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Case Study 2:

Ben West goes to his optometrist, Dr. Lim, complaining of cloudy vision. He says it has been steadily getting worse over the last year and now he is noticing changes in his colour vision as well. Dr. Lim uses her slit lamp to evaluate his eyes. She notices a problem with the crystalline lens and recommends dilating Ben's eyes to get a better look at the lens as well as the retina to determine the cause of Ben's complaints. Once Ben's eyes are fully dilated from the diagnostic drops, Dr. Lim uses her slit lamp again. She notices that the crystalline lens has turned light brown in colour. No problems are found at the retina.

Ben's blurry vision and colour vision problem are due to cataracts and Ben will be sent to an Ophthalmologist for cataract surgery. Cataracts cause blurry vision that cannot be corrected by glasses and surgery becomes a necessity to continue daily tasks at the same level as before.

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Case Study 3:

John Jackson goes to his optometrist, Dr. McKenzie, complaining of warped central vision in his right eye. When he looks at something, like a tree, the trunk looks bent and distorted. Dr. McKenzie is very concerned about John's macula based on his complaint and recommends a dilated eye exam. 20 minutes after the dilation drops go in, Dr. McKenzie uses his slit lamp and a high plus lens to examine the macula of John's right eye. He sees a distortion of the macula and fluffy, yellow spots surrounding the macula.

John has signs and symptoms of macular degeneration. John needs to begin taking daily vitamins specially designed to aid the macula and fight off degeneration. If the degeneration continues to progress, John may need surgical intervention such as monthly injections. There are many risk factors that predispose someone to develop macular degeneration. These include excessive sun exposure, smoking, and a fair complexion.

Another common cause of John's symptoms is a macular hole. This can be caused by tugging of the vitreous body on the macula. This may or may not need surgical treatment, but if it does, John may need a vitrectomy, which is a removal of the vitreous body to alleviate the tugging on the macula.

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Case Study #4

Pamela Clark goes to her optometrist, Dr. Randhawa, complaining of a veil-like curtain over her left eye. She is also seeing flashes of light from the corner of her eye and increased number of floaters. Dr. Randhawa is very concerned about Pamela's retina based on her complaints and recommends a dilated eye exam. Once her eye is fully dilated, Dr. Randhawa uses her slit lamp to exam the retina of Pamela's left eye. Dr. Randhawa sees a small horseshoe-shaped tear in the outer retina. Pamela has a retinal tear, and emergent surgery is needed. Dr. Randhawa sends Pamela to the nearest hospital for surgery. Retinal tears and detachments can cause a permanent loss of vision and require immediate attention. It is important that anyone experiencing flashes or floaters be assessed right away by an optometrist.

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Case Study 5:

Jane Fields goes to her optometrist, Dr. McKenzie, complaining of watery eyes throughout the day. Dr. McKenzie uses his slit lamp to exam the front surface of the eye and sees dry corneas. Jane's watery eyes are related to dry eye. This seemed counter-intuitive to Jane as her eyes are too wet, not too dry, but Dr. McKenzie explains to her that her cornea signals to the brain that it is dry and the brain responds by signalling to her glands to produce more tears. That is why a dry eye is a watery eye. Dry eye can be caused by many things including wind and a low humidity environment. It is helpful to wear sunglasses outside as well as to supplement with artificial tears.

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Hopefully, this has given you an insight into the things your optometrist is looking for every time you come in for an eye exam.

Your eye health is essential to the function of your eye and needs to be examined on a regular basis. 

BOOK YOUR NEXT EYE EXAM IN EDMONTON
WITH A STONEWIRE OPTOMETRIST

Adapting to Your New Eyeglasses

With any new eyeglass prescription, there will be some adaptation time that is required to adjust to the new power entirely. Don’t become alarmed; this is a normal sensation that happens to almost everyone. In fact, should be expected.

A large or even subtle change in your eyeglass prescription can result in headaches, dizziness, and the feeling of visual strain. Just changing the frame design or lens brands can also cause adjustment problems. Transitioning into progressive lenses for the first time or increasing the reading power will result in a bit of a visual learning curve.

5 Ways to adapt to your new eyeglass prescription:

1.     Start by putting on your new glasses first thing in the morning.  
2.     Don’t switch back and forth between your new and old glasses.
3.     Sit down and watch tv, read a book or talk with a friend.
4.     Start by wearing your new eyeglasses around the house on a day off.
5.     If you develop a mild headache or eyestrain, only remove the new eyeglasses until this feeling passes and then put them back on.

The bottom line is that most patients adapt to their new glasses within 5-7 days. At Stonewire we recommend trying your new eyeglass prescription for about 14 days before giving up on it.

If you just can’t adapt to your new eyeglass prescription,
then there may be an issue.

Prescription adaptation problems can be the result of how the glasses were manufactured, the lens design, lens quality, frame fit or there may be something wrong with the prescription itself.

We all want to get it right the first time, but sometimes things just don’t work out. We understand that there is both an objective and subjective component to an eye exam, and occasionally things just don’t align.

Simply give us a call, and we would be happy to help get your vision back on track.

This is why Stonewire offers all of its patients a FREE 100-day prescription recheck guarantee. Also, most optical retailers will provide you with a free 1-time prescription adjustment warranty in the first 30-60 days, should it be required.

Book Your Next Eye Exam with Stonewire Optometry
Kingsway Mall | Edmonton | Alberta

Same Day Delivery - Eyeglasses

If your eyeglasses are broken, you live far away, you’re travelling or you’re just in a hurry, then why not let the people at Pearle Vision Optical in Kingsway Mall help you out with their same day prescription eyewear service.

With an in house optical lab, Pearle Vision can provide you with a same day service on most prescription eyewear. *

Walkin appointments for eye exams are also available from one of our onsite optometrists, so don't forget to update your prescription first!

*some restrictions may apply, please see Pearle Vision in Kingsway Mall for details. 

Book Your Next Eye Exam with Stonewire Optometry
Kingsway Mall | Edmonton| Alberta

We Accept Alberta Blue Cross Insurance

Stonewire Optometry and Pearle Vision Optical in Kingsway Mall have the ability to direct bill your Alberta Blue Cross vision insurance plan at the time of your next eye exam or eyewear purchase. If you or your employer has added coverage for optical services/vision care to your Alberta Blue Cross plan, then a portion of or all of your visit or eyewear purchase may be covered.

With so many individuals and local employers offering group coverage through Alberta Blue Cross such as: teachers union (asebp), nurses union and some divisions of the City of Edmonton. Stonewire Optometry in Kingsway Mall is trying to make it more convenient for these people to access their vision care benefits.

How do I know if I have vision coverage?

1. Your card must be from Alberta Blue Cross
2. Your card needs to say ‘vision’ on it

What’s covered under Alberta Blue Cross Vision Care?

1. Eye Exams
2. Contact Lenses
3. Prescription Eyeglasses
4. Prescription Sunglasses

To learn more about the products and services available through Alberta Blue Cross or the coverage on your current plan, please visit their website at: ab.bluecross.ca or call an Alberta Blue Cross customer service representative toll free at 1.800.394.1964

Book Your Next Eye Exam with Stonewire Optometry
Kingsway Mall | Edmonton | Alberta

The Best Pair of Glasses for Your Favourite Sport

There is a little professional athlete inside all of us. Our competitive nature comes out with friends, colleagues and family reunions. But in order to perform at your best, you must have clear, comfortable vision in all lighting conditions. Our eyes tend to lead our actions.

Athletic eyewear begins with a routine eye health and vision examination with an optometrist. Your optometrist can help determine if corrective lenses are required or if you have any oculomotor (eye movement) problems holding you back from peak performance. Your eye doctor can also suggest vision correction solutions based on your eye health, lifestyle and activities. One pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses may not be adequate for everything.

Sports eyewear can help prevent blunt trauma or injuries and improve visual comfort. Eyewear can also be sport-specific, and we’ve provided a few helpful hints to consider when shopping for your new eyewear.

Running Glasses

Look for eyewear that will not easily slip down your nose when you sweat or bounce when you run. Running eyewear must be comfortable for long distances and offer 100% UV protection. Trail runners should look for shatter-resistant lenses to protect their eyes from tree branches (ask for polycarbonate or trivex/phoenix lenses).

Cycling Glasses

Look for polarized sunglasses to help cut down road glare and improve the visibility of potholes and obstacles. The frames must provide adequate protection from the wind and elements, especially when leaning forward on the bike. They should fit seamlessly and comfortably under your helmet. Non-polarized sunglasses tend to be more favourable for mountain biking as they produce more consistent shadows during dynamic movements.

Golf Glasses

Look for polarized sunglasses that do not cause peripheral distortions. These distortions can make it difficult to read the greens for proper ball movement. Low quality, high wrap frames and lenses are not an option. Look for quality sunglass brands worn by the professionals on tour.

Fishing Glasses

See what you’re trying to catch by wearing polarized sunglasses. These lenses will knock out the glare from the water’s surface and allow you to see into the water.

Racket Sports

Squash, racketball and tennis are high-velocity sports that require properly fit athletic eyewear. There are numerous potential causes for an eye injury during a typical match; from the ball, the racket or another player. Once again, look for shatter-resistant lenses to protect your eyes, and safety frames designed to withstand high impact. Consider a headband or strap to ensure that the eyewear does not move.

Think Thin!

Do you hate the thought of having to wear thick heavy looking eyeglasses? If so, maybe it’s time you started thinking thin.

Thin or hi-index eyeglasses lenses are not only more visually appealing, but they can also provide superior vision if you have a higher prescription. These lenses are usually lighter then conventional lenses, making your eyeglasses more comfortable to wear.

There are a few things to consider though when you purchase a thin high index lens. One of which is, internal reflections. Internal reflections can result in excessive halos and glare and reduced cosmetic appeal. As such, it is crucial to have an anti-reflective coating applied to both the front and back surface of the lens to help control or minimize this effect.

To learn more about thin or hi-index lenses, talk to your optician.

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EYE EXAMS – CONTACT LENSES – EMERGENCY VISITS – OPHTHALMOLOGY REFERRALS

Single Best Eyeglass Upgrade

Anti-reflective coatings are by far the single best eyeglass upgrade a person can purchase. Eyeglass lenses that do not have an anti-reflective coating can actually reduce your overall vision and can lead to eyestrain and visual fatigue. In fact, basic non-coated eyeglass lenses can reflect up to 10% of the light. High index lenses can further increase this amount because of internal reflections, making anti-reflective applications absolutely crucial for optimal vision in these thinner lighter lenses.

Anti-reflective eyeglass lenses allow up to 99% of the light to pass directly through the lens. This produces a brighter, sharper more natural feeling image to the wearer. Reduced internal and surface reflections also helps with improved cosmetic appeal during both work and social situations. Anti-reflective coatings allow for better eye-to-eye contact and are a must have for anyone who works with the public. 

Night driving can be dramatically improved by using anti-reflective lenses. These eyeglass lenses help to reduce glare from on coming headlights as well as from auxiliary sources within the vehicle such as the instrument panel or navigation systems. These same principles also apply to working on the computer or playing video games. By reducing unwanted glare from computer monitors and overhead lights, anti-reflective lenses can actually help to reduce end of day visual fatigue.

Anti-reflective lenses have evolved immensely over the past few decades since they were first introduced. Today, high quality anti-reflective lenses offer the best resistance against scratching, as they must be applied over an ultra-tough base coat. Some anti-reflective coatings also help to repel dust and oil from the lens surface and make cleaning your eyeglasses faster and easier.

Review: 5 Reasons to purchase anti-reflective coatings

1.     Improved light transmission    

2.     Improved cosmetic appeal   

3.     Improved night time vision  

4.     Improved computer vision  

5.     Improved scratch resistance  

What is nearsightedness and how is it corrected?

Myopia or nearsightedness is a common vision disorder where by people can see objects up close, but are unable to focus clearly on objects in the distance. 

Nearsightedness is the result of two things, either a person's eye grows too long, or the outside of the eye is too steep or round, causing images to focus in front of the retina.

Symptoms of Nearsightedness

Typically, people will start to notice problems with their distance vision in their school years, but nearsightedness can develop at any age. It may also be a sign of a more serious medical problem, such as diabetes or cataracts, especially if the onset of nearsightedness is very sudden and dramatic.

Initial symptoms of nearsightedness include problems focusing on small objects far away like road signs or the channel guide on TV. People can find themselves squinting or developing frontal headaches from having to squint. Children often complain about being unable to see the board at school, while adults often complain about poor night vision or increased glare. Symptoms almost always worsen in low light level situations.

What Causes Nearsightedness?

There has been increased research in the area of nearsightedness in recent years, as the world has seen a sudden surge in the number of people requiring eyeglasses for distance vision correction. 

Early research studies suggest that nearsightedness may be related to near point stress, and numerous studies show that myopia increases along with a person’s level of education. 

Newer studies out of China also point towards dietary factors and excessive indoor time may play a significant role in the development of nearsightedness. However, these studies are far from complete. 

A study out of the UK at the St. Thomas Hospital also showed the genetics probably plays a significant role in the development of nearsightedness while environmental factors may only play a small or limited role.

Treatment options for nearsightedness

Treatment options for people affected by myopia or nearsightedness are numerous. Traditionally, eyeglasses have been the primary treatment option. However, patients also have access to contact lenses, laser vision correction, and intra-ocular lens implants. It is important to always discuss lifestyle and your work situation with your optometrist or ophthalmologist when determining your best treatment option or options.  It is also recommended that patients with nearsightedness receive regular eye health examinations by an optometrist or ophthalmologist every one to two years to ensure the health of their retina's.