There are many myths that have advanced throughout the years as it relates to our eyes and their health. Advancements in science have helped us debunk some, but also better understand others. See if you recognize a few of these:

  • Carrots Give You Great Eyesight At Night – While it is true that carrots are loaded with beta carotene, which is a vital nutrient for your eye health, it will not help you see better at night.
  • Children That Squint Will Grow Out Of It – Unfortunately, we have been able to prove that it is not true and actually can be quite dangerous. Children that squint, if left untreated, can develop lazy eye.
  • You Don’t Need Regular Eye Exams – You should have an eye exam at least every other year. Doing so will help to determine glaucoma. It can also help detect age-related macular degeneration among many other issues.
  • Overusing Electronics Can Cause An Astigmatism – Not true. Astigmatism, which is the irregular shape of the eye cannot be caused by viewing electronic screens.

The main takeaway here is that having regular eye exams are critical to your eye health and following old wives tales could have potential serious impacts to your eye health. For more questions about old wives tales, contact our team. We’re here to help!

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A study, released in the August issue of Neurology, shows researchers in Seoul, Korea have possibly determined a correlation between the thinning of the retina and Parkinson’s disease. The study, which evaluated 50 people with the average age of 69 were able to determine that those with Parkinson’s had an average innermost retina thickness of 35 micrometers while those without had an average thickness of 37 micrometers.

The scan was completed with a high resolution scan that takes light waves of each layer of the retina. From there, they were able to measure the thickness of the retina layer. Larger studies are needed to confirm the finding, but the results are both interesting and promising.

Being able to a long-range test that can determine Parkinson’s would be amazing as it would allow for treatment to slow the progression. As always, your eye health is a critical indicator of your overall health. For more questions about your eyes, contact our team.

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Let’s face it…we’re exposed constantly to our electronic devices. Phones, tablets, PCs, and TVs have taken over our lives and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. With the switch to technology has come a lot of conveniences, but it has also brought about a concern in protecting our eye health.

With constant use of electronics, we are exposing our eyes to harmful blue light that can increase eye strain and dry eye, just to name a few. Often times, we get so wrapped up in browsing social media, shopping online or playing games that we forget we are staring at our screens for so long. So, how do you combat today’s digital environment?

  • Set aside a break time – every 20 to 30 minutes look away for 20-30 seconds. Look off at something far away and give your eyes a rest.
  • Wear glasses that block out blue light – we talked about what blue light can do, investing in a good pair of blue light blocking glasses can help your eyes.
  • Manage distance – How far are away from your face are your devices typically? The general preferred distance is 20-40 inches. A good rule of thumb is arms reach. For larger screens, move farther away.

As always, routine eye exams are critical for maintaining your eye health and allow us to track your digital eye strain. If you have questions about your mobile device usage, contact our team. We’re here to help!

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one in three Americans will have a vision impairing disease. The leading causes of adult blindness and low vision can be attributed to four diseases: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. The problem with all four of these diseases is that they do not cause pain or have other early warning symptoms that would prompt someone to go to the eye doctor.

However, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing an eye disease:

  • Get a comprehensive medical exam at age 40 – At this age some early symptoms could begin to present.
  • Know your family history – Some diseases can be inherited and knowing your heritage can help the doctor evaluate your risk.
  • Eating healthy foods – Healthy foods, like leafy greens and many fruits and vegetables give your eyes the vitamins and nutrients that they need.
  • Stop smoking – If you’re a smoker, it does increase your chance of developing an eye disease.
  • Wear sunglasses – Wearing sun glasses blocks the harmful UV rays of the sun that can increase risk of eye disease.

Of course, everything is dependent specifically on you and your health factors and family history. Keeping a routine eye exam on the books is important to helping track changes in your eye health. For more questions, contact our team. We’re happy to help!

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Even when you don’t notice a change to your eyesight, you should still have regular eye exams. Many people only resort to having an eye exam when they notice that something in their vision or that something is obviously wrong, however many eye problems can be prevented with routine eye exams.

Having a routine eye exam gives us the ability to diagnose the overall health of your eyes and your overall health in general, but more importantly, it can give us an opportunity to cut problems off at the pass. If you wait until symptoms are present, it could be too late.

So, if it’s been a while since your last exam, contact our team and schedule an appointment today. Your eyes will thank you!

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When deciding on a healthcare provider most people consider how that doctor will be able to care for your entire family. Why should your eye doctor be any different?

We know that it’s very important for you to be able to bring your entire family to one eye doctor and have them feel comfortable in a welcome environment and also a place where children’s eye care is a priority. That’s why we work hard to make sure that your experience at Royal Oak Eye Care is everything you need it to be. From our caring and knowledgeable staff, to our facilities, we believe your like family and you should be at home.

So, if you’re looking to make a change in eye care, contact our team to find our more about why we should be your new eye doctor!

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Most of us have heard of pink eye and most of us know that it is contagious and easy to spread, but do you know exactly what pink eye is? Do you know how to treat it?

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an irritation or inflammation of the conjunctiva, which covers the white part of the eye. It can be caused by allergies, bacteria or viral infection. It can be highly contagious and is spread by contact with eye secretions from someone who is infected. Symptoms can include redness, itching, and tearing of the eyes. It can also create discharge or crusting around the eyes.

If you find yourself with pink eye, it’s important to stop wearing your contacts. Conjunctivitis can resolve on its own, but allergy triggered pink eye can be treated with antihistamines and bacterial pink eye can be treated with antibiotic eye drops.

To learn more about pink eye contact our team. We’re here to help!

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Maintaining the health of our eyes is important. Routine check ups are important for evaluating their health, but it’s importnat to make sure our diet is supporting our eye health by providing the vitamins and nutrients it needs. According to WebMD, there are several foods that are best for your eyes. Here are a few of the lesser known ones:

  •  Raw Red Peppers – Per calorie, they provide the best source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is good for the blood vessels in your eye. There’s even evidence to support Vitamin C reducing the risk of getting cataracts.
  • Sunflower Seeds & Nuts – An ounce of these seeds or almonds as has half the amount of vitamin E that the USDA recommends each day.
  • Sweet Potatoes – Part of the orange colored food group, these are packed full of beta carotene.
  • Squash – Full of lutein and zeaxanthin, these are great for you. Especially because your body cannot make these nutrients on their own.

There are more foods providing health benefits to your eyes, but as always we suggest that you consult your physician before making wholesale changes to your diet. If you have any questions about your eye health, contact our team!

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With Halloween just around the corner, we felt it was important to remind everyone that wearing colored contacts or costume contacts can be dangerous for your eyes. These contacts are not FDA approved and when worn can cause corneal abrasions, eye infections or even blindness in some cases. This risk to your eye health is too great for the minor reward of making your costume look more realistic.

The risk for injury or damage is more than sixteen times greater than those who wear medically prescribed contact lenses. So, this Halloween go out and have fun, but be safe, draw the line at costume contact lenses. Happy Halloween!

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Ocugen has submitted a new drug application to the FDA and the FDA has accepted it. The exciting news is that this is a new topical formula for the treatment of dry eye. The medical team at Ocugen is excited that their drug will reach the entire population battling the disease of dry eye as many treatments on the market fall short.

There are many different causes for dry eye and often many different treatments. For minor irritations like allergies, over-the-counter eye drops may work, but if you are dealing with persistent irritation, it may be time to see a professional. We can assess the cause of your dry eye and give you a treatment plan that will work for you.

To find out more, contact our team!

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