Routine eye tests or chart screenings, from the school or yearly physicals, are great for evaluating your child’s vision needs. However, they do not evaluate developmental eye movements like how well the eyes work together. A child suffering with visual deficits, where their eyes are not functioning properly, can be severely impeded in their performance of daily activities. School can become increasingly difficult and home-life tasks, like dressing themselves, can also become a struggle.

This further supports the need for routine comprehensive eye exams for children so that we can properly evaluate their eye development as well as look for other health concerns that are visible in the eyes. If your child has not had a comprehensive eye exam, please contact our team as we’d like to speak with you about setting up an appointment. We’re here for you!

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If you’re a patient of Royal Oak Eye Care that means you are family. Whether it’s you, your children, your elderly parents, we’re here to help. We have worked hard to create a practice that makes you feel right at home. We want to be a help to you and your family, not a hinderance.

Our team with work closely with you and your family to accommodate your needs and address your concerns, so that you get the help you need. If you’re looking for an eye doctor that cares about you in Marion or Glade Spring, check us out. We hope you’ll be happy!

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Maintaining your eye health is a multi-part process. It includes routine eye exams and the proper eye protection, but a crucial part is eating the right foods to help maintain your eye health.

Some of the top foods, besides carrots, that you can eat are as follows:

  • Leafy greens – packed with lutein and zeaxanthin that are key anti-oxidants that are pivotal in the fight with age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
  • Eggs – they have lutein and zeaxanthin as well, but they are packed with zinc too. which can fight macular degeneration.
  • Citrus and berries – full of vitamin C that’s great for your eyes
  • Almonds – Vitamin E resides here. Fighting macular degeneration.
  • Fatty fish – Tuna, salmon, mackerel are just some of the fish loaded with DHA, an essential fat to the eye for fighting dry eyes.

Again, these are just some of the top foods to eat in your diet to help your eyes. For more questions about your diet and its impact on your eye health, contact Royal Oak Eye Care today!

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Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a disease that blurs the sharp central vision you need for “straight-ahead” activities such as reading and driving. AMD affects the macula, which is the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail.

AMD is most prevalent in older people and the main concern is that there are no physical warning signs until the blurred area is present. There is no pain associated with the disease and the causes of AMD are complex but most common are heredity and environment. At this time, AMD is considered to be incurable.

This further supports the necessity for routine eye exams for as you age so that the condition of the macula can be monitored. If you have not had a comprehensive eye exam in recent years, contact our team to set an appointment today.

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image credit: Community Eye Health on flickr

Everyone loves a good optical illusion. From magicians to pictures and video, using the eyes to trick the mind has been around for centuries. Visual or optical illusions tend to show us how our mind perceives what it sees. We came across a website that we wanted to share with our Marion and Glade Spring friends.

Check out the interactive website from BBC and let us know what you think.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

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image credit: jimpg2_2015 on flickr

Spring time in Glade Spring and Marion, pretty much anywhere in Virginia, means pollen! And while pollen isn’t the sole cause of dry eye, allergies and reactions to allergy medicines can cause dry eye.

Now, we figure that when most hear about dry eyes, they immediately think about Ben Stein and the legendary commercials, but most of us don’t know what dry eye is and what causes it.

Dry eye is when your tears are unable to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. It can be that not enough tears are produced, but also that the tears that your eyes produce may not be the right consistency. Environmental conditions can create dry eye, as well as allergies and medicines. There are also medical conditions that cause dry eye.

The most prominent symptoms include stinging or burning of the eyes, redness of the eyes, sensitivity to light, blurred vision or eye fatigue.

If you find yourself with any of these symptoms, contact Royal Oak Eye Care and schedule an appointment. We’re here to help!

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image credit: Kate Lewis on flickr

Your diet is a key part to your overall health and well being, but did you know that adding certain foods to your diet can actually help improve your eyesight?

We all know about carrots a great source of vitamin C. Our mothers have told us to eat them for years, but there are many other nutrient rich foods to add to our diets that can help us. Many of them you may already eat.

Powerful Antioxidants And Nutrient Rich Foods
  • Lutein & Zeaxanthin – Found in green leafy vegetables, as well as eggs, they help reduce the risk of chronic eye disease.
  • Vitamin C – Found in fruits and vegetables, evidence suggests that vitamin C lowers the risk cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
  • Vitamin E – Found in nuts, fortified cereals and sweet potatoes, research suggests it protects the cells in the eyes.
  • Essential Fatty Acids – Like omega-3 fatty acids, they are essential to the diet and fuel cells and boost the immune system.
  • Zinc – It’s a helper molecule that brings vitamin A from the liver to the retina.

Make sure these foods are balanced in your diet and you’ll go a long way to helping your eyes fight against many diseases and overall health. If you have questions about your diet and its impact on your eye health, contact the Royal Oak Eye Care team. We’re here to help!

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image credit: Michael Kappel on flickr

Many of us battle eye allergies and it can be a frustrating problem for some. Eye allergies, or allergic conjunctivitis, present themselves in the form of itchy or red eyes and tearing or burning eyes. We often think of treating nasal allergies but ignore our eye allergies.

There are many different allergy triggers, like pollen, grass, pet dander, mold or dust mites. Even cigarette smoke or diesel exhaust can trigger eye allergies. So, when it comes to treating your eye allergies, what can you do?

Tips for managing your eye allergies
  • Keep your windows closed during high pollen periods
  • Use air conditioning in your home and car
  • Wear glasses or sunglasses outdoors to help protect your eyes
  • Use “mite-proof” bedding to help limit exposure to dust mites
  • Wash your hands after petting an animal
  • Use artificial tears, decongestant eye drops and oral antihistamines

If these tips are not able to control your eye allergies, it may be time to see an allergist for a prescription medication. If you have more questions about maintaining your health, contact Marion’s eye doctor. Our team would be happy to speak with you.

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image credit: parrchristy on flickr

To start off 2017, one of the topics we want to stress to Marion residents is the importance of routine eye exams if you are diabetic. With diabetes, you are four times more likely to suffer from retinopathy than those who do not have diabetes.

Retinopathy is an eye disease where damage is caused to the small blood vessels in the retina and vision loss can occur. Diabetes patients can also suffer from increased chances of glaucoma.

Routine eye exams can help to maintain your eye health and catch retinopathy, as well as many other health symptoms. Make sure you are seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist for dilated eye exams every 1 to 2 years.

For more questions about eye health and diabetes, contact our team.

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image credit: Chris Schrier on flickr

There are some common eye risks that we tend to overlook when it comes to the health of our eyes. It’s understandable, but it is also important that we be on the lookout for these risks.

  • Ignoring regular eye exams – It’s common to feel like eye exams are not important if you can not discern a noticeable change in your eyes, but exams are important in diagnosing issues more than eye sight.
  • Ignoring eye irritation – When you’re eyes are itching and burning, it’s important to determine the cause. Time is of the essence when it comes to eye health. Prolonged symptoms can result in permanent damage.
  • Not going to the eye doctor because of insurance – Insurance is a reason many give as to why they don’t go to the eye doctor. There are many options out there to help you have your eyes routinely checked.
  • Avoiding routine eye exams for your children – They may seem like they can see just fine, but their eyes change a lot in growth and development and undiagnosed issues may interfere with development.
  • Wearing contact lenses too long – Many are guilty of this. You can see out of them, so why change them. It’s a understandable thought, but it’s important for many reasons. Eye infections are the chief culprit of wearing contact lenses too long. It’s important to change them as prescribed.

If you have questions about this list, we’d enjoy to the opportunity to speak with you. We believe in healthy eyes and want to do what we can to help.

Happy Holidays!

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image credit: DboyBaker on flickr