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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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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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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Many people have heard the word “glaucoma”, but do you know about glaucoma? Did you know that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States? Many people don’t. Many don’t know that over 2.7 million Americans are impacted by glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that can damage the optic nerve and impact peripheral vision and there are no warning signs until it is too late. Factors that determine your risk for glaucoma are related to race, family history, personal history of diabetes, hypothyroidism, or severe eye trauma.

To learn more about glaucoma, click here.

There are treatments available for glaucoma, but one of the best prevention methods will continue to be routine eye exams to be able to fully access the health of your eyes. If you have questions about glaucoma, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’re here to help!

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We love our patients. We have the best patients in all of Marion and Glade Spring. One of the ways we want to thank you for your loyalty is to give you a $10 off coupon for your next visit. All you have to do is refer a new patient to our practice, either office and you’ll automatically be eligible for the coupon.

Again, you must be an existing patient and refer a new patient to us and you will receive the coupon.

At Royal Oak Eye Care, everyone is family. We work hard to treat you that way. We want your experience to be a pleasant one and one that you will tell your friends and family about. To all those that do, again we say, thank you!

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Attention Smyth County residents: Are you or a loved one getting ready to have cataract surgery? One of the keys to a successful surgery is the right pre and post operative care. Dr. Burnop and his team can handle your surgery care and help you get back to normal.

With offices in Marion and Glade Spring, we’re nearby and our practice treats you like family. We will walk you through what you need to do before surgery, what to expect from the surgery and all the care and attention you need afterwards.

If you or a loved one are scheduled for upcoming surgery, please contact our office, we’d love to help.

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If you’re one of the many whose eyes are affected by allergies, you know the challenge in attempting to keep them from flaring up. Carrying around eye drops, avoiding going outside all together, and allergy medicines are just a few of the ways that you can care for your itchy eyes, but there’s more to it than just those. So, we want to take an opportunity to help, if we can, by giving you some practical advice for your eyes.

  • Allergens – If at all possible avoid allergens. Pollen, mold, dust and the like can flare up your eyes in an instant. Staying indoors is one way to combat allergens, but dust is inside and so are pets. Using your home’s HVAC system, instead of opening the windows, is another way to help your eyes. The air filters can remove many of the allergens that are in your home and can make their way in your home. Another tip is to make sure you wash your hands often, especially after touching a pet, to make sure you’re not contacting your eyes.
  • Eye Drops & Medicine – Artificial tears can help temporarily by washing the allergens from your eyes, but there’s a lot of options when it comes to medicine. Decongestant eye drops, with or without antihistamines,  oral antihistamines, antihistamines with mast-cell stabilizers, corticosteroids, and immunotherapy shots are just some of the options for medical treatment of itchy eyes. All have advantages and disadvantages. For example, overusing decongestant eye drops, past a couple of days, can actually make your eyes symptoms worse.

It is best to consult your eye doctor as to which medicine will work best for you. Not everyone responds the same and working with your eye doctor, they can help you determine the right formula to control your itchy eyes.

If you have questions about your eyes, don’t hesitate to contact Royal Oak Eye Care, we’re here to help!

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