In This Issue: October 2023
- Costume Contacts May Haunt You Long After Halloween
- Take Advantage of Flex Plans & Insurance Deductibles
- Childhood Nearsightedness May Lead to Other Eye Problems
- Family History Month: Ask About Eyes!
Costume Contacts May Haunt You Long After Halloween
October is Halloween Safety Month: costume contact lenses sold without a prescription are illegal!
If you’re planning to incorporate scary eyes into your Halloween costume, beware of costume contact lenses labeled “one size fits all” or “no need to see an eye doctor.” Costume lenses must be prescribed and fitted by an eye care professional, just like regular contact lenses. Otherwise, you may be haunted by an eye infection long after the fun of Halloween is over.
Contact lenses that are not fitted for your eye can scratch the cornea, making the eye more vulnerable to infection-causing bacteria and viruses. Sometimes the scarring from an infection is so bad that a corneal transplant is required to restore vision. In the most extreme cases, an infection can lead to blindness. Click here to see one teen’s scary story about colored contacts.
Contact our office now at (702) 896-6043 if you want to explore the idea of getting prescription lenses for your Halloween fun. Avoid a real-life horror story!
Take Advantage of Flex Plans & Insurance Deductibles
This is a great time of year to have vision procedures to improve your eyesight. Here are 3 reasons why:
- Money you’ve placed into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can be used for procedures like LASIK. In fact, this money needs to be spent before the deadline. Otherwise, you may lose it.
- If you’ve met your insurance deductibles for 2023, procedures like cataract surgery could be free of charge for you. Check to see where you stand in your medical insurance plan.
- By having procedures in October or early November, you’ll be able to enjoy the holidays with clearer vision!
Contact us today at (702) 896-6043 to schedule an appointment so we can assess your eye health and discuss your options.
Childhood Nearsightedness May Lead to Other Eye Problems
Childhood myopia (nearsightedness) is on the rise. In fact, some experts are calling it a public health crisis. Half of the world’s population may be nearsighted by the year 2050. High myopia is reported to increase the risk of cataracts, retina problems (such as retinal detachment) and glaucoma.
Myopia makes distance objects blurry while up-close vision is clear. This occurs if the cornea is curved too much or the eye grows too long. Digital screen time may be one of the culprits causing this increase in myopia. There are 2 specific lifestyle tips you can incorporate immediately to slow the progression of myopia in children:
- Sunlight: get your kids outdoors for 1-2 hours every day.
- 20/20/20 breaks during digital screen time: every 20 minutes, take a break for 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away.
Your child’s eye doctor may also prescribe special contact lenses to wear at night to help flatten the cornea or prescription eye drops to reduce eye lengthening.
Help your children protect their eyesight now and well into the future. Schedule regular eye exams to stay proactive, help diagnose problems early and monitor the progression of any vision changes.
Family History Month: Ask About Eyes!
October is Family History Month. Today, it’s easier than ever to gather information about your family tree. Resources such as Ancestry.com and 23andme.com can help you trace your lineage and may even help uncover some relatives you didn’t know existed. As you learn more about your genealogy and meet or reconnect with family members, we encourage you to ask them about their eye health (and share your own eye health information with them). Certain eye disorders can be genetic (such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma), putting you or your loved ones at a higher risk of developing those diseases. The more you know about your family history of eye disease and share this information with your eye doctor, the better equipped you will be to stay proactive with your own eye health.
