2012 EyeVote Readers' Choice Results

Every year the trade magazine VisionMonday has their readers choose their optical favorites. We are happy to announce that we offer our patients many of the chosen favorites!

The favorite frame company is Marchon. Marchon supplies us with great optical frames such as Nike, Flexon, X-Games, and Disney. The favorite men's frame brand was Nike, women's frame brand was Kate Spade, teen's frame brand was Nike, and kids frame brand was a tie between Nike and Disney. We are happy to say that we too have recognized the quality of these products and therefore carry all of these lines for our patients.

Oakley won the favorite men's sport sunglass frames, and Kate Spade for the favorite women's fashion sunglass frames.

The favorite spectacle lens company was Essilor who does all of the Varilux and Crizal lenses that our patients love. Varilux was chosen as the favorite lens brand, Crizal Avance UV as the favorite anti-reflective coating, and Transitions as th efavorite photochromic. These are almost always the brands we recommend for our patients.

 

We are always trying to get our patients in the best materials possible. This further supports the choices we make on your behalf.

It's Starting to Look a lot like Christmas ... Time for Polarized Sunglasses

 

Why Sunglasss in the Winter?

We recommend our patients to always wear quality sunglasses when they are going to be exposed to the sun's rays. During the winter time this is especially important. This is due to the snow. Snow has a reflective surface that reflects the sun's rays into your eyes. Polarized lenses are recommended to reduce 99% of this reflection. When glare is reduced it makes vision crisper, clearer, and reduces distractions. We use Xperio polarized lenses in our office.

 

A study of car crashes in the United States from 2000-2003 showed that many crashes are caused by glare related concerns. Their concluding recommendation was to "develop counter measures to reduce glare before it strikes drivers’ eyes." One such measure is polarized sunglasses.

Polarized lenses stop glare that is going through the front side of the lenses and they work great. If you also want glare to be reduced from the back side of the lenses we recommend and backside antireflective such as Crizal Sun. This gives you 360 degree protection from glare. (http://www.fcsm.gov/05papers/Choi_Singh_IVA.pdf)

 

 

 

 

Polarized Oakley FrogSkins fround on Oakley.com

 

 

Polarized sunglasses are not just great for the snow, but also when around water where glare can also be easily reflected, and just for everyday use. Patients who wear polarized sunglasses notice a large benefit to the polarized lenses. If they decide to go without the polarization on a pair they usually notice instantly once outside. They just make your eyes feel more comfortable.

 

Polarized lenses can be in off the counter sunglasses or in prescription lenses. Just ask your optician what options are best for you.

 

-Kate

 

 

Holiday Hours

 

Closed

Saturday, December 22nd

Monday, December 24th

Tuesday, December 25th

Monday, December 31st Closing at 2PM

Tuesday, December 1st

 



Spectera

We now are providers for the vision insurance Spectera. Spectera also goes by a few other names such as Optum Health Vision, United Health Allies, Golden Rule, and United Health Care Vision.

 

Call us now to set up an exam if you have Spectera!

 

 

-Kate

Flexible Frames

Some people are accident prone. Some people seem to forget your chair is a bad place to put your glasses. Some people live with children under the age of five. If all of these people wear glasses, what they have in common is that they are always having to get their glasses adjusted or replaced if they are broken.

Thankfully modern technology has come up with a solution, multiple solutions actually. Which solution works best for you? See which category below you fall into.

I cannot help but ot fall asleep in my glasses. I have to know what's happening on TV until the very moment I fall asleep.

• You need Spring Hinges: These hinges can bow out and then snap right back into place. They are not nearly as rigid as those without them.

I am accident prone. I am always putting my glasses places they do not belong and then end up sitting, stepping, or sleeping on them.

• You need flexible glasses. These glasses can have a flexible metal material just in their bridge, just in their temples or in both their bridge and their temples. When bent out of shape they bounce right back to how they were previously adjusted to. Another benefit is that they are a lot lighter weight than most other frames.

A: I destroy glasses. My parents made me start paying for my own glasses at the age of 16 because I go through them so quickly.

Or

B: I have a small child who loves my glasses. Loves them so much that they insist on ripping them off my face every time they see me.

• You need three hundred and sixty degree hinges. These hinges, just as their name suggests, can spin completely around in a circle. When they are pulled their hinges have A LOT of give and do not unadjust the frame.

What frame styles should you avoid?

• Definitely avoid drill mounts (also known as Sarah Palins). These frames are much more delicate and can become unadjusted quickly with just wear and tear.
• You might also want to avoid, depending on the severity of your frame destroying ability, semi-rimless frames. These frames can be fixed if broken, but just are not as durable as full-frame metal and plastic frames.

What frame brands should you consider?

• Flexon (Flexible frames including Nike Flexon, Flexons with sunglass clip ons, and even Flexon sunglasses)
• Fossil makes some men's flexible frames
• Riserva makes some men's and women's flexible frames
• Easy Twist makes flexible frames and frames with three hundred and sixty degree hinges
• OGI makes children's frames with all kinds of bendable qualities and twisty temples

-Kate
CPO Optician

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Vision Source



You might have heard of Vision Source before, or you may not have. Vision Source is a buying group we belong to that offers us and our patients many benefits. It is an organization with offices all across the United States.

• Due to its size, Vision Source offices are able to get discounts on products and service and are then able to pass that savings on to their patients.
• They are also able to get the latest technologies.
• Vision Source offices are great for patients because they know they are going to a trusted doctor and office when choosing a Vision Source office.
• If patients are ever traveling or relocate they know they can get the same great care from a Vision Source office in their new area as they did from their last office.
• They offer the national brand awareness of a chain, but with the benefits of a family practice, such as meeting the ever changing needs of their local consumers.

We pride ourselves on the quality of the care our patients receive at our office and we are confident that our Vision Souce partners deliver the same quality of care to their patients.

-Kate
CPO at Clarity Eye Care

• Visit Vision Source's web-site to find an office near you.
• Like us on Facebook.
• Learn more about our office on our web-site.
• Follow us on Pinterest.

Contacts or Glasses?

Is there a better option between glasses and contacts? Everybody seems to have their own personal preference and it ususally depends on their lifestyle. Here are the positives and negatives of each choice.

Glasses

Picture Courtesy of http://busybeelauren.tumblr.com/

Positives

1. You can show your personality with your frames
2. Some people get slightly sharper vision
3. They are harder to lose
4. They are easy to take care of
5. You can sleep in them without destroying your eyes
6. They last forever and are not disposable like contacts
7. You can donate them when you are done

Negatives

1. They are not recommended for sports
2. They fog up when you change temperatures
3. They can go out of style easily
4. They can leave marks on your face
5. You have to buy prespription sunglasses
6. Poor vision when looking around the lens
7. Can be annoying if it is raining or snowing

Contacts

http://cat-eye-glasses.net/contacts-for-astigmatism/

Positives

1. Nobody has to know you have them
2. Almost anybody can get good vision out of them
3. They are comfortable
4. They can change your eye color
5. You can wear them while playing sports
6. You can buy any sunglasses you want to wear with them
7. You cannot look around them

Negatives

1. Sleeping in some kinds of contacts can really harm your eyes an vision
2. They take lots of care
3. You have to be taught how to use them and may not start out a pro
4. There is more follow up care
5. You have to buy contact solution
6. They create a lot of weight with bottles, cases, boxes etc.
7. Hard to care for if you are not in a sanitary area such as camping

-If you wear contacts or glasses please leave some feedback about your opinions to help out those who are struggling with the decision to wear contacts or not.

Learn more about us on our web-site http://visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/.

Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/ClarityEyeCareOmaha.

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/clarityeyecare/.

Thanks for reading; check out the rest of our blog for more information regarding contact lenses, glasses, and your eye health.

New Vera Bradley Patterns!

Vera Bradley is one of our great frame lines we carry in the office. One of the best characteristics of the line is that they always incorporate Vera Bradley's new patterns into their frames. For the cherry on the cake, each frame comes with a case with the corresponding pattern! They make girls, girlfriends, and women's sizes.
We just got in two new ones I wanted to tell everybody about.
We have the Cara in the new Rosy Posies and we have Paula in Indigo Pop! (Shown in that order). Feel free to click on the pictures for a more detailed view of the frames and stop in to try any of them on. They have already been very popular frames!

 

Find more Vera Bradley items at http://www.verabradley.com/.

Look at Vera Bradley ophthalmic frames at http://www.mcgeegroup.com/.

 

Learn more about our office including contact information on our web-site at

http://visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/.

Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/ClarityEyeCareOmaha.

We are on Pinterest!



We have started a Pinterest page! Feel free to follow us and get pictures of celebrities in frames, interesting frames, cool pictures of eyes, new frames to our inventory, and much more to keep you entertained on Pinterest!

Here are some examples of some of the pictures we have pinned lately:

Start following us now of Pinterest at: www.pinterest.com/clarityeyecare

Follow us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Get in touch with us on our Web-Site: www.VisionSource-ClarityEyeCare.com

World Sight Day Challenge: Recap

We had a great World Sight Day and a great October. We even had lots of people donate and not take treats home. We wanted to send out a big thank you to everybody who participated, by donating or by buying something from our bake sale. I want to send out a thank you to my co-workers who spent their time and resources making our baked goods. They were wonderful and we had a great mixture of items!

We were able to raise $40.52 through our bake sale! That is 40 cookies, rice crispie treats, bars, popcorn, and cake.

 

So what does $40.52 do for those in need? We were able to give eight people vision through eye exams and glasses!

 

Thank you again for everybody who participated. If you didn't get a chance to participate and want to, just show up any time during the year to donate at our front desk.

 

_________

 

Learn more about Optometry Giving Sight and the World Sight Day Challenge at http://www.givingsight.org/index.php.

 

Follow our office on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ClarityEyeCareOmaha.

 

Learn more about our office on our web-site at http://www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/.

 

Follow us on Pinterest at https://pinterest.com/clarityeyecare/.

Are you Tearing or Ripping your Soft Contacts Frequently?

Sometimes we have patients who have torn or ripped a contact once or more than once. They wonder what they did wrong. Here is some advice if this is you.

1. Avoid touching your contacts with your nails or pinching them too tight with the pads of your fingers.
2. If they are not approved to sleep in, don't. For more reasons than just tearing (see blog post about taking care of contacts), but sleeping in contacts dehydrates them, making them more brittle. When you take them out they are more likely to tear.
3. Dehydrated contacts are more likely to tear. If your eyes are dry or your contacts are dry by the end of the day you might want to try using rewetting drops throughout the day. They can be found in any pharmacy over the counter.
4. Put rewetting drops in 2-3 minutes before removing your contacts to make sure they are less rigid.

Picture from Bausch and Lomb Canada

1. Rewetting drops might be more important for our older patients who produce fewer tears and lower quality tears.
2. Always put your contacts in fresh solution every time you remove them and fill them up to the top of the lines in your case to make sure they are sufficently submerged every time.
3. Leave your contacts in the solution for 10 minutes before taking them out and rubbing them or rinsing them.
4. Always use good quality solutions such as OptiFree Pure Moist or ClearCare. The moisture particles in these solutions are small enough to fit in the pores of the contacts and stay with you throughout the day, opposed to wiping off as you blink.

If you consistantly have issues with tearing contacts and you are really good about caring for your contacts always check with your optometrist to see what your options are for replacing the torn ones, better care options for your particular lenses or trying a different type of contact lens.

Learn more about Opti-Free and taking care of contacts at: http://www.opti-free.com/

To learn more about our office visit our web-site at: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com

Follow us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

World Sight Day Challenge: It's a Bake Sale!

Celebrating the World Sight Day Challenge

We care about our patients and about protecting your vision; we are also concerned about people around the world who lack access to quality vision care. Becaus of this, our practice Clarity Eye Care will participate in teh World Sight Day Challenge during October.

The World Sight Day Challenge is a campaign coordinated by Optometry Giving Sight to raise funds for projects that provide vision care, local training and infrastructure support for people who are blind or vision impaired simply because they don't have access to an eye exam and a pair of glasses. Children are especially vulnerable. Providing vision correction to a school-age child can literally transform their entire life.

"...helping to give sight to people in need..."

Our practice will raise funds for the World Sight Day Challenge by making a donation, suggesting donations for doing adjustments during the month of October, and hosting a bake sale from October 8th to October 14th. We will have cookies, cakes, brownies, cupcakes, and bars! Anybody is welcome to stop by and help out a great cause!

Please join us in helping to give sight to people in need by scheduling your next appointment during October or just come in to make a donation.

Your donation will help support programs like the Mozambique Eye Care Project, that are trainingn local optometrists to ensure that in time, no child in that country will be limited by poor vision. Loid Semente (above) is one of the students training to become an optometrist with teh Mozambique Eyecare Project, supported by Optometry Giving Sight. Loid will be one of the first optometrists in her country.

She is passionate about optometry because of the significant impact it can have for the people of Mozambique. "Sight is empowering. For some, access to eye care is the first step towards getting an education, or providing for your family," she said.

Find out more about Optometry Giving Sight's World Sight Day Challenge at www.givingsight.org.

 

Follow us on Facebook at our progress with the Bake Sale at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about our office on our web-site at: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com

Aqua Clear (Biofinity) Contacts Now in Stock!

We are happy to announce that Aqua Clear (also known as Biofinity) lenses are now in stock and ready to be purchased directly from our inventory. Aqua Clear joins our other in stock products: Aqua Clear 100 and Acuvue Oasys.

What does this mean for you?

No more waiting for your contacts to come in! If you are wearing Aqua Clear lenses and need to order more we will have them in stock and you will not have to wait for your order to come in. Stop in any time to order or call ahead to reserve boxes to pick up.

We do not carry the toric versions of these lenses in stock, but can still order them. Valid prescriptions are required for all contact orders.

Have questions? Visit our web-site: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com or call us at 402-932-4800.

Follow us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about all Coopervision contacts at: www.Coopervision.com

Contact Care Directly from Acuvue

 

 

This infographic has great information about getting contact eye exams, different types of contact lenses, and tips for taking care of your contacts.

 

 

For more information about our office please visit: www.VisionSource-ClarityEyeCare.com

 

To follow us on Facebook please like us at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

 

To learn more about contact lens care please visit the following web-sites:

www.contactlenssafety.org

www.geteyesmart.org

www.aocle.org

www.fda.gov

 

Paraoptemetric Recognition Week

This week is paraoptemetric recognition week. You might be thinking, I know what an optometrist is, I know what an ophthalmologist is, what is a paraoptemetric? The answer is, a paraoptemetric is the person who assists you with everything else in an optometric practice.

They can have a variety of personalized duties or help run everything in the office. Their duties could be any of the following:

• Answering Phones
• Scheduling Appointments
• Prescreening Patients
• Selling Glasses
• Selling Contacts
• Fitting Glasses
• Assessing Patients Needs
• Adjusting Glasses
• Teaching New Contact Wearers to Insert and Remove Contacts
• Insurance billing and filing

Picture Courtesy of AOA

They are often the first person a patient sees and the last person a patient sees in an office. Therefore patient satisfaction is often times in their hands. Many states require paraoptemetrics to be certified, but Nebraska is not one of those states. Although, in many private offices paraoptemtrics are certified with either a CPO or ABO certification.

Have a great week and don't forget to recognize a paraoptemetric in your life!

Follow us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about us on our web-site at: www.VisionSource-ClarityEyeCare.com

Learn more about paraoptemetrics and optometry at: http://www.aoa.org/

Taking Care of Glasses

Taking care of glasses is easy peasy compared to contacts. That's why we like to have younger patients start with glasses and then try contacts. This is where to start.

Putting Them On

To start, when you put them on you want to slide them right over your ears.

• Don't put them on the top of your head and pull them down
• Don't spread the hinges out to get them around your head

Taking Them Off

When you take them off use both hands. If you use one hand all the time one temple will be bowed out more than the other and they will not fit properly.

• When you take them off ALWAYS put them in a case
• ALWAYS put them lenses down in the case

When not to Wear Them

Do not wear them while you are sleeping. That's an easy one. Also, we do not recommend wearing them while you are doing dangerous activities such as playing sports, or doing construction. It is better to wear certified safety glasses while performing these activites.

How to Clean Them

Readingglaassesshopper.com

Always use some form of moisture such as a spray or premoistened wipes and an approved cloth such as a microfiber cloth or other 100% cotton fabric. Whatever fabric you choose to clean your glasses with make sure cleaning your glasses is the only thing you use it for. For example, no using the shirt you are wearing and no cleaning them with your napkin at dinner.

• It's OK to clean your microfiber cloth or 100% cotton cloth as long as you do it by hand and with a mild detergent

Keeping them in One Piece

ALWAYS put them in a case when you are not wearing them. Keep a case in your car, at work, and at home if you have to. As long as you are not hard on your glasses I would recommend bringing them in once every six months to have screws tightened/replaced, nosepads tightened/replaced, deep cleaned, and straightened out. At this time too we can see if they are in need of replacement for any reason and you are well within your warranty. If you are hard on your glasses I recommend once every two to three months.

• Treat your sunglasses like regular glasses
• NEVER set them on top of a car
• Pay special attention when on boats, once they hit the water you will never see them again!
• It's a bad idea to wear them while on roller coasters

Hopefully this helps with first time glasses wearers. Just remember to treat your new glasses with care and they will last long for you.

Follow us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about us on our web-site at: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com

Taking Care of Soft Contacts

So 10 years ago you came in for your very first contact exam. It went great! You got fantastic contacts that felt great on your eyes and you got great vision out of them. You got the whole rundown (hopefully) from your optician and from your optometrist on how to properly take care of your lenses and what could happen if you don't. Well, we realize this conversation might have been a long time for a lot of people, and due to their responses to our questions at their exams, they have probably faltered a little to a lot from their care regimine with their contacts, so here is a brush-up.

Keeping to your Schedule

• All parts of our body except for our eyes receive oxygen through blood. Our eyes on the other-hand get their oxygen through their surfaces. That is why we need to pay close attention to how often we are replacing our contacts since contacts block their oxygen flow. Each brand of contact lens has a specific amount of time you can wear them so your eyes can breathe comfortably the entire time you have the lens. This is determined by your optometrist and should be adhered to strictly to keep your eyes comfortable.
• Sleeping in contacts likewise reduces the amount of oxygen to your eyes. Therefore it is only recommended to sleep in contacts that your doctor allows you to. Even if you do sleep in your contacts it is recommended to take them out for one night a week to give your eyes a break.
• Helpful ways to remember are to take them out the same night every week, set a reminder in your phone, or go to accuminder.com to set up a recurring text or email to remind you when you need to take them out. You can customize the Accuminder for your specific regimine. I don't delete the Accuminder e-mail until I actually take them out.

A Clean Contact is a Happy Contact!

• Always wash your hands before handling your contacts. Another tip is that if your contact case is grungy on the outside and you wash your hands before opening it and then you open it, you will get the bacteria that was on the outside of the case in your eye! So a better option is to open you case and then wash your hands, or just keep a clean case on the outside and inside.
• Every time you put your contacts from your case to your eyes rinse them off with solution. This gets any debris off your contact before it goes in your eyes. Also, rub your contacts before putting them in your case. Always rub them in a cross design and not in a circle. Rubbing in a circle is more likely to cause tearing and ripping.
• Once you have your contacts in your eyes make sure to rinse your case with either solution or tap water and leave the caps off. This way it can be free of debris and it can air dry. Your contact lens case is similar to tupperware. It's beautiful in the beginning, but after a comple of months no matter what you do you can not get it clean. This is why a new case is definitely recommended every three months. All that buildup is bacteria that can eventually get in your eye and cause an infection.

Solution is the Solution

Not all solutions are treated the same. In our office we recommend Opti-Free Pure Moist and/or Clear Care. The difference between Opti-Free Pure Moist and generic brands is all in the moisture particles. In Pure Moist the moisture particles are nice and small. This allows them to find snugly in the pores of your contacts and keep them moist longer. If the moisture particles are bigger than the pores in your contacts then they will slide off with every blink, and sooner rather than later will be gone and of not use.
Clear Care is a great solution for people who need a deeper clean for their contacts. Make sure to read the instructions on the box very carefully. It is dangerous to your eye to use clear care solution as if it were a regular solution.

Yikes!

If you are allowing your eyes getting irritated to be a reminder to change your contacts you are waiting until the damage is done before you change them instead of preventing the damage in the first place. If you follow the above rules and tips you will be much more likely to be as happy with your contacts as you could possibly be and we won't see you in our office with an infection!



Let's get back on track!

Learn more about us at our web-site: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com

Follow us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about OptiFree at: OptiFree.com

Learn more about Clear Care at: ClearCareSolution.com

Anti-Reflective: Is it Worth it?

Who Should Get Anti-Reflective on their Lenses?

We recommend that everybody gets anti-reflective on their lenses including children and people who do not wear their glasses often. What anti-reflective does is enable us to warranty your lenses for two years to be replaced as many times necessary in that time. For a lot of people this is enough of a reason to get it.

What are the Other Benefits of Anti-Reflective?

Anti-reflective has many benefits. If you have children the benefits we would highlight would be the two year warranty against scratching, the 99% reduction in glare the bounces off white surfaces or reflective surfaces such as paper, white boards, windshields or water, the UV protection, the smudge reduction, and the overall reduction of eye strain due to glare.

If you are a young adult we would point out the reduction in the size of halos around lights at night especially while driving, the UV protection, the reduction of eye strain while on the computer for extended periods, the scratch resistence, and the two year warranty.
If you are an adult who is in bifocals we would recommend it for all of the reasons listed above and it has a great benefit of letting more light into your eyes. As we age it takes more light to see in low-light situations, such as reading a menu in a dimmly lit restaurant. What anti-reflective does is reduce the amount of glare getting into your eyes and therefore increase the amount of true light enabling us to see better in these darker environments.

What to ask when Ordering your Glasses?

When ordering glasses your optician and/or optometrist should explain the benefits of anti-reflective and if they do not you can still ask. You want to make sure they sell a product they believe in, if not you might end up with a poor quality anti-reflective that will peel and craze and will annoy you more in the end than if you hadn't had anything in the first place. It's OK to ask your optician what brand of anti-reflective they use and to research it ahead of time. You want to know what you are spending your money on. Not all places that sell anti-reflective offer a warranty so be careful to ask about that too.
In my personal experience, the first place I worked at sold a horrible quality anti-reflective. We were kept in the dark about what brand it was and could not even tell patients if they asked, and couldn't have even if we wanted to. We were pushed to sell it, but hesitated to since it was such poor quality and it was not warrantied, probably because it peeled and scratched so easily. What we sell at Clarity Eye Care are all Crizal products. These products have worked out great in my opinion and I really do recommend them for everybody.

Find out more about us on our web-site: http://www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/

Stay tuned in on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Check out the Crizal web-site: http://www.crizalusa.com/Pages/default.aspx

What to Think about when Choosing Glasses Frames

Whether you are in your 40's and getting your first pair of glasses as bifocals, getting your first distance pair as an adult or getting glasses for the first time for your child, picking out glasses can be a daunting task. Depending on where you go, you may or may not have an optician who is assisting you and giving you helpful advice. I have compiled some helpful information from an opticians point-of-view to assist you in your next frame choosing adventure.

What are we opticians looking for?

You might wonder what we are thinking while we are eyeing you in your potentially new frames. It is slightly more involved than you might imagine.

Does the color compliment your skin and hair color?

Of course it is important that the frame looks good on you and if you wear it as your primary form of vision correction in place of contacts then you probably want it to go with almost every outfit. What I recommend is making sure it compliments your skin and hair color. Generally people know what colors they look good in and what colors they do not look good in. They then use this information to choose their clothing. If this is done than choosing a frame along the same lines will help guarantee that your new frames go with most of your wardrobe.

Does the style match your personality?

Just like any other accessory or article of clothing, frames should match your personality. Wouldn't it be nice if people said "Those frames are so you!" when they saw your new frames. You have to think are you classic? Are you trendy? Are you retro? Are you minimalistic? Do you want to stand out? Do you want to blend in with the crowd?

Does the style match your needs?

• If you are buying bifocals the lens needs to be large enough to fit your near, distance, and sometimes intermediate ranges of vision comfortably. Generally we recommend at least 10 mm from your bottom eyelid to the bottom of the frame for lined bifocals. For no-line bifocals every type of lens has a different minimum measuring height. The lowest I have seen and used is 14 mm from the center of your pupil to the bottom of the frame.
• The frame should fit the width of your face and be a hair smaller. The hinges should not be strained as the temples go around the sides of your head and similarly they should not be wider than your face. This is sometimes tricky for children. We want a frame that fits comfortably now, but also has some room for growth.
• The temples should go comfortably over your ears without going over too far. If they go over too far they would have to be turned down so far you might look like a child wearing an adults frame. This is especially important when choosing frames for children. There is a large range in sizes for children's frames and it is most important to get one that fits well. 
• If you have a high prescription your lenses will be thicker and you probably already know this. To help counteract the thickness I recommend a smaller rounder lens shape on your frame. Also, there are thinner and lighter weight lenses that could be used. Also, depending on the strength of your prescription I may not recommend a frame that exposes the bottom edge of your lens (semi-rimless) or one that exposes the entire edge of the lenses (drill-mount).
• Do you have a small nose? If you do, in most cases a plastic frame will not stay in place. The best option would be a metal frame with moveable nosepads. There are a few frames out there that are plastic and also have moveable nosepads.

**So just remember does the shape and color fit your face?
**Do these frames match your personality?
**What are your needs? Does this frame meet them?

Learn more about us on our web-site: www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com
Like us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Children's Vision

A Free 3 year old Vision Assessment

Some parents wonder when it is necessary to start getting their children's vision tested. Our recommendation is, unless if you notice something or are referred by their pediatrician you should start when they are three years old. According to the Eye Care Council, warning signs might be rubbing their eyes, avoiding close-up work, or squinting. You can check out the link to the Eye Care Council's web-site at the end of the page for more information. If your child is under three years old and you do notice some of these warning signs we recommend you look for an optometrist or opthalmologist who specializes in children's vision. If your child is three years old or older - read on!

If your child is 3-years-old, what do you do?

You can bring them to our office for a See to Learn vision assessment. The vision assessment is free of charge. In this assessment the doctor will see if your child might have a vision problem. If the doctor does decide that your child does need a full vision exam we would be more than happy to schedule that for you and your child and assit you in picking out appropriate glasses if necessary. Generally this exam requires dilation to determine an acurate prescription. We generally do not do the puff of air test of 3-year-olds, but we do show them what it does so they are more comfortable with it in the future. The full exam and the glasses could be billed to your insurance or you could use the Essilor Jr lenses which give children the strong lenses they need at an affordable price.

If your child is older than 3-years-old, what do you do?

You can still bring them in for a full exam. We will do all the same tests we would with an adult, so this would include the puff of air test. We could bill your exam to any applicable insurance or give you a 20% discount if you do not have insurance. Also, any child 18 or under is eligible for the more budget friendly Essilor Jr lenses if you do not have vision insurance.

What do we do after their first exam?

We recommend that every person, especially children come in yearly for an eye exam. Often time a prescription will change as a child grows, therfore theirs will change more frequently than most adults.

What about glasses?

Once they have their glasses you may stop in any time for an adjustment and children usually need them frequently because they are constantly moving and touching their faces. We put all children into polycarbonate lenses. These lenses are lightweight, thinner, and most importantly they are the most impact resistant, giving the best protection to your little one's eyes. These polycarbonate lenses have a one time replacement in a year if they are scratched or broken.

What does my child need on their glasses?

Scratch Protection

We always recommend scratch protection for children. From our experience children scratch their lenses very frequently and the scratches prevent them from having crisp, clear vision. This scratch protection goes on both the front and back side of the lenses for double protection and it warranties the lenses to be replaced as many times as necessary in a year.

AntiReflective

We also recommend antireflective coating which reduces glare when your child is reading from a white page, or off of a white board. It makes vision crisp, clear, and reduces eye strain which makes vision more comfortable. The antireflective coating includes scratch protection and it warranties the lenses for two years for unlimited replacement. It is also discounted in a lens package with Essilor Jr lenses.

Transitions

Finally, we always recommend sun protection for everybody. Usually a pair of glasses and sunglasses are a lot for a child to keep track of so we recommend Transitions lenses which are also disounted in the Essilor Jr lens package. These lenses turn dark and provide 100% UV protection when exposed to sunlight and they lighten when not exposed to sunlight.

***Bring your child in anytime before the end of August to color an Essilor Jr coloring sheet and enter to win an Essilor Jr back pack with a some games and school supplies. No purchase necessary to enter.***

For more information about the Eye Care Council or See to Learn:
http://www.seetolearn.com/

For more information about Essilor JR:
http://www.essilorjunior.com/

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Learn more about us on our web-site:
http://www.visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/

Avaira Contacts: Back on the Market

Last year the Avaira contacts were recalled "due to the level of a residue on certain Avaira lenses." This residue caused "hazy" vision and eye pain. Although it did not affect all Avaira lenses the recall was still for all Avairas and they were not selling them for months. This caused some confusion for quite some time for both us and our patients.

Fortunately, after waiting patiently they have been released onto the market again. This is great news for our patients who loved the fit, feel, vision with the Avaira lenses and who preferred a two-week disposable lens to a monthly disposable lens.

What does this mean for our previous Avaira wearers?

When you come in for your next annual exam we will be able to put you back in the lenses you love, the Avaira brand lenses.

For more information about Avaira lenses:
http://coopervision.com/node/172

For more information about the Avaira recall:
http://coopervision.com/node/551

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https://www.facebook.com/ClarityEyeCareOmaha

Learn more about us on our web-site:
http://visionsource-clarityeyecare.com/

Protect your Eyes this Summer

Jimmy Crystal Sunglasses

            Summer is when people start thinking about sunglasses and rightfully so. The sun seems to be blazing through our windshields with twice the power it normally seems to. The question becomes, are you doing everything you need to to protect your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun? The dangers of tanning are hot in the news now, but it is always a popular topic in the eyecare world. Just like slathering your kids with sunscreen before they go in the sun, everybody's eyes also need protection from the sun.

Think about sunglasses as sunscreen for your eyes because they are not immune to the sun's harmful rays.

What can happen if eyes go unprotected?

            According to the American Optometric Association, if your eyes go unprotected and are exposed to the suns rays it can lead to macular degeneration, cataracts, or even skin disease on the sensitive skin around the eyes. Other less serious conditions could be growths on the eyes or even sunburn. These could cause redness, irritation, tearing, decreased vision, or in extreme cases even blindness.


Oakley's Fuel Cell made from Recycled Materials

What can you do to protect your eyes?

1. It is recommended that everytime you are exposed to the sun you wear some form of sunprotection such as sunglasses, clip-on sunglasses, or Transitions lenses. This is recommended whether the sun is at full strength or even if it is a cloudy day.

2. When choosing sunglasses make sure to choose a pair that provides 100% UV protection. If you choose sunglasses that do not provide adequate protection it could be worse than not wearing anything at all. This is because the tint on the lenses cause your eyes to dilate and let more into your eyes, but the lenses are not blocking any UV.

3. Sun protection is not just for adults also consider getting sunglasses, sports glasses, or transitions for children. Just like with skin damage, most sun damage to the eyes happens before the age of 18.

4. Wear sunglasses all year round. If you pick up a pair of polarized sunglasses which greatly reduce glare it will make driving in snow much more comfortable.

5. Choose sunglasses with grey lenses. They make color vision more natural than amber or brown lenses.

Information provided by:

http://www.aoa.org/x15026.xml

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Welcome to our Blog!

Welcome to Clarity Eye Care's Blog! What makes this different from our web-site or our Facebook page? The blog will contain in depth optical information and office information where as our Facebook contains quick captions, anecdotes, funny videos, and pictures. It is updated daily during the week. Our web-site has office information and is not updated frequently. Each site offers valuable information to it's patrons as will our blog. We look forward to interacting with our patients in this new way!

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