eyewear – Park Eye Center

Optometry

Frame Fashion 2021

Everyone’s tired of the WFH aesthetic of sweats and daytime pajamas so it’s no surprise that this season fashion is back with a vengeance. Clothing wise I’m excited about colorful knitwear, particularly sweaters featuring crochet granny squares – cool, nerdy, and nostalgic all at the same time. I’m on the fence with the chunky loafer look for shoes, it evokes memories of the early nineties and I’m not convinced I want to go back there….

So what’s doing in the eye biz world in terms of fresh and new for fall? The September 2021 edition of Eyecare Business calls this fashion season “unexpected”. Here’s a rundown of the top seven trends in frames for this season:

Geometrical and fanciful shapes – we’ve seen a lot of hexagons in both metal and plastic frames – it’s a totally fresh shape and super trendy.
Edgy glamour – Big frames, unique tints and cool shapes, especially in sunglasses
Logos are back – not everyone likes someone else’s name on their frames, but seriously, who doesn’t love an obscenely gigantic logo on an equally gigantic frame – the bigger the better!
Cat-eye shapes – I’m not convinced this trend ever really goes away. Whether subtle or bold, the upward taper of the frame at the top edge is super flattering for any cheekbone.
Twee – this is a trend that is a British term for dainty, sweet, or cutesy styles. It includes berets, pom-pom hats, pussy bows, and pleated skirts. Frame wise this means bubblegum pinks or any sugary hues.
80’s – Think oversized, tons of crystals and more brow bars. Now this is an era I’m happy to go back to!
Animal prints – Again, I’m not sure this trend is ever out of style. Aside from classic leopard prints, think zebra, you can’t go wrong with classic black and white.

Healthcare, Optometry

March Is Workplace Eye Wellness Month

Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization has declared March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month. In a pre COVID world this topic would be geared mostly to work environments such as construction or medical labs, but now that working from home has become the new normal during the pandemic, it is crucial to address the specific challenges associated with working remotely.

In a work setting such as manufacturing or construction, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires employers to provide eye and face protection against chemical, environmental, radiological and mechanical irritants and hazards. Various forms of safety eyewear include prescription and non-prescription safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets, and full face respirators.

WFH (working from home) has created increased awareness of a common condition known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS include blurred vision, eye strain, headaches, and tired, burning, itchy eyes. Home offices which are often just the kitchen table or a folding chair and desk set up in the basement lend themselves to poor ergonomics which also contributes to exacerbating digital eye strain.

Some tips to reduce symptoms of CVS include:

Placing computer screens 20-26” away from the eyes and below eye level
Computer glasses with antireflective coatings and blue light filters
Following the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
Using high quality artificial tears for dry eye

Optometry

#SquintLessSeeMore with Oasys Transition Contact Lenses

Imagine this – you go outside on a beautiful sunny day and realize that you left your sunglasses at home – ordinarily you would be squinting and uncomfortable but not anymore – now your contact lenses turn dark when you go outside! Acuvue Oasys, the wildly popular two week contact lens from Johnson and Johnson has joined technological forces with Transitions Optical to create Acuvue Oasys with Transitions. This new product got so much positive buzz that it was selected by Time Magazine as one of 2018’s BEST INVENTIONS OF 2018. Like the regular Oasys lens, the Oasys with Transitions is a two week lens that can be cleaned with either standard multipurpose solution or a hydrogen peroxide based system. It takes 30 seconds to activate when you go outside and ninety seconds to turn back to clear when you go back inside. When the lens is fully activated outside it filters 70% of outdoor light, and even inside it filters about 15% of indoor light. One important thing to realize is that although you are indeed blocking UV light on the eyeball itself when you wear these contacts, you still need sunglasses to protect the skin around your eyes as well as the other parts of your eye, and the contacts never get as dark as real sunglasses. Acuvue is recommending this lens for any patient who is bothered by light sensitivity, whether indoors our outdoors. They are also recommending it for patients who experience halos and starbursts when they drive at night, as well as to those who are bothered by computer lighting. The lens does change your eye color slightly when it is activated outdoors and in studies that were conducted on patients who tried this lens only 2% were bothered by the color shift. Check out the hashtag #SquintLessSeeMore for more cool information about this innovative product which is available through our office now.

Optometry

How many pairs of glasses do you have?

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One of the biggest perks of being in the optical business is that I have a million pairs of glasses (only a slight exaggeration). While multiple pairs of glasses definitely contribute to a stylish wardrobe, there are more important reasons to have more than one pair. The same way that you wear different shoes for different activities, you need different types of glasses for different visual tasks. High heels don’t work for marathons, flip flops don’t work for an interview, and when was the last time you saw someone wearing snow boots at the beach?

The most important second pair of glasses should be a quality pair of sunglasses – these are available in both prescription and plano (fancy word for non-prescription) as well as in single vision and progressive (for reading at the beach). Many of us who are on the computer for extended periods of time benefit from a specific pair of computer glasses which would incorporate an anti reflective coating with a blue light filter to help mitigate fatigue. I always tell patients to measure the exact distance between their eyes and the computer screen so we can come up with the optimal prescription. There are also special progressive designs for people who use multiple computers at multiple distances. People with hobbies sometimes have very specific needs as well. The musicians in my practice bring in their instruments and music stands and we calculate in real space what the perfect prescription should be (we have often been treated to impromptu concerts!) Crafters like myself who enjoy knitting and watching TV at the same time often need a specific pair of glasses as well. Fashion is another reason to have multiple pairs of glasses.

Going back to my shoe analogy, certain styles are intrinsically casual and would not work well at a formal event (like sneakers with a ball gown). Different colors and shapes as well as the addition of details such as crystals or interesting hardware elevate a frame from merely functional to spectacular. Building a glasses wardrobe is a creative as well as practical way to express your individuality. Our well trained staff will help you select the perfect pair(s) of glasses which will harmonize fashion, function, and fun!

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Healthcare, medical, Optometry

What Do You Mean My Kid Needs Glasses??!!

The other day the cutest little girl came in for her first eye exam. She was starting third grade and was an excellent student reading above grade level. Her parents were sure she didn’t need glasses but thought it was time for her to start having routine eye exams. She was articulate and outspoken and wanted to be done with her visit so she could get on with her day. She read the eye chart in her right eye all the way down to the tiniest letter and was eager to do the same on the left eye. To everyone’s surprise she struggled, barely getting down to the second to last line, guessing and growing frustrated as she realized something wasn’t right. She also had some trouble seeing in 3D which indicated that her two eyes were not working together. At the end of the exam I told her parents that although her right eye was perfect she was hyperopic, or farsighted in her left eye and the large discrepancy between the two eyes had created amblyopia (lazy eye) in that left eye. She left with a new pair of glasses and a follow-up appointment in three months.

80% of learning is visual – if your child does not see well he or she will not do well in school. Sometimes kids are unable to realize or articulate that something is wrong – either they will think that whatever they are experiencing is normal or they just won’t complain. Vision screenings at the pediatrician are not a substitute for a full and comprehensive eye exam. Eye exams are recommended at the age of six months (by specialized infantsee providers) and subsequently yearly after the age of three. Early use of iPads and other digital devices creates a new challenge for children’s developing visual systems and seeing well involves more than just seeing 20/20 on an eye chart. Evaluation of tracking, eye teaming and convergence are crucial to ensuring optimal ocular performance and subsequent academic success.

This little girl and her family were lucky that she was doing so well in school despite her amblyopia and suboptimal visual system. Don’t wait until your child complains or you get a note sent home from the school nurse or your child’s teacher – book your childs yearly exam now before the school year gets underway.