Monthly Archives: December

prepare for glare

Prepare for the Glare & Protect your Eyes this Winter in 1 Easy Step

As winter weather quickly approaches, it is important to be prepared for a unique visual challenge that often accompanies snow-covered landscapes – glare. While a winter wonderland can certainly be beautiful, the reflective nature of snow intensifies sunlight, causing a brightness that can significantly impact our vision.

How Glare Affects Vision

Winter glare occurs due to the reflective properties of snow and ice. When sunlight hits the white surface, it bounces back, creating an amplified intensity that can overwhelm the eyes. This is known as snow blindness, or photokeratitis, and can cause an increased risk of eye damage. Snow blindness occurs when UV light enters the cornea of the eye, inflaming the epithelium. When agitated, this sensitive outer layer becomes irritated and inflamed, resulting in a variety of symptoms. Some of these symptoms include:

  • Photophobia or light sensitivity
  • Painful burning sensation in the eyes
  • Visible redness in the eyes
  • Excessing tearing or watering
  • Blurred vision
  • Swollen eyes or eyelids
  • Headaches
  • Halo effects around light sources

Prepare for Glare in these Situations

Winter glare can present itself in a variety of situations so be prepared while:

 

Driving – drivers can experience glare from snowy surroundings, as well as frozen surfaces such as ice-covered roads and sidewalks or bodies of water. Additionally, because of the sun’s relative position to Earth in winter, the sun’s rays hit Earth at a lower angle. This can cause increased glare on the roads, which can create dangerous driving conditions especially during the early morning or late afternoon hours.

 

Participating in Winter Sports – many people enjoy the sporting activities available in winter months, such as skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling. But these activities obviously involve being in or around a lot of snow, so it is important to remember the damage that glare can cause and take the appropriate precautions.

 

Shoveling – Although not usually a favorite winter activity, shoveling snow is often a necessity for many people. Oftentimes, people will be out tackling their snow-covered driveways in the morning, before heading out to work or school. This is prime time for the sun’s rays to reflect off snow or ice-covered surfaces, causing potential eye damage.

One Surefire Solution to Prevent Glare

The easiest and most effective way to prevent glare this winter is to wear protective eyewear! Although it might sound like a simple solution, many people go out every day without any type of protection for their eyes. But wearing a good pair of sunglasses can be crucial to preventing damage. When selecting sunglasses, always make sure that they block 100% of the sun’s UV-A and UV-B rays. Glare that reflects off of snow or ice can intensify UV exposure, but high-quality sunglasses can offer much-needed protection.  Additionally, polarized sunglasses offer a very effective way to reduce glare and will significantly increase your ability to see clearly during bright conditions.

Protective eyewear can come in different forms. For example, sunglasses should be worn every time you go outside. In fact, keeping an extra pair in the car can ensure that you have them when you need them and provide safety while driving at any time of day. Wearing sports goggles while engaging in outdoor winter activities will protect your eyes from glare, as well as any flying ice particles that could damage your eyes. Additionally, prescription eyeglasses can be customized with glare-reducing coatings to provide additional daily protection from glare.

The team at Family Vision Development Center is dedicated to your healthy vision! Our extensive optical center has a variety of glasses and sunglasses that can help prevent harmful glare in your daily life. Contact us at 630-862-2020 to schedule a visit for a vision exam or for a consultation in our optical center.

 

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.

Share:
Mistakes with contact lenses

Avoid these Top 5 Mistakes People Make with Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a popular choice for vision correction due to their convenience and unobtrusive nature. However, while they offer freedom from the constraints of traditional eyeglasses, contact lenses require a higher level of care and attention. Unfortunately, many people underestimate the importance of proper contact lens care, which can lead to a number of complications that can affect their eye health. Understanding and avoiding these common mistakes associated with contact lens usage is essential in order to maintain healthy eyes and enjoy the benefits of clear vision.

 

Sleeping in Contact Lenses

Sleeping in contact lenses is a common oversight that significantly increases the risk of eye infections and corneal complications. The closed-eye environment during sleep can promote the accumulation of bacteria and can reduce oxygen supply to the cornea, which can lead to discomfort, inflammation, or potential long-term damage. Unless your contacts are specifically designed for extended wear, always take them out before sleeping, even if you are just taking a nap.

 

Neglecting Proper Hygiene

Failing to maintain proper hygiene while handling contact lenses can introduce harmful bacteria and debris to the eyes. Poor hand washing, using saliva to moisten lenses, and ignoring lens case cleanliness are common habits that can lead to severe eye infections and discomfort. Practicing good hygiene is vital to ensure the safety and effectiveness of contact lens use.

 

Using Tap Water for Cleaning or Storing Contact Lenses

Some individuals resort to using tap water as a substitute for the recommended contact lens solution, not realizing that it contains microorganisms that can adhere to the lenses and cause infections. Tap water may also contain chemicals and impurities that can damage the lenses, leading to discomfort and reduced clarity of vision.  To reduce the risk of infection, it is best to keep contacts away from any kind of water.

 

Failing to Replace Lenses on Time

Overextending the lifespan of contact lenses beyond their recommended usage period can compromise their integrity and lead to discomfort, decreased vision quality, and increased risk of eye infections. This is why it is so important to regularly replace lenses according to our advice during your exam, in order to maintain optimal eye health and visual acuity.

 

Ignoring Symptoms of Discomfort

When it comes to wearing contact lenses, it is important to pay attention to signs of a potential problem, such as redness, dryness, irritation or pain. Ignoring these symptoms can allow underlying eye issues to worsen, and potentially lead to severe complications. You can’t be too careful with your vision, so if you have any concerns at all about a possible issue with your contacts, always come to see us for an evaluation.

 

At Family Vision Development Center, our dedicated team will make sure you have the right contact lenses to properly correct your vision. And just as importantly, we will make sure you understand the responsibilities involved in order to protect your eye health. Contact us at 630-862-2020 to schedule your appointment for a vision exam, consultation and to get all of your important questions answered.

 

Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear.  We are dedicated to keeping our patients comfortable and well-informed and we will explain every exam and procedure and answer all of your questions.  We accept both scheduled and emergency appointments, and offer convenient financing and insurance options to ensure that high-quality vision care is available and affordable to all of our patients.

Share: