Myopia, commonly known as near-sightedeness, is a person’s ability to see near, but inability to see far away. Generally, with low amounts of nearsightedness, a person may be able to get by, but as that amount increases, day to day tasks become more and more difficult. In a child, that includes looking at the board in school, learning to drive, and even sports. With increasing amounts of myopia, a person has a higher risk of developing certain diseases such as retinal tears or detachments, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic maculopathy. As a person ages, it is one of the primary reasons they decide to get refractive surgery like LASIK.

Multifocal contact lenses are a great alternative to bifocal or progressive glasses. They incorporate many prescriptions into a small soft contact lens so that the wearer is able to see multiple distances: distance, near (phone/books), and intermediate (computer). The most common use of multifocal lenses is for people with presbyopia also known as age-related farsightedness (inability to read up close).

Many people suffer from red and irritated eyes and this could be due to what we, as optometrists call, Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). We first need to ask, “What is dry eye syndrome?” DES is when the tear layer (the very front surface of the eye) is either inadequate or unstable. This may lead to ocular surface discomfort - grittiness, scratchiness, burning - that may go away when we blink or when we use lubricating eye drops. Sometimes this can also lead to fluctuating clarity in our vision as well. Ultimately this can really affect a person’s everyday life. 

When we think about our yearly tasks, we often think about the annual physical exam, the dentist visit and car servicing. However, many do not factor eye exams into that yearly equation! Regular, annual eye exams are crucial for maintaining good eye health and overall well-being.

Gas permeable lenses, also known as rigid gas permeable lenses or GP lenses, are contact lenses made of rigid, oxygen-permeable materials. Unlike soft contact lenses, which are made of hydrophilic materials that absorb water, GP lenses are made of materials that do not absorb water and retain their shape when placed on the eye.

Daily contact lenses have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their convenience and hygiene.  In fact, nearly 80% of our contact lens patient base now use daily contact lenses!