health

January is the ideal time to start getting eye exams

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Eye chart and eye exam at Performance Eyecare

January is a great time to schedule your annual eye exam. Just remember, “a new year, a new eye exam” to help you remember.

Eye exams are often pushed aside by people with great vision and even those with poor sight, but routine exams are important regardless of age or physical health.

The eye doctors do much more than determine your prescription, if any, for eyeglasses or contact lenses during your eye exam. They also check them for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

Eye doctors are often the first health care professionals to detect chronic systematic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

So what does e eye doctor check for during your eye exam? As mentioned above, it’s more than you think.

Eye doctors check the eyes for refractive error, which refers to nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. This can be corrected with eye glasses, contacts or surgery.

They also check for amblyopia, which occurs when the eyes are turned or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other. In addition, they can check for strabismus (crossed or turned eyes), eye teaming problems, focusing problems, eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and other diseases.

Be sure to schedule an eye exam soon, especially if you haven’t one in over a year. You can schedule an appointment at any of our MO or IL locations over the phone or online!

Minimize Stress To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

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Big project due? Bills need to be paid? Trying to find a job? These are a few things that can cause stress. That stress can cause other problems to your health including your eyes.

Life can be hectic as we try to best manage our tasks in an orderly fashion, but sometimes the anxiety takes control of us and our body. Hypertension, or constant high blood pressure, can put us at a higher risk of Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO), according to HealthMeUp.com. This disease affects about four out of 1000 people and is considered a “heart attack or stroke selectively affecting the retina.”

This can lead to blurred vision or total loss of vision if not treated.

Our eyes are the most sensitive part of our body which is why stress easily affects our vision. High blood pressure obviously affects the heart and it also damages the vessels that supply blood to our eyes. This damage is in the form of clots.

How Can I Keep My Eyes Healthy?

The best way to treat this problem is to address your stress. Stress can cause major physical damage throughout our body, including our eyes. Finding ways to cope with our stress will lead to less anxiety. This will keep our eyes and the rest of our body healthy.

Fortunately, technology has also helped with controlling the damage done to our eyes due to stress. These new treatments include injections, lasers and surgery. Get your blood pressure checked regularly to help prevent RVO from affecting you and your eyes.

If your vision is becoming blurred, please schedule an appointment to see one of our Performance Eyecare doctors. It’s important to understand why your vision is blurred and to address it immediately. Our team is available for regular wellness exams, as well as emergency appointments to make sure you get the care you need!

Treat Fall allergies

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Performance eyecare STL & red eye, pink eye, dry eye & more

Fall allergy triggers are different from the spring and summer ones but can cause just as many symptoms. Here are some ways to keep your eyes healthy during the fall!

Ragweed is the king of fall allergy season. It usually begins releasing pollen in August, but it can last through September and into October. Seventy-five percent of people who are allergic to spring plants are also allergic to ragweed.

Ragweed pollen can travel hundreds of miles with help from the wind, so you could still have allergies from it despite not living near it.

Those allergic to ragweed may also find similar symptoms from foods like bananas, melon, zucchini and other fruits and vegetables.

Mold is another allergy sufferer’s worst nightmare. Many of us think of mold growing in our basement or bathrooms, but mold spores also love wet spots outside. Piles of damp leaves are ideal breeding grounds for mold.

Dust mites are more common in humid summer months, but can be stirred into the air the first time you turn your furnace on. This pesky allergy producer can make you sneeze, wheeze and have runny noses. It’s also common in schools, so kids going back to school may have already experienced it this season.

Fall allergy symptoms include: runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes and nose, and dark circles under the eyes.

So how can you manage these symptoms? Pollen is usually at its peak in the morning, so stay indoors with the doors and windows closed.

Also, clean your heating vents and change the filter before using your heat for the first time. Use a HEPA filter in your heating system to remove pollen, mold and other particles from the air.

You should also use a humidifier to keep the air between 35% and 50% humidity.

Lastly, we all hate raking leaves, but we hate them a little extra when we have allergies. You should wear a mask when you rake the leaves so you don’t breathe in mold spores.

At Performance Eyecare, we can treat our patients for many eye conditions, including red eyes, dry eyes, pink eye and eye infection. Be sure to schedule an appointment with us if you are having trouble with your vision.

Keep your eyes safe on the golf links

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The weather is warming up and many of us will be hitting the links to play a round of golf this spring. Before you take your first swing of the season, make sure you’re wearing the proper golf eyewear.

Did you know Performance Eyecare is one of only a few offices in the St. Louis area to specialize in golf vision and prescription sunglasses for golfing?

It’s important to wear sunglasses when you’re outside to begin with, but many sunglasses aren’t optimized for the game of golf. This is why we carry several different styles of golf sunglasses in our stores.

We all have troubles finding our golf ball from time to time, but it’s become a little easier with the latest eyewear from Rudy Project Ketyium. This eyewear features a green-tinted lens which enhances all green colors and helps enhance the contrast of the white golf ball.

It also has a wrap-style frame to provide greater eye coverage for the golfer and it can also incorporate a prescription.

While finding your golf ball easier is great, the main reason you should wear sunglasses on the golf course is for protection from UV rays. Sunglasses can limit your chances of developing cataracts and possibly macular degeneration as it protects the cornea, lens and other parts of the eye. You should choose sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays.

Stop in soon or schedule an appointment to Performance Eyecare and let us help pick out the best eyewear for your style and health. The eye care professionals at Performance Eyecare give each of our patients the personal attention and care that everyone deserves and ensures that your eye health is our number one priority.

Minimize Stress To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

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Big project due? Bills need to be paid? Trying to find a job? These are a few things that can cause stress. That stress can cause other problems to your health including your eyes.

Life can be hectic as we try to best manage our tasks in an orderly fashion, but sometimes the anxiety takes control of us and our body. Hypertension, or constant high blood pressure, can put us at a higher risk of Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). This disease affects about four out of 1000 people and is considered a “heart attack or stroke selectively affecting the retina.”

This can lead to blurred vision or total loss of vision if not treated.

Our eyes are the most sensitive part of our body which is why stress easily affects our vision. High blood pressure obviously affects the heart and it also damages the vessels that supply blood to our eyes. This damage is in the form of clots.

How Can I Prevent Stress-Related Issues?

The best way to treat this problem is to address your stress. It’s important for us to understand the physical damage that can be done to our eyes. Finding ways to cope with our stress will lead to less anxiety and keep our eyes and the rest of our body healthy.

Technology has also helped with controlling the damage done to our eyes due to stress. These new treatments include injections, lasers and surgery. It’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly to help prevent RVO from affecting you and your eyes.

If you’ve noticed your vision is becoming more blurred, please schedule an appointment to see one of our eye doctors at Performance Eyecare. It’s important to understand why your vision is blurred and to address it immediately.

It’s also important to seek other help if you are under uncontrollable stress whether it be from the workplace or your everyday life.

Don’t Take Your Eyesight For Granted

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Many people tend to take several things in their lives for granted– their vehicles, their homes, their spouses, and so much more. Amongst that list is the ability to hear, taste, and perhaps most importantly, see.

Think about it – what would life be like for you if you had poor vision or no eyesight at all? You wouldn’t be able to drive. You’d find the things you love doing such as sewing, painting, and playing sports much more difficult.

According to the National Eye Institute, more than 3.3 million Americans 40 years old and older have low vision or blindness. The institute also claims that the figure will increase greatly by the year 2020.

How Can I Prevent Vision Loss?

Going to the eye doctor on a regular basis can help save your vision. In fact, you could even save your life.

When you visit your local optometrist or ophthalmologist for your yearly eye exam, you will know what kind of shape your eyesight is in. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can also detect if you have any eye conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration, conditions that can go undetected and intensify until they wreak irreversible havoc on your vision.

If that isn’t amazing enough, your optometrist or ophthalmologist can also detect if you have any life-threatening issues when you receive your yearly eye exam. That small network of arteries in your retinas provides a great window to your overall health, and your eye doctor can determine your overall health, especially concerning blood pressure and brain health. Even very serious diseases such as diabetes, brain tumors, and cancer can be found when you get your eye exam.

Even though you may be in good health and your eyesight is doing well.  Eye health can change and deteriorate throughout your life, depending on how you treat your eyesight and if your current prescriptions are beneficial to your eyes or not.

We Help You Make Time!

At Performance Eyecare we know your time is important and we work hard to stay on schedule so our patients do not have to wait in our office. Typically, patients are examined and eyeglasses are selected in under an hour.  We also have locations all over the St. Louis Metro and Illinois Metro East, so you can find an office close to home or work.

Your eyes are one of the most important things that you have in your life. Call us here at Performance Eyecare at (618) 234-3053 to schedule your annual eye exam TODAY!

Toy Related Eye Injuries

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Each year, children are emitted into the hospital due to eye injuries due to toy relations. Nearly half of these injuries are to the head and face, and many are eye injuries. Toy related injuries are often sustained by children 5 years of age and under.

Online surveys conducted by All About Vision revealed that 41% of parents either hardly or rarely considered eye safety when shopping & selecting toys for their kids. Keep in mind that when these same parents were asked if they thought the toys their kids currently had at home could potentially cause eye damage, 54% of them answered definitely, and 22% said possibly. Injuries to the eyes due to toy mishaps may include scratches to the surface, also known as corneal abrasion; or a more serious injury can occur such as bleeding inside of the eye, traumatic cataracts or corneal ulcers.

As you prepare for Christmas this year, keep in mind these 6 toys that pose a higher risk for eye injury than others, especially is these toys are used without adult supervision and/or assistance

Performance Eyecare, Maryland Heights eye doctor

Silly String, also known as Aerosol String – If this string enters the eye it can cause an irritation or possibly even lead to pink eye due to the chemical in the product.

Toys That Can Cause Harm To The Eye, Performance Eyecare St. Louis, Performance Eyecare Maryland Heights
Children’s Fishing Poles– These can be especially dangerous to other nearby children. These should always be used with adult supervision. Example toys may include Catch of the Day.

Girl in bubble bath, foam
Party foam – This chemical can cause a burn to the eyes that can result in red eyes, blurred vision and eye infection.

 

 

3 Reasons You Might Need Contact Lenses

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As you consider whether to make the switch to contact lenses, you may be wondering if they’re right for you. There are many aspects to take into consideration, and the choice is not an easy one to make. These facts about lenses might just help you see the best option for your personal eye care.

Colored Contact Lense, Performance Eye Care

  • While glasses may be easier to put on, contact lenses allow for ease of use throughout the day; they don’t smudge, fall down, or break. Because of this, they are useful for anyone who plays sports, exercises, or performs moderate to high physical activity throughout the day. Furthermore, contacts aren’t usually affected by weather; no more foggy lenses!
  • Contact lenses, unlike traditional glasses, can temporarily change the appearance of your eye color. With the use of colored contacts, you can change the color or shape of your eye for parties, celebrations, or casual wear: cat eyes, zombie effects, and even solid color contacts are popular in costume during festive holidays, such as Halloween.
  • Contacts can also provide the wearer with a wider range of vision than traditional glasses can. Peripheral vision is not affected by contacts the way glasses are, and distortion is less likely to occur.

There are many advantages to contact lenses, and new advances are being made every day. In the future, there may be smart contact lenses that provide wearers with a virtual reality experience, aside from and more discreetly than the popular headset. It may well be time to trade in those old lenses for some new, improved, stylish contact lenses.

For more information or any questions or concerns you may have, feel free to contact us.

Keratoconus

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Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea of the eye gradually thins and begins to bulge outward and become cone-shaped. This leads to progressive vision impairment, including blurred vision and increased sensitivity to glare and light. As keratoconus progresses, it can become difficult to read, drive, or perform other simple tasks. The condition affects an estimated 1 in 2,000 people. Most people with keratoconus are diagnosed in their teenage years or 20s. The condition often progresses for up to 20 years before finally stabilizing around middle age.

Keratoconus, Performance Eyecare, Eye Doctor in Missouri, Eye Doctor in Illinois, Eye Care in Swansea, Eye care in Alton, Eye care in St. Louis

Diagnosing Keratoconus:

One of the latest methods for diagnosing keratoconus involves corneal topography mapping. This test can be performed by our eye doctors. Corneal topography mapping measures the thickness of the cornea and creates a detailed map of the surface of the eye. This technology also makes it possible to categorize the severity of the disease.

Treatments for Keratoconus:

Early-stage keratoconus is typically treated with soft contacts or glasses. Frequent prescription altercations may be needed as the disease progresses. The contacts may also need to be switched from soft to rigid gas permeable to ensure adequate vision correction. Recent developments in contact lens technology have made the treatment of keratoconus a bit easier, specifically Scleral Contact Lenses. Scleral Contact Lenses cover the entire corneal service and rest on the sclera of the eye. Due to this larger form factor, they provide a more stable fit on the eye.

It is also important to note that advanced keratoconus may require surgical treatment. One surgical option involves inserting crescent-shaped rings into the cornea to correct its shape and improve vision. However, in cases where there is extensive corneal scarring and thinning, a corneal transplant (also known as a keratoplasty) may be required. This procedure replaces the damaged cornea with a cornea from a healthy donor.

At Performance Eyecare, we are committed to the early detection of different eye diseases. This is why we offer the latest in diagnostic technology including corneal topography and scleral contact lens fitting. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Missing Summer Already?

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We have a sale worth seeing!

If you are already dreading the cold, snowy winter days ahead of us; and instead are dreaming of the sun-kissed afternoons that summer brought, you are in luck! We have a special going on that is sure to brighten even the coldest of winter days. Now, through December 31st all of the sunglasses at Performance Eyecare are on sale! The good news is we have several hundreds of sunglass frames to choose from in both our Swansea & St. Louis locations. Not only do we have a selection like you wouldn’t believe, we also carry top of the line name brands such as Callaway, Oakley, Maui Jim, Kate Spade, Wiley X, Nike & Tom Ford.

Performance Eye Care, Sunglasses

Keep in mind that the health of your eyes shouldn’t take a back seat because the cold months can be just as dangerous as the summer ones. Sunglasses not only help protect your eyes from the reflective rays off of the snow..but also:

  1. Decrease Dry-Eye Problems
  2. Reduce Glare
  3. Less Eyestrain From Squinting
  4. Protective Layer From Debris
  5. Visual Appeal

That being said, make an appointment today with Dr. Dirk, or Dr. Cuff and stuff your stocking with the unexpected – vision and stylish sunglasses to go with it!