Now is a great time to get a head start on your New Year’s resolution! What better way to care for your health than starting with your eyes? Scheduling a visit to your optometrist for an annual comprehensive eye exam is even a perfect way to utilize any Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) money you might still have for the year. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! You’ll be able to start the year with crystal clear vision, looking stylish, and having the confidence that your all-over health is in check and all your benefits are used.

Keep your overall health in check

Did you know that optometrists can diagnose over 270 different diseases? The eyes are truly the window to your health. Not only can optometrists help to correct your vision with glasses or contacts, but they will also give you the confidence that your health is moving in the right direction. This is a perfect way to utilize your health benefits before the year-end deadline!

Don’t forget about the rest of the family!

You might think that kids who have received vision exams at school or a pediatrician are totally in the clear with their eye health. However, the fact is that they still should receive a comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist to ensure that more than just their sight is being managed and that no underlying conditions were missed in the initial vision exam. Babies should also be receiving comprehensive eye exams. The InfantSEE program allows participating doctors of optometry to provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment between 6 and 12 months of age free of charge regardless of family income or access to insurance coverage. This means that all Colorado infants qualify for a no-cost comprehensive eye exam at 6-12 months of age. To schedule, simply find your local participating InfantSEE optometrist and schedule.

Correct and protect your vision in style

HSA and FSA funds can be used at your optometrist’s office to purchase new stylish glasses. You could even consider buying a few different pairs to really express all the different angles of your personality while ensuring that you are able to see the world clearly! Sunglasses with or with prescriptions can also be purchased with your benefit funds. Sunglasses are the perfect fashion accessory to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays all year round.

Stock up to see clearly

If you are a contact lens wearer, consider using your benefits to purchase a year’s supply! Set yourself up for success by ensuring that you don’t run out of your prescription lenses when you need them the most. HSA and FSA funds can be used on your corrective contact lenses. Of course, don’t forget about the rest of the family.

Prioritize eye health this year!

The end of the year is the perfect time to use your health benefits before they expire. This will help you be proactive in your eye health and can ensure early diagnosis and proper care for you and your whole family – a perfect way to begin the new year! If you are in need of an optometrist, you can find one near you to schedule an appointment!

Girl Scout leaders have you heard? There is now an eye health patch that your Girl Scout troop can earn! The Colorado Optometric Association and Girl Scouts of Colorado have worked together to create a Vision Awareness Patch Program.

Scouts and scout leaders that are interested in this program will get connected with a Colorado Optometric Association (COA) member doctor who will help facilitate the activities for the troop.  This patch program is aimed to show the importance of eye health through annual comprehensive eye exams. During these activities, the troop will learn that optometrists are not only able to correct poor vision with glasses and contacts, but they can also help diagnose over 270 different diseases! Learn about getting connected here.

While being connected with a doctor of optometry, the group will complete two activities in order to earn their Vision Awareness Patch.

These activities could include:

1. Not everyone has 20/20 vision. This lesson teaches the girls about nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism and how glasses or contacts can help.
2. Poor vision and the effects on academic success. Children often experience vision problems that are not easily detected. Learn how important vision is for school activities and how a doctor of optometry can help children succeed.
3. The month of March is The American Optometric Association’s National Save Your Vision Month. Troops can work to make posters for schools that promote eye health and good vision practices.
4. What does it take to have a career in optometry? Learn about the details on how to take the next steps to become a doctor of optometry, including schooling, licensing, pay and more!
5. Run an Eyeglass Donation Drive. Work with a local service organization that collects eyeglasses such as the Lions Club. Visit http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/health/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php for additional information.

6. Try “activities in the dark.” Groups will learn what it is like to live and complete everyday tasks with a vision impairment. Then discuss how it felt to experience this and what would you do if you were to meet a blind person.

After completion of the two activities, scouts will receive the Vision Awareness Patch!

This program will allow the scouts to take away how important keeping one’s vision in tip top shape is by getting an annual comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist. It is also a great way for the scouts to get exposure to a career in the profession of eyecare and could also encourage the possible future study of science and technology. For additional information about this program, please reach out to the Colorado Optometric Association, at coa@visioncare.org, or learn about getting connected here. 

Do you need an annual comprehensive eye exam? Find an optometrist near you to schedule an appointment!

Summer is nearly here, and kids are excited to go out and play! But with this we need to ensure that their eyes and vision are kept safe. Eye injuries are a major cause of vision loss in children. In fact, there are some sports that have your child’s eye safety at higher risk than others. According to the National Eye Institute¹, sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, field hockey, and paintball amongst others, can put kids at risk of a major eye injury. Sporting equipment moving at a high velocity or high contact sports can increase eye trauma, pain, vision loss, or disease. So, check out our tips for keeping your kids safe when they are out playing!

Proper Eye Protection

Ensuring that your child wears eye protection when playing their sport (or sports) of choice will help to keep their vision safe. This eyewear could be sports glasses or safety goggles made from polycarbonate that can prevent serious eye diseases such as retinal detachment which could potentially result in vision loss². These safety glasses can be fitted with your child’s prescription, so they are seeing clearly while being protected. Even if your child wears contact lenses, a pair of safety glasses is a good idea to keep them safe from a traumatic eye injury. If an eye injury does occur, be sure to contact your optometrist right away as they can treat you quickly without having to visit the ER!

UV Protection

Keeping your child’s eyes safe from harmful UV rays is always a good idea, especially in the Colorado Summer. The lens of a child’s eye allows 70% more UV rays to enter it than an adult’s eye lens. The sun and UV rays can cause burns and even permanently hurt your child’s vision if you are not properly protected³, so wearing sunglasses can keep your child’s vision in tip-top shape! Sunglasses should²:

• Block out 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
• Screen out 75 to 90% visible light.
• Have lenses that are perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection.
• Have lenses that are gray or brown depending on the preference.

Be sure that the lenses your child is using are durable and made of a strong material like polycarbonate so that they can withstand the impact associated with sports. If your child needs vision correction, consider visiting your optometrist for an annual comprehensive eye exam to have sunglasses made with their prescription, or be fitted for a brand of contact lenses that offer UV protection – perfect for everyday use!  

Vision Exam

To ensure your child has the best chance of enjoying sports and being safe when playing, take them to visit an optometrist for their annual comprehensive eye exam! If a child is not seeing everything clearly, the risk of injury is increased. Optometrists can offer your child vision correction through stylish glasses or contacts that should be worn during play and regular life. Did you know that optometrists not only check vision and offer corrective lenses as needed, but they can also screen for over 270 diseases, keeping your little one healthy? An optometrist visit is the perfect way to ensure the whole family is able to play on this summer! If you are in need of an optometrist near you, click here to find one!

References:

1. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/nei-for-kids/sports-and-your-eyes
2. https://icrcat.com/en/eye-health/athletes/#:~:text=How%20should%20athletes%20protect%20their%20vision%3F,-Protection%20against%20sunlight&text=The%20use%20of%20protective%20sunglasses,the%20retina%20or%20the%20macula.
3. https://www.abckidseyes.com/blog/protecting-your-childrens-eyes-from-sun-damage
4. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y