Sunglasses Ease Summer Eye Strains


With summer approaching, it's time to think about protecting your eyes during the long days spent outdoors in the sun. Prescription sunglasses will provide clear and comfortable vision with protection from ultraviolet light and reduce glare and eye strain. At Alaska Eye Care Centers we carry a full line of prescription and nonprescription sunglasses including polarized and photochromic or transition lenses. Polarized lenses will eliminate annoying reflections from surfaces such as water, and are especially helpful for boaters or fisherman. Photochromic lenses darken or lighten in response to the light level, providing more sun protection outside in the sunlight, and less under cloudy conditions or indoors. Whatever your needs, we can help you find the sunglasses that are just right for you. Feel free to come in and browse our selection and consult with an optician, or call to make an appointment with an optometric physician to update your prescription and help you decide what lenses are best for you.

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Itchy Eyes May Mean Allergies...


Allergy season is now here, and with all of the dust and pollen in the air red, itchy, irritated eyes may be a sign that you have an allergic eye condition. Contact lens wearers are particularly prone to eye allergy problems because allergens entering the eye can cling to the lens instead of being washed out. Sometimes switching to a different type of contact lens or contact lens material is beneficial. Also, many new over-the-counter and prescription eye drops are now available to help relieve those symptoms for contact lens wearers and non-contact lens wearers. If you think you are suffering from allergic eye problems, ask us how we can help you.

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People Over 40 Have Contact Lens Options


There's more than one way for people over age 40 to see well with contact lenses. For people who need reading glasses or bifocals but want to lead an active life, it's worth checking into the added convenience of contact lenses.

According to the American Optometric Association, contact lens options for people over 40 include:

• The "monacle" contact lens--This is a contact lens focused for reading and other close work and worn on one eye only, usually the nondominant eye. It's for people over 40 who have good distance vision but whose reading vision has been affected by presbyopia, a vision condition that is part of the normal aging process and affects everybody.
• Monovision--This involves wearing a contact lens for distance vision on one eye and a lens for near vision vision on the other. Most people who try monovision are able to adjust to it.
• Bifocals--These contact lenses contain a vision correction for both near and far vision in one lens. It takes skill to prescribe bifocal contacts, and there are several different types of lenses to try.

Another option for those who need bifocals is to use reading glasses over contacts prescribed for distance vision This is not as convenient as either bifocal contacts or monovision, but many people use it.

Contact lens wearers over age 40 have some of the same lens options as younger wearers. They can choose from daily-wear soft lenses and rigid gas-permeable lenses, extended-wear lenses, disposable lenses, and planned replacement lenses.

Success with contact lenses after age 40 depends leargely on the thoroughness of the care received, the association says. People with presbyopia have more complicated vision needs than younger people. Skill and extra time are needed to give them the lenses that will do the job for them.

It pays, therefore, to seek an optometrist who provides full-service eye care. It includes a thorough eye examination, tests of vision skills, individualized instructions for wear and care, and follow-up visits over a specified time.

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Polarized Lenses Cut the Glare


Are you bothered by glare during the bright summer months in Alaska? While conventional sunglasses can give some relief, they don't compare with polarized lenses, which eliminate 99% of all glare from horizontal surfaces, and also provide ultraviolet protection. These lenses are perfect for boaters and fishermen. Polarized lenses enhance color and contrast, and also help you see better on bright days or through fog, rain, or snow. Best of all, now is the perfect time to visit Alaska Eye Care Centers and discover what polarized lenses can do for your outdoor vision.

For the month of June, Alaska Eye Care Centers is offering 20% off all plastic polarized lenses.

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Pre-School Eye Exams Important


Far-sightedness is a condition which is easily overlooked in children unless they are examined by a qualified eye care professional. A far-sighted child's vision may be excellent, but the eye focusing muscles may nonetheless have to work much harder on up-close tasks such as reading.

Signs and symptoms of significant uncorrected farsightedness include blurry vision, an eye turn, headaches or eyestrain, or inability to concentrate or keep one's place when reading.

Many children don't perform up to their potential in school due to significant uncorrected far-sightedness. In most cases, reading or full-time glasses can be prescribed. That's one good reason why all children should have at least one complete eye examination before reaching school age.

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