The Eye Care Institute Optical Shop

The Eye Care Institute has optical shops located on premises for your convenience. We accept most insurance plans including VSP, Eyemed, CompBenefits and Avesis.

The opticians in our optical shops are certified and have over 50 years of combined experience. They work closely with your doctor to ensure that you get the highest quality eyewear available. The opticians are also there for you after you make your purchase to make sure your eyewear is always in top shape.

The optical shop has high quality designer frames like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade. There is also a large selection of quality frames for those who are on a budget. We only use the finest ophthalmic grade lenses for your prescription.

You trust your doctor at The Eye Care Institute to give you the best eye care. Why not trust the opticians in our optical shop to give you the best eyewear? You don't need an appointment to use the services of one of our opticians. Just stop in Monday-Friday 8-5 and we will take care of you.

Diabetes in my Eyes?

Did you know…it is recommended for everyone who is diabetic to have a dilated comprehensive eye exam at least once a year? All people who are diabetic -- both type 1 and type 2 -- are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease and the leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.

A healthy retina (the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye) is necessary for good vision. In people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid into the macula (the center part of the eye), causing blurred or distorted vision. In others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina and can leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision and possibly causing one to see specks of blood or spots “floating” in your vision. If spots occur, see your eye care professional as soon as possible. You may need treatment before more serious bleeding occurs.

Your eye care professional checks your retina for early signs of the disease, including:

• Leaking blood vessels.
• Retinal swelling (macular edema).
• Pale, fatty deposits on the retina -- signs of leaking blood vessels.
• Damaged nerve tissue.
• Any changes to the blood vessels.

Treatment for diabetic retinopathy varies according to the stage of the eye disease. Often, laser treatment is necessary. Other times, when bleeding in the eye is severe, a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy may be needed. During a vitrectomy, the cloudy vitreous gel is removed from inside of the eye, and is usually replaced with an air or gas bubble. This bubble dissipates over a few weeks and is replaced over time with fluid your body produces.

If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. To prevent further progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes need to keep blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under strict control.

For more information on diabetes, contact the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.Check with your local ADA to learn how you can participate andvolunteer in fund-raising opportunities to aid in research/education to help fight and prevent this disease.

What is Night Blindness?

Night Blindness can have several causes. One type of night blindness occurs because the pupil dilates in dark conditions making a person more near-sighted. This is known as spherical aberration. This can make signs appear blurry that during the day would not appear that way. A second type of night blindness is one in which a person has problems adapting to light changes. It takes longer for one’s eye to adjust when going into a dark environment. This can be caused by a deficiency in Vitamin A or it can be a result of a different underlying medical condition. A third type of night blindness involves the loss of photoreceptors in the retina of the eye. The rods in the back of the eye and retina allow peripheral vision and vision in dim light. The loss of these rods can indicate a problem such as retinitis pigmentosa, which leads to progressive vision loss.

So how is Night Blindness treated?
An eye exam is necessary to determine what type of night blindness a patient has. If night blindness is determined to be from nearsightedness, a prescription can be written for the patient to wear glasses at night. If it is a Vitamin A deficiency, then taking a vitamin A supplement would be offered. If it is because of the loss of rods , additional testing would need to be done. In some studies, Vitamin A has been shown to slow the progression of retinitis pigmentosa; but, unfortunately, there is no cure.

Reference: http://www.healthology.com/eye-care/eye-care-information/article470.htm