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Jun 15
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

A Checklist for Your Next Optometrist Visit in Lubbock

By Eye Exams

Eye Doctor Visits Should be as Simple as Possible  

Have you ever shown up to your appointment to find you had heaps of paperwork to fill out, you’d forgotten vital information that you needed to complete the paperwork, or there were questions you didn’t know the answer to? We’ve all been there. You may have even forgotten items you needed to bring to the appointment or didn’t know what all the appointment would entail. Any of these situations could leave you a bit rattled. When we’re nervous, we aren’t at our best. Doctors’ offices need to be places where we feel comfortable enough to ask important questions. This way, we are doing our best to preserve our wellness. Not every visit to a doctor needs to be intimidating. This list is to help you prepare for your next eye appointment so you will feel more confident walking in and less confused or rushed when stepping out.   

Steps You Need to Take  

There are three steps for each appointment. First, what you should do before your appointment, what actions to take during your visit (including the items you should bring), and aftercare and follow-up.  

 There are a few items to look at once the exam itself has concluded, including:   

  • Should you arrange for transportation after your exam (someone to drive you because your eyes may be dilated)? 
  • How will the exam affect you?   
  • Do you need to call back to check in about how your eyes are doing after the visit?  
  • Will you need to make a follow-up appointment?  

Pre-exam Checklist  

Before you even make your appointment, call your insurance to check your current coverage. Does that involve vision, health coverage, or your yearly physicals for eye-related health issues? Also, find out if your insurance covers your preferred eye doctor.  

Next, list current medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) that you take. If you’re unsure, find out if your family has a history of eye-related health problems such as glaucoma or cataracts. These lists will be helpful for your medical questionnaire and paperwork when you come in to see us at Eyes of Lubbock. These health-related questions are important, so you can be prepared for how your eyes may be affected.   

Before you call to schedule your appointment, write down any questions you may have about the appointment and your eyes. These may include the following:  

  • What types of examinations should you expect during your appointment?   
  • Will you need to bring your sunglasses even if they aren’t prescription?    
  • Are there activities that make you nervous, like driving at night?   
  • Do you get headaches while reading?   
  • Do you notice eye sensitivities during certain times of the year?   
  • Are allergies a factor?  

Write down any vision-related issues affecting your quality of life or causing concern. For example, if you’ve had eye injuries or surgeries, mention it when you schedule your appointment. We may need to take special care to check for additional symptoms and look to see how you’re recovering.  

These lists are essential when you’re speaking with our doctors as well. So, you can let them know when and how the injury or surgery occurred.  

At the Doctor  

It would help if you arrived a few minutes early for your appointment so that you can fill out the paperwork. You should also bring glasses and contact lenses. You may bring a sample of what you use to clean them if you have questions about contact lens irritation or foggy glasses.  

Carefully list your symptoms, all your medications, questions and concerns, and your family history. Have your sunglasses and prescription contacts and glasses with you, along with insurance cards and any other relevant health information we might need to know. Ask if there have been changes in your prescription, vision, or eye health.  

After the Appointment  

If you have a new prescription for your glasses, don’t forget to call your doctor to let them know how it works. It may take some time to adjust if you have new contacts, but you should still ask questions if you’re experiencing discomfort or your vision doesn’t seem positively affected.   

If you have further questions or are experiencing vision problems or eye discomfort, contact Eyes of Lubbock immediately! Our helpful staff is here to support your needs with comprehensive eye care services and reliable support for your vision everyday. 

May 25
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

Top 7 Tips to Reduce Digital Eye Strain

By Eye Safety

If you work an office job or spend hours on end watching TV one day, odds are you’ve experienced some of the effects of digital eye strain. This condition can manifest itself through dry and tired eyes, headaches, or even blurry vision, amongst other symptoms.  

Unfortunately, as our world grows more and more digital every day, so do the chances of people experiencing digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome. But what causes this? And what steps can you take to prevent it?   

What causes digital eye strain?   

We can experience digital eye strain when viewing a screen for too long or too consistently. Typically, your blinking rate of 15-20 times a minute helps keep our eyes moisturized with tears. However, researchers have shown that we blink less than half of that amount when staring at a screen. The contrast between the text and background on a screen can be straining for your eyes. This situation, paired with the bright glare from a screen and poor viewing angles, is a recipe for eye strain. Digital eye strain symptoms can include:  

  • Sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes   
  • Dry eyes  
  • Blurred or double vision  
  • Sensitivity to light  
  • Headaches  
  • Eye twitching  
  • Neck and shoulder pain  
  • Red eyes  
  • Difficulty concentrating  

Thankfully, there are ways to reduce these symptoms or avoid them together! Here are seven tips to reduce digital eye strain.   

Adjust Lighting  

The critical aspect here is to pay attention to contrast. You don’t want your screen’s lighting clashing harshly with the surrounding area. If your room is brighter, then your screen should be brighter. Your screen’s brightness should be dimmed if your room is more unlit.   

Follow the 20/20/20 Rule  

You’ve probably heard this one before. Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This method is a great way to remember to take breaks, giving your eye muscles a break. In fact, both the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend this practice.   

Adjust Your Ergonomics  

Your workstation setup can profoundly affect your body – including your eyes. Make sure your screen is about an arm’s length away from your eyes, and the center is positioned about 10-15 degrees below eye level. Be sure to sit up tall and choose a chair that is comfortable with back support.  

Take Breaks  

While the 20/20/20 rule is excellent to ensure your eyes get some breaks, it’s essential to take some more extended breaks. A good practice is to take a 15-minute break every 2 hours from staring at your screen.   

Check Your Blinking  

Research has shown the adverse effects of blinking less when focusing on screens. Therefore, you must train yourself to blink more often when using screens to combat this. That blinking helps spread the tears across your eyes and prevents them from drying out or becoming irritated.   

Increase Type Size  

It’s not all about age here. No matter how old you are, reading small font types on a screen can harm your eye muscles. An easy way to combat this is to increase the text size on your screen or zoom in on the window.   

Get Regular Eye Exams  

Perhaps the most important step in preventing eye damage from digital screens is to schedule regular eye exams. These exams can ensure that we address any problems with your eyes early to avoid further damage. So, schedule your eye exam now with a trusted doctor like Drs. Gibson, Gibson, & Moore to keep your eyes healthy!  

Have questions about digital eye strain? Or simply wanting to make sure your eyes are being properly cared for by an optometrist in Lubbock? Get in touch with Drs. Gibson, Gibson, & Moore today for all your eye health needs! 

Jan 23
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

Contact Lenses

By Contacts

As optometrists, we have to make decisions on which contact lenses are right for each individual patient. This is one of the many reasons why optometrist fight to keep money hungry online websites from being allowed to change contact lens brands because it might not be right for the patient’s eyes. Whether a patient is brand new to contacts or currently wears, how the contact lens interacts with the patient’s eye needs to be examined.

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Jun 14
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

How to Find the Perfect Pair of Sunglasses

By Sunglasses No Comments

Summer is supposed to be a time for fun in the sun, so don’t let your sunglasses hold you back. Most people are naturally concerned with their skin during the summer, but your eyes are equally important. There are many preventative measures to keep your eyes healthy, but the most protection you can get for your eyes is sunglasses. Here’s your guide to the perfect pair of sunglasses.

Polarization

When looking for a pair of sunglasses, check if the pair you are looking at is polarized. Polarized sunglasses have an extra layer of protection that blocks glare and reflections that non-polarized sunglasses don’t. Polarization helps reduce damage to your eyes by minimizing the amount of UV light that gets to your eyes from reflections and glares. Polarized sunglasses are a must if you consider a day at the pool, lake, or even in the mountains.

Fit

Your summer sunglasses aren’t only a health factor and a fashion statement. Your sunglasses should sit comfortably on your face. The width of the frame of the sunglasses should match the width of your face. For normal-sized sunglasses, someone looking eye to eye with you should be able to see your eyebrows. Additionally, the sunglasses should rest comfortably behind your ears. Make sure to try them on before you purchase them because there is nothing worse than uncomfortable sunglasses.

Quality

There are many different brands of sunglasses out there, so it is important to find a high-quality pair that will last a long time. Most quality sunglasses will be polarized, so be sure to check any markings on the sunglasses. Additionally, most lenses are either glass or plastic. While plastic options are typically more affordable, glass lenses will usually last longer and be more resistant to the elements while giving clearer vision.

Transitions

If you’re fed up with contact lenses or switching two sets of glasses every time you walk outside, then transition lenses may be a vision solution for you. These would be your regular glasses but would transition into sunglasses in bright direct sunlight.

May 02
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lubbock contact lens exams

Cataract Surgery – What You Should Know

By Cataract Surgery No Comments

Cataract surgery is often talked about in passing but what are cataracts and what goes into the surgery?

“A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil”. Think of when you wear glasses, and they fog up with steam. Cataracts are like that but you can’t just wipe it away. The causes of cataracts are often genetic or due to aging, injury, or past conditions of the tissue within your eye lens.

How do cataracts form?

The lens of your eye sits behind your iris, the colored part of your eye. That lens allows light to pass into your eye which then produces sharp images on your retinas, much like a camera’s film. As you get older or as past surgeries or injuries start to take their tole, your eye becomes less flexible and less transparent. This causes your lenses’ tissue to break down and slowly clump together, which gives you the clouding areas within your lens. As time goes on, and the cataract grows, the clouding becomes denser and increases in size.

There are several types of cataracts that can occur. Some are born with cataracts but often aren’t affected because they are removed shortly after detection. Another, nuclear cataract, causes your lens to turn a yellowish or even brown color that makes it hard to distinguish shades of color, as well as gives you cloudy vision. Cortical cataracts give you streaks on the outer edge of your lens cortex and make it hard for light to pass through your lens. Another type is posterior subscapular cataracts, which interfere with reading, reduces your vision in bright lights, and can cause glares at night.

So, what can Drs. Gibson, Gibson and Moore do to solve these cataract problems?

With surgery, ophthalmologists can remove your natural lens and replace it with a clear, artificial one. During the surgery, your eye will be numbed with drops or an injection. Patients are kept awake for the surgery but will not see what the doctor is doing to their eye. Making small, tiny incisions along the edge of your cornea, the surgeon will break up your lens and slowly remove it. After they have removed the old lens, they will insert the artificial lens into your eye. Typically, these incisions are self-sealing and you will not need stitches. A simple eye patch is placed over your eye and you are given drops to place into your eyes following the surgery.

Cataract surgery is a very simple and minimally invasive procedure that lasts less than an hour. The surgery is very safe and side effects are extremely rare.
If you suffer from blurred or cloudy vision, cataracts may be the issue. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to determine if cataracts are affecting you!

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