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Oct 12
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

What to Bring to the Eye Doctor – A Checklist of 10 Must-Haves 

By Eye Exams

Do you need to bring anything to the eye doctor? Many first-time patients tend to ask this question when they’re preparing for their check-up, and the answer is always yes. 

Whether it’s the day before or night before your eye exam, you need to know what to bring to your optometrist appointment. Bring these things along with you to have your appointment run as quickly, efficiently, and smoothly as possible. Your optometrist and future self will thank you for it! 

Identification (Driver’s License)  

The clinic will need some form of identification to verify you are who you say you are. This is a common practice and helps with their records as well as verifying insurance coverage. A driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID should suffice. 

Proof of Vision Insurance 

If you plan to use insurance to help cover the bill, bring your vision insurance card with you. It’s also helpful to have a sense of what is covered by your insurance plan.  

Bring your current glasses or contact lenses along with you. Your optometrist might ask to see them, as this helps them figure out your prescription if you are unable to bring your past ones.  

Glasses & Contact Lenses and Case 

While most places provide contact lens cases for any lens samples they offer, bring a spare to put your old ones into if you might receive replacements during the visit. 

Questions 

Our minds tend to blank on any questions we had for our doctor once we’re in the room. Jot down all the questions you have on a note or on your phone to ask the doctor when the time comes.  

Symptoms and Issues List 

In as much detail as possible, make a list of your symptoms and issues that brought you here. Also mention any services, procedures, or lens alternatives that you might be interested in in the future to make your doctor aware of. 

Medical History  

Make sure you’re knowledgeable about the following things your optometrist might ask you about: 

  • Updated list of medications  

A Planning App/ Planner  

It’s good practice to schedule your next appointment while you’re still there. Eye exams are an annual affair, so most places will ask you to book your next visit during the current one. Bring something like a planner or a reminder app to put the next appointment in so you don’t forget! 

Your Current or Past Prescription 

If you’ll be visiting a new doctor or are changing clinics, it’s a good idea to bring past prescriptions. Providing this info to your doctor can help them speed up the process and familiarize them with your conditions and eyesight much faster. 

Payment 

Depending on your coverage, insurance might not cover the whole visit and you’ll need to pay the rest out of pocket. Call your insurance provider ahead of time to answer any of your insurance questions! Always bring your desired form of payment, as well as a backup in case they don’t accept the other option. If you’re unsure what method of payment the doctor takes, call ahead and ask! 

Sunglasses or a Driver 

After your appointment, you might not be able to see as well as you did when you walked in. Even in routine check-ups, your optometrist may use eye drops to dilate your pupils for examination. While the drops usually wear off by the end of your appointment, exposure to bright sunlight before the effect is over can make it difficult to see the road. This sensitivity can be fixed by bringing sunglasses to improve your vision. 

Other times, it may not be advisable for you to drive. Err on the side of caution and bring a friend or family member to drive you just in case. 

Are you in need of an eye exam? The experts at Eyes of Lubbock are here to answer all your questions and provide you with the best service possible. Contact us now to schedule an appointment!  

Aug 05
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kids glasses care

Tips for Teaching Your Kids Proper Care of Their Glasses  

By Eye Exams, Eyeglasses

If your child is new to wearing glasses or you are looking for ways to promote more independence in eyewear care, you’re in the right place. Glasses can be an investment, and it’s essential to teach children to take proper care of them at a young age.  

Here are some tips to help you prepare your kids for how to take care of their glasses as you teach them proper eye care and protection.   

Encourage Self-Expression 

When your child picks out their glasses, it’s a big step toward becoming a responsible glasses wearer. They will naturally care more about the glasses if it’s a pair they love. They’ll want to keep them safe and in good shape. So, you should encourage your child to be excited about these eye care accessories.  

Understand Your Child’s Needs  

Glasses must fit comfortably while your child plays, learns, reads, and participates in extracurricular and daily activities. So, ask your child to look down, lay down, twist around, and bend over to test how their glasses fit and feel. 

When the glasses are comfortable and easy to wear, your child will be likelier to wear them. They’re also more likely to take care of their glasses, particularly as they notice how much easier it is to see, read, and participate in their normal activities with the help of glasses.  

Of course, those activities might also require special consideration. So, talk to our team at Eyes of Lubbock to see what materials we suggest for your child’s regular activities. We may recommend a sports band and heavy-duty case to keep those glasses safe and in place.  

Give Them Age-Appropriate Instructions 

Your child may be more (or less prepared) to take care of their eyeglasses depending on age, attention span, and motor skills. If your child is aged 4+, they’ll probably be able to follow basic instructions and be able to take care of their glasses:   

  • Remove their glasses with two hands, one on each ear stem to prevent uneven frame wear  
  • Rinse their glasses in water  
  • Dry them with an eyeglass cleaning cloth  
  • Store them in a hard eyeglass case to prevent damage in backpacks.  

To help your child get used to wearing glasses, you can get them to practice with prescription-free (fake) glass frames.  Depending on their age and readiness, you can also try rewards or even use a sticker chart to track how they’re doing with wearing their new glasses.

Stress the Importance of Proper Glasses Care 

Overall, stress the importance of glasses as a tool to promote and protect their vision. They must learn how to properly care for and protect their glasses to continue to benefit from better vision. Depending on their vision level and age, you can also offer incentives to encourage proper care.  

Eyes of Lubbock Can Help Your Kids Understand Eyeglass Care  

Our eye care team at Eyes of Lubbock can offer special tips and suggestions to your child to help them better understand the importance of proper eyeglasses care. Schedule your appointment to get all your questions answered by our experienced Lubbock optometrists as we work together to achieve better eye care and vision protection for you and your family.  

Jul 10
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summer heat eye care

How Does Summer Heat Affect Dry Eyes in Lubbock?  

By Eye Exams, Eye Safety

If the summer heat has you irritated, you’re not alone. There are plenty of factors that contribute to summer dry-eye. Just a few causes include:  

  • Smoke  
  • Sun exposure  
  • Harsher outdoor weather  
  • Air conditioning removes moisture from indoor situations  
  • Sports exposure such as pool chemicals  
  • Allergens  

All these factors can cause dehydration and exposure, leading to eye irritation. Why is it such a problem, though? Well, warmer temperatures often mean you spend more time in the sun. This extra exposure to the sun’s rays combined with other environmental conditions can reduce the available tears you need to keep your eyes moist and clean.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the sun also causes the tears to evaporate faster from your eyes. So, your dry eyes are inevitable. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.  Lubbock Eye Care supports your eye care needs for the summer months. Here are a few tips to help your eyes feel better this summer.

How to Alleviate Summer Dry-Eye Symptoms   

The good news is that you take steps to protect your eyes during the summer months. These steps can alleviate temporary dry-eye conditions while protecting your eyes from lasting harm or damage.  

  1. Protect your eyes with sunglasses or add an extra layer of shade with a hat. That sun protection will help block the sun’s direct rays from reaching your eyes.  
  1. Give yourself plenty of breaks from direct sunlight.  
  1. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.  

As an added step, consider taking supplements. For example, omega-3 fatty acids (like those found in fish oil) are essential for tear production.  

Protect Your Eyes When Swimming in the Summer Heat

You’ve probably already experienced red and irritated eyes due to chlorine in the pool, but you have a few options here.  

  • Try a saltwater pool if you have the option. You probably won’t experience the same level of irritation.  
  • Use goggles for protection in sports-related situations to keep chlorine from getting in your eyes.  
  • Remember, never wear contact lenses in the water!  

If all else fails, use eye drops, especially before water exposure. Then, when you flush out your eyes with clean water after swimming, you’ll also nix some of that discomfort.   

How Your Lubbock Eye Care Specialists Can Help

While many dry-eye-related issues will clear up without intervention, you should still seek input from a professional if the irritation continues or if you have recurring summer eye infections. You might need medical help.  Our experienced Lubbock optometrists are eye care experts who can help you resolve any summer eye issue.

The doctors here at Eyes of Lubbock offer the best eye care service in West Texas. We provide specialized help and advice to alleviate summer dry-eye discomfort while ensuring your optimal year-round eye health. Contact us today to get the answers you’ve been looking for!  

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. 

Aug 12
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

Back to School Eye Exams

By Eye Exams No Comments

With back to school excitement right around the corner, remember how important it is to get your children’s vision checked! Detecting vision problems, mild or severe, can be difficult in children. Ensuring that their vision is checked and ready ensures that every child can enter a classroom feeling confident and ready to learn. Learning is 70 percent visual, so it important that young children don’t start off behind in school. Most states require an eye exam before school starts, but it is important to get your exam scheduled regardless of your particular state’s requirements!

Why are eye exams required?

For children to succeed in an educational environment, their vision needs to be checked and corrected if necessary. As a child grows, their vision changes along with their bodies. Within a year, and child’s vision can change immensely. Eyesight develops rapidly after birth, with focus and eye movement developing before all other aspects within in the first six months. One of the most difficult issues with children and vision is that the signs of vision impairment can be very subtle and hard to notice. What may seem like a simple headache for a child could be the result of strained vision.

Where do I take my child to have their eye exam?

Some families go to their pediatrician, but it is recommended to see an optometrist since eyes are their specialty. Although only a small percentage of children have severe eye problems, it’s nice to know what warning signs to look out for.

Warning Signs of Vision Problems in Children:

  • Headaches or cross-eyed when reading
  • Easily distracted or Restless
  • Drop in grades
  • Tilts head or squints to read
  • Close proximity to TV, reading material or computer screens
  • Covering of one eye to see or read
  • Avoids computer screens due to eye pain
  • Light sensitivity/frequent tearing of eyes
  • Constant rubbing of eyes
  • Guides their reading with finger or bookmark
  • Loses place frequently while reading

If you’ve noticed your child displaying any of these symptoms or have had a child complain about having one of these symptoms, call Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore at (806) 747-1635 to set up your child’s eye appointment today!

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