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Jul 01
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4th of july eye safety

4th of July Eye Safety: Protecting Your Vision During the Celebrations

By Eye Safety

The 4th of July is a time of joy and celebration in Lubbock. As we gather with family and friends to commemorate our nation’s independence, it’s essential to ensure our safety and the well-being of our loved ones.

While we often focus on fireworks and outdoor activities during this festive time, it’s crucial to pay attention to the importance of eye safety. In this blog post, we will explore some valuable tips to protect your eyes during the 4th of July celebrations and ensure your vision remains intact.

Stay Clear of Fireworks

Fireworks are a significant part of Independence Day festivities. However, they can pose serious risks to your eyesight if not handled correctly. It is best to leave fireworks to the professionals to ensure your safety. Attend a public fireworks display organized by trained experts who adhere to safety regulations. This way, you can enjoy the spectacular display without putting your eyes at unnecessary risk.

Protect Your Eyes with Safety Glasses

If you choose to handle fireworks yourself, it is vital to prioritize eye protection. Wearing safety glasses specifically designed for eye safety is a must. Ordinary sunglasses or prescription glasses alone do not protect against potential eye injuries caused by fireworks debris or sparks. Ensure the safety glasses you choose meet the required safety standards and provide a snug fit to shield your eyes effectively.

Keep a Safe Distance

Even when observing fireworks from a safe distance, there is always a risk of debris or sparks falling in your direction. Maintain a significant distance from where fireworks are being launched to minimize the chance of eye injuries. If you notice any fireworks malfunctioning or misfiring, immediately move away from the area to ensure your safety.

Protect Children’s Eyes

The 4th of July celebrations can be particularly exciting for children, but they are more susceptible to accidents and injuries. Keep a close eye on children and ensure they are at a safe distance from fireworks. Avoid giving them fireworks or firecrackers to play with, as children lack the experience and judgment to handle these items safely. Additionally, encourage them to wear safety glasses to safeguard their precious vision.

What’s Next?: Schedule a Consult with Eyes of Lubbock

The 4th of July is a time to celebrate, but it’s crucial to prioritize safety, especially when it comes to our eyes. These simple yet essential tips can protect yourself and your loved ones from potential eye injuries during the festivities. Remember, prevention is always better than cure regarding eye safety. Celebrate responsibly, have a wonderful Independence Day, and keep your vision bright and healthy!

If you have any concerns about your eye health or need further guidance on eye safety, don’t hesitate to reach out to Eyes of Lubbock, your trusted local eye doctor. They are dedicated to providing comprehensive eye care and can offer personalized advice based on your specific needs. Stay safe, Lubbock, and enjoy a fantastic 4th of July!

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!  

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! 

Jun 01
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Lubbock Eye Doctors, Your Local Optometrists

Keep your eyes safe this summer!

By Eye Safety, Sunglasses No Comments

Summer Eye Safety

Here at Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore, we want to help you keep your eyes safe and make sure you know why it’s important to keep them safe. Summer is when most people like to spend time outdoors doing fun activities to cool off, so this season make sure to think about the protection of your eyes. The UV rays not protected by the ozone layer are called UV-A and UV-B. UV-A can affect your overall vision since it harms the macula, which is located at the back of your eye and is your central vision. UV-B affects the cornea and lens of your eye, which can in turn, be more harmful than UV-A.

In a short amount of time, if one’s eyes are exposed to too much of the sun’s UV rays, one can develop a “sunburn” on their eyes called photokeratitis. This is a temporary condition and symptoms include the feeling of something stuck in your eye, red eyes and extreme sensitivity to light. Over time, too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can be harmful and lead to cataracts or macular degeneration. Cataracts creates cloudy vision and can continue to increase poor vision over time. Macular degeneration is a condition that can lead to blindness when you are older and affects more men than women. It’s one of the leading causes for vision loss, which is why sunglasses are so important to your eye safety.

It’s pretty easy to protect your eyes from these harmful rays. Make sure when you buy a new pair of sunglasses that they provide protection against UV-A and UV-B rays. They are usually labeled as UV400 or 100 percent UV protection. For added protection, during a long day at the beach or on a boat ride at a lake, wear a hat. Don’t forget about the kids either! If their sunglasses fall off their face constantly while playing on the beach or doing fun activities outdoors to cool off, try getting goggles. They will stay on and your kids will be protected from the sun, sand and everything else. Even if it’s cloudy out, it doesn’t protect you from UV rays.

Have a fun a safe summer from all of us here at Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore! Don’t forget to visit us for all your Lubbock eye care needs.

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