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safety tips Archives - Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore | Lubbock, TX Optometrist

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.  

Jun 15
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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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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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