Denise McCreery, Author at Professional Eye Care Center

National Guide Dog Month: Interesting Facts and Etiquette

proeyeadmin — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 06:20:50 +0000

Little Known Facts about Guide Dogs

The most popular guide dog breeds are labradors, golden retrievers, and German shepherds, who are chosen for their size, temperament, and intelligence.
Guide dogs will display “intelligent disobedience”, and disobey their owners’ commands if they see a hazard that their owner didn’t.
Not all dogs graduate from guide school, in fact, only about 75% complete the rigorous training.
Guide dog names are chosen carefully, by avoiding names that sound similar to a command (ex. “Neil” and “heel”), and are often one to two syllables to allow for faster communication.
When guide dogs are off-harness, they can play around just like any other dog.
Guide dogs eventually retire after about eight to 10 years of working.
Salty and Roselle were two guide dogs who were with their owners in the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City. They each guided their owners out of the burning towers before they collapsed.
Actor and animal enthusiast, Dick Van Patten co-founded Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989.Proceeds from the pet food company are used to train guide dogs. He founded National Guide Dog Month which began in 2008 to raise awareness and money for non-profit guide dog schools in the United States.

Etiquette:

Do you know the proper etiquette when encountering a guide Dog? Here are 5 tips recommended by the Guide Dog Foundation.

1. Harness on = hands off. The harness means the dog is working, do not approach or engage the working dog,

2. Speak to the handler not the dog. Some handlers will allow petting, but be sure to ask before doing so. If allowed, don’t pat the dog on the head; stroke the dog on the shoulder area.

3. Don’t feed them. This is a distraction from their task at hand.

4. If you’re walking your pet dog and you see a guide dog pair coming towards you, take your dog away from the guide dog.

5. When walking with a guide or service dog team, you should not walk on the dog’s left side, as it may become distracted or confused. Ask the handler where you should walk

Source: Perkins School for the Blind

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5 Things Women Can Do to Protect Their Vision

proeyeadmin — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 05:39:36 +0000

Men and women have plenty of differences, but did you know that some of them have to do with eyesight and vision health?

While men are more prone to eye injuries, women are more susceptible to eye diseases. So what problems should women be on the watch for?

RISKS:

Women typically live longer than men, putting them at higher risk for diseases including cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
Two-thirds of all blindness and visual impairment occurs in women.
Hormonal changes caused by birth control, pregnancy, and menopause, may also effect women’s eyes. Dry eye is more likely to occur in these situations, and birth control may increase a woman’s chance of developing cataracts.

What Can Women Do?

Get an eye exam. This is the only way to know if your eyes are healthy and your vision is intact. Even if your optometrist has seen you recently, whenever you notice a change in your vision, you should come in for an appointment right away.
Eat a healthy diet. A balanced diet plays an essential role in women’s health, but certain foods are known to boost eye health as well. Green leafy vegetables are loaded with lutein. This antioxidant may help protect against AMD, the leading cause of blindness. Adding fresh fruits, fish, eggs, nuts and beans are also great for eye health.
Maintain a healthy weight and manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes.
Don’t smoke. Smoking is linked to AMD, cataract, and glaucoma.
Wear sunglasses and protective eyewear. Protect your eyes from excessive UV exposure, accidents and other damage. Wear sunglasses that block out 99-100% of both UVA and UVB rays, to reduce the risk of cataract and other eye conditions. Also wear protective eyewear while playing sports, swimming, gardening, cleaning with chemicals, or working with sharp tools.

Source: https://visionsource.com/blog/womens-vision-health/

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5 Healthy Habits for Contact Lens Wearers

proeyeadmin — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 03:23:39 +0000

Contact Lenses are medical devices and require a prescription. Our practice will help you determine if contacts are best for your lifestyle. Here are 5 healthy habits for current wearers to help keep your eyes healthy and comfortable.

1. Always wash, rinse, and dry hands before handling contact lenses.

2. Always use fresh, unexpired lens care solutions. To store lenses, disinfect with solution and leave them in the closed case. Rinse the lens case with solution (not water) and allow the lens case to air dry.

3. Never rinse your lenses in water from the tap. Tap water contains many impurities that can contaminate or damage your lenses and may lead to eye infection or injury. Do not use saliva for lubricating your lenses. Never put lenses in your mouth.

4. Do not swim with contacts. Swimming with contacts can result in eye infections, irritation, and potential sight-threatening conditions. The FDA has recommended that contacts not be exposed to ANY type of water, including tap water, swimming pools, oceans, lakes, hot tubs and showers

5. Expired and used lenses should be recycled. Never flush contacts, rinse down the sink or dispose in the garbage. Contacts, blister packs, and outer packaging can be recycled at our practice.

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“If You Cross Your Eyes; They’ll Stay that Way” – The Truth Behind Eye and Vision Myths

proeyeadmin — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 17:52:28 +0000

You may have distinct memories of a parent telling you all the ways you can “ruin your eyes”. Throughout the years, many myths have been repeated about eyes and vision. Let’s uncover the truth behind the myths.

Myth 1. If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way.

Your eye muscles allow you to move your eyes in all directions. Crossed eyes typically result from disease, uncorrected vision, or from muscle or nerve damage, not from forcing them to cross.

Myth 2. Eating carrots will improve your vision.

Carrots contain Vitamin A, an important nutrient for healthy eyesight. However our bodies only need a relatively small amount of vitamin A for vision. Other food sources that are great sources of Vitamin A include: dark, leafy greens, brightly colored vegetables, dairy and fish. While eating foods rich in vitamin A can help you maintain good eyesight, it won’t improve your vision or keep you from needing glasses or contacts.

Myth 3. It’s okay to swim while wearing contact lenses.

Potentially blinding eye infections can result from swimming or using a hot tub while wearing contact lenses. The lenses can absorb the water, trapping potential bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens against your eye.

Myth 4. Sitting very close to the TV can damage your eyes.

While sitting very close to the television may cause eyestrain or give you a headache, it will not damage vision in children or adults. However, habitually sitting close to the television may signal that the person is nearsighted and may need glasses.

Myth 5. Reading in dim light is harmful to your eyes.

It does not harm your eyes to read in dim light. But good lighting makes it easier to see what you are reading and reduces eye fatigue.

Myth 6. Wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses will make you dependent on them.

Using your glasses won’t worsen your vision. Farsightedness (hyperopia) or Nearsightedness (myopia) typically gets worse over time, especially during childhood and adolescence. Additionally, most people begin to experience vision deterioration as they enter their 40’s and 50’s with or without the use of vision correction devices.

Myth 7. Squinting is bad for your eyes.

Squinting is your eyes’ natural reaction to let less light into the pupil in order to sharpen your focus. Squinting can be a sign that someone can’t see clearly which often suggests that their vision is impaired and that they need glasses to see better in the first place.

Myth 8. My glasses will protect my eyes from injury.

You may think that, because your normal glasses are durable and cover your eyes, your eyes are safe. That’s not true! While it might protect you from a finger poke, their size or durability, do not offer the same level of protection as safety glasses. Safety glasses can be and should be worn at all times in risky environments whether that’s at work, at home, or at play.

Myth 9. An Eye Exam is Only Necessary If You’re Having Problems.

Regular eye exams are as important as regular physical and dental exams. Everyone should follow a proper eye health program that includes regular eye exams, whether or not they’re having any noticeable signs of problems. Call us to schedule your annual eye exam.

Sources: Visionsource.com, aao.org, preventblindness.org

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Professional Eye Care Center Named One of the Nation’s Best Practices

proeyeadmin — Mon, 03 May 2021 00:48:46 +0000

Professional Eye Care Center Named One of the Nation’s Best Practices by CooperVision

NILES, Ill., May 3, 2021 — For its leadership in optometry and delivery of exceptional care to its patients, Professional Eye Care Center has been named a 2021 Best Practices honoree by CooperVision—one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. Now in its sixth year, the Best Practices initiative seeks to discover and recognize U.S. eye care practices that have found unique ways to drive growth in their businesses—particularly during a year of unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic—and celebrate the visionary and innovative things they do every day for their patients and communities.

Professional Eye Care Center is included among the 10 honorees chosen as this year’s class of Best Practices after a nationwide search that began in Fall 2020. Honorees were first announced in March and are profiled on the program’s web site at coopervision.com/practitioner/best-practices.

Professional Eye Care Center sees every patient encounter as an opportunity to change a life. The doctors and staff strive to provide a patient-centric experience wherein each patient not only feels valued, but leaves their exam knowing more about their eyes and ocular health than they did prior to their arrival at the practice.

“We end each patient visit asking if there’s anything we didn’t discuss during the exam that the patient wants to know more about,” said Dr. Pamela Lowe, owner of Professional Eye Care Center. “By asking this simple, open-ended question, we’re able to go the extra mile to exceed our patients’ expectations.”

Dr. Lowe and her team at Professional Eye Care Center are passionate about raising awareness of the myopia epidemic and educating parents and patients about healthy eye care habits. Dr. Lowe has been actively involved for years in the American Optometric Association and the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA), having previously served as IOA President.

All U.S. optometry practices currently fitting contact lenses were eligible for consideration. Candidates were evaluated and honorees were selected by a panel of judges made up of past Best Practices honorees, optometry industry experts, and CooperVision leaders. Evaluation was based on insights and experiences shared about the practices’ innovation, patient experience, and business culture.

“Like so many businesses, eye care practices have faced unforeseen challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michele Andrews, OD, Vice President, Professional & Government Affairs, Americas, CooperVision. “Creative, innovative practitioners and their staffs—like those at Professional Eye Care Center—have overcome these obstacles to continue delivering the best possible eye care to their patients. We look forward to partnering with Professional Eye Care Center and our other Best Practices to share their stories across the industry to help educate others who strive to do the same.”

In the months to come, the 2021 Best Practices will be broadly recognized and presented with opportunities to help educate and elevate the profession through the telling of their stories across the United States. In addition, honorees have been invited to participate in a specially designed educational meeting to be hosted by CooperVision, where the honorees will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other, as well as the 2020 honorees.

CooperVision will open 2022 Best Practices submissions later this year. For more information on the honorees or the program, visit coopervision.com/practitioner/best-practices and follow CooperVision on Facebook and on Twitter.

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About CooperVision

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

About CooperCompanies

CooperCompanies (“Cooper”) is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.

Media Contact

Maggie Munley, Associate Counselor

McDougall Communications for CooperVision maggie@mcdougallpr.com or (585) 434-2149

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Top 5 Risk Factors of Glaucoma

proeyeadmin — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 18:21:21 +0000

March 7-13, 2021 is World Glaucoma Awareness Week. With over 70 million people diagnosed worldwide, Glaucoma occurs without symptoms, is the third leading cause of blindness and can only be detected through a comprehensive eye exam. Making your vision a top priority is key so let’s review what Glaucoma is and the top five risk factors.

Our eyes are filled with clear fluid. In a healthy eye, the pressure of these fluids remains within a healthy range because old fluid drains out through the pupil at the same rate as new fluid is produced. Glaucoma can interrupt this essential drainage cycle, causing the pressure to rise to dangerous levels. If it rises too much, it can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent vision loss.

The two main types of glaucoma are angle-closure and open-angle. The first happens very suddenly, when the drainage canals are physically blocked by the iris. Multiple symptoms usually serve as warning signs, such as headaches, nausea, extremely blurry vision, halos around lights, and eye pain. Go straight to the eye doctor if you experience these symptoms.

Ninety percent of glaucoma cases are open-angle. In this form of glaucoma, the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time, preventing effective draining. The process is so slow that the patient may not notice it until the later stages, which is one reason regular comprehensive eye exams are so important. The earlier we catch open-angle glaucoma, the earlier we can begin treatment and prevent additional damage.

What Are the Risk Factors of Glaucoma?

Everyone is at some level of risk for developing glaucoma, but certain factors make it more likely.

Advanced Age: As with many other health conditions, advanced age puts you at an increased risk.
Family History: heredity is one of the biggest glaucoma risk factors. Studies estimate that more than half of glaucoma cases are familial, meaning that someone with a sibling who has glaucoma is ten times more likely to get it than someone who doesn’t.
Ethnicity: Angle-closure glaucoma is a bigger risk for people of Asian descent, while black and Hispanic people and the elderly are more likely to develop open-angle glaucoma.
There is some evidence that links steroid use to glaucoma. The Glaucoma Research Foundation cites a 1997 study that was published in the Journal of American Medical Association which found that glaucoma was linked to long-term corticosteroid use, particularly in long-term allergy sufferers.The study found a 40-percent increase in “the incidence of ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma in adults who require approximately 14 to 35 puffs of steroid inhaler to control asthma,” writes the source. This includes eye drops, pills, inhalers, and creams, says VisionAware. Other studies have related continuing use of steroids to a higher risk of developing glaucoma.

Apart from age, Other risk factors include steroid use and eye injury.

Early Diagnosis Is Crucial for Saving Eyesight

Right now, there is no way to reverse the damage glaucoma does to the optic nerve. That may change in the future, but modern treatments can halt the disease’s progress, particularly in the early stages. You can protect your eyesight by learning about your personal risk factors and keeping up with your regular eye exams!

Source: Vision Source

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FLEX SPENDING ACCOUNTS – USE IT. DON’T LOSE IT.

proeyeadmin — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:54:19 +0000

Flexible spending accounts are a great way to pay for your healthcare costs, including your eyecare. The money is taken out of pretax dollars, lowering your tax liability. However, if you do not use the money by the end of the year, you will lose it.

Vision-related services and expenses that may qualify for reimbursement include:

Eye Health Examination
Contact Lenses
Eyeglasses
Computer Eyeglasses
Prescription Sunglasses
Laser Vision Correction

Use it, don’t lose it. Schedule your appointment today. Call us at 847-647-0707.

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Halloween Safety Tips

proeyeadmin — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:17:24 +0000

Safety is the key for our health and our eye health. Follow these safety tips to make sure your Halloween does not become a nightmare.

Eye Safety Tips for you and your goblins:

Avoid costumes that obscure vision.
Use only products approved for use on the skin.
Keep products away from the eyes.
Never use old makeup.
Use care in removing make up to avoid getting any in the eyes.
Be sure to remove all of the makeup before going to bed.
Wear reflective clothing or attach reflective tape to costumes and Trick or Treat Bags.
Carry a flashlight. Note: The ‘glow sticks’ that are sold at Halloween are filled with a chemical that can cause eye irritation and they really don’t illuminate that well.
Tie hats and scarves on securely to make certain they don’t slip over the eyes and obstruct vision.
Wear a protective mask, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.

A Word About Decorative and ‘Circle’ Contact Lenses: There are decorative contact lenses that feature wild designs. While generally safe if prescribed by and worn under the supervision of an eye doctor, these decorative lenses can cause serious eye problems if worn improperly. Remember: Contact lenses – whether decorative or not – are medical devices that must be prescribed by an eye doctor. Do not buy lenses from Flea Markets, Beauty Shops or online. Do not share lenses with anyone. Wear the lenses only for the time prescribed by your eye doctor.

If you have questions about these eye safety tips, schedule an appointment today by clicking the button below or calling (847) 647-0707.

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Suit Up For Sports Safety

proeyeadmin — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 17:00:59 +0000

Shin guards for soccer, shoulder pads for football, and batting helmets for baseball and softball. Almost every sport has its own unique safety equipment, but according to Dr. Pamela Lowe, most participants in sports forget to protect one of the most important parts of the body: the eyes. “Sports are the leading cause of eye injuries in children under 16,” Dr. Lowe said. “Most of these could be avoided simply by wearing proper eye protection.”

Protective sports eyewear can help prevent injuries such as fracture of the eye socket, scratched corneas, swollen retinas, and even cataracts caused by trauma to the eye. Parents of children who participate in sports should insist that their children wear protective eyewear and encourage schools and athletic clubs to adopt a policy requiring it.

“September is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month,” Dr. Lowe said. “Although sports may look different this year, we encourage anyone who participates in sports – children and adults alike – to remember to outfit the eyes for safety. Today’s protective eyewear is lightweight, comfortable, and available with or without vision correction.”

Dr. Pamela Lowe is the owner and practitioner of Professional Eye Care Center, 7225 N. Caldwell, Niles IL 60714 and is a member of Vision Source®. Professional Eye Care Center is a member of Vision Source®, North America’s largest network of independent optometrists. With 3,100+ practices and 4,000 members in the United States, Vision Source® comprises the most influential experts in the eye care industry. For more information, call 847-647-0707 or visit www.visionsource.com.

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4 Ways to Protect Your Eyes This Summer

proeyeadmin — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 05:36:02 +0000

Most people remember to protect their eyes from the sun, but what about other elements? Don’t let eye issues hold you back from enjoying the summer season with these helpful tips:

1. DRINK WATER

Staying hydrated fights against dry eyes, which often worsens during hot weather.

2. USE SWIM GOGGLES

Never open your eyes underwater without goggles, especially in chlorinated pools.

3. TURN DOWN THE AIR CONDITIONING

The A/C may cool you off, but it also reduces humidity causing eye dryness and irritation.

4. WEAR THE PROPER SUNGLASSES

Choose wrap-around eyewear with complete UV protection to keep your eyes safe from the sun, wind, and sand.

If you have any questions or think the summer heat is affecting your eyes, schedule an appointment with us at 847-647-0707.

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