Contrast Sensitivity Testing

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What is contrast sensitivity?

Why do the Edmonton Police Service vision application and the RCMP vision application require contrast sensitivity testing?

Contrast sensitivity testing measures the ability to distinguish between fine increments of light vs. darkness (contrast).  In situations of low light or glare, reduced contrast can affect a person's visual function such as night driving and make you feel as if you are not seeing well. Certain visual diseases (such as glaucoma or cataracts) and surgical procedures such as LASIK or PRK can lead to reduced contrast sensitivity.  

Routine eye exams test the ability to see smaller and smaller letters on a Snellen eye chart.  However, certain careers require specialized testing procedures such as the Bailey-Lovie chart.  The Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP both have visual requirements that involve contrast sensitivity testing following LASIK or PRK.  Ask our eye-bar optometrists for the Bailey-Lovie Low Contrast acuity chart as part of your police application. 

The Bailey-Lovie Low-Contrast Acuity Test is required by Edmonton Police Services and the RCMP as part of your visual application if you have a history of LASIK or PRK. 

The Bailey-Lovie Low-Contrast Acuity Test is required by Edmonton Police Services and the RCMP as part of your visual application if you have a history of LASIK or PRK. 

Booking an Eye Exam Online

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Booking an eye exam at eye-bar optometry is easy with our online booking software. Unlike other optometry offices, our online booking software gives you total control. You’re not simply requesting an eye exam time, but actually booking one.

<<--- Go Ahead, Try Me

The Steps:

1.       Choose the type of exam your booking: Adult, Senior, Child

2.       Pick your favorite eye-bar optometrist.

3.       Pick the date.

4.       Pick the time.

5.       Read the common eye exam questions at the bottom of the page, so you arrive prepared.

  • When should I arrive?
  • What should I bring?
  • How long does it all take?
  • How much does it cost?

6.       Show up for your appointment.

So go ahead and book your next eye exam at eye-bar optometry using our online booking software. See you soon!

Eye Care Referrals: Royal Alex Hospital

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Why do I have to go to the Royal Alex Hospital after seeing my eye doctor?

Your optometrist is qualified to handle the majority of eye care conditions that may arise during a routine eye health exam or emergency eye exam situation. In some eye conditions however, more advance eye care or medical care may be warranted. Some eye findings are simply warming sings of more serious underlying health issues that need to be addressed in order to resolve the visual symptoms you may be experiencing.

Like your family physician, your optometrists can help to coordinate the appropriate eye care required by the most appropriate health care provider. Occasionally, this may be an ophthalmologist that specializes in certain surgical procedures or specific eye diseases.

Why the Royal Alex Hospital? The Royal Alex Hospital is considered the home of ophthalmology in Edmonton and most local ophthalmologist work regular clinic shifts within the eye clinic. Typically, patients must be referred into the Royal Alex Hospital eye care unit by an optometrist, family physician or emergency room physician. These referrals are reserved for urgent eye care needs only and not routine eye health examinations.

If your eye condition is less urgent, and you are still wondering why you were referred to the Royal Alex Hospital. It’s probably because many specialized ophthalmologists have their full time clinics stationed at Royal Alex Hospital and your appointment may simply be with one of them.

FYI: If you ever have any questions or concerns about where one of our optometrist refers you to, please do not hesitate to contact the office. Your optometrist will be happy to explain the reason behind the decision and can make any necessary changes to the appointment when possible.  

 

 Book your next eye exam in Sherwood Park with an optometrist at eye-bar optometrists, opticians & eyewear specialists 

Competitive Advantage: Know Your Dominant Eye

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sport_eyewear_sunglasses_oakley_sherwood_park_eye_test_dominance_optometrist_eye-Doctor.jpg

Whether you're running at top speed and catching a football, or precisely aiming a golf shot, knowing which eye is dominant will help you in any sport.

An athlete can interpret fast action and achieve better head and eye positioning by knowing which eye is dominant. A dominant eye can process visual information more accurately than the non-dominant eye.

Quick Test for Eye Dominance

Use both hands to form a small triangle between the thumbs and first knuckles of your forefingers. With both eyes open and your arms outstretched, move your "triangle" until you have a distant object such as a light switch within the center. Shut your left eye. If the object stays centered, you are right-eye dominant. If the object moves out-of-center, you are left-eye dominant. Interestingly, eye-dominance is not related to if you are right-handed or left-handed.

*Images found here and here.

Vintage Eye Exam Advertisement

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eye_exam_sherwood_park_eye_doctor_glasses_vintage_retro_optometrist.jpg

We came across this 1966 advertisement from Better Vision Institute and had to share it! The vintage eyewear styles that are popular now deserve vintage advertising to go with it. Sure, lens and eye exam technology has changed since the 1960s, but the message still holds true today: everyone needs an eye exam every year.

*Ad found in this book

Book your next eye exam in Sherwood Park with an optometrist at eye-bar optometrists, opticians & eyewear specialists

Every year, your child needs an eye exam

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Many kids don’t complain about vision problems because they think everyone sees like them. Teachers who work with young children often detect their students’ vision problems before their own parents. At home, parents see the progression of these problems at a gradual rate, and they often don’t have a room full of kids to compare their child to. 

Here are some common symptoms of eye problems in school. Teachers should notice this in the classroom, and parents can watch for some of these at home, too.

  • Squinting
  • Inching desk forward
  • Constantly walking up to the board to read
  • Moving around furniture in the room to get a better view
  • Saying out loud that they can’t see, or asking what something very obvious is 

We want youngsters to see friends down the hall, recognize a familiar pet greeting them, and play safe in sports and on the playground. We want them to have every opportunity to learn about the world around them. Every child should have an eye exam before the age of 3. They should see an optometrist once per year (psst! Alberta Health Care covers that!).

A Dilated Fundus Examination in "Regular English"

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Reading through the purpose and procedure for a Dilated Fundus Examination (DFE) can sound like science fiction. Here’s our regular language interpretation.

What is it?
A DFE is an exam that uses special eye drops to enlarge the pupil of the eye. This gives optometrists a better view of the internal surface of the eye. It is a more effective method for checking internal eye health – similar to receiving an X-Ray at a dentist. It allows doctors to see the peripheral part of the retina, lens, and fluid inside your eye.

Why should I have one? 
This gives optometrists insight into your retinal health (cataracts, glaucoma, optic nerve head disease, plus many others) and about your overall health – this exam can find evidence of systemic disease prior to symptoms showing up elsewhere in the body.

What can I expect?

  • Medicated eye drops are administered to enlarge the pupil. This takes about 20-30 minutes to start working.
  • At first, you’ll notice that your near vision will start to blur slightly, then eventually you may notice distance blur. You may also become more sensitized to light. Depending on the drops used, your vision may remain blurry for 4-6 hours.
  • Interesting! People with light coloured eyes will often react quicker to the drops than those with darker coloured eyes. Their pupils will often dilate more, but the effects of the drops will often wear off quicker, too.
  • After the procedure, we recommend you wait for the effects of the eye drops to diminish or have someone pick you up. It’s a great idea to wear sunglasses after the procedure to reduce light sensitivity. 

Who should have a DFE?
A DFE is recommended for anyone with visual concerns, headaches, diabetes, hypertension, over the age of 65, or on medications that may affect vision. Anyone undergoing ocular surgery is required to have a DFE to ensure there are no underlying problems beforehand.

*Images found here and here

Back to School Eye Test

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There’s more to school than book bags and lunch boxes. It’s also the perfect time for your child’s eyes to be checked by an optometrist.  Just when you think your child is seeing well, there could very well be a problem. And vision problems are responsible for a staggering number of learning challenges due to the fact that 80% of classroom learning is done through the eyes.

Do you know how well your child can see? It isn’t always obvious to a child or a parent. Children assume everyone sees the world exactly as they do and rarely complain. As parents, the signs of vision problems are not easily detectable.

Here’s a big statistic:  1 in 6 children have some form of vision problems.

Good vision is vital to developing skills such as reading, copying and hand eye coordination. So before your children hits the books again this fall book them in for an eye exam with an eye-bar optometrist.

Eye exams are covered under provincial health insurance when you show your child’s health card. This means that there is no out-of-pocket cost for the eye exam.

Book your child’s eye exam.

A Common Vision Problem – Nearsightedness

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Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition by which people have problems focusing on objects in the distance. Close up vision tends not to be altered however, except in cases of very high nearsighted.

Nearsighted is one of the primary reasons why people schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor. Symptoms may include difficulty driving, taking notes in the classroom or boardroom, or recognizing a friends face from afar. Nearsighted people may find themselves trying to squint their eyes in order to better focus on distant objects, which can lead to frontal and temporal headaches.

Perceptually, nearsighted people often experience greater distance blur at night or in low lighting versus during daylight or bright lighting. This sends conflicting messages and can delay booking an appointment with an eye doctor. Regardless of the lighting though, images tend to seem slightly fuzzy and lack definition.

Nearsightedness can be a progressive condition, where by the amount of correction required may slowly increase over time. Nearsighted is the result of light focusing in front of the retina. This can be the result of an increase in the overall lenght of the eye. As such, routine eye exams by an eye doctor are recommended.

Common urban myths surround nearsighted include:

Wearing eyeglasses makes your vision worse - False

Not wearing your eyeglasses helps to strengthen or improve your vision - False

People who are diagnosed as being nearsighted by an eye doctor have treatment options. Treatment options for nearsightedness include: eyeglasses, contact lenses and refractive eye surgery procedures. Your eye doctor can help you to determine which treatment option is best suited for you.

Are you nearsighted?

Book your next eye exam in Sherwood Park with an eye-bar optometrist.

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

The 20/20/20 Rule

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The 20/20/20 rule is a great little acronym to remember when trying to deal with excessive eyestrain at work. If you spend a large portion of your workday on a computer or doing paperwork, then this rule can help to prevent or reduce the onset of those frontal & temporal stress headaches that you may be experiencing. It may also help to eliminate that blurry vision you experience on the drive home.

Patients who have extended near point demands for work or hobbies can actually develop a pseudo-nearsighted posture by the end of a long session.  This can result in patients thinking that their eyesight has gotten worse, when really their eye muscles are just over worked and tired.

So remember – 20/20/20

  • Take a break every 20 minutes
  • Look at something 20 feet away
  • Look at it for at least 20 seconds

If none of these tips help, please make an appointment to see an eye care professional as soon as possible.

eye-bar offers complete optometry services and has 3 optometrists on staff to help you with all of your vision needs. 

Book your next eye exam in Sherwood Park with an eye-bar optometrist.

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

Eye Care Question of the Week: #7

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Question:

Are there any alternatives to laser eye surgery?

Answer:

If you have been seriously contemplating going for laser eye surgery then this is an important question to ask yourself. This topic is also of interest for anyone who has already inquired about refractive surgery options but has been denied for any number of reasons: age, unstable prescription, thin corneas, high farsightedness or high nearsightedness, etc. Most patients who present to our clinic for a preliminary laser eye surgery consultation are looking to get away from eyeglasses. This may be for cosmetic reasons, lifestyle, or occupational requirements.  But do you know some of your alternatives?

One alternative to laser eye surgery is overnight or continuous wear contact lenses such as the Air Optix Night & Day by Ciba Vision. This product is one of the most studied contact lenses in the world and has a proven track record. For the right candidate this type of contact lens can offer excellent vision quality. Also, if your prescription changes you can quickly update your contact lens power as opposed to having to go through a laser eye surgery enhancement procedure. The other benefit of overnight contact lenses is that you know instantly how well you’re going to see, as there is no waiting period or healing time. From a financial perspective, an annual supply of these contact lenses is about one tenth the cost of laser eye procedures. On the downside however, there is still a small chance of developing an eye infection from sleeping in an overnight contact lens. Also, these contact lenses do not provide correction for astigmatism, which means that about 20% of patients are unable to wear them.

Another alternative to laser eye surgery is 1-Day disposable contact lenses, such as Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus or Acuvue TruEye. For many contact lens patients it’s simply the hassle of taking care of their contact lenses or forgetting when they last changed them. For these individuals a single use 1-Day disposable contact lens may be a great alternative. 1-Day disposable contact lenses also show a reduced prevalence of eye infections when compared to continuous wear overnight contact lenses or traditional 2-Week or 1-Month disposable contact lenses. These contact lenses may also be a great alternative for patients who suffer from dry eye syndrome and are not a candidate for overnight contact lens wear. Once again, an annual supply of these contact lenses are about one tenth the cost of laser eye surgery procedures, and your prescription can be quickly be updated.

To book a preliminary laser eye surgery consultation or to discuss some of your alternatives, please book an eye health examination with one of the optometrists at eye-bar.

 

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

Eye Care Question of the Week: #6

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Question:

Can my kids wear contact lenses?

 

Answer:

Absolutely! Contact lenses can be a great option for kids who participate in sports like dancing, gymnastics, soccer, hockey, or skiing. Eyeglass can be hard to fit under many helmets, may fall off during flips and tumbles and can actually pose an ocular hazard during contact sports. Not wearing vision correction can be just as hazardous in some sports such as hockey, where optimal vision is required for peak athletic performance and personal safety from flying pucks.

Contact lenses are a safe and healthy alternative to eyeglasses when worn and cared for in a responsible manner. In order to ensure optimal patient compliance amongst teenagers our eye doctors will often lean towards using single use one day disposable contact lenses whenever possible. Contact lenses such as Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus and Acuvue TruEyes provide parents with the assurance that their child is always wearing a clean new healthy contact lens.

At eye-bar we don’t believe that children should rely completely on contact lenses for their vision corrections needs, but certainly they can play a role. To learn more about whether or not contact lenses are a safe healthy option for your child, book an eye examination with one of the optometrists at eye-bar today

 

Please note: Contact lenses are a medical device and should be treated with care and respect. All contact lenses should be fit by a trained professional to ensure optimal vision and ocular health.      ο»Ώ


eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

I have diabetes, how often should I have my eyes examined?

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Patients with diabetes understand the importance of seeing their primary care physician and undergoing routine blood testing on a regular basis. But many patients with diabetes don’t know that diabetes is still one of the leading causes of vision loss amongst North Americans. As such, routine eye health examinations with an optometrist are crucial for the early detection and intervention of any eye problems that may arise.  

Regardless of whether patients have Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes, the visual or ocular complications are often the same.   Patients with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing early cataract changes, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and diabetic retinopathy (bleeding within the eye).

Did you know?

Alberta Health Care now covers patients with diabetes for a detailed ocular health examination by their optometrist every year. This ocular health examination includes a review of any vision concerns, eye pressure testing (glaucoma screening) and a detailed dilated retinal health examination. These visits however, do not include a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, so a routine eye exam is still recommended every 1-2 years.  

To book your next annual diabetic eye health examination with an optometrist at eye-bar, please call us @ 780.467.3341.

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

 

Saturday Eye Exams in Sherwood Park

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eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park is now open for Saturday eye exams. Book yourself or the whole family in to see one of our eye doctors. The optometrists at eye-bar optometry specialize in family eye care, contact lenses and eye health emergencies or visual concerns. The total health of your eyes today and tomorrow is our ongoing concern.

To schedule your next eye exam at eye-bar in Sherwood Park call us at 780.467.3341 or stop by the store.

 

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Emergency Visits & Ophthalmology Referrals

 

Alberta Blue Cross Insurance at eye-bar

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Did you know that eye-bar can direct bill your Alberta Blue Cross insurance for routine comprehensive eye exams? Simply show us your Alberta Blue Cross card at the time of your visit and the eye-bar staff will take care of the rest.

Not all Alberta Blue Cross plans however are the same and the amount paid varies depending on the level of coverage you have or the duration you’ve had your coverage for. Typically, Alberta Blue Cross vision care plans cover a portion if not all of the exam fee. Patients are simply responsible for any remaining balances at the time of the eye exam. 

eye-bar can also direct bill Alberta Blue Cross for your contact lenses and prescription eyewear.

eye-bar optometry in Sherwood Park - eye exams, contact lenses, emergencies visits & ophthalmology referrals

 

Systane Balance Lubricating Eye drops

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Alcon Canada has recently released that Canadians will now have access to their newest formulated dry eye lubricating drop. Beginning after June 15, 2011 Systane Balance will be available for patients with dry eye syndrome secondary to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), a common cause of dry eye.

If you’re interested in being one of the first people in Sherwood Park to try Systane Balance on your dry eyes then book an eye exam with one of the optometrists at eye-bar. Patients with dry eyes secondary to meibomian gland dysfunction will be given a FREE retail sized bottle of Systane Balance eye drops (while supplies last) to use. Patients will then be asked to complete a short questionnaire on product satisfaction and symptom relief.

At eye-bar optometry we believe that you should not have to suffer from your dry eyes. Book an eye exam or dry eye consultation with one of our optometrists.

image via: Alcon Canada

eye-bar optometry – eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals - Sherwood Park

 

Eye Exams for Kids

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Has your child had their first eye exam yet? If not, schedule your child in for a check-up this summer. Eye exams are fast, fun and painless. A comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist will check your child’s visual acuity, binocularity (how the two eyes work together) as well as the overall health of their eyes. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t yet know their A-B-C’s, the optometrists at eye-bar have other ways of determining what your child can see.

Good vision is important for children to be able to succeed at school. It is estimated that 1 in 4 children starting kindergarten may have an undetected vision problem. According to the Alberta Association of Optometrists and Alberta Health Care however, only 1 in 5 Alberta children receives an eye exam before starting school.

At eye-bar we believe in good vision and encourage all of our patients to book their children in for an annual eye exam before starting school in the fall. Give your child every opportunity at success.

Signs that your child may have a vision problem

  • Squinting
  • Rubbing their eyes
  • Headaches
  • Tired feeling eyes
  • Light sensitivity
  • Sitting too close to the TV
  • Holding books too close
  • Losing their place when reading
  • Avoiding near activities
  • Excessive hyperactivity
  • Lower grades at school

Did you know?

  • Alberta Health Care covers children for an annual eye exam
  • Alberta Health Care covers children for eye infections and other visual concerns
  • Children should have their first eye exam by 6 months of age
  • Children should start receiving annual eye exams by age 3
  • eye-bar participates in the Eye See…Eye Learn program

eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals

Eye Care Question of the Week: #5

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Question:

What is a dilated retinal exam?

 

Answer:

A dilated retinal exam involves the instillation of medicated eye drops that temporarily increase the size of the pupil (the dark portion of your eye). These eye drops provide your optometrist with a better view of your retina, and allow them to better evaluate your overall ocular health.

Patients should receive an annual dilated retinal exam if they have any of the following eye conditions or have a family history of eye problems such as: cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetes type-1 or type-2, hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis, or anyone with high myopia (nearsightedness).

So talk to your optometrist about booking a dilated retinal examination at your next appointment.

 

eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals

Comprehensive Sight Testing Now at eye-bar

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Comprehensive sight testing is only one component of the comprehensive eye health exams at eye-bar optometry. Sight testing ensures that you can see your best at all distances. If your sight test determines that you require a prescription for eyeglasses, then our eye doctors will provide you with a copy of your prescription.

Sight testing however without a comprehensive eye health evaluation is simply unethical eye care. Providing our patients a prescription for new eyeglasses or contact lenses without first determining the underlying cause of their vision problem is not what eye-bar optometry is about. So rest assured that the eye doctors at eye-bar optometry provide a thorough eye health evaluation with every eyeglass or contact lens prescription. 

An eye exam performed by a licensed optometrist is about more then just updating your eyeglasses or contact lenses, it’s about peace of mind.

 

 

eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits and ophthalmology referrals

What Diseases Can Be Detected During An Eye Exam?

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Shakespeare once wrote that, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” It is also true that the eyes can be considered a window to the internal workings of your body. Nowhere else on the body are we able to view actual blood vessels in action like we can when we look at the retina. As such, we can often detect general physical diseases by looking at the eyes.

Check out the following list of eye diseases, followed by a list of systemic diseases, that all can be found during a routine eye exam:

Common Eye Diseases:

•    Cataracts
•    Glaucoma
•    Macular Degeneration
•    Retinal Detachment
•    Dry Eye
•    Corneal Degeneration

Systemic Diseases That Can Be Detected During An Eye Exam:

•    Diabetes
•    Hypertension – High Blood Pressure
•    Hypercholesterolemia – High Cholesterol
•    HIV/AIDS
•    Multiple Sclerosis
•    Graves Disease
•    Herpes Simplex/Herpes Zoster infections
•    Carotid Stenosis – a narrowing of the carotid artery and a risk factor for strokes

 

eye-bar optometry - eye exams, contact lenses, emergency visits & ophthalmology referrals