Video Testimonial – A Mother Speaks From the Heart About Her 5 Year Old Son and How an Eye Exam Changed His Life

This is a story of how an eye exam can actually change the course of a child’s life.

Jennifer is a loving mother of an 5 year old little boy.  Her son is absolutely adorable and a really good child yet, in school  he was being labeled a “difficult / problem child” and a “disturbance in the classroom”. He often did not want to pay attention in school, frequently “acted out” and even threw his books.  He just did not seem to be interested in reading or learning – at ALL.

As a mother, she knew that this behavior in school seemed a bit odd and out of character for the sweet, loving boy that she knew her son to be at home.  The comments from the school really alarmed Jennifer that something was definitely wrong.

Her young son had passed his Pediatrician’s vision screening, AS WELL AS the school vision screening but, acting on motherly instinct – she ignored the comments that “his vision is fine” and took him to see the Optometrist, Dr Dawn Bearden, for a routine eye exam.  Eye Doctor,  Dr Bearden,  manages the Visionary Eyecare (Independent Doctor of Optometry) offices next to Lenscrafters in Pembroke Pines and Sunrise and also next to Pearle Vision in Davie.

During the routine eye examination – Dr Bearden discovered that Jennifer’s son was able to read the eye chart with just a little bit of blur but, he needed eyeglasses to correct the strain that he was feeling while reading.  Once the strain was relieved from wearing the glasses full time…the child suddenly became more attentive in school and began reading ALL THE TIME.

Actually, he loved reading SO MUCH that he won an award from his kindergarten teacher for reading!!  He even received an award from the school’s Principal for “Most Improved Reader”…he actually read 26 books within 30 days.  WOW!!

Jennifer is now a HUGE advocate to have children get eye exams from an eye doctor and for parents NOT to be lulled into complacency by their child passing a vision screening.  Her child could have gone through life in the classroom being labeled a “problem” and a “disturbance” simply because he could not see well and his eyes were being strained in school.

Jennifer states the following in her video:

No matter how well a parent THINKS their child sees well or if a child is labeled a “problem” in the classroom because he does not pay attention…it may just be because he can’t see well.

The eye exam has made a HUGE difference and my son has excelled, he is doing wonderful and his behavior is like “night and day”!

“I’m a big ADVOCATE…get your child checked by a (eye care) professional!!”

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Visionary Eyecare Blog – A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

A Visual Representation of the Visionary Eyecare Blog

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!!

And sometimes that picture is made from a thousand words…..

Here are some visual representations of the Visionary Eyecare Blog from Wordle.

It visibly shows that our blog talks about the Eye, an Optometrist, an Eye Exam, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise,  Eye Dr,  Contacts, Dr Dawn Bearden, Dr Emily McCulluh, Dr Anna-Kay Tenn, Lenscrafters, an Eye Doctor,  Vision, Eye Care, Eye Health and more….

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Just by scanning one of these images – a reader can immediately get a feel for what the Visionary Eyecare Blog is all about!!

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Cosmetic Eye Fashion – Eye Tattoos and Eye Jewelry

JewelEye Cosmetic Eye Charm

OK…now we’ve seen some interesting things here at Visionary Eyecare…but, this stuff really takes the cake!

Eyeball  Jewelry and Eyeball Tattoos….now we’ve seen everything!

These cosmetic eye fashion procedures take the phrase “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder” to a completely new level….

Apparently, there is a company called JewelEye that makes cosmetic 3.5mm eye jewelry platinum implants in the shape of a heart or a half moon.  The implant is inserted beneath the conjunctiva (which is the “skin” that covers the white of the eye) yet, on top of the sclera (which is the “white” of the eye).

WARNING THE VIDEO BELOW IS VERY GRAPHIC –

EYE SURGICAL PROCEDURE

Although Dutch eye surgeons at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery perform this 15 minute patented procedure (they say that they actually have a waiting list), in 2004 the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) spoke out against this type of cosmetic implant. An AAO member stated that these implants may cause scar tissue or allow bacteria to get under the conjunctiva which could erode the sclera (the white of the eye) or cause other vision threatening infections. The AAO commented that if these problems ocured – then it could become very difficult to remove the implant.

Another problem is that the conjunctiva is loosely attached to the sclera – so by placing an implant under the conjunctiva…in time, the implant may move around and not stay in place. This could irritate the patient’s eye and possibly cause vision problems.

Eyeball Tattoo

And another cosmetic eye procedure is the Eyeball Tattoo.  Much like the JewelEye implant…the tattoo ink is inserted bewteen the sclera and the conjunctiva (the white of the eye and the skin that covers it) with a needle.

(Warning: Graphic Photos) CLICK HERE

TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE PROCEDURE

This procedure looks like it is being done in a tattoo parlor – which is a not a sterile operating room. The risk of infection is very high – which can lead to visual impairment.

Also, a needle being used that close to an eye in a surgically untrained hand can be very dangerous.   One slip and the needle could scratch the front of the eye (the cornea).   Worse yet,  the needle could penetrate the eye – causing a retinal detachment which is vision threatening OR it could cause an infection inside the eye  – which could lead to loss of the eye.

WARNING – THE VIDEOS BELOW ARE VERY GRAPHIC!!

Again, most eye doctors would advise NOT to have this procedure done – the multitude of  RISKS FAR OUTWEIGH any positive cosmetic benefit.

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Video: Martha Stewart Talks About Annual Eye Exam Importance

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Ask Dr Dawn Bearden… or any Eye Doctor or Staff member at Visionary Eyecare in Pembroke Pines or Sunrise….and they will always tell you that having an annual eye exam is very important.  But why?!?!???

Is it because your eyeglasses prescription changes every year and you need to get new glasses?!?!??!  Well, often the prescription can change from year to year BUT, there are MORE IMPORTANT reasons to have your eyes checked annually.

Martha Stewart recently interviewed Optometrist, Dr Rhonda Robinson, about annual eye examinations.  Dr. Robinson explained that the reasons to have an annual eye exam change as a person goes through each life stage.

Babies (6mo to 1 year old) need to have their eyes examined to screen for lazy eye, any visual system developmental problems and eye health issues like tumors inside of their eyes.

School age children need to have their eyes examined yearly for another important reason – for a child around 80% of learning is accomplished through vision.  Yearly exams can help determine if they are using their eyes together vs using one eye more than the other.

We are in a new age where the visual demands of children and teens are being stressed in completely different ways – iPods, cell phones, computers, Blackberries, MySpace & Facebook, texting….the list is endless.

Even SMALL changes in a prescription can make a  HUGE difference in visual comfort.

Adults need to have a yearly eye exam to ensure good eye and systemic health.  The majority of eye medical issues DO NOT cause any visual problems or blur…eye health issues like glaucoma, retinal holes and tears, tumors in and behind the eye etc  may be completely asymptomatic.  A comprehensive eye exam can also help detect systemic problems that you may be unaware of – like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and more…

Adults around 40 and over usually experience near vision blur called Presbyopia.  Now there are a multitude of options to help correct Presbyopia and give clear near vision while reading – reading glasses, multifocal/bifocal/progressive eye glasses, multifocal/bifocal contact lenses.

Its important for seniors to have yearly eye exams to help detect eye health changes associated with aging – such as cataracts, glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (ARMD / AMD).

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Follow Dr Dawn Bearden on Twitter @FLEyecare

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Dr Dawn Bearden and Visionary Eyecare have moved out of Lenscrafters and have RELOCATED to Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear in East Fort Lauderdale.  New website is www.FLEyecareEyewear.com and new phone is 954-763-2842.  New address is 1489 SE 17th St  Suite 2J Ft Lauderdale FL 33316.  Click here for map of new location

Dr Dawn Bearden is now “tweeting” for Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear under the name @FLEyecare on Twitter .

When you follow @FLEyecare on Twitter you will always find interesting “tweets” about eye health care, eye health tips, inspiring quotes, health news, any new blog posts that were recently posted on our blog,  real time conversations with local South Floridians, eye related trivia, Twitter Tips and much more!!

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Click the Twitter Logo...

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Twitter is the FASTEST growing social network in history. According to Mashable – The Social Media Guide (@Mashable), Twitter has grown a staggering 1382% in the past year.  In January 2009 alone, Twitter grew 50% in ONE month.  Wow.  This is a POWERFUL social media platform for those who understand how to harness its power.

Most people have the perception that Twitter is for people tweeting about what they ate for breakfast….this is NOT what Twitter is all about.  You can connect with people in your local community or all around the globe who are experts in fields that you may be interested in learning about.  People like Robert Kiyosaki (@TheRealKiyosaki), Donald Trump (@DonaldJTrump), Oprah (@Oprah), Anthony Robbins (@TonyRobbins), Larry King (@kingsthings) and more…all tweet regularly.  Its truly a wealth of knowledge.

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If you’ve never checked out Twitter….go to www.Twitter.com/FLEyecare and check it out.  Maybe you will even decide to jump in, give it a try and start Tweeting – its a lot of fun and very educational!

Chances are ….you’ll soon get hooked!

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Tweet! Tweet!

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Bionic Contact Lens – One of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2008

Bionic Contact Lens - University of Washington

Time.com (in partnership with CNN) recently reported that a prototype of a “bionic” contact lens has been created and Time has listed this as one of the Best Inventions of 2008.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The University of Washington’s Babak Parviz has created a prototype “bionic” contact lens that creates a display over the wearer’s visual field, so images, maps, data, etc., appear to float in midair. The lens works using tiny LEDs, which are powered by solar cells, and a radio-frequency receiver.

We think this is really “kewl”.

Maybe one day during your eye exam you can ask one of the Visionary Eyecare Doctors to be fitted for a contact lens that would allow you to see a map while you are driving or see an excel data sheet floating in mid air (that only you can see) during a really important presentation.  Wow!  Now that is definitely a huge step up from just plain old colored contact lenses or bifocal contact lenses….this is the next evolution BEYOND just seeing 20/20.

Check out the video below to see more of  TIME’s Best Inventions of 2008 – including futuristic swimwear worn by Michael Phelps, DNA test kits,  a very sporty and fast electric car and lots of different kinds of robots….

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