A Child’s FIRST Eye Exam …… Featured Patient: Jacob

Jacob in the Eye Exam Room

Jacob is 5 years old. He came in today for his VERY FIRST eye examination.

Last year he saw his Pediatrician for a vision screening but, he was not too cooperative when it was time to read the eye chart so they really did not have any idea about the clarity of his right eye. This year he went to Kindergarten and had a vision screening. That day mom got a note back that he failed and needed to see an eye doctor.

Jake Having Fun at Visionary Eyecare

He came into Visionary Eyecare ( the Independent Doctors of Optometry Next to Pearle Vision in Davie) for his first eye exam. During his vision test we noticed that Jake could see fairly well with his left eye but, he was only able to see 20/80 (eight lines WORSE than 20/20) with his right eye. During the eye exam, Dr Bearden found that Jake has a high prescription in his right eye and was using only his left eye to see with. His right eye is a lazy eye (amblyopia) and is not able to be corrected to 20/20 – even WITH a glasses prescription.

But the good news is that a child’s visual system is not completely developed until around age 7. So he can still adapt to changes in the clarity of his vision – he is more likely to have great success with his new glasses and possible vision therapy to strengthen that vision in his right eye!

Jake Give Us the Thumbs UP!!!

So, Jake’s eyes are still growing and developing and with the proper glasses and visual therapy – hopefully, he will be able to get the vision in his right eye to be a lot better than 20/80….maybe even as good as 20/20.

The key learning for parents is to have your child’s eyes examined with a comprehensive eye examination as early as possible – by an Eye Doctor.

Jacob Gets Measured for His New Glasses

Jake Plays Star Wars

Jake Models His Frame Choice

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Jake Returns to Pick up his new glasses….just in time for Thanksgiving!!

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Video – Child’s Eye Exam as Seen Through the Eyes of a Child

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Video – Child’s Eye Exam“, posted with vodpod

This is a great video (BEST VIEWED THROUGH YOUR FIREFOX WEB BROWSER) about a kid who is having his or her FIRST eye examination. When a child enters an eye clinic for the first time – there is usually some apprehension and fear (for both the child… and the parent!).

Viewing this great video with your child prior to having an eye exam can help explain some of the vision tests that the Eye Doctor and his/her support staff is doing. It will also help you and your child become more comfortable with what goes on during an eye exam. Believe it or not….an eye exam can be a lot of fun!

Visionary Eyecare provides eye exams for children at all 3 of our Broward County / Ft Lauderdale area Locations – Pembroke Pines (next to Lenscrafters), Davie (next to Pearle Vision) and Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters and INSIDE the Sawgrass Mills Mall).

We are providers for EyeMed and this excellent video was provided by EyeMed Vision Care.

If you are having trouble viewing this video…

You can see the video on the right side of this blog under the sidebar category “Visionary Eyecare VODPOD videos” (It is called: Video – Child’s Eye Exam) ….you can find it if you look on the right side of the blog at the sidebar categories and scroll all the way down 🙂

……OR……

Open your Firefox Web Browser and go to www.VisionaryEyecareBLOG.com to re-visit this blog.

If you don’t have Firefox – CLICK HERE TO GET FIREFOX.

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Visionary Eyecare Website now Translated into English, Spanish, French, Portugese, Italian, Japanese, German and more!

Language Translator at Bottom of http://www.VisionaryEyecareOnline.com

Broward County in South Florida is a a wonderful melting pot!

Visionary Eyecare has eye clinics in Davie (Next to Pearle Vision), Pembroke Pines and Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters)…and we have a wonderful mix of patients from ALL OVER the globe.

If you or your friends are looking to view our website and learn about Visionary Eyecare but, you would like to view the website in another language….then you are now in LUCK!   Learn more about our vision exams, our contact lens exams, our eye doctors, our online eye exam appointments and more….in 12 available languages.

Go to www.VisionaryEyecareOnline.com and scroll down to the very bottom of the page and you will see the Yahoo Babel Fish picture as shown above.

Yahoo Babel Fish is a language translator.  Just select the language that you want to view the page in….. and it will be translated for you immediately.  Available languages include Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portugese and Russian.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE

VISIONARY EYECARE WEBSITE NOW

Enjoy!!!

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Visionary Eyecare – Maps of 3 Locations in Broward County

We have 3 Locations in Broward County to Serve You:

Pembroke Pines (Next to Lenscrafters)

954-430-3808

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Pembroke Pines Location

Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters)

954-851-9949

(INSIDE the Sawgrass Mall – in between JCPenny and Brandsmart)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Sunrise Location

Davie (Next to Pearle)

954-434-9045

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Davie Location

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Online Eye Test: Find Out If You Need an Eye Exam

CLICK HERE

to take the

FREE

ONLINE EYE TEST

This QUICK test will determine if YOU need to have

an Eye Exam!!

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Child Eye Exams and Effective Learning are Linked

Its Back to School Time!!

Here are some pictures of our youngsters having FUN and playing with the toys in our Visionary Eyecare Office in Davie, FL (Next to Pearle Vision) during our important ….. BACK TO SCHOOL EYE EXAMINATION Time.

School starts in just a FEW short weeks and it is CRUCIAL that all school age children have a comprehensive eye examination before school begins!!  A Pedicatrician eye chart test or a school vision screening is NOT sufficient to ensure that your child’s has the clearest vision and healthiest eyes for ALL of their classroom tasks.

Here is some important information from the American Optometric Association (AOA):

The American Optometric Association (AOA) reminds parents that good vision is critical for many classroom tasks.” Children who do not have “healthy vision…can face unnecessary challenges not only in the classroom, but also to their mental, physical, social, and emotional well being.”

Some youngsters who “suffer from undetected vision problems…may even be misdiagnosed as having a learning disorder.” In fact, “[s]tudies indicate that 60 percent of children identified as ‘problem learners’ actually suffer from undetected vision problems.

According to the AOA’s American Eye-Q® survey, only 39 percent of adults understand that behavioral problems can be an indication of vision problems.” Optometrist Leonard Press, O.D., AOA’s vision and learning specialist, pointed out that “10 million school children in America have vision conditions that can negatively affect learning.”

Therefore, “[a] comprehensive eye examination for students is one of the most important ‘to-dos’ as children head back to school.”

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Online Eye Test: Find Your Blind Spot in Each Eye!

Everyone has a BLIND SPOT in their vision of each eye.

Take this FUN test to check it out for yourself !!

Look at graphic of the cross and the circle at the top of this post.

Sit at your computer with your nose pointing in between the cross and the black circle.

Cover your LEFT eye and stare at the cross with your RIGHT eye.

Now SLOWLY move towards the computer screen while still staring at the cross with your RIGHT eye.

At somewhere around 10-14 inches from the computer screen – the black circle will disappear and the area where the black circle was…will now be all white – this is your BLIND SPOT.

If you move closer to the screen or farther away –  the circle will re-appear.  At just the right distance – the circle will disappear.

Now try the OTHER eye…but this time cover your RIGHT eye and look at the CIRCLE with your LEFT eye…..move closer and you will see that the CROSS now disappears!!

Your eye has an inner lining which is made of a sheet of nerves.  This sheet of nerves is responsible for your vision and what you see and it is called the RETINA.  There is a “hole” in the sheet where the Optic Nerve enters the eye.  This area is called the Optic Nerve Head.

Photoreceptors are cells in the retina that detect light and allow you to perceive “vision”.  On the optic nerve head there are NO photoreceptors.  Thus, there is no light or vision detected at this spot in the retina.  This is your “Blind Spot”.  Every eye has a blind spot….your blind spot in your right eye is slightly on your right and your blind spot in your left eye is slightly on your left.

Your brain automatically “fills in” the blind spot area for you…..

Now try it AGAIN with the above green and yellow graphic….but this time you will notice that when you move to just the right distance , the circle will disappear and your brain will fill in your blind spot WITH YELLOW when you are looking with your right eye (left eye covered)….and your brain will fill in your blind spot WITH GREEN when you are looking with your left eye (right eye covered)!!  Your brain automatically matches the surrounding colors when it “fills in” visual information for you.

Cool huh??

Your brain can even “fill in” missing information for you…..in the above graphic, you’ll notice that when you cover your left eye and look at the cross with your right eye – the brain will “fill in” your blind spot (the area where the circle is).  You will see that your brain fills in the line for you.  Keep looking at the cross – don’t look back at the circle – or you will will see the circle again.

Try it AGAIN with the above graphic while looking at the cross with your right eye (cover your left eye) – your brain will put a red circle where your blindspot is….it is “filling in” the “missing information” !!

Amazing.

Graphics from Serendip….check out their very informative  website at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/blindspot1.html

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Get YOUR Vision and Eye Health Questions Answered!!

Lots of Our Patients Often Have the

SAME BURNING QUESTIONS….

What is Astigmatism??

Why do I now have problems reading up close when I turned 40??

What are those black floating spots in my vision??

What is a Cataract??

I need bifocals….can I wear contact lenses??

What is Glaucoma??

How often should I get my eye exam if I feel my vision has not changed??

What is a Retinal Detachment??

What is Myopia (Nearsightedness)??

What is Macular Degeneration??

My child passed the Pediatrician and/or School Vision Screening – does he/she still need an eye examination if he/she is not complaining of vision problems??

I have astigmatism….can I wear contact lenses??

What is Farsightedness (Hyperopia)??

Well, here is YOUR chance to get all of YOUR questions answered by Dr Bearden and the Visionary Eyecare Doctors – Right HERE on Our BLOG!!

Just leave a comment (Below this post – click on “Comments”) with your burning Vision and Eye Health question(s) and we will write future posts based on the questions that you ask….

Check back often to see if your question has been answered…..OR……… subscribe to our blog  via email (or RSS feed) and get all updates of new BLOG posts sent to you automatically.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to our Blog Via Email.

Its THAT easy!

You are also welcome to visit our Vision Library on our Visionary Eyecare Website for LOTS of Vision and Eye Health Educational Information!!

CLICK HERE to go to our Vision Library….

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Optical Illusion….How Many Black Dots Do You See??

Here is an interesting Optical Illusion for you!!  How many black dots do you see??  There are NONE!!

Keep staring at one of the white dots….you will see that it is white and never black…only the ones that you are not directly staring at seem to be “blinking” black or gray.  Cool huh??

It is your Retina playing tricks with you….creating an AFTER-IMAGE.

Children’s Vision Screening Vs. Comprehensive Eye Exam

SAVE A CHILD’S VISION = SAVE A CHILD’S FUTURE

There are approximately 4 million children entering school each year.  3.4 million of them will enter school WITHOUT a comprehensive vision and eye health examination.

Many times children may be unaware that they are experiencing any vision problems and thus do not tell their parents they may be having issues with their vision.

A Vision Screening – either done at school or a Pediatrician’s office – is NOT a substitute for a complete eye health and vision evaluation by an eye doctor (either an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist).

Its important for parents to remember that Vision Screenings are NOT eye exams.  A Vision Screening will only determine if a child may be at risk for decreased vision.  It will not determine what the issue is and it does not treat the issue.

A comprehensive eye exam will determine the child’s precise vision, will evaluate how the two eyes work together and most importantly it will check the child’s eye health.  Most eye health issues (like retinal holes or tumors in the eye) may NOT cause any symptoms – until it is too late.

Vision Screenings often give parents a false sense of security because many children may have visual problems or eye health issues and still be able to PASS a vision screening.

Vision problems in children should be diagnosed and treated as EARLY as possible to prevent lifelong visual complications.  Many potentially permenant vision problems, such as lazy eye (amblyopia), can be prevented AND corrected if caught and treated early enough.

SAVE A CHILD’S VISION = SAVE A CHILD’S FUTURE

We are Now on Technorati….a Blog Search Engine – You Can Make Us One of Your FAVORITES!

Google is a general search engine ……and Technorati is a BLOG Search Engine.  You can use it to search all kinds of different and interesting blogs.

First, make sure you are signed in to Technorati (if you do not have an account with Technorati – you can get one for free!) and then type in “Visionary Eyecare” in to the Search box on the top right of the page.  It will take you to a “Results” page and you will see 4 tabs….Posts, Blogs, Photos, Videos.  Click on the “Blogs” tab and you will see our “Visionary Eyecare’s Blog: “The Eye Journal” listed.

Click on the BRIGHT PINK BUTTON that says “Fave This” and now we are one of your Favorite Blogs in your Technorati account!

OR you can “Favorite” Us in Technorati….by clicking on the button below…..or the button at the top of the column to the right (make sure you are logged in to Technorati FIRST….before you click on the button)!

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ONLINE Appointments for Your Eye Exam….right HERE from our BLOG!

Is your vision getting a little bit blurry?? Do you need new eyeglasses or contact lenses??  Do you have a red eye??  Do you want to talk to an Eye Dr (Optometrist) about Laser Eye Surgery??  Well, you don’t need to CALL our eye clinic to make an appointment….

Did you know that you can make an Appointment Online for an Eye Exam, Eye Health Check and Vision Testing….right HERE from our Blog – 24 hours per day / 7 days per week??  Well you can!

Just check out the column on the right under “ONLINE Appointments At Visionary Eyecare” and click on the office where you would like to schedule your appointment OR click below on the office where you would like to schedule your appointment.   Its THAT easy!

Pembroke Pines Office (Next to Lenscrafters)   Located at 9910 Pines Blvd in Pembroke Pines (The Southeast Corner of Palm and Pines)

Sunrise/Sawgrass Mall Office (Next to Lenscrafters)   Located inside the Sawgrass Mall – in between JCPenny and Brandsmart

Visionary Eyecare’s Blog: “The Eye Journal” …………. We Are Now LIVE!

Hello!!!

This is the maiden voyage of “The Eye Journal”,  which is our educational BLOG at Visionary Eyecare…..all about YOU and YOUR eye health and vision care questions.   The Eye Journal is written by our very own Visionary Eyecare Optometrists!!

Visionary Eyecare is a South Florida Eye Clinic with 2 locations in Broward County: Pembroke Pines (Next to Lenscrafters) and Sunrise (next to Lenscrafters – INSIDE the Sawgrass Mills Mall).

Visionary Eyecare is devoted to your most precise vision.  Each Eye Dr that works with you will give you personalized attention and customize your eye exam individually for you.  Every vision test that is done for you – will be suited to your individual needs.

If you need an eye examination for eye glasses, contact lenses, a laser surgery consultation or have a red eye and need eye treatment or have any other eye emergency – our Optometrists (Dr. Dawn Bearden, Dr Anna-Kay Tenn, Dr Emily McCulloh and Dr Alyx Lin) will take great care of you.

We take great pride in providing you with High Definition Vision Care!!

Stay tuned for Visionary Eyecare’s Updates, Events, Videos, Promotions, Information and much, much  more…..

Subscribe to our RSS feed or to our email list to be automatically updated any time “The Eye Journal” is updated!

We look forward to keeping you on the cutting edge of eye care!!