The Coach and Calvin Klein Sunglass Show

Summer is here and that means that it is time to protect your eyes and look good doing it! Come in on July 26 and check out the complete line of Coach, Calvin Klein, and ck sunglasses.

For this day only, we’ll have every style in every color. You can get them with or without prescription.

During the event, all Coach, Calvin Klein and ck sunglasses will be 25% off and for every adult pair purchase, receive a free pair of child’s sunglasses. (Discount cannot be combined with other discount, coupon, or vision plan).

We hope to see you! Call for more information or click here for directions.

Guide to a Comprehensive Eye and Vision Exam

If you ever read a summary of a comprehensive exam, you may get a little confused by all the technical vision terms. To try to make it more easy to understand, I have listed a below a brief explanation of the testing done during a comprehensive eye and vision exam.

This does not cover every single test, but the majority of them. Because each patient is different, each exam uses different tests. You may find a Glossary of Vision Terms helpful, as well.

• MEDICAL HISTORY: Questions about past and current medical problems.
• VISUAL HISTORY: Questions about past and current vision problems.
• VISUAL ACUITY: Sharpness or clearness of eyesight at a specific distance.
• KERATOMETRY: Measures the shape of the front part of the eye (the cornea) where light enters.
• EXTRA OCULAR MUSCLES: Measures how accurately the eyes move while following an object and looking back and forth between targets.
• COVER TEST (NEAR): Measures the amount that the eyes are misaligned while looking at near.
• COVER TEST (DIST): Measures the amount that the eyes are misaligned while looking at distance.
• NEAR POINT CONVERGENCE: Measures the ability to converge - the eyes turning towards each other when looking at an object up close.
• STEREOPSIS: Measures the ability of the eyes to work together to see fine detail with depth perception “3D”.
• NEAR POINT ACCOMMODATION: Measures how close each eye is able to see clearly.
• PHORIA (NEAR): Measures the amount that the eyes are misaligned while looking at near.
• PHORIA (DISTANCE): Measures the amount that the eyes are misaligned while looking at distance.
• NEAR VERGENCE (BI): Measures the ability to converge - the eyes turning towards each other when looking at an object up close.
• NEAR VERGENCE (BO): Measures the ability to diverge - the eyes turning outwards at an object.
• ACA RATIO: Measures how much the eyes converge while focusing up close.
• NEGATIVE RELATIVE ACCOMMODATION: Measures the maximum ability to relax focusing while maintaining clear, single binocular vision.
• POSITIVE RELATIVE ACCOMMODATION: Measures the maximum ability to focus while maintaining clear, single binocular vision.
• MEM RETINOSCOPY: Measures the accuracy of focusing while looking at an object up close.
• REFRACTION: Measures the nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism of the eyes.
• EXTERNAL EXAM: Determines health of the eyes by observation.
• SLIT-LAMP EXAM: Determines the health of the eyes with a microscope.
• OPHTHALMOSCOPY: Uses special lenses to look inside the eye for diseases.
• TONOMETRY: Measures the pressure inside the eyes.
• DILATION ORDERS: Specifies the type of eye drops and method used to evaluate inside the eyes.
• CUP/DISC RATIO: A way of measuring the health of the optic nerve. Useful in glaucoma and other eye disease cases.
• ASSESSMENT: States what the known visual or eye health problems are.
• PLAN: Summarizes the recommendations for the treatment of the problems.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

Specs 4 Us

I have recently been made aware of a wonderful new line of eyeglasses frames called Specs 4 Us.

Their Mission: To improve the sight and quality of life for children with Down Syndrome by providing custom frames that fit their unique needs.

I have seen many patients with special needs and I know how difficult it can be to find glasses that work well. These frames are designed specifically for these patients and they work well, as shown in the picture below.

We do not yet have these frames in the office, but we can order them. We hope to have a selection soon. In the meantime, please check out the official site for more information.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

A Brief and Wonderful Note From a Patient

The other day when I was beginning the follow-up for a patient who is doing Precise Corneal Reshaping, I was handed a small Thank You card.

This patient is a wonderful 10 year old girl, who is very funny. She and her mother were very interested in PCR because the girl’s prescription in her glasses had been increasing every six months.  We talked about how PCR might be difficult because her prescription was high, but that it would give her the best chance of minimizing future increases.

Well, after 1 week of wearing the reshaping lenses, she was seeing almost 20/20 without glasses or contacts. She was able to swim and do other summer activities without worry. She was so excited that she wrote the note below:

This is the great thing about being a doctor! Letters like this!

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

Seeking a Full-Time Vision Therapist

We are expanding our vision therapy program and have an immediate opening for a full-time Vision Therapist. The right person for this position will be a compassionate, motivated, independent, reliable, and highly organized individual. They must enjoy working with children and adults to help them overcome vision difficulties and visual perception problems that are interfering with their daily life or ability to learn.

Primary job responsibilities include preparing for and administering vision therapy to patients, conducting preliminary eye exam testing, and educating patients on vision and eye health issues. Additional job responsibilities include administrative tasks such as telephone, mail, and email correspondence, scheduling appointments, and maintaining inventory of vision therapy equipment.

This Full Time position requires hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. No weekend or evening hours.

Training and experience with occupational therapy, teaching or similar area is desired but not required. Excellent communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel are important. We will provide all the training necessary to assist you in becoming an excellent therapist. The right person will hopefully stay with us for a long time.

If you are interested in helping someone see a brighter future, consider emailing a current resume.

Physician Attitude Makes a Difference

(From MyVisionTest Newsletter)

A new study published in the June 2008 edition of the British Journal of Ophthalmology finds that a physician with a positive attitude can have a significant effect on the patient’s overall quality of life. The study involved 247 patients in a vitreoretinal clinic. The researchers first interviewed the patients and assessed their quality of life with a standardized questionnaire (baseline). Each patient was then presented with two scenarios for their ocular condition: one which emphasized the possible negative consequences (bad-news scenario), and one that emphasized the positive consequences (good-news scenario). In each case the long-term prognosis for the condition was the same, only the doctor’s presentation of possible consequences was different. The researchers found no change from baseline following the good-news scenario, but a 70% diminution in patient’s perceived well-being following the bad-news scenario. The researchers conclude that patients had a considerably poorer outlook on life when their physician emphasized the possible negative consequences associated with their eye disease(s), as opposed to a more positive approach.

Parenting Magazine:Strabismus Can Be Missed During Routine Exams

In the July 2008 issue of Parenting magazine, there is an article titled, “Take Charge of Your Child’s Heath: 5 Common Conditions and How You can help Catch Them.” The article is written by William Sears, M.D., author of many books on childcare and parenting.

The number one issue that Dr. Sears says can be overlooked by a pediatrician is strabismus, which is a wandering or crossing of an eye. While the article is too brief to be complete, I am glad that Dr. Sears makes a point that strabismus can be missed during a routine appointment and that parents should trust themselves. Typically, if a mom sees something really wrong, there is.

I’d like to add a few additional comments to the article. First, it mentions that strabismus can be treated with glasses or surgery. This is true. But it may also be treated with vision therapy. Second, It is better to prevent a visual problem than fix one later. The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams at 6 months, 3 years, and each year during school. To help, the AOA created InfantSee, a program that provides no-cost eye exams for infants less than 12 months old.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

Great Info on Infant Visual Development

My Colleague Dr. Dan Fortenbacher maintains a blog called EXCELerated Vision that contains lots of great information on vision and visual development.

Recently, there have been some very useful posts on Infant Vision. The first contains an audio interview with Dr. Andrea Thau, one of the founding members of the InfantSee program. She discusses the importance of infant vision examinations.

There are also recent posts that contain detailed list of ways to encourage proper visual development for babies 0 to 3 months and 4 to 8 months of age. If you have a little one in your life, I encourage you to check this out.