Eye related things to be aware about.

According to a recent study done by Johnson & Johnson, a majority of adults worldwide do not follow thru on critical yearly eye exams (with only 46% saying they get a yearly eye). All of this flies in the face of a general acknowledgement (80% of respondents) that eye exams are critical for one's health and well being. 

These contradictory numbers could be due to a number of things. One reason could be a misunderstanding of how one can take care of their vision:

• 47% believed they could prevent their eyesight from deteriorating
• 46% said that vision loss is a part of aging and they have no control over it
• 39% of adults didn't recognize that it can impact learning and comprehension or is critical for healthy development in children (25%).

During this time of unprecedented uncertainty, eye exams are a safe and important part of one's yearly health routine. Disease such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease can be diagnoses and monitored thru a yearly eye exam. 

For children, an eye exam can mean the difference between reaching their academic milestones or falling further behind. With so many school-age children going online, the stress on their vision is being compounded by hours of computer usage. 

Make sure you and your family have the best vision here.

Do you have questions regarding eye exams and children? We have answers:

• Why are yearly eye exams necessary for children?
  • It makes sure that they have the best vision to succeed in life. That can include: school, sports, and other extracurricular activities.
• How much can my child's prescription change?
  • It can change a lot in a year! As children grow, their eyes can grow too. And blurry vision can be a signal to the eyes to keep changing when it shouldn't. An updated glasses prescription can keep those changes in check.
• But my kids pass their yearly school screenings without issue?
  • School screenings are just that: SCREENINGS. They are not comprehensive exams and can miss out on lots of  eye issues like: retinal holes, corneal defects, or dry eyes.
• My kids are falling behind in class and having behavior issues but they saw 20/20 at their pediatricians. Should they still get an exam?
  • Yes! Like the motto of our office, "Vision is more than just seeing 20/20." Vision needs to be comfortable as well as clear. Sometimes children can get headaches, or see double when they are doing homework. They don't know how to describe their problems, or they just believe that's normal, and they just live with it.
• But my children have never told me that they see blurry. Should they still get their eyes checked?
  • Yes! Just know that the vision they are seeing now, is something that they have known their entire life. They do not KNOW what clear vision is like. You can think of your vision like a TV. For a long time TV was analog and there were lots of people who didn't believe in using an HD set, when it first came out. Same thing when 1080p came out, and now with 4K. Once you are introduced to a better TV set, you can't go back to the old formats because they just don't look as good as the new stuff.  
• I have kids who can be a handful or are scared of going to the doctor. Can you accommodate them? Do you also see special needs kids?
  • Our exams are spaced apart to where your child will have a deliberate, thorough examination. Our doctor also sees special  needs on a regular basis and will provide the level of care they deserve. We have movies stickers, and toys to take away any worry from any nervous kids.

If you have more questions or are ready for an appointment, schedule an exam today!  Think your child isn't ready for an exam? We see children as young as 6 months!

Everyone (from the staff to the doctor) is now FULLY VACCINATED ! Please note, we'll still be requiring masks as well as practicing the following COVID-19 precautions below to maintain safety for everyone.

​Because if it's not for ourselves, we know at least one person who could be protected.

If you are having a viral infection , a common symptom is conjunctivitis. Its where the whites of the eyes become watery, red, and occasionally swollen. This symptom can be true for the flu, herpes, and now possibly COVID19. Along with conjunctivitis as a symptom, the COVID19 virus might also be transmitted via tears.

Here are some instances as reported by the "American Academy of Ophthalmology":

• " In a Journal of Medical Virology study of 30 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in China, 1 had conjunctivitis. That patient [...] had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in ocular secretions. This suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might [...] be present in tears of COVID-19 patients with conjunctivitis. 
• In a larger study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers documented "conjunctival congestion" in 9 of 1,099 patients [...] with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from 30 hospitals across China. 
• In a retrospective case series published March 31 in JAMA Ophthalmology, 12 of 38 “clinically confirmed” hospitalized cases of COVID-19 [...] had ocular "abnormalities," [...]. Two patients had a positive [test] for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, one with signs of [redness] and the other with [swelling and wateriness]. This paper was discussed in the New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch, which stated that “a third [of patients in the JAMA Ophthalmology paper] had conjunctivitis.” We disagree with the latter characterization; [swelling] in a critically ill patient most likely represents third-spacing or fluid overload, not conjunctivitis.
• Two preprint studies posted on MedRxiv also suggest a relatively low likelihood of infectious virus in tears of COVID-19 patients. In a study by Zhang et al. of 72 confirmed COVID-19 patients at Tongji Medical College, 2 patients had conjunctivitis. One of the 2 with conjunctivitis and none of the other 70 patients had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in their tears. In a paper by Zhou et al. of 63 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, only 1 had conjunctivitis; that patient [was negative] for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. One other patient’s conjunctival swab was positive and 2 were “probable."
• In a story from CNN, a registered nurse in a nursing home in Washington state with a large COVID-19 outbreak reported that red eye was a common early sign in elderly patients who then became sick with COVID-19."

If you are experiencing red watery eyes with fever and respiratory symptoms (like cough and shortness of breath) its best to assume that you might have COVID-19 and you should be tested immediately or isolate yourself for at least 2 weeks. 

​We'll be closed for the whole stay-at-home order but once we are open just know we'll be there to service all of your eye needs. Call, text, or email us today if you have questions. 409-877-9682; info@grandfamilyeyecare.com

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With a disease like COVID-19, it's easy to believe reports of potential cures like hydroxychloroquine (also known by Plaquenil). There have been 'stories' of successful treatment by the drug, but 'stories' aren't  rigorous clinical trials (which none have been completed). Some of these reports have been discredited because they were small and didn't include control groups, carefully selected untreated patients who matched the experimental groups. Clinical trials are necessary because they are designed to determine: safety, efficacy, dosage, applicable age groups, side effects as well as other important medication qualities.

Hydroxychloroquine is a decades old drug that was initially used to treat malaria. Today it also treats autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Some side effects of prolonged, or incorrect, Plaquenil use include heart problems, blood disorders, and irreversible vision changes (called chloroquine retinopathy). What happens is some of the medication binds, and collects, around a critical part of the retina called the macula. That area is responsible for the majority of your perceptible vision and color vision. As the drug accumulates over time, that part of the retina starts dying off, creating a "bulls-eye" that can only be detected by an eye exam. Because of this very serious side effect, long-term usage should be closely monitored by an eye doctor.  And since there is no treatment for chloroquine retinopathy, any retinal changes will result in immediate discontinuation of Plaquenil. Occasionally, retinal damages still occur despite stopping the medication.

If you can get, or are currently being prescribed hydroxychloroquine, DON'T start or change your dosage without a doctor's approval.   Under regular circumstances, if you're taking Plaquenil we can monitor your vision status, but unfortunately  we're closed for the whole stay-at-home order. Once we're open we'll be there to service all of your eye needs. Call, text, or email us if you have questions, 409-877-9682; info@grandfamilyeyecare.com

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