May is UV Awareness Month so we want to make you aware of how bad ultraviolet rays can be for your eyes.  We will start with the most obvious complication first. There is skin around your eyes that is susceptible to the same UV damage as the rest of your skin – sunburn, premature aging (wrinkles), and even skin cancer.  I hope that none of you are putting sunscreen on your eyelids as they are not safe for being that close to your eyes. Next, UV rays can cause damage to the whites of your eyes in the form of yellowish growths called pinguecula. If it is bad enough, this can even grow onto your cornea (pterygium).  While these are usually just a cosmetic issue, they can become irritated and cause discomfort, impair your ability to wear contact lenses, or even mar your vision.  Once they start impairing your vision they will need to be removed surgically.  Next, you can get a “sunburn” of your cornea (solar keratitis) with prolonged UV exposure.  This is very painful and will last for several days before completely healing.  The next structure of the eye that is affected by UV rays is the lens.  Cumulative exposure to the sun’s rays will speed up the formation of cataracts which will degrade your vision considerably.  UV exposure is also believed to be a risk factor for age related macular degeneration (AMD).  AMD is a very serious condition that can lead to irreversible vision loss.  Lastly, prolonged UV exposure can lead to solar maculopathy – a condition that can cause decreased vision, blind spots, sensitivity to light, and headaches. These symptoms may clear up over several months or remain indefinitely.

These conditions can all be avoided by wearing good UV blocking sunglasses. To help make sure all of our patients are protected, we are offering a $25 gas card with every purchase of non-prescription sunglasses and a $50 gas card with every purchase of prescription sunwear.  Come by today and pick out your new pair of Maui Jims, Ray-Bans, Wiley-Xs, or any of our designer lines like Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and more.  And don’t forget about your kids. Studies show that up to 80% of the UV light that reaches the retina during our lifetimes occurs before the age of 18!

Dr. Bodkin and the staff just returned from 4 days attending classes and previewing new technology at SECO 2012 in Atlanta. Here are four things we are bringing back to the office with us to better serve you, our patients:

1. Acuvue 1-day Moist for Astigmatism contact lenses – Dr. Bodkin is a firm believer of daily disposable contact lenses as the healthiest and most comfortable (not to mention convenient) way to wear contact lenses. While there are several great 1-day lenses out there for near and far sightedness, this is the first lens that can be fit for a majority of astigmatic patients. These new lenses from Acuvue will open up the world of daily disposables to many more patients.
2. Genetic Testing for AMD – there is a new genetic test now available that can be done in our office to assess your genetic risk for developing wet macular degeneration.  The test is a simple cheek swab that gets sent to a partner lab. After about 4 weeks, the results come back and place you in one of 5 risk categories.  This information will be invaluable in determining proper treatment as well as frequency of visits needed to help preserve your vision. The best part about this test is that 99% of the time it is free to you!
3. New version of our electronic records is coming with patient portal – The latest version of our electronic health records software has several enhancements. Not only is the recording software more robust and user friendly, but they will be incorporating a new patient portal.  With this portal, you can log in at anytime to view your past diagnoses and treatment plans, request prescription refills, update your medication and health history, and even request an appointment. This will be a powerful new tool that you, our patient, can use to better interact with our office 24 hours a day.
4. ProDesign eyewear with screwless temples – Not only will we be bringing in the latest styles within our current frame lines but we will also be bringing in a completely new frame line called ProDesign.  ProDesign is a company based in Denmark that has been designing contemporary and colorful eyewear for quite a while now.  What has caught our attention the most is their new line of titanium frames that feature no screws.  These lightweight frames look great and are very durable.  Hopefully you made it to our Launch Party a couple of weeks ago and got look at the entire line.

If you have any questions about any of these four exciting new technologies we are bringing into our office, please do not hesitate to call us at 843-388-6200 or contact us electronically.

 

The springtime is here. That means it’s time check out all of the savings that will be in bloom at our next style show.  We will be featuring the complete line of Prodesign eyewear.  These fashion forward eyeglass frames use the latest in material technology to provide lightweight and durable eyewear while providing vibrant colors and one-of-a-kind designs.  We will be showcasing the entire Prodesign line on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 3-7 PM.  Come by and check out this extensive line of eyewear while enjoying complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.  If you find a pair that you like, then you will have the opportunity to pull your savings from our flower garden.  Savings will range from 20-60% off and one lucky person will win a free pair.

What: Spring Style Show featuring Prodesign Eyewear

When: Wednesday, April 11th from 3-7 PM

Where: The Vision Center at Seaside Farms

RSVP: Click here

Click the photo below to see a video of the Spring 2012 Collection

 

Feel free to share this with any friends or family members you think would like to come and check this out!

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Oscar Winner Judi Dench recently told the Daily Mirror that she has age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She says her vision has gotten so bad from this disease that she can no longer read scripts or see the person across the table with whom she is having dinner. So what is AMD and what are some of the risk factors and treatments? And what better time to talk about this than during AMD Awareness Month?

Simulated view with macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that can destroy your “straight-ahead” vision. It is the leading cause of blindness in the US with an estimated 10 million Americans who show evidence of the disease. The disease breaks down the macula - the light-sensitive portion of the retina that allows you to see fine detail. It blurs the straight-ahead vision required for activities such as reading or driving. There are two forms of AMD – dry and wet. The dry form, which is the most common, is believed to be caused by an age related thinning of the tissue as well as an accumulation of deposits within the retinal tissue.  In wet AMD, new blood vessel growth has occurred which then leaks blood and fluid into the retinal tissue resulting in blind spots.  Early symptoms may include blurred or decreased vision, distorted vision, or even blind spots.  These symptoms occur gradually and painlessly making early detection more difficult.

Retinal photo of wet AMD. (Courtesy of Ruston Eye Institute)

So, how is AMD detected? The best way to detect it is with a comprehensive eye exam. As part of the exam, your eye doctor will evaluate your macula looking for any signs of the disease. If any signs are present, you may be put through further testing to determine the extent of the damage. While there is no cure, there are several treatments that can be used to limit the progression and damage and in some cases regain some of your lost vision. For dry AMD, the main treatment is with vitamin supplements. With wet, the most common treatment involves monthly or bi-monthly ocular injections.

Are there risk factors for AMD? Age is obviously the biggest risk factor (Judy Dench is 77). Other risk factors include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and a family history of the disease. Caucasians and females are also at an increased risk of developing AMD. Therefore, maintaining overall good health is a great way to minimize your risk of developing AMD. Other ways to help minimize your risk include protecting your eyes from UV rays, quitting smoking, and eating green leafy vegetables like spinach and collards.

If you have any of these risk factors or have any questions about AMD or its treatments, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Bodkin to discuss any concerns you may have.

Hopefully you have never had this happen to you: It is Sunday morning and you notice your eye is crusty and you have to rub it to get it to open completely.  It felt a little weird last night before you went to bed but you figured it would get better after you slept.  You look at yourself in the mirror and your eye is very red and doesn’t feel that great either.  What do you do next?  You could call your primary care physician’s office, leave a message, and hope that someone calls you back before Monday morning.  You could swing by that new urgent care place you saw advertised on TV and hope they aren’t so busy that you spend half a day there and that the doctor you see actually knows something about eye care.  Maybe you could go to the emergency room and wait, and wait, and wait some more for the on-call physician to get there, and then pay the high emergency room co-pays associated with your insurance.  Or, and here is the best option, you could contact our office and have Dr. Bodkin contact you within a few minutes to discuss your issues and see what the best course of action is – come in and be seen, pick something up at the pharmacy, or wait until Monday and schedule a visit.  You may not have noticed, but at the top right of this page (and every page of our website) is a tab that says “Emergency Eyecare.”  Clicking that tab will bring you to a page where you can enter your name, email, phone number and a message about your problem.  Clicking “Submit” will generate an email and a text message sent directly to Dr. Bodkin’s cell phone.  It doesn’t get any easier than that, and we all want easy when we are dealing with a problem with our eyes.

Glaucoma is usually a painless, symptomless, gradual loss of your vision so there is no wonder it is often referred to as the silent thief of sight. Often as much as 40% of a person’s vision can be lost before they notice anything has happened.  Unfortunately, this loss of sight is permanent.  Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the US.  More than 2.2 million people have glaucoma in the US with only half of them knowing it.  The best way to detect glaucoma is with regular comprehensive eye examinations, especially if you are at greater risk of developing the disease.  Those at higher risk include:

-          People over the age of 60

-          African Americans

-          People with diabetes

-          Anyone with a family history of glaucoma

Early detection of the disease is critical to the success of treatment.  While there is no cure, early intervention can slow and even stop the progression of vision loss.  There are several treatment options, but the most common treatment is with eye drops - usually as few as once a day. 

If you or a loved one falls into one of the high-risk categories above and you have not had an eye exam in over a year, please call our office at 843-388-6200 to schedule your appointment or use our convenient online scheduler.

Now that we have begun a new year, it is time to think about those resolutions we always make.  But, instead of the normal lose weight, exercise more, make more money resolutions, let’s focus on things you should be doing to improve your eye health:

1)      Protect your eyes from UV exposure!  UV rays are very harmful to our eyes and may cause cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae & pterygia, solar maculopathy, and aging.  That means wearing sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays anytime you are outdoors during the day.  And yes that means on those overcast days as well. 

2)      Take better care of your contact lenses!  A recent report shows that more than 95% of contact lens wearers are non-compliant.  Anytime we don’t follow the doctor’s orders, we are increasing our risk for an adverse event associated with contact lenses.  These adverse events can range from mild dryness and discomfort to a very aggressive corneal ulcer that may leave you blinded.  Always discard of your lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor.  Always use the specific contact lens solution prescribed by your doctor.  Always wash your hands and clean your lenses appropriately.  Lastly, keep your cases clean and change them every 2-3 months.  Check out this video for proper contact lens hygiene.

3)      Eat more vegetables and fish!  Vegetables, especially the green leafy kind, contain many nutrients and antioxidants that help keep your eyes healthy and performing well.  Fish is another great food for the eyes.  Omega 3’s found in fish (and flax seed) help promote healthy eyes and good tear production.  (This one may also help out with those other resolutions you made.)

4)      Get your eye health checked annually!  This is probably the most important thing you can do for your eyes.  A comprehensive eye exam is the best way to check for signs of any kind of eye problem and determine the best course of action to combat those problems.  Many issues arise gradually and without symptoms. If you wait until they get bad enough, they will be harder to treat and may even result in permanent damage to the eyes.  Just because you feel you can see just fine, does not necessarily mean your eyes are healthy.

These are just 4 simple things we can do that will improve our overall eye health.  Let’s make 2012 the year for optimal eye health!

You have all been waiting and it is finally here - the emPower! Electronic Focusing Eyewear!  We are one of the first offices in the entire world to carry this revolutionary new eyewear.  With the emPower!, you control your glasses instead of your glasses controlling you.  With a simple touch of your finger or tilt of your head you can adjust the focusing power of emPower!  

To introduce this game-changing product, we are having a launch party on Wednesday, December 14th from 4-7 PM.  Come by and check out the emPower! for yourself and see what it is all about!  We will be giving a special discount of $300 off during this special event.  There will be wine and hors d'ouevres for your enjoyment.  Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 843-388-6200.

You can see our previous post for more information about how emPower! works as well as see some of the national press coverage they have received.

 This may be something that you don’t really think about – what is the waiting room like at my doctor’s office?  While we strive to keep our wait times as close to zero as possible, there will inevitably be times when someone will need to relax in our waiting area – usually as a patient who is dilating or a family member who is waiting.  If you have to wait, we want you to be as comfortable as possible.  That is why we take such pride in our waiting area.  First off, you will have your choice of a very plush chair or a comfortable couch – no small hard chairs here.  Second, we have complimentary (on-demand) coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from our Keurig machine.  Next, we have a 42 inch flat panel TV showing CNN, The Today Show, or a popular sporting event (we have even been known to put it on the Cartoon Network for our younger patients).  We also offer you the opportunity to use our in-office iPad2 to surf the web, check email, update your Facebook status, play games (like Angry Birds), or learn about the eye and eye diseases.  For those who have their own iPad or wi-fi enabled device, we also offer complimentary wi-fi for your enjoyment.  We also have the latest edition of the Post and Courier and Moultrie News as well as local history books for you to peruse.  So, as you can see, we try to make you as comfortable as possible and make you feel at home in our office while you wait.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.   Diabetes affects over 25 million Americans, 7 million of which may not even realize it.  Last year I discussed the serious complication of diabetic retinopathy which can lead to blindness.  But did you know that people with diabetes are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma and 60% more likely to develop cataracts.  Glaucoma can painlessly rob you of your sight over time if left uncontrolled.  Cataracts will cause blur and glare and will eventually need to be removed surgically.  These are just two more reasons why it is important for diabetics to have regular eye examinations.

This year we are having our Diabetes Awareness Day on Thursday, November 17^th from 9:00-5:30.  We will be offering complimentary diabetic eye screenings and well as offer counseling and education about diabetic eye diseases.  If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule a screening, please call us at 843-388-6200 or use our online scheduler (be sure to put Diabetes Awareness Day in the notes section).  Space is limited.

It is that time of year again - time for us to show our appreciation to you for being such wonderful patients!  Without you there would be no Vision Center at Seaside Farms.



This year we will be celebrating on Wednesday, October 26th from 4-7 PM. 

There will be hors d'oeuvres, wine, and other beverages for your enjoyment.  We will have a massage therapist from Natural Health Center providing complimentary chair massages.  There will also be a nail technician offering manicures and hand massages free of charge.  Everyone who stops by will receive a goodie bag and there will be numerous giveaways including a pair of Banana Republic Aviator Sunglasses, a year supply of Opti-Free Replenish (4 bottles), a 30 inch Hugo Boss Bag, a Lilly Pulitzer Photo Album and much much more. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you (and your friends and family)! 

Here is another common question we get quite a bit: When I am choosing my frames, they are all the same right? I mean, glasses are glasses?  The short answer is no.  Below is the long answer:

1)      Frames vary greatly in the material used.  Let’s look first at metal frames.  They can be made from nickel, steel, stainless steel, flex metal, aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium and various mixes.  Each metal has its own properties that relate to the overall quality of the frame.  Even frames made from the same metal can vary in their quality.  For example, some frames are made of a single layer stainless steel while others can be made from multiple layers which will add strength and durability to the frame without increasing the weight.  Next let’s consider plastic eyewear.  There are numerous plastics used for eyewear that incorporate different compounds to give them their properties.  The most basic plastics are lighter in weight and can become brittle as they age.  Higher end plastics start incorporating compounds like cotton that add weight, durability and forgiveness to the frame.  

2)      There are different manufacturing processes.  Some frames are massed produced using industrial machinery compared to others that are completely handmade by a craftsman or artisan (or a combination of the two).  The more time spent in the hands of the craftsman will equal more attention to detail and quality for each frame produced.  Frames are also made all over the world.  They can be made in China where their manufacturing guidelines are more lax and the workforce is poorly compensated or they can be made in a country like Germany that has a highly skilled workforce with stricter manufacturing standards. The latter will provide a higher quality product that you can count on being made correctly.

3)      Frame design can employ varying amounts of advanced engineering.  Frames can have a basic screw hinge for the temples (sides) or they can incorporate an advanced screwless design that will not loosen over time.  Advanced engineered frames can include a grooved design for lens placement that will hold a lens more securely than a traditional beveled pop in and out design.  Some frames will also incorporate engineering that allows the temples to fold in different directions to make them less likely to break. 

4)      There are different levels of style incorporated into frames.  A frame can be your basic shape and size you have seen for the past 30 years or it can be styled by a big name in the fashion industry such as Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang or Fendi.  This will provide a trendier and more fashion forward eyewear design.

All four of these traits will play a major factor in how durable, fashionable, pricey and of course how much you will enjoy your new eyewear.  Stop in and check out our collection of frames and our knowledgeable and well trained staff will be glad to show you the differences and answer any questions you may have. 

It is almost time for the NFL season to begin and we are very excited.  Because of this excitement, we are going to use this season to run our next contest - Survival Football.  Each week you pick one team to win their game.  If they win, then you get to play again next week.  If they lose, then you are out of the competition.  Don't worry, we are going to give you one second chance.  What makes this interesting is you can only choose each team once.  So, if you pick the Steelers to win in week one, you are not allowed to pick them the rest of the season.  The winner will receive a $200 gift certificate to use in our office.  Second place will win a $50 gift certificate.  It is free to join - all you need is a Yahoo ID.

Click here to join our league.  The league ID is 16978 and the password is eyeballs.  Make sure you join before September 11th in order to be eligible to play.




Fine Print: No Purchase Necessary. Winners will be contacted via email at the end of the 2011-2012 NFL season.  In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker will be the number of strikes each player has.  If there is still a tie, then each winner will receive the $200 prize.  Feel free to contact us with any questions.

The number one contact lens solution on the market has just gotten an upgrade!  Introducing Opti-Free PureMoist multipurpose disinfecting solution.   PureMoist offers the same great disinfecting and cleaning action we love about Opti-Free RepleniSH but adds a new wetting agent called HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix.  HydraGlyde imbeds itself onto and within the surface of the contact lens and then attracts and retains moisture.  This creates an environment of moisture that facilitates wetting for up to 16 hours, which is well beyond any wetting agents currently used in other solutions.  In one study, over 3/4 of contact lens patients who reported lens dryness noticed improved comfort with Opti-Free PureMoist.  Watch this video to see how HydraGlyde works:

 

Alcon, the company that makes Opti-Free PureMoist, is working with us to offer large bottles (10 oz) of this new solution at no charge in order to study the initial response to this revolutionary new multipurpose solution. We only have a few bottles left, so if you would like to try this out then schedule your appointment today and Dr. Bodkin will determine if you are a good candidate to benefit from Opti-Free PureMoist with HydraGlyde.

Many of you probably noticed those big yellow machines back on the roadways again today.  That’s right, it is back to school for students here in the Lowcountry.  Your children are equipped with new pencils, new backpacks, new technology, and more to help them succeed this school year.  But have you made sure their vision is in tip-top shape?  Did you know that up to 60% of children who have difficulty with learning actually have undiagnosed vision problems at the root of their troubles?  And just because they pass that school screening doesn’t mean that everything is fine.  Visual function is even more important now with the advent of new technology in the classroom such as smart boards, tablet computers, and 3D displays.  A recent Eye-Q survey conducted by the American Optometric Association found that 53% of parents think that 3D may be harmful to their child’s eyes.  In general, 3D is not harmful to a child’s vision but can help diagnose minor visual problems they may have.  Diagnosing and correcting these issues will help your child perform better with less stress and strain on their eyes.   Be sure to schedule your child’s comprehensive eye exam now that it is early in the school year to avoid any frustrations and ensure they are ready to excel this school year.

 

Will eating carrots improve my vision?

We have all heard that we need to eat carrots to have good vision, but is that really the case?  Not exactly.  While carrots are a great source of nutrition, they will not cure your bad eyesight.  Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, or provitamin A.  Provitamin A gets converted in the body to vitamin A.  Vitamin A is essential to overall eye health but it will not improve your nearsightedness.  Vitamin A is vital to helping protect the cornea.  It helps to stave off bacterial infections of the eye and even helps protect against the adverse effects of dry eye.  When vitamin A is combined with other antioxidants, it also shows a protection against macular degeneration and other retinal diseases.

A person can be vitamin A deficient which can lead to blindness (among other health issues).  While this is rare in the US, malnourishment is estimated to cause up to 500,000 new worldwide cases of blindness each year.  One of the early signs of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness.  A person can also have too much vitamin A which can have a toxic effect.  However, obtaining your vitamin A from carrots in the form of beta-carotene will not lead to a toxic situation as the extra beta-carotene is easily excreted.

So, while carrots will not cure your blurry vision, you should still eat them to help protect your vision and improve your overall eye health.

Did you know that June is designated Cataract Awareness Month by Prevent Blindness America?  Do you even know what a cataract is?  A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye.  The lens is located directly behind the iris, or colored part of the eye, and is responsible for most of our focusing power.   Depending on the size, location, type, and density of the cataract, it can interfere with your vision considerably.   This is because the cataract will cause light entering the eye to scatter leading to blurred or hazy vision.

Cataracts are most common in people over the age of 55 with 70% of people aged 75 or older having them.  With the aging population, it is expected that there will be more than 30 million Americans with cataracts by the year 2020.  Cataracts form as a result of protein rearrangement within the lens.   This is most often due to the normal aging process of the lens but can also result from UV exposure, steroid use, or trauma.  Other risk factors include smoking, diabetes, and possibly low levels of antioxidants.  While these factors will increase your chances of cataract or speed up their development, everyone will eventually get cataracts if they live long enough.

Clear Lens                                                          Cataract          
         

Cataracts usually develop slowly and often go unnoticed.  That is why it is important to have regular comprehensive eye exams to find them before they are causing impaired vision.  Currently, the only treatment for cataracts is to surgically remove them.  Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the US and has a very high success rate with more than 90 percent of patients reporting improved vision (usually without the need for glasses).

If you are noticing blurry/hazy vision, difficulty seeing at night or increased glare, then you should schedule a comprehensive eye exam today.

One of the more common questions I receive is “What is a lazy eye?”  The term lazy eye encompasses several different ocular diagnoses.  The most common of these is strabismus.  Strabismus is defined as a misaligned eye in any direction – in, out, up, down.  It usually presents with one eye pointing either in (cross-eyed) or out (wall-eyed).   To treat eye turns, we can use eyeglasses that incorporate prisms that shift the image being seen or we can opt for a surgical realignment.   Another form of lazy eye is called amblyopia.  Amblyopia is a decrease in best corrected vision based on poor ocular development.  This poor development can occur due to a constant eye turn (strabismus), different prescriptions between the eyes, uncorrected vision, or from an opacity in the visual system.  To treat amblyopia, we treat the underlying cause and then typically start a vision therapy program.  Vision therapy consists of different eye exercises designed to help the affected eye(s) perform better.  Lastly, lazy eye can refer to a drooping upper eyelid which is called ptosis.  Ptosis can have several causes ranging from trauma to cranial nerve palsies.   To treat ptosis, we once again determine the underlying cause and treat that.  If that does not completely resolve the ptosis, then a surgical lifting of the eyelid may be performed.  All three of these diagnoses are not exclusive and often we will see more than one with cases of lazy eye.  As always, if you have any questions or would like to be evaluated, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Are you tired of the limitations of regular bifocal and progressive lenses?  Are you ready for the world’s first electronic focusing eyewear?  Introducing the emPower! Electronic Eyewear from PixelOptics. 

 

Bifocals were invented in the 1700s and progressive addition lenses (no-line "bifocals") more than 50 years ago.  Isn’t it about time your lenses caught up to the technology of the 21^st century?  Now they have.  The emPower! lens will change the way you think about eyeglasses.  These revolutionary lenses provide almost complete edge to edge distortion free vision – no more swimming effect.  These lenses also allow you to have control over the power (distance, intermediate, or near) you need when you need it.  You can turn the reading power on/off manually or even set it up in automatic mode with the swipe of a finger.  When you look down to read, the reading power is activated, and when you look back up it turns off, all faster than the blink of an eye.  Another advantage to these lenses is that the ground is clear through the bottom of the lenses.  No more blurry stairs, no more misjudging curbs, and no more trouble seeing the golf ball!

 

These lenses feature the latest in modern technology.  They use a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, the most up-to-date rechargeable battery available on today's market.  The batteries get recharged using inductive charging, meaning there are no wires or prongs to connect to the glasses, just place them on the included charging cradle.  They are also memory free.  This means that unlike lithium batteries, you do not have to fully discharge the battery before charging to ensure optimal performance and long life.  These batteries are long-lasting with each charge lasting two to six days depending on the amount of use and the battery will continue to take a charge for three years or more.  The emPower! lens also incorporates the world’s smallest accelerometer – the same mechanism that allows your iPhone to switch screen orientation when you rotate it.  This causes the lens to automatically adjust its focus based on the position of your head.  The portion of the lens that allows the change in focus is made of liquid crystals – you know, the tiny particles that are in your flat screen TV.  These liquid crystals are invisible and react in less than 25 milliseconds.  The design team also incorporated index matched electrodes.  This means you are unable to see the wires running through the lens and they do not distort the optics of the lens.

 

But don’t take our word for it, check out what others have been saying about the new emPower! Electronic Focusing Eyewear:

Videos:

                                

                               
                        


In Print:

                             

                     



Launch Party!
We will be one of the first offices in the world to carry these revolutionary new lenses.  To introduce this game changing product, we will be having an exclusive invitation only launch party in June where you can see the product first hand and experience all the wonderful benefits it has to offer.  As always there will be hors d'ouerves and beverages served and the opportunity to win great prizes.  If you would like to receive an invite to this special event, please sign up below or call us at 843-388-6200.  We are now looking at a launch event in August or September.

I get asked this question quite often: What’s the difference between an optometrist and ophthalmologist?  The simple answer: both are eye doctors who diagnose and treat diseases and disorders of the eye, with only ophthalmologists being able to perform surgeries.

But let’s look at it a little more in depth.

An optometrist gets their undergraduate degree from a four year college or university before being accepted to an optometry school.  Currently there are only 19 such schools in the US.  Optometry school is a 4 year program that consists of 3 years of class work, labs, and patient care followed by a 4^th year of full time patient care.  During those 4 years, each optometrist has to pass a series of 3 national board examinations.  The optometrist graduates with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.  At that point, they apply for licensure in the state or states where they plan to practice.  They have the option of completing a one year residency program to gain further knowledge and experience in a specialty area such as ocular disease, contact lenses, pediatric eye care, etc.  States can vary on what optometrists can do under the scope of practice for that state.  All states allow optometrists to write prescriptions for necessary medications and almost all allow for minor surgical procedures to be performed, such as removing foreign bodies from the eye.

An ophthalmologist obtains their undergraduate degree before being accepted to medical school.  Medical school is a 4 year program that teaches students how to diagnose, manage, and treat diseases of the entire body – in most cases, very little time is spent with regards to the eye.  Medical school students also go through a series of board examinations during their 4 years.  The ophthalmologist graduates from medical school with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.  After that, they go on to do a residency program in ophthalmology that is usually 3-4 years in length.  Most ophthalmologists then go on to do a 2-4 year fellowship where they further specialize and hone their skills. 

Friday April 22^nd, marks the 42^nd year for Earth Day celebrations.  To commemorate, we wanted to let you know what we are doing at our eye care office to be green and earth friendly!

-          We are proud participants in the inaugural Charleston Green Business Challenge.  The Challenge is open to local businesses, large and small, and provides them with resources and events to help them further their green initiatives.

-          We operate a paperless office with electronic medical records.  We are proud to say that we have only gone through 13 reams of paper (all of which is 100% recycled) during the 19 months we have been open.  Most of that printing occurs for patient forms and we are currently looking into alternatives to help reduce our paper usage even further. 

-          We use a local lab to process our eyewear jobs.  This reduces the amount of shipping we have to do which saves on shipping supplies as well as reduces the distance travelled by our eyewear.  Doing this also supports another local business which is always better for the local economy.

-          We recycle.  Every piece of paper that gets used or comes into our office gets recycled.  We also have recycle bins available in our waiting area for our patients to use.  We have also just instituted a new contact lens packaging recycling program – anyone who brings in their empty contact lens blister packs will receive 10% off their next contact lens purchase. 

-          We buy recycled.  Most of our paper products are made from 100% recycled material – printing paper, coffee cups, paper towels, customer bags, and tissues.

 

These are just a few of the ways we operate in an environmentally friendly manner.  For a complete list, please visit our green initiative page.

As always, we are constantly looking for ways to improve upon our green ways.  If you have a suggestion, please do not hesitate to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies?  If so, you are one of the estimated 50 million Americans suffering from allergies.  Do your allergies cause your eyes to be red, watery, itchy or irritated?  If so, this is called allergic conjunctivitis.  Allergic conjunctivitis can be very uncomfortable, irritating, frustrating and can even interfere with job performance and leisure activities.

There are several things you can do to help control allergic conjunctivitis.  The most obvious thing you can do is try to avoid the allergen as much as possible.  Whether it is closing the windows in your home, wearing sunglasses when outdoors, or wearing a dust mask when doing yard work, reducing your exposure is key.  Also, you want to avoid touching or rubbing your eyes as this enhances the allergy response and may introduce more allergens into the eyes.  Make sure you wash your hands often and thoroughly.  Wash your sheets and pillowcases more often than usually as they are a good place to come into contact with allergens.  If that is not enough, try over the counter allergy medications.  Keep in mind that these medications can often dry your eyes out.  If you are still experiencing symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, then anti allergy eye drops may be your best option.  Most of these are easy to administer and have a dosing of once or twice a day.

If you are a contact lens wearer, then allergy season can be especially rough on your eyes.  Allergens can build up on your contact lenses, making them and your eyes very uncomfortable.  The best option for you is to wear a daily disposable contact lens.  Daily disposables are discarded every day which avoids the allergen build up on the surface of the lens and eliminates the need for cleaning solutions which contain preservatives and disinfectants which can further exacerbate allergic reactions. 

March is National Save Your Vision Month.  It is meant to bring attention to eye health concerns and the steps we can take to help preserve our vision over the long term.  Your vision is the most important of your five senses and losing it will greatly reduce your quality of life.  Below are 5 steps you can take to increase your chances of saving your vision.

1.       Get a comprehensive eye exam every year.  This seems like a no-brainer, but less than 30% of Americans get an annual eye exam and another 30% have never had one!  A comprehensive eye exam will catch diseases and other eye problems early allowing you to treat them sooner and more effectively.  Just because you can see the road signs when you drive without the need for glasses, does not mean you have good ocular health and very serious eye diseases may be lurking.  If it has been more than a year since your last eye health exam, do yourself a favor and schedule one today.

2.       Eat a healthy diet.  Studies show that diets rich in antioxidants help to stave off the aging process in ocular tissues.  You can also improve your overall eye health by eating foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.  A healthy diet will also help prevent general health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol which can have very detrimental effects to your vision.

3.       Wear protective eyewear.  Over 90% of eye injuries can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear.  Wear it anytime you are doing yard work, housework or other occasions where particles large or small are flying around.  Also wear protective eyewear when playing sports that involve a high velocity ball or those that put your eyes in contact with competitors' fingers, hands and elbows.

4.       Exercise.  Exercise will improve your overall health which will help to preserve your vision.  Even walking 30 minutes a day can help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other diseases which can wreak havoc on your eyes and vision.

5.       Wear UV blocking sunglasses.  One of the most harmful things to our eyes is exposure to UV rays.  Here in the Lowcountry we are no strangers to the sun.  UV exposure can lead to cataracts, age related macular degeneration, solar maculopathy and UV keratitis.  Anytime you are outdoors, even on overcast days, be sure to wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB. 

Do you wear eyeglasses? Do you also own polarized prescription sunglasses?  If not, what do you do when you are driving on a sunny day?

A recent survey (conducted by Essilor) shows that 1 in 5 eyeglass wearers will take their prescription eyewear off to wear non-prescription sunglasses when they are driving!  While we appreciate the fact that these people are protecting their eyes from harmful UV rays, they are putting themselves in a great deal of danger by reducing their visual acuity.  This same survey showed that only 1 out of every 3 eyeglass wearers owns a pair of prescription sunglasses with polarized lenses.  Polarized lenses dramatically reduce blinding glare caused by the sun, snow, and reflections off of other cars – all reasons cited by the National Safety Transportation Board as significant contributing factors for fatal car accidents.  In a related study, Essilor found that drivers wearing polarized lenses improved their reaction times by one-third of a second.  Now that might not sound like much, but for a vehicle driving at 50 mph, one-third of a second results in stopping 23 feet sooner, equivalent to  the distance of your typical intersection!

Don’t you think it is time to think about polarized prescription sunglasses?  Here at The Vision Center at Seaside Farms we offer polarized prescription options from Maui Jim, Xperio, and Ray-Ban.  Stop by today and try a pair to see the difference polarized lenses can make.

What kind of solution do you use to clean and store your lenses?  Do you stick with a specific brand? Do you buy the generic that is sitting beside your usual brand on the shelf?  Do you just find whichever is on sale at the time you are buying them?

Contact lens multipurpose solutions are not all the same.  Each brand name solution is developed with its very own cleaners, disinfectants, conditioners and wetting agents.  It has been shown that generic formulations are actually older (often no longer available) versions of brand name products.  Most generic brands are the same formulation no matter which brand they are supposed to be the generic formula of.  Just because it is in a green box and placed next to the Optifree Replenish, does not mean it is the generic formula for Optifree.  In fact, there is no generic formula of Optifree Replenish.  This goes for several of the more common brands.

                       

A recent study out of UCLA by Forister, Forister, Yeung, et al, compared ocular complications among contact lens wearers based on which solution they used.  They found a higher rate of lens induced complications among patients who used the generic solutions when compared to brand name products.

Your eyes are very important and need to be taken care of.  One of the easiest things you can do to minimize your risk is use the contact lens solution your doctor prescribes.

Have you noticed someone over the age of 40 needing to wear reading glasses?  Maybe you are that age and notice that you can no longer focus on material up close.  This is a completely normal part of aging that happens to everyone and is known as presbyopia.   To understand why this happens, we must first look at what controls our focusing mechanism. 

 

When we need to change our focus from an object in the distance to an object up close, tiny muscles in our eye (ciliary body) push and pull on our lens to change its shape, and thus change its overall refractive power.  This is analogous to twisting the lens on a camera to increase or decrease its focal length.  As we age, our lens becomes stiffer, making it more difficult for our muscles to change its shape.  As a result, our eye can no longer have a full range of focus (accommodation).  Therefore, we rely on glasses (or contacts) to do the focusing for us.  Although most people feel this change happens overnight, it actually occurs very gradually and starts happening when we are in our 20s.   We do not notice any problems in our 20s and 30s because we have such a large range of focus, that losing a little does not affect our normal day to day activities. 

There are several options to help your eyes out.  First, if you have good distance vision, then reading glasses that you put on whenever doing a near task may be your best bet.  If you already wear glasses, then you will be ready for bifocals or progressive addition lenses (no-line multifocals).  If you do not want to wear glasses or already wear contact lenses, then there are multifocal contact lenses that work very well. 

Look for a future post about an exciting new eyeglass lens option coming out in May called the emPower lens.  It is an electronic, automatic focusing lens that garnered a lot of attention at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  We will be the exclusive providers of these lenses in the Charleston area once they are released.

 

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Now that you have upgraded to a new cell phone, what do you do with the old one? Maybe you have old ones lying around the house and you’re not sure what to do with them.  Now is the perfect time to get rid of those environmental hazards in a safe, helpful, and effective way.

As part of our green initiative, we have teamed up with Keep Charleston Beautiful to be a drop off site for their annual cell phone recycling drive.  Each January, Keep Charleston Beautiful collects old, unwanted cell phones to help keep them out of our landfills.  If the phone is in good working condition, it gets refurbished and distributed to charities in need.  If the phone is not useful, it is sent to a recycling center that strips them down to their parts to be recycled and then disposes properly of any chemicals and metals that are left behind.  Cell phones, as with most electronics, contain lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.  These compounds can be very harmful to our environment if not disposed of properly and it is very important that we keep them out of our landfills.

To help Keep Charleston Beautiful collect more cell phones (and therefore keep more out of the landfill) we are offering our patients a $25 credit when they bring in their unwanted phones.  That credit can be applied towards an eye exam, eyeglasses, or sunglasses (except Maui Jim).  Hurry in, the cell phone recycling drive ends on January 31^st!

 

Nintendo is launching their new 3DS handheld gaming system in the near future (March 19^th by some leaked reports).  This will be the first device that promises 3-D viewing without the need for special eyewear, which is one of the biggest complaints about 3-D.  This form of 3-D is called stereoscopic 3-D (S3D) and relies on your own eyes’ ability to work together to perceive depth.

Last week, Nintendo released a press release warning consumers of possible damage to the visual system in young children who use their 3DS system in the 3-D mode.  The warning states that “watching 3-D images for an extended time could result in adverse effect on eyesight development in the case of children 6 years old and under, therefore we highly recommend a switch to 2-D display.”  This agrees with findings out of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University.  Their early research suggests that stereovision does not fully develop until the age of 6.  I highly recommended that you turn off the 3-D display for your child under the age of 7.

This new stereoscopic 3-D will not work for everyone and individuals will have varying degrees of 3-D vision.   This new system has a slider bar control that will allow you to increase and decrease the depth provided as needed.  The warning from Nintendo also states “If you are exhausted or not feeling well, please refrain from playing.  Also, when you start feeling ill, stop playing immediately.”  This comes as no surprise as our stereovision (depth perception) works best when we are well rested and have no other stresses on the system.

This new gaming system is exciting as it is the first application of 3-D without the use of special eyewear.  As an eyecare professional, I also get excited knowing that this device could possibly be used as a training device to help develop better stereovision.  So, stay tuned as we see how this new technology shapes up and what inventive ways we can use it to better our vision.

Below is a nice little video showcasing the new device.

Dr. Bodkin and the staff at The Vision Center at Seaside Farms would like to wish you and your family a very wonderful Holiday Season and we hope we have helped you 'see' the joy this past year!  We would like to thank everyone for your support and help in making this such a wonderful year.  We look forward to seeing each of you again next year and getting to know you better.  We will be looking into new ideas for events and promotions for the coming year, so stay tuned by subscribing to this blog , 'liking' us on , or following us on .

We will be closed on Friday, December 24th, Thursday, December 30th, and Friday, December 31st. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again – time to think about helping those less fortunate in our community to have a wonderful Christmas.  The Vision Center at Seaside Farms is teaming up with Toys for Tots again this year to provide toys to those families in need.  Toys for Tots is a program that has been run by the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reservists since 1947.  The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.  Their goal is to deliver a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

To help collect more toys, we are offering a $50 credit towards your eyeglasses purchase when you bring in a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.  You can also donate your $50 credit to the program instead of taking it towards your purchase.  Even if you don’t need a new pair of glasses, bring in a toy, or two, to help fill our bin.

Please tell all of your friends and family members about this so we can collect as many toys as possible to help the Marines provide a joyful Christmas to even more children this Holiday Season.

 

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.  Did you know that diabetes can affect your vision and even lead to vision loss?  Diabetes accounts for 8% of all cases of legal blindness and is the leading cause for new cases of blindness in adults aged 20-74.  Each year almost 24,000 people will lose their vision due to complications from diabetes.  Things are especially bad here in South Carolina where we have the 10^th highest prevalence of diabetes in the US with more than 10% of our local population suffering from diabetes and 20% of those have visual complications from their disease.  Unfortunately, less than half of those people have had an eye exam in the past year.   A comprehensive eye exam is the easiest way to detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

To help educate the public and provide care to more people, The Vision Center at Seaside Farms is having its annual Diabetes Awareness Day on Tuesday, November 30^th.  We will be providing free diabetic eye screenings as well as providing in office educational videos to patients.  If you are in need of a diabetic eye screening or know someone who does, please call our office to schedule your appointment.  Space is limited.

We will also be accepting donations for the American Diabetes Association to help in their efforts to fight this near epidemic disease.

These awesome Guy Harvey Special Edition Maui Jim Sunglasses will be released on November 15th, 2010.  We will be having our launch party on Tuesday, November 9th from 4-7 PM.   We will have the 12 piece collection on display and will be taking pre-orders.  Each order will receive a free gift.  There will be champagne and hors d'ouerves and we will even be holding a drawing to win a free pair!

 

 

Here is some more information about the upcoming Guy Harvey Special Edition Maui Jim Sunglasses. 

• 4 designs: Grander, Yellowfin, Sailfish, and Mahi Mahi
• Frames feature Guy Harvey art inside and out
• Maui Evolution or SuperThin glass lenses
• Polarized Plus 2 protection and color enhancement
• Full, black mirror offers subtle, low reflectivity that is cosmetically pleasing
• Prescription lenses available, including progressives
• Prescription lenses available with traditional silver or bronze bi-gradient mirror tint

       

          

We are still waiting to hear about an official release date.  Once we learn that date and we have demonstration frames available (should be shipping the first week of November), we will announce a date for our private launch party!  Stay tuned for more details.

 

Do you have a great costume idea for Halloween?  Are you going to be a character from Avatar? Maybe you’ll be dressing like Lady GaGa?  If so, then you will probably be looking for a pair of costume contacts.

          

Costume contacts can be a great way to enhance your costume and give it that final touch (think Michael Jackson in the Thriller video).  But they can also be very dangerous if bought and used improperly.  Just like clear contacts, costume contacts are considered a medical device and are regulated by the FDA.  This means that they have to be tested and approved by the FDA for safe wear.  It also means that you cannot purchase the lenses without a valid prescription.

Dr. Bodkin will be glad to work with you to find the right contacts for your costume and ensure they fit properly.  Schedule today to make sure you have plenty of time to be fit with your new lenses prior to Halloween.

As I wrote last week, overnight wear of specialty contact lenses (orthokeratology) is a successful method of vision correction for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.  Aside from the main benefit of not needing glasses or contact lenses throughout the day, another advantage of orthokeratology is emerging – nearsighted (myopia) control.

In children, most often their vision becomes more nearsighted due to a lengthening of the eye as they grow.  Researchers have long searched for the mechanisms that control this eye growth.  The answer may finally be here.  There are two published studies that show this elongation is slowed dramatically in patients who wear overnight orthokeratology lenses versus their peers who wear soft contact lenses or glasses.  These studies are relatively small but show very promising results and have led to three larger studies that are underway.  The largest of these studies is the Stabilizing Myopia by Accelerating Reshaping Technique (SMART) Study.  This study will involve a large sample of children and follow them over a 5 year period to assess the efficacy of orhokeratology in the control of myopia.

Feel free to contact Dr. Bodkin if you have any questions or are interested in learning more.

Do your contact lenses bother you throughout the day? Are you tired of wearing glasses? Are you unsure about LASIK? Then orthokeratology may be right for you!

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is the science of changing the curvature or shape of the cornea to affect how light is focused on the retina at the back of the eye.  Ortho-K achieves this change using a contact lens that is worn while you sleep.  The cornea is responsible for most of the eye's corrective power and contributes to various conditions such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and the blur of astigmatism. 

Ortho-K was discovered more than 40 years ago when doctors noticed that their hard contact lens patients saw better after taking their lenses out than they did prior to putting them in.  This concept was applied to new lens designs and Ortho-K eventually received FDA approval.  Today, Ortho-K is approved for children of all ages as well as adults.

Ortho-K involves the fitting of a specialty rigid gas permeable contact lens that is worn overnight.  This retainer lens will gently change the shape of your cornea.  Upon wakening, the lens is removed and your vision will be clear throughout the day.  The retainer lens will need to be worn most nights, although some patients can achieve clear vision with less frequent wear.

The best part about Ortho-K is that it is a non-surgical, non-invasive, completely reversible vision treatment.

For a video about how Ortho-K works, please visit: http://okglobal.org/videos/index.htm

 

Stay tuned for future posts that will discuss the added benefits of Ortho-K.

 

Guy Harvey, world-renowned artist, photographer, scientist and conservationist, has teamed up with Maui Jim to create his own line of unique sunglasses, due out this fall!  Once a release date has been scheduled, we will be hosting a private launch party here at The Vision Center at Seaside Farms.  To ensure you are one of the first people to sport these first-release, limited edition sunglasses, please stop by and make a $20 deposit for each pair you would like to buy.  This will guarantee you an invite to the private launch party, at which time you can place an order.  We will have demo versions of the sunglasses at the party to allow you to see the sizes, styles and colors of each design.  We will also be holding a drawing to win a free pair of these Guy Harvey edition Maui Jim sunglasses!

 

 So stop by, call, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy57287 = 'seasidevisioncenter' + '@'; addy57287 = addy57287 + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; var addy_text57287 = 'email us'; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text57287 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and reserve your spot to experience Guy’s new Maui Jim sunglass collection.  The best performing polarized sunglasses on the market look even better with Guy’s distinctive art! 

 

 

*fine print – Your $20 deposit does not guarantee delivery of sunglasses.  Full payment must be received before the order will be placed.  The deposit is non refundable, but should you decide not to purchase the Guy Harvey edition sunglasses, it can be used towards any other service or product we offer.

It’s that time of year again – Back To School.  We all know it means we need to get our children prepared for the new school year.  This includes buying school supplies, new clothes, new shoes, and an annual physical from the pediatrician.  But did you also know it is the best time for your child to have a comprehensive eye exam?  Vision problems can result in big issues at school and impede their learning process.  Correcting these issues prior to the school year can save you and your child a lot of stress and frustration. 

The most common vision issue is myopia (nearsightedness).  Myopia causes blurring of objects at a distance.  This will result in your child having difficulty seeing things on the board or projected onto a wall.

Another common problem arises when your child’s eyes do not function properly together, this is known as a binocular vision disorder.  When this is occurring, your child will have trouble tracking objects or following along lines of text in a book or on a computer. 

An inability to focus the eyes properly (accommodation) is another vision disorder that can affect a child’s performance.  The child will often have trouble keeping words (in a book or on a computer) in focus for extended periods of time and may even develop headaches from trying to strain their eyes to focus correctly.

All of these problems, and many other less common issues, can impede your child’s progress and ultimately frustrate them.  A comprehensive eye exam can detect any issues your child may be facing and a treatment option can be implemented.  Don’t wait for your child to tell you they can’t see as most children do not realize they are having a problem.  Early detection also allows for easier and better treatment of the problems found.

This past Saturday, Guy Harvey, renowned oceanic artist, was in Mount Pleasant to celebrate the grand opening of his new restaurant, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill.   Guy also needed some help getting a new pair of Maui Jim sunglasses.  Being the busy man that he is, he requested to stop by our office after the opening so that we could help him before he had to leave for his next engagement.

After getting him all squared away with a great pair of sunglasses (with the added encouragement of Tim, the Maui Jim representative), Guy was nice enough to spend some time with us.  He enthusiastically went through his new book, Panama Paradise, and discussed the people, places, and beautiful fish in the photos.  He was gracious enough to sign a copy for Dr. Bodkin and took several pictures with us.

 

  

 

 

Green is the new black in the 21^st century.  Everywhere you look, people, organizations, and business are promoting a new way to be environmentally friendly.  Whether it is as simple as changing your light bulbs or as complex as growing oil producing algae, being green has become an important part of our culture.

Eye care is no different.  That is why we are proud to be a green office.  We have taken several steps to help diminish our own ecological footprint.  Some of the things we currently do include:

• We are a paperless office – this means that we do not keep paper records or charts; instead we use electronic medical records.  We also do as much as we can electronically, whether it is sending invoices, verifying prescriptions, or even our marketing efforts.  I am proud to say that in our first year of operating, we have only used 6 reams of printing paper in our office!
• We are big on recycling – every piece of paper we do use, gets recycled.  Every bottle or can that comes into our office gets recycled.  Every cardboard box gets recycled or reused.  Even the plastic bags and shipping supplies get recycled or reused.
• We buy recycled – all of our paper products are a made from 90-100% recycled materials.  This includes our paper towels, printing paper, paper bags, coffee cups, tissues and toilet paper.
• We insulated our ceiling – this reduces our heating and cooling loss, thereby reducing the inefficiency and electrical demand on our HVAC.
• We use Energy Star electronics – all of our computers and monitors, printers, scanner, coffee maker, refrigerator, and most of our pieces of optical equipment are Energy Star qualified.

There are many other ways in which we are environmentally friendly.  A complete list can be found on our website.

We are also proud to announce that we are involved in the first ever Charleston Green Business Challenge.  The Green Business Challenge is an effort to improve the environmental friendliness of businesses of any size in the Charleston area.  It is one of five pilot programs being run across the country.  The Challenge has a checklist of ways to be green that each participant fills out at the start of the program in order to have a baseline point level.  There are then meetings and presentations throughout the year to help businesses implement new green programs and strategies.  At the end of the year, the business repeats the checklist to determine their new point level.  Awards and recognition are given to those who have shown the largest increases and implemented the most changes.  The Challenge begins in August and we look forward to discovering and implementing new green ideas into our practice.

As always, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our environmental friendliness.  If you have any ideas, please don’t hesitate to tell us!

 

 

                                

 

I have posted a couple of stories this week about 'Circle' or 'Anime' style contact lenses that have grown exponentially in popularity, thanks in part to music videos from Lady Gaga.  Below is the official response from the American Optometric Association:

The American Optometric Association (AOA) Statement Regarding Circle Contact Lenses

Patient safety and access to adequate eye care is always our concern. With the growing interest in “circle lenses,” colored plano and prescription contact lenses imported primarily from Asia, the AOA is once again working to inform consumers of the risk of these illegal lenses. And, last month, AOA staff led one of the largest meetings of federal officials concerned about the illegal sale of these and other decorative contact lenses, convened by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“With the FDA’s focus of ‘Protecting and Promoting Health,’ the recent gathering served as an outstanding platform to brainstorm with FDA officials,” states Joe E. Ellis, O.D. President of the American Optometric Association.  “We found that FDA officials were shocked, as well as dismayed, by how easy these lenses can be obtained, and how aggressively adolescents and young adults are targeted.”

The AOA is responding to numerous requests for information and interviews from media outlets across the country.  “We are working with the consumer media to encourage people to visit an eye care professional and get a proper prescription.  A beauty fad is not worth causing problems with your sight,” adds Dr. Ellis.

Consumers should not use any contact lenses, whether they are circle lenses, or otherwise, without a proper examination and prescription by an eye care professional.  Risks associated with the improper use of decorative contact lenses include conjunctivitis, corneal swelling, eye infection, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to poor lens fit and/or improper lens care.  Additional problems may result in a reduction of visual acuity, diminished contrast sensitivity, or reduced peripheral vision and other general eye and vision impairments.  Optometrists are encouraged to report any violations of the sale of contact lenses, or any adverse health consequences, to AOA’s Washington office.

One of the most common questions we receive is "When should I bring my child in for an eye exam?"

A child's vision and the development of that vision is very critical to a child's progression.  That is why the American Optometric Association recommends the first comprehensive eye exam be performed at six months.  They even offer a program called Infant See that will provide this first complete ophthalmological evaluation free of charge for infants aged 6-12 months.  Dr. Bodkin feels so strongly about an infant's vision that he is a participating provider with Infant See.  During this exam, Dr. Bodkin will check for normal function of visual systems as well as ensure there are no structural defects.  If a problem is found, then we can address it before it becomes permanent.

As long as everything is functioning properly at that first exam, then the child should return at 3 years of age for their next complete eye health evaluation.  Of course, if the parents notice any changes prior to that, then they should bring the child in immediately.  These changes include an eye turning in/out/up/down, a child always closing one eye, a child always rubbing one eye, a child turning or tilting their head, or any thing else that looks out of the ordinary.

The next scheduled eye exam occurs just prior to the child starting school.  It is imperative that we make sure the visual system is working optimally to ensure there are no visual boundaries to learning.

After that, the child should be seen every year for their annual checkups.  These examinations allow us to find any vision development problems early which gives us the chance to treat them effectively before they become permanent.

Children are often fearful of going to the doctor's office and the eye doctor is no exception.  One way parents can help ease their child's fears is to bring them with them to their own eye exam.  This way the child will see everything that goes on during the eye exam and be assured that it is a painless process.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give us a call at 843-388-6200.

If you need to schedule your child's exam, you may call us or schedule online.

 

 

                                  

 

 

 

Join us on Wednesday, May 19^th for a Trunk Show featuring products from ,

, , , , , ,

and .   Representatives will be on hand displaying their complete lines of glasses and sunglasses. There will be show discounts and free gifts with each purchase. We will also be holding a drawing for a FREE pair of Maui Jim sunglasses, Marc Jacobs glasses, gift certificates, and more.

Then at 5 o’clock we will be heading over to to continue the show on their patio. There you can enjoy happy hour drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Stop by and enjoy this fun and festive event to start your summer off right!

 

Earth Day 2010 is Thursday, April 22nd.

Earth Day is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.  Over the years it has brought attention and recognition to environmental issues that affect all of us.  As the population grows and our demands on our environment increase, it becomes more and more important to learn how to use our resources responsibly.  To show our support this year, we are accepting donations to support the Earth Day Network.  To help increase those donations, we are giving our patients 50%* off of their eye wear purchases with a minimum donation of $10.  Please come out and support this great cause.  To find out more about what we are doing to reduce our impact on the environment, please visit our green initiative page.

*Excludes Maui Jim sunglasses (sorry, it's their rule, not ours)

 

 

Eye Spy Friday

Beginning Friday, March 26, 2010, join us on Facebook and Twitter every week for Eye Spy Friday where one lucky winner will receive 10% off their next eyewear purchase. Every Friday we will post a picture of a place that is located in Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Daniel Island, Sullivan’s Island or Charleston. The picture will be posted on both Twitter (@visionseaside) and Facebook (The Vision Center at Seaside Farms). The first person who correctly identifies the location will be awarded 10% off their next eyewear purchase. If you don’t know the answer feel free to venture a guess because we will be rewarding the closest or most creative answer if no one answers correctly. You can win multiple times so you can play every week even if you have won before.

Fine print: No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to win. You can win up to five (5) times and combine your winnings to receive 50% off. Once the prize is honored, you can win again up to a maximum discount of 50%. Discount cannot be applied to the purchase of Maui Jim sunglasses. Discount does not apply to online orders. If you have any questions about this promotion you can email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 

Healthy Vision on the Job is Everyone’s Business

In honor of March’s Save Your Vision Month, the AOA encourages Americans to prevent workplace eye strain and eye injuries by following some easy and important steps

ST. LOUIS, MO (February 25, 2010) - Whether using a computer or a sledge hammer to get the job done, the American Optometric Association (AOA) reports that visual discomfort, eye strain and eye injuries in the workplace are not only common, but cost billions in lost productivity each year. And, research indicates that 2,000 workers each day in the United States sustain job-related eye injuries requiring medical treatment, yet safety experts and doctors of optometry agree that 90 percent of all eye and vision injuries could be prevented with simple safety steps such as wearing properly designed and fitted protective eyewear.

“Healthy vision is critical to successfully completing job-related tasks,” said James Sheedy, O.D. Ph.D., Director of the Vision Ergonomics Laboratory at the College of Optometry at Pacific University and AOA’s occupational vision specialist. “And while most people think of construction or manufacturing as high-risk occupations where eye injuries are prevalent, even jobs requiring “smart phones,” laptops and desktop computers can cause vision problems if not used properly.”

Go Easy on the PDA
According to the AOA’s American Eye-Q® survey, nearly half of all Americans (46 percent) spend five or more hours per day using a computer or a PDA (personal digital assistant). And while technology can easily improve the efficiencies of one’s life, prolonged use of electronic devices may lead to symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) such as eye strain, dry eyes, headaches, fatigue, blurred vision and loss of focus.

“CVS can be a serious problem for those who spend hours in front of a computer or hand-held electronic device on a daily basis,” said Dr. Sheedy. “However, in this digital era, no one expects Americans to simply stop using these devices. Small steps can make big changes to ease vision strain.”

The AOA encourages all tech users to follow the below recommendations, which will go a long way in keeping productivity up and discomfort down while surfing the Web, editing a document or sending an e-mail.

• Give It A Rest: Remember the 20-20-20 rule. At least every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away. The Eye-Q® survey found that the majority of Americans don’t follow this rule; more than half (59 percent) take breaks every hour, or less frequently.
• Size Up: Smaller screens on hand-held devices usually favor tiny type that challenges your vision. Instead of bringing the screen closer to the eyes, increase the font size so the device can be used at a distance that is more comfortable for your eyes.
• Sharpen Up: Better resolution offers greater clarity and usually more comfort. Adjust the brightness of the screen to a comfortable intensity, neither too bright nor too dim.
• Reduce Glare: Hand-held devices present challenges in various lighting conditions. When possible, try to make sure lighting is not directly behind the head or in front. The AOA recommends users try to reduce glare, which may ease reading and can make a bigger difference than increasing the font.
• Look Down: It’s easier on the eyes to focus on reading material that is below eye level, therefore, the AOA recommends a computer monitor or hand-held device be positioned slightly below eye level.

Safer Sight On-Site
Many professions – from auto repair to health care – require protective eyewear to help reduce the risk of eye injuries. The AOA advises that with proper eye protection, like safety glasses, goggles, face shields and helmets, thousands of injuries could be prevented. Yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in approximately 60 percent of eye injury cases, workers failed to wear proper protective eyewear.

While working around the house, it seems an even greater percentage fail to protect their sight. The Eye-Q® survey found that nearly two-thirds of Americans do not wear safety glasses or goggles when working on home improvement projects.

“Eye safety – whether at home or in the work place – is proven to prevent vision loss,” said Dr. Sheedy. “The two main reasons workers experience eye injuries are either because they are not wearing eye protection or they are wearing the wrong kind of protection for the job.”

The AOA recommends four key elements to protect eyes from injury:

• Know the eye safety dangers.
• Eliminate hazards before starting work such as using machine guards, work screens or other engineering controls.
• Wear the proper eye protection and make sure it is correctly fitted.
• Keep safety eyewear in good condition and replace it if it is damaged.

Visit Your Optometrist
While it’s important to practice good eye health habits at work, the best line of defense is to visit a doctor of optometry on a regular basis for comprehensive eye exams to help ensure healthy vision.

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