There is help for children having visual difficulties that cannot be managed fully with eyeglasses or contact lenses. It’s a specialty of Dr. Steven A. Levin, a National Optometrist of the Year Recipient who has treated thousands of children during his 37 years of practice.

The Levin Eye Care Center in Whiting offers a Vision Therapy program designed to identify hidden learning-related vision problems. Dr. Levin, who is also a recipient of the Indiana Optometrist of the Year award, answers a few questions about vision therapy.

Q: What is vision therapy?

It is the neurological re-education of the visual system in order to improve and enhance it. Most cases we see are children not living up to their potential academically or they’re having reading, comprehension and learning problems. There are also cases where their eyes are turning in or turning out—they can’t use both eyes together. We can align those eyes through therapy. To get a good functional vision you want to be able to use both eyes at the same time.

Q: How does a child qualify for the therapy and what are some symptoms that show a need for this treatment?

A lot of children we see come in with symptoms that include having a difficult time in school. The teachers have noticed tracking difficulties and the child is not able to focus. The child could be skipping lines when they read or omitting words or reversing letters and words. A child comes in for a full comprehension evaluation, and based on that, we go through some other testing—something we call a developmental vision evaluation. We look at the entire visual system. You have to understand that 80 percent of what we learn in the classroom comes from the visional system and 80 percent of that comes from doing close work.

What we have to do is look at this visual system and how the child is bringing information into it. We look at how it’s being received. The brain has to organize and interpret this information and then it sends it out to other areas of the brain that we use, like visual memory, hand-eye coordination, handwriting and things like that. This information modifies information coming back in again so you have a continuous loop.

Q: What are the benefits of vision therapy? 

Once you reorganize the visual system, what you notice is they start doing much better academically. What we see with our children when they go with therapy is their life skills change and they develop more confidence. They’re happier and the frustration goes down. The parents are happier and so are the siblings, because now they’re getting as much attention as that child. Many times the child becomes more social. These kinds of vision problems for a child affect the entire family, and when you are able to help the child, then you’re also helping the family and things get better for everyone.

Q: Is vision therapy something children undergo at the office only?

It’s usually an office program about once or twice a week. Usually a session runs an hour and then they’re given home therapy to do, which is about four to five times a week.

Q: What else would you like to tell parents about vision therapy and children?

You want to keep an eye on their development and how they keep up academically with the rest of the class. Parents usually have a pretty good idea of what their child’s potential could be. If a teacher or a parent just has a gut feeling that there is something going on, it’s time to bring them in for an evaluation. With the demands children have academically in our society, it’s very important you give them every chance to succeed.

Q: What is it like to help children with eye care?

The most satisfying part of my practice is when a child comes up and hugs me. It keeps me going every day. There’s no better satisfaction than when you’ve changed a child’s life.

Originally published at www.nwitimes.com

Congratulations to our newest Vision Therapy graduate Adriel! It was a pleasure to have you in our Vision Therapy program and we have noticed the positive changes in your vision and personality.We have seen you mature into a confident young man. Thank you to the Arreola family for outstanding dedication and commitment to your vision!

Are you suffering from headaches? You may want to ask yourself when your last eye exam was!

If you have undetected or uncorrected vision problems, you may be suffering from headaches needlessly.

Headaches Can Be Caused By Eyestrain

A routine eye exam can uncover a variety of issues that may be causing headaches.While most headaches aren’t necessarily caused by vision problems, it is important to get your eyes checked on a regular basis to make sure.

Eyestrain is caused when the small muscles of the eye are forced to work harder than normal. This can result in tired, aching eyes, blurred vision and frequent or chronic headaches. Eyestrain associated with headaches can be caused by a number of things such as:

• Astigmatism: the cornea is not a normal shape. This causes people to squint in order to focus their vision which can lead to headaches.
• Hyperopia: also known as farsightedness, the eye focuses images behind the retina instead of directly on it, causing blurred vision, eyestrain and headaches.
• Presbyopia: this occurs as the lens becomes hard and inflexible with age. Lens hardening makes it more difficult to focus, causing sore eyes and, you guessed it, headaches.

It’s important to remember that most eye conditions can be corrected with prescription glasses or contact lenses. In addition, those who already wear prescription glasses or lenses and get headaches may not be aware that their eyes have changed over time. Many people simply need their prescription updated.

Whatever the case, if your headaches are a result of vision problems such as the above mentioned, relief is in sight. All it takes is a visit to your eye care professional!

More Serious Issues Can Be At The Root Of The Problem

Glaucoma has also been known to cause headaches. Glaucoma is an eye disease characterized by a buildup of fluid in the eye, causing increased internal eye pressure. This pressure may lead to severe headaches in some cases.

People with cataracts may also suffer from headaches. As cataracts develop, usually due to age, the lens of the eye becomes clouded and the person’s ability to see is slowly diminished. As vision becomes limited, the eye works harder to see and focus, often causing eyestrain and head pain.

Get Your Eyes Checked

If you’re in doubt about the cause of your headaches, a good place to start is at your optometrist’s office! Because our eyes naturally compensate for vision problems to a certain degree, some issues may affect us without us realizing it. For this reason, many people often fail to link headaches to problems with the eyes.

Your health, comfort and well-being are important to us. If visual impairment is causing your headaches, we can identify the problem and help you improve your quality of life. Feel free to call or come in with any questions you may have!

We love our patients! Thank you for your loyalty!

February is AMD/ Low Vision Awareness Month. We are working to educate the public about eye diseases that cause low vision and blindness. Share with a friend and help us raise awareness this month!

One hundred and thirty-five million people worldwide have low vision. Low vision is an uncorrectable vision impairment that interferes with a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. One of the diseases that causes low vision is AMD. AMD, or Age-Related Macular Degeneration, is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over age 60.

AMD Typically Shows No Early Warning Signs

AMD often develops slowly, and most patients don’t realize there’s a problem until serious vision obstruction develops. This disease destroys the sharp central vision which is controlled by the macula, a portion of the eye located at the back of the retina. The affects of AMD impair our ability to read, drive, identify faces, watch television, and perform simple daily tasks.

Remember, regular eye exams can save your vision. Adults ages 60 years and older should have annual, comprehensive eye exams. When signs and symptoms are caught early, we may be able to take steps to slow vision loss.

Know The Risk Factors

Educating yourself and loved ones about the risk factors for AMD is the first step in prevention. While there are some risk factors you cannot control, there are behaviors and lifestyle choices you can make to reduce your risk for AMD. Risk factors include:

• Family history of AMD
• Advanced age: 60 years and older
• Race: AMD is more common among Caucasians than other groups
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity

Your Overall Health Is Key In Preventing Eye Diseases

Vision health is closely tied to whole body health. Reducing your risk by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly and not smoking can slow and even prevent vision loss. Make healthy choices, and come in for an eye exam if you are at a higher risk for AMD.

Thank you for being our valued patients and friends!

Image by Flickr user Ben Smith used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Contact lenses are safe, comfortable, and can change your lifestyle! However, taking proper care of them is crucial to your vision health.

Improper contact care or cleaning can lead to infection and, in severe cases, vision loss. Remember these tips when it comes to contact lens care:

Your Optometrist Knows Best

To avoid eye infection or other vision problems, wear contact lenses as prescribed by your eye care professional. Even with a prescription, not all contacts will be right for your eyes or lifestyle. Consult with your optometrist to see what contacts are best for you.

As with any prescription, contact lens prescriptions expire. See your optometrist yearly or as recommended to ensure you continue to have an accurate and appropriate prescription for your eyes.

When It Comes To Contact Lenses, Sharing Is Not Caring

Remember, your contact lenses should never touch anyone’s eyes but your own.Using another’s lenses can spread harmful particles or infection from their eyes to yours. Not fun!

Follow The Recommended Replacement Schedule

Don’t stretch out your lenses longer than your eye care professional recommends. Daily disposable lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown away. Other contacts are designed to last longer and need to be properly cleaned and stored. Whatever you choose, replace your contacts as recommended.

Do Not Sleep In Your Contacts

This is perhaps the most disregarded instruction when it comes to contact lens wear. Unless you are prescribed “extended wear” contacts, wearing your contacts at night deprives your eyes of much needed oxygen and can lead to serious problems.

A Good Cleaning Regimen Will Protect Your Eyes

Basic cleaning care for contact lenses consists of five easy steps:

1. Wash your hands. The last thing you want to do is transfer germs from your hands to your eyes!
2. Rub the lens. Using a few drops of the recommended solution, rub the lens in the palm of your hand. This will clean off any debris or protein buildup.
3. Rinse. To get off any loosened debris, rinse the contacts with solution taking as long as the package directs.
4. Use fresh solution to store. Never use your old solution from the day before. This solution will not properly disinfect your contact lenses and can cause infections.
5. Repeat. Simply repeat these steps for your other lens!

Remember to never use tap water on lenses or even put them in your mouth to “rinse” them. Microorganisms can live in even the cleanest water and can cause damage to your sight.

Our Job Is To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Following these steps as well as the guidelines from your eye care professional is the single best way to avoid eye infections. At our practice, your health is our priority. Please contact us if you have any questions about contact lens care!

We love our patients. Thank you for your continued loyalty!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. Image by Flickr user MarLeah Cole used underCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

We’ve heard more than once that carrots are good for our eyes. But they’re certainly not the only food that can benefit our sight!

Here are some of our favorite foods that help promote and maintain healthy eyes.

Leafy Greens And Vegetables

Here is yet another reason to eat your green veggies! Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, watercress, and collard greens are all filled with vitamin C, beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin—important nutrients for healthy vision. Lutein and zeaxanthin absorb 40-90 percent of blue light intensity, meaning these protective greens act like sunscreen for your eyes! The antioxidants they contain also help protect against eye damage that results from cigarette smoke and air pollution.

Brussel sprouts–although not leafy–are also a green veggie chock full of vitamin C.

Let’s not forget the carrot! Carrots contain beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A that prevents night blindness and promotes a healthy retina. Similarly beneficial orange-colored vegetables are sweet potatoes and pumpkins.

Fruits

Fruit is a must when it comes to getting that all-important vitamin C in your diet.Citrus fruits and berries are a great source of vitamin C and help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration—two of the leading causes of adult blindness.

Açai, for instance, is loaded with both vitamins A and C and protects the retina from free radical damage. Blueberries are especially good for your health, reducing your risk of cataracts, glaucoma, heart disease, and cancer.

Seeds And Nuts

Vitamin C has a companion: vitamin E. This duo works together to keep healthy tissue strong. Nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, pecans, and almonds; and seeds such as sunflower seeds, for example, are excellent sources of vitamin E and zinc. They are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which tremendously boost your eye health.

A tablespoon of wheat germ oil in your salad is also a great way to get your vitamin E. Fun fact: it only takes one handful (an ounce) of almonds to get about half of your daily dose of vitamin E. It’s as easy as that!

Proteins

Seafood, red meat, and eggs are the best proteins for your eyes. Fish such assalmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which may help protect against dry eyes, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

Oysters, crab, beef, and eggs are great sources of zinc, which helps keep your retina healthy. Egg yolk is also a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, just like the leafy greens we talked about.

Do Your Eyes A Favor

The next time you want to pass on the vegetables, remember the important benefits they provide for your eyes as well as your whole body health! We’re passionate about helping you see the very best you can! If you have questions about how your diet can benefit your lifelong vision health, let us know!

Thank you for being a valued patient and friend.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.