Learn more about one of the most common vision problems from the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare. (more…)
Archive for the ‘General Eye Care’ Category
Astigmatism
Friday, February 4th, 2011Vision During Pregnancy
Monday, November 29th, 2010What to Expect — With Your Eyes and Vision — When Your Expecting.
It is true that some women will experience changes to their vision and to their eyes during pregnancy. Most of the time these changes are minor, but for some individuals, significant and/or permanent changes may occur.
Pterygium & Pinguecula
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Pterygium
The two terms “pterygium” and “pinguecula” describe similar changes to the eye. Both “”pterygium” and “pinguecula” are extremely common and most often affect patients who have frequent exposure to (more…)
Eyecare Tips for Bass Fishing in Iowa
Friday, July 9th, 2010By Dr. Ryan Nelson & Dr. Dennis Francis
Dr. Ryan Nelson
Take it from a couple of eye doctors who are avid bass fisherman: Your eyes are more important than any tackle or technique when bass fishing in Iowa. (more…)
Eye Allergy Season in Iowa
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Eye Allergies
What are Allergies?
Allergic reactions occur when the eye over-reacts to pollen, molds, dust, or pet dander, the body thinks is dangerous. Approximately 30-50% of the Iowa population has allergic symptoms of some kind. Allergic symptoms of the eye include redness, watering, itching. (more…)
Retinal Blood Vessels Are Like Fingerprints
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Did you know that every eye is unique and could be used to identify individuals. This uniqueness of the eye is similar to a fingerprint. (more…)
Iowa EyeCare Presents New Diagnosis Technology for Dry Eye: TearLab™ Osmolarity
Sunday, May 9th, 2010
The TearLab™ Osmolarity system is the first instrument in the next generation of dry eye diagnosis technologies. Tear osmolaritycan be defined as the concentration of particles in the tears. Dry Eye is caused by decreased tear production, increased tear evaporation or abnormal lipid production. (more…)
Summer Eye Saftey
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
The snow in Iowa has finally thawed and it’s warming up. That means more and more people are planning outdoor activites. Just remember to be concious about your eye health this summer season.
One of the biggest eye hazards is yard work. Eye protection is essential when operating power equipment like a lawn-mowers, weed-eaters, chain-saws, leaf-blowers or electric trimmers. Each of these tools can send small high-velocity projectiles hurling toward the eyes. Eye abrasions, perforations and infections have the potential to cause significant damage to the eye including permanent vision loss.
Think about eye protection even when you don’t anticipate dangers.
If you receive an eye injury or have foreign material in your eye, seek care immediately. It’s always best to have a professional look at your eye under a microscope. Washing the eye yourself with tap-water is insufficient. The doctors at Iowa EyeCare are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 319-377-2222.
Eye Care Professionals: What’s the Difference?
Monday, April 19th, 2010Optometrist
Optometrists are doctors of optometry. Optometrists are experts at all parts of the eye and visual system. Commonly, optometrists will prescribe glasses and contact lenses. Optometrists are able to diagnose and treat binocular vision disorders, including strabismus (eye turn) and amblyopia (lazy eye). Optometrists treat eye infections, remove foreign material from the eye and even perform some minor, non-invasive surgeries. Optometrists are able to diagnose all eye conditions. Optometrists are able to use both topical eye drops and oral medications to diagnose and treat eye disease.
Optometrists must have 8 years of college education, including a doctorate degree from a 4-year college of optometry.
The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are optometrists.
Ophthalmologist
Dr. Womack, Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is an eye surgeon. Ophthalmologists commonly perform cataract removal, retinal repairs, and LASIK surgery. Most ophthalmologists specialize in a particular area of the eye, such as the retina, neuro-ophthalmology or cornea.
After earning an undergraduate degree ophthalmologists go to a 4-year general medicine school before learning a specialty.
A Baby’s Eyes and Vision
Sunday, March 7th, 2010
A baby’s first eye exam is essential to rule out congenital cataracts and other neonatal eye conditions. If these problems are not detected soon after birth, vision will not develop properly. The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare recommend that even if no eye or vision problems are apparent, at about age 6 months, you should take your baby to your doctor of optometry for his or her first thorough eye examination.
All newborn babies have poor vision, about 20/400 (the top letter on the eye chart). Color vision, visual details, eye movement skills and depth perception, improve during the first few months of life.
The American Optometric Association and the doctors at Iowa EyeCare agree that parents should watch for signs of eye or vision problems and engage their child in age-appropriate visual activities:
There are many things parents can do to help their baby’s vision develop properly. The following are some examples of age-appropriate activities that can assist an infant’s visual development.
Birth to four months
- Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby’s room.
- Change the crib’s position frequently and change your child’s position in it.
- Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus, about eight to twelve inches.
- Talk to your baby as you walk around the room.
- Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.
Five to eight months
- Give the baby plenty of time to play and explore on the floor.
- Provide plastic or wooden blocks that can be held in the hands.
- Play patty cake and other games, moving the baby’s hands through the motions while saying the words aloud.
Nine to twelve months
- Play hide and seek games with toys or your face to help the baby develop visual memory.
- Name objects when talking to encourage the baby’s word association and vocabulary development skills.
- Encourage crawling and creeping.
One to two years
- Roll a ball back and forth to help the child track objects with the eyes visually.
- Give the child building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills and small muscle development.
- Read or tell stories to stimulate the child’s ability to visualize and pave the way for learning and reading skills.
If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your newborn, contact the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare now. Our phone number is 319-377-2222. We have office locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa.
