Yearly Archives: 2020

Cold weather outdoors and warm and dry air inside our homes can be hard on your eyes during the winter months. Here are two great ways to keep your eyes comfortable:

Moisturize your eyes. Outdoor and indoor air can get quite dry in the winter months, making it difficult for your eyes to produce tears. As a result, you may suffer from red and/or itchy and uncomfortable eyes. Humidifiers can help, as can eye drops. When you are outside or away from home, carry moisturizing eye drops with you. If dryness is a problem that over-the-counter eye drops cannot resolve, ask us whether prescription drops are right for you. There are a wide variety of eye drop options to help soothe red and itchy eyes.

Wear sunglasses outdoors. The sun can be especially hard on your eyes during the winter, especially when there’s snow. Wearing sunglasses while you drive or when you’re outside can help protect your vision from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Invest in a quality pair specifically designed to provide UV eye protection, ideally with a rating of UV400 or higher that will block 99.9% of UV rays. Consider polarized sunglasses to reduce glare. If you frequently participate in outdoor winter sports, invest in a quality pair of eye goggles. We can help you determine which type of protective eyewear is right for you.

Utah Eye Centers is the leading provider of vision care along the Wasatch Front. Our mission is to provide each patient with a successful experience through personalized patient care and extraordinary service. We have convenient locations in Bountiful, Ogden, Orem and Salt Lake City, where our experienced doctors and staff offer comprehensive vision examinations.

Have a question about your eyes or want to make an appointment? Give us a call at (801) 476-0494. We look forward to seeing you!

Have you grown tired of wearing eye glasses? Do you lead an active lifestyle that regularly puts your frames and lenses at risk?

Why not make the switch to contacts? They are affordable and easy to use.

We regularly see patients for contact lens exams and fittings, and we always tell them that their level of care can make or break the contact lens wearing experience. Here are three important rules to keep in mind if you’re new to wearing contact lenses:

Wash your hands before touching your contacts. Your hands open doors, touch counters and railings and interact with co-workers and family members. The last thing you want is to put a bunch of germs and microorganisms near or in your eye. Whenever you’re preparing to take your contacts out or put them in, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds before putting in or taking out contact lenses.

Don’t sleep in your contacts. Follow all the recommendations for your specific type of contact lens. Wearing them too long or while you sleep, when you’re not supposed to, can lead to eye infections or irritation.

Change your contacts when you’re supposed to. If you wear disposable contacts, you’ll want to switch them out at recommended intervals as recommended by the lens manufacturer. Even if you don’t think there is something wrong with your contacts, it’s important to follow this schedule. Contact lenses can wear down over time and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If you would like to learn more about contact lens care, we invite you to give us a call: (801) 476-0494

When you think of the sun, your first thought might be about the damage it can do. That’s why we stay out of the sun when we can and slather on sunscreen when we’re outdoors during the day. Yet small amounts of sunshine can provide a major boost to your health and mood.

How much is just enough? Many medical experts say just 5-10 minutes of sun exposure a couple of times a week is ideal. What are the benefits of sensible sun exposure? Take a look at our list below. And make sure whenever you’re out in the sun, you wear a quality pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes.

• Vitamin D: Your body produces vitamin D when bare skin is exposed to the sun. Ample vitamin D is formed well before you get a tan or sunburn, so don’t overdo it! Vitamin D also helps maintain bone density. In addition to getting some rays, fish like salmon and tuna pack a punch of vitamin D. Fortified milk and orange juice and supplements also are good sources.
• A serotonin boost: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your mood. Too little of it has been linked to anxiety, insomnia, obesity and other health conditions. The right amount can foster a feeling of well-being. The amount of serotonin in the brain has been found to be in direct correlation with light exposure.
• More energy: Exposure to sunlight in the morning can help keep your sleep-wake cycles regulated so that you sleep better, wake up easier and have more energy during the day. So soak up some morning sunshine! Studies show that sun exposure later in the day doesn’t seem to have the same effect, so open those shades or take a walk first thing in the morning.

After months of being cooped up, many Americans are hitting the road and heading into the great outdoors to go camping. But with the COVID-19 outbreak spreading in the United States, we wanted to share some important safety tips for a fun and safe getaway.

Be realistic. Large groups make social distancing difficult. And many campgrounds are limiting the number of people who can be in the same campground area. Go with a small group and travel in separate vehicles if you haven’t been in close quarters with each other. Plan on having a separate tent for each household or group who has been socially distancing together. Don’t share a tent with someone who hasn’t been socially distancing.

Be distant. Avoid crowded trails and campgrounds. Be wary of camp showers and restrooms. COVID-19 is thought to spread between people who are in close contact with each other (closer than six feet) via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Know that the virus may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. And it’s possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface or object and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

Bring your mask. Ideally, you’ll be traveling with other people in your household or others who have been socially distancing. You’ll want to wear a mask, take separate cars, use separate tents, cook separate meals and/or stay at least six feet apart from anyone who hasn’t been socially distancing. Wear a mask when you stop for fuel and use public restrooms. Bring hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to keep surfaces in your vehicle and camp area as clean as possible. Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and isn’t on this list of recalled sanitizers!

Bring your supplies. Pack everything you’re going to need or want to minimize the amount of time you spend in convenience stores and other retail outlets along the way. If you’re traveling with other people, it’s a good idea to have everyone bring their own food and consider having each family unit cook their own meals. Forget the family-size snacks; opt for single-serve packages. Bring plenty of water.

Many commercial cleaning and sanitizing products are in short supply or unavailable. You can use a bleach solution to disinfect surfaces. (Just make sure to keep bleach and the cleaning solution out of reach of children.) Prepare a bleach solution by mixing 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of room temperature water or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of room temperature water. Bleach solutions will be effective for disinfection for up to 24 hours.

Prepare for all kinds of weather. We all know that weather is unpredictable. It’s a good idea to bring clothing, shoes and gear in the event that it’s unexpectedly rainy and/or cold. Camping in an area that could quickly turn to mud if it starts to pour? Make sure to bring your boots. Load up on tarps, extra stakes and bungee cords in case of high winds or heavy rain. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, sun-protective clothing and short sleeves for when it gets hot. And make sure you have plenty of water! It might take a little extra time to pack, but you can never be too prepared.

Bring enough sources of light. One of the best parts about camping is that you’re off the grid. That’s why you never can have too many sources of light. Make sure to bring at least three lanterns, flares (in case of an emergency), lighter fluid, matches and even fire starters just to be safe. Make sure you have spare batteries for any battery-powered items.

Keep close tabs on small children. It can be difficult for small children who wander off to find their way back to you. Monitor small children to make sure they stay safe around fire and water and also around any disinfection/sanitizing supplies.

Glaucoma is a sneaky group of eye diseases that causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve and can cause vision loss and blindness. The symptoms can start so slowly that they often go unnoticed in the early stages, when glaucoma is the most treatable. In fact, it’s estimated that half of all Americans ages 40 and older with glaucoma don’t know they have it, according to the National Eye Institute.

The lack of early symptoms is one important reason why glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The most common form of the disease, open-angle glaucoma, has virtually no symptoms. In addition, no pain is typically associated with the increased eye pressure caused by the disease. That’s why regular comprehensive eye exams are so important. At Utah Eye Centers, we screen for glaucoma and other eye issues.

The most common form of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, starts with a buildup of fluid that increases the pressure in one or both eyes. This buildup is caused by the slow clogging of the eye’s drainage canals. The pressure produced by this backup then damages the optic nerve, which helps transfer visual images to your brain. Glaucoma first starts affecting your side vision and as it progresses, vision loss becomes more noticeable. This can then lead to tunnel vision, where you can only see straight ahead. If not controlled, glaucoma can lead to serious and even permanent vision loss.

If glaucoma is discovered in its early stages, pressure can be controlled through medication or surgery and the progression of the disease can be delayed. This is why it is always important to have a comprehensive eye exam at least every one to two years to check for glaucoma or any other eye issues.

When was the last time you scheduled an eye exam? Call us to schedule one at (801) 476-0494