Protect your eyes from the summer sun and come in for a pair of sunglasses using our current special!

Need a fresh new look for summer? Come on in to check out our huge selection of sunglasses!

Dr. Lauren Tackett is celebrating 8 years at Primary Eyecare Center this month! Lauren feels so fortunate to work with such an amazing team of doctors and staff and is excited about the future of our practice. She also thanks her patients for a wonderful 8 years!

Dr.  Sage Hider with house majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, at his Capital office in Washington DC.

Dr. Sage Hider, president elect of the California Optometric Association with Assemblymember, Evan Low and the rest of the COA Board.

BATTLING BLUE LIGHT
Why worry about blue light?

• 62 percent of surveyed respondents spend five or more hours on their digital devices every day
• 14 percent spend at least 10 hours a day on their devices
• Chronic exposure to blue-light-producing LED lights creates retinal injury
• Reading on blue-lite-reading devices before bed:
* prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep
* delays the circadian clock
* reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep
* reduces alertness the following morning
• An association has been found between dysfunctional sleep-wake cycles and other health problems, such as diabetes and some forms of cancer

The doctors at Primary Eyecare Center recommend selective filtering of harmful Blue-Violet light for all of our users of digital devices. Ask your doctor or optician for more information.

Primary Eyecare Billers – Michelle and Tawni

PEC HOLIDAY PARTY

Dr. Immoos gift-giving with Erik and Michelle

Gift Exchange – Melissa

Atascadero Staff with Docs

San Luis Obispo Staff with Docs

Man of the Hour – Dr. Hider

Raffle – Jen and Dr. Tackett

Sage Hider, OD                   Elaine Cormier, OD         Quyen Immoos, OD           Lauren Tackett, OD

Many patients hate the dreaded “air puff” test during their annual eye exam. A quick and painless technology is now available in our office to test for glaucoma. The Icare tonometer is based on a new technology that does not require an air puff or eyedrops. The measurement is barely noticeable and our patients much prefer it to the old methods.

What is glaucoma and why is it important to test for it? 

Glaucoma refers to a group of related eye disorders that all cause damage to the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain. Glaucoma usually has few or no initial symptoms. In most cases, glaucoma is associated with higher-than-normal pressure inside the eye. But it also can occur when intraocular pressure (IOP) is normal. If untreated or uncontrolled, glaucoma first causes peripheral vision loss and can eventually lead to blindness.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the most common type of glaucoma — called primary open-angle glaucoma — affects an estimated 2.2 million people in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 3.3 million by 2020 as the U.S. population ages.

Glaucoma often is called the “silent thief of sight,” because most types cause no pain and produce no symptoms until noticeable vision loss occurs. For this reason, glaucoma often progresses undetected until the optic nerve already has been irreversibly damaged, with varying degrees of permanent vision loss. Because most cases of glaucoma have few or no early symptoms, about half of Americans with glaucoma don’t know they have it. Glaucoma is also more common as we age.

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/glaucoma.htm#glaucomascreening

Visit Primary Eyecare Center today for your annual eye exam.

We are often asked this question…

Can I Swim with my Contact Lenses?

You should avoid swimming in your contact lenses to prevent bacterial infections or other infections due to parasites such as acanthamoeba. Some eye infections, such as acanthamoeba keratitis can cause serious corneal ulcers and even blindness.

The FDA recommends never exposing your contact lenses to any kind of water, including tap water, swimming pools, lakes, oceans or hot tubs.

At Primary Eyecare Center, we offer prescription swim goggles and other protective Rx-able sports eyewear. The safest option is to swim with prescription goggles. This is the least risky option. If you decide to swim with contact lenses, daily disposables are the safest way to go. These lenses are the most hygienic form of contact lens wear available. They are worn and thrown away at the end of the day. It is best to throw these contacts away as soon as you get out of the swimming pool to minimize your risk since they soak up chemicals and possibly micro-organisms in the water. Leaving the contacts on after swimming is very risky. You should never swim with your eyes open in the water, especially while wearing your contact lenses.

Rigid gas permeable contacts (RGPs) should never be worn while swimming. They are more likely to pop out of the eyes while swimming. Soft contact lenses often remain on your eye when swimming, however, they will easily absorb chlorine or bacteria, which can increase your risk of eye problems, including infection. Chlorine also causes punctate keratitis (cell death of the surface cells of the cornea). This can predispose the cornea to infection by bacteria or other parasites present in the water or on your contact lenses.

See an optometrist immediately if you experience lasting redness, eye irritation or sensitivity to light after swimming in the water.

NEW COLOR CONTACTS AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICE!

• There have been new developments in 2015 to improve color contact lens technology.
• Color contacts now allow for better comfort and more natural appearance.
• Visit our office to try these new lenses!

Air Optix Colors and 1-day Acuvue Define