Switching from contacts to glasses, from glasses to contacts, or alternating between them on a regular basis is much more common than most people realize. In fact, an article for Catalogs.com states that switching back and forth regularly can help you in a number of ways — from preventing issues with allergies to having better vision at different times of the day to training your eyes to deal with more conditions.

Still, making the big switch can be difficult. At Eye See Ravenswood, Dr. Andrea J. Stein offers a number of services, including eyeglasses and contact lenses, as well as tips for how to switch between these two options.

Switching from glasses to contacts

When you’ve been wearing glasses for years and finally switch to contacts, the transition can be challenging. For many people, especially children and teens, the difficulty arises right from the start: learning to put the contacts in.  That’s why we recommend putting your contacts in while you’re still at our office, so we can offer plenty of help during this first stage.

We have some other things for you to keep in mind, starting with this: Always wash your hands before taking out or putting in your contacts. Other tips:

Ease into contacts

Don’t wear your contacts too much, especially at first. Try wearing them for a few hours every day for the first week in order to get used to them.

Know your limits

Don’t wear your contacts longer than instructed. If you purchase dailies or weeklies, only wear them for this long.

Eyes on the job

Remember that contact lenses can irritate your eyes. In fact, some workplaces have rules against wearing contacts, according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. Make sure you understand how your eyes might be affected when wearing contacts.

Seasons in time

Be prepared for contacts to be more difficult to wear at certain times, especially during the spring and summer months. Pollen and dust can create allergies, which could irritate your eyes.

Switching from contacts to glasses

If you’ve been wearing contacts for years and you’re ready to return to glasses, you need to make the transition slowly, just like you did with putting in contacts for the first few times. These tips can help:

Different perspective

Give yourself some time to adjust to the different way the world looks when you’re wearing glasses. Contacts cover your whole eye, of course, while glasses sit on your nose. There is a portion of your sight (called the periphery) that the lenses won’t cover, hence creating some distortion.

Bigger, brighter

Things might look a little bigger, brighter, or more sharply focused when you switch. If this is overwhelming, try wearing your glasses for a few hours each day, especially at night when things won’t be as bright.

No scratching!

Remember never to clean your glasses with anything other than a cloth that is specifically made to clean them. If you rub them on your shirt or on a napkin, you could cause tiny scratches to appear in the lenses.

Blue light special

Get glasses that have blue light blockers built in, especially if you stare at a computer all day. This can make it easier to do your daily work, plus you won’t be as tired out after a long day of typing.

Frame your narrative

Get frames that suit your face and your prescription. Some frames don’t look good with large lenses that are designed to correct extreme problems with eyesight. Also, make sure the frames sit comfortably on your face; frames that pinch behind your ears or on your nose can cause headaches.

Switching back and forth

This is actually considered to be one of the best options, as it keeps your eyes resilient and able to cope with contact lenses but allows them to rest when you’re wearing your glasses. It’s important to consider when your eyes need a break, which can be a good time to pull out your frames, or when you might need contacts, such as when you’re going to be outside on a rainy day.

And remember, whether you wear glasses or contacts — or both — it’s essential that you clean and care for them properly.

The risk of an eye accident is always present. A little splash of some chemicals or a small piece of debris can quickly cause an eye emergency situation. There are many ways you can accidentally damage your eye, and that’s why it’s so important to know what to expect and what you should do in case something happens to you or a loved one.

Of course, the best accident is the one that’s avoided, but unfortunately, that’s not always possible. That’s why Dr. Andrea J. Stein of Eye See Ravenswood in Chicago provides emergency care for when the need arises.

Preventing eye emergencies

Of course, preventive measures are critical. It’s important to do what you can to avoid a scary situation in the first place. To best prevent an eye emergency, take care to:

• Childproof your home
• Wear protective eyewear when using chemicals or working in your shop
• Always follow manufacturer’s directions
• Use caution around hot oil or grease

Even after successfully childproofing your home and taking all other precautionary measures, accidents can still happen. Don’t panic. Simply follow the steps below.

Common eye emergencies

It’s important to remember that any time a chemical or foreign object gets into your eye, you have an eye emergency. Without getting proper medical treatment quickly, an eye emergency has the potential to escalate to permanent vision loss.

Chemicals

Whether it’s cleaning products, gardening chemicals, or industrial liquids, any time something splashes in your eye, you could suffer from a chemical burn. If you get chemicals in your eyes, follow the following steps:

• Wash your hands
• Lean your head to the side
• Hold your eyelid open
• Flush with cool water for 15 minutes
• Call Dr. Stein as soon as possible

Continue flushing your eye with cool water until you can see the doctor.

Foreign objects

A foreign object in your eye can be anything from a grain of sand to a piece of glass, and both can be equally dangerous if not treated in time. If you get something small in your eye, and blinking doesn’t get rid of it, don’t rub. Instead, try the following:

• Wash your hands
• Look at your eye to see if you can locate the irritant
• Look behind your lower eyelid
• Look under your upper eyelid
• Use saline eye drops
• Flush with cool water
• Call us at Eye See Ravenswood

Even if you think you’ve safely removed the object, you’ll want to make an appointment with Dr. Stein to make sure everything is gone and your eye’s okay.

Black eye

If you’ve ever had a black eye, you know how painful it can be. Black eyes usually turn an angry purple or blue and can become swollen. It may appear that the black eye is only damaging the tissue of the outer area. But did you know that a blow to your eye can cause damage to the inside of your eye such as a detached retina? If you’ve experienced a blow to the face or eye area, it’s important to call us to make sure no additional damage has been done.

Symptoms and treatment

It’s possible that you aren’t even sure you’re dealing with an eye emergency, but if you experience any of the following, you should seek medical attention right away:

• Double vision
• Decreased vision or vision loss
• Different sized pupils
• Bleeding from the eye

Dr. Stein advises patients to avoid trying to administer first aid themselves, so don’t:

• Use tools or devices in your eye
• Apply pressure or rub the eye
• Use medications
• Use ointments on the eye
• Remove contact lenses

If you experience any kind of eye emergency, call our office at 773-977-7016 to make an appointment right away.

 

Most of us see winter as the time for warm, cozy fires and hot cocoa. But for millions of patients with eye allergies, winter is an endless barrage of irritating symptoms.

Dr. Andrea J. Stein of Eye See Ravenswood knows how difficult winter eye allergies can be. That’s why she specializes in helping patients throughout Chicago, Illinois, find relief from their symptoms.

Read on to learn more about common winter allergy triggers and how you can prepare for them.

Seasonal allergies can damage your eyes

You may be familiar with the different types of eye allergies. One common type is perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC), which causes allergies year-round. Though the symptoms of PAC may be milder at times, they can lead to infections if you rub your eyes too much.

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is another eye allergy that occurs year-round and gets worse seasonally. Unlike PAC, the symptoms can be severe and impair your vision.

These eye allergies can get worse during the winter, as your exposure to indoor allergens increases.

Indoor allergens

We all know how brutal winter can be in Chicago, and to avoid that bone-chilling cold, we spend more time inside. Although the warmth of indoors is a blessing for many, it’s a curse if you suffer from indoor allergies.

The most common indoor allergens that affect your eyes are dust mites, mold, and pet dander. Normally, these triggers don’t cause too many problems for your eyes. If they become airborne, your A/C removes them while it’s cycling fresh air into your home.

In the winter, you keep your heat system on to avoid freezing. The issue with this, though, is the lack of ventilation. Your furnace keeps fresh, cold air out and recycles the warm air in your home. As a result, the airborne allergens remain inside and cause unpleasant reactions.

Cold, dry air

Warmer seasons bring humidity, so the air outside has a lot of moisture. Winter air is cold and dry, and it can trigger dry, itchy, burning eyes.

Preparation for winter eye allergies

The sad truth is you can’t completely avoid your allergies, but you can arm yourself to reduce the severity of your symptoms. Dr. Stein recommends the following tips to help manage indoor allergens:

• Use allergy-proof pillowcases and comforters
• Wash your bedding often in hot water
• Use a dehumidifier to control mold
• Clean areas at risk for mold growth weekly
• Shield your eyes when outdoors

If you have a pet, it can be a little tough to reduce your exposure to pet dander. Make sure to wash your hands after touching an animal, and try keeping your pets out of your room.

When given the right prescription, eyeglasses can let you see clearly and accurately despite having a vision problem. While you can look forward to normal vision and say goodbye to squinting, blurry vision, and eye strain, your initial experience with new glasses may be less than perfect. Your eyes will need time to adjust to artificial lenses as you adapt to a new routine that involves wearing the devices regularly. While the process can be frustrating, knowing how to handle these changes can help you smoothly transition to a life with better vision.

Andrea J. Stein, OD, of Eye See Ravenswood specializes in providing professional optometry services. After a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. Stein will diagnose the source of your eye problems and provide the prescription you need to achieve corrected vision. Read on to learn tips for dealing with some of the most common issues that can arise when you begin wearing glasses.

Be prepared for distorted vision in the short-term

It can be devastating if you put on your new glasses and they don’t deliver the promise of normal vision that you anticipated. In some cases, your vision may feel worse with your new glasses than without them. Rest assured this is completely normal for some patients at first.

You may not enjoy the benefits of improved vision immediately because your eyes haven’t had enough time to adjust to the artificial lenses. If you lived with imperfect vision for a long period before getting glasses, your eyes may be trained to compensate for your vision problem. It can take time for your eyes to learn to relax and let the lenses do the work.

You may have a few headaches in the beginning

With new glasses, your eyes will go through a process to adjust to the lenses. As your eyes go through this process, your eye muscles can get overworked. This can result in headaches and pain in your eyes, forehead, and temples.

Do note, though, that headaches can also indicate that your glasses weren’t made to the requested prescription or that they don’t fit properly. If your headaches continue for more than a few days, contact Eye See Ravenswood so you can have your prescription checked.

Short-term adjustments can prevent dizziness

You might feel dizzy or nauseous as your brain learns to interpret the visual world through your new lenses. This can occur as your brain tries to keep up with your eyes as they move from one object to another. The sensation may make you feel like you’re in constant motion.

Dizziness and nausea are also common with new bifocal lenses, which have prescriptions for close-up work and distance viewing in one lens. The same can happen with progressive lenses, which combine prescriptions for close-up work, distance viewing, and computer work. These types of lenses require your brain to recalculate quickly as you switch between prescriptions.

To help prevent dizziness as you adjust to these lenses, try turning your head toward the object you want to see instead of moving your eyes toward it. Until your eyes adjust to your bifocal or progressive lenses, you should take extra caution when walking down steps.

Don’t give up

It can take up to two weeks for your eyes to adjust to your first pair of glasses. Don’t give up and stop wearing your glasses if you’re frustrated by discomfort or other symptoms. Doing this will extend the period of adjustment.

For the best results, follow Dr. Stein’s recommendation for the length of time you should wear your new glasses during your transition. Always keep your glasses clean to ensure that smudges don’t cause distortion. Avoid bending your frames or scratching your lenses — which can blur images — by storing your glasses safely in a case.

If you don’t notice progress within a week, contact Eye See Ravenswood. And until you’re comfortable wearing your new glasses, avoid driving and other activities in which distorted vision can interfere with your safety.

Dr. Stein and the staff of Eye See Ravenswood want to ensure that your transition to a life with glasses occurs as smoothly as possible. To find out how glasses can help you achieve better vision, book an appointment online or over the phone today.

Good vision is critical for just about anything we do. And when our eyes are “working” the way we need them — providing us with clear, crisp vision, day in and day out — we don’t give them a lot of thought. Even if we wear contact lenses or glasses, as long as we’re able to see clearly, it’s easy to think we can skip the annual eye exam without any negative consequences.

The problem is, our eyes can develop problems just like any other organ, and that means they need to be evaluated every year to make sure they stay healthy. At Eye See Ravenswood, we offer comprehensive eye exams using state-of-the-art technology to help every patient enjoy clearer vision and better eye health. Here’s why it’s so important not to skip your annual eye exam.

The importance of annual eye exams

A comprehensive eye exam doesn’t just check your vision. At Eye See Ravenswood, Dr. Andrea J. Stein uses special tests and technology to examine all the parts of your eye, from the clear lens at the front of your eye to the retina and optic nerve head in the back. Special tests will evaluate your peripheral vision, your ability to track and focus on objects, how well your eyes work together, and lots of other important factors that can help identify problems in their early stages. Eye exams aren’t invasive, and they don’t hurt. Most take under an hour to complete. Here are the two most important reasons why you shouldn’t skip yours.

Diagnosing — and preventing — disease

Disease prevention is one of the most important reasons to have a yearly eye exam. Many diseases, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, cause very few noticeable symptoms. With these conditions, often, partial blindness will be the first indication you’ll have that something is wrong with your eyes. In fact, glaucoma is often referred to as “the silent thief of sight.” But even though you might not have developed any physical symptoms yet, your Dr. Stein can still detect subtle changes in your eyes’ structure or function during a comprehensive eye exam. And that means you can get early care that’s essential for preventing permanent or severe vision loss.

Many eye diseases cause tiny changes in the eye’s structure. For instance, macular degeneration causes changes in and around your retina, the very back part of your eye. Glaucoma causes changes in the pressure inside your eye, and during your exam, Dr. Stein will use a special device to measure that pressure (without harming your eye or causing any pain).

Correcting vision problems

Annual exams are also important to make sure your vision is as crisp and clear as possible, especially as you get older. Even though you may have had stable vision for years, your vision can still change, especially once you reach your 40s and 50s. Many people with 20-20 vision throughout their 20s and 30s find close activities like reading become more difficult as they age. And if you already wear glasses, your prescription can change dramatically. Having a routine eye exam ensures you’ll still see clearly as your eyes change over time. Having an annual exam ensures you understand what options are available to help you maintain good vision as you get older.

Dr. Stein can also diagnose other issues, like computer eye strain or dry eye syndrome. Like other types of eye strain, computer eye strain can cause pretty serious headaches, and without treatment, those headaches aren’t going to go away. Dry eye syndrome makes your eyes more prone to infection, and it also causes problems like itching, burning, and blurriness.

And finally, your annual exam is a great time to ask questions and find out about things you can do to improve your eye health, like taking supplements or wearing protective eyewear during certain types of activities. At Eye See Ravenswood, we offer lots of eyewear options to help you make the right choices for your needs and your lifestyle.

Make an appointment today

Of course, it’s important to make an appointment at Eye See Ravenswood whenever you have an issue like eye pain, itching, watering, or redness in or around your eye. And it’s also important to visit us when you have a change in the way you’re seeing. But annual exams are also important because they look for subtle signs of underlying problems you might not even know are there. And that means you can go on enjoying the best vision possible for years to come. If it’s been a while since your last comprehensive eye exam, book an appointment online today. Then put an annual reminder on your calendar app to make sure you come in every year.