Should you replace your contacts?

You know the feeling: Your eyes begin to itch and feel dry. You notice redness and irritation. All of these signs point toward the fact that it’s probably time to replace your contact lenses. Despite popular belief, it’s not a good idea to stretch the time in between replacing your lenses. If an optometrist tells you to put in new lenses every month, you shouldn’t keep them in for six weeks.

Same goes for keeping daily wear lenses in for a week or more. For one thing, contacts can acquire a buildup of bacteria or minerals that may scratch your eye and lead to infection. The eyes are extremely delicate and must be taken care of with extreme caution; small changes in habit or environment can cause irritation or more permanent damage.

So, while it may be tempting to put off replacing your lenses to save a few dollars, it’s not worth the risk to your eyes. Plus, with True Dental Discounts, the money you save with your membership card makes up for any benefits of stretching your lens-wearing time. What could be better than that?

See better with Vitamin C

You might have grown up hearing that eating carrots is a good way to sharpen your vision, but research is showing another excellent way to boost your eye health: Vitamin C. According to the American Optometric Association, nearly all cells in the body rely on Vitamin C to stay healthy, particularly those in the eyes. Research shows that Vitamin C is critical to the health of ocular blood vessels and can reduce the risk of cataracts by more than 50 percent. In addition, studies show Vitamin C, when taken in combination with other nutrients, and can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness for people over 55.

Unfortunately, the body does not produce Vitamin C on its own, so people need to make a conscious effort to get enough of this valuable antioxidant. The FDA suggests that males need 90 mg/day, while females need 75 mg/day. To give you a frame of reference, one medium orange is approximately 70 mg. Other great sources of Vitamin C include fruits such as grapefruits, tomatoes, bananas, apples and peaches. The most concentrated doses of Vitamin C come from the juices of such fruits as oranges and grapefruits – one cup of orange juice has a whopping 124 mg!

An optometrist on your True Dental Discounts, vision plan can give you more detailed information about sharpening your vision with Vitamin C. It’s easy to integrate antioxidants like Vitamin C into your diet if you have a little help and encouragement, so be sure to ask about it at your next appointment.

Information for Vision after 40

Even if you never wore glasses as a child or young adult, it’s important to be aware of changes in your vision once you reach age 40. According to the American Optometric Association, there are five common vision changes you may experience in middle age, including:

• Changes in color perception: The lens within your eye, which is normally clear, may start to discolor and make it difficult for you to differentiate between shades of colors.
• Problems with glare: Driving may become more difficult as glare from headlights or the sun becomes more noticeable. This increase in glare is a result of light being scattered on the retina instead of being properly focused.
• Reduced tears: Tear glands tend to produce fewer tears as you age. Post-menopausal women may notice that their eyes are especially dry and should talk to their True Care Advantage optometrist about solutions like medicated eye drops.
• Needing more light: You may have noticed it is not as easy to read in dim lighting as it once was. Solve this issue by using bright lamps while reading or working.
• Difficulty reading or working up close: The lens in the eye starts to become more flexible as you age, making it harder for your eyes to focus on nearby objects.

This can cause books or documents to appear blurry at close distances, so ask your True Care eye doctor about getting reading glasses as well as an overall vision exam.

Vision after 40 - Tips for seeing better

Even if you never wore glasses as a child or young adult, it’s important to be aware of changes in your vision once you reach age 40. According to the American Optometric Association, there are five common vision changes you may experience in middle age, including:

• Changes in color perception: The lens within your eye, which is normally clear, may start to discolor and make it difficult for you to differentiate between shades of colors.

• Problems with glare: Driving may become more difficult as glare from headlights or the sun becomes more noticeable. This increase in glare is a result of light being scattered on the retina instead of being properly focused... (read more)