Your vision insurance benefits expire on December 31, 2011. If they are not used by the end of the year you forfeit them. So as it has been said, “Use it or Lose It”! Many patients confuse vision insurance with medical health insurance. The fact is, the two are not the same. Vision insurance covers a “once a year” eye examination, an eye health screening and benefits for contact lenses or eyeglasses.
Medical Health Insurance recognizes that your eye is a “body member” like any other part of your body, subject to disease from various medical conditions. A few of the many conditions are diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Medical Insurance plans like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare, Aetna, United Healthcare and Cigna, to name a few, cover medical eye care and treatment by an optometric physician like Dr. Consor for conditions like dry eyes, eye allergy and eye conditions related to diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Numerous diseases of the body can damage the inside of the eye. Did you know that diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness? Many medical plans include a preventive annual diabetic eye wellness examination for FREE.
If your medical insurance deductibles have been met or you haven’t used your vision care plan benefits, this is a good time of the year to visit the Eye Doctor.
Use any remaining account dollars in your Health Savings or Flexible Spending accounts. HSA and Flex Plans can be used for eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and medical eye care.
Orthokeratology (Corneal Refractive Therapy, or CRT) lenses are specially designed to reshape the cornea (window of your eye) during sleep, providing lens-free daytime wear. Reshaping the cornea with contact lenses to improve vision isn’t new. These lenses received FDA approval in 2002 and Dr. Consor has been successfully performing Orthokeratology since 2001. The results of Ortho-K are similar to Lasik surgery. Ortho-K contact lenses flatten your cornea without surgery, enabling light to focus properly on your retina, resulting in better vision. However, unlike Lasik, the benefits only last as long as you continue to wear the lenses at night. If you discountinue use your vision will return to its normal, uncorected state.
Orthokeratology is for people of any age who are nearsighted with a prescription of up to -5.00 diopters of power and minimal astigmatism. The procedures can be performed on practically anyone of any age, as long as their eyes are healthy. Ortho-K holds particular appeal for people who participate in sports, or who work in dusty, dirty environments that can cause problems for regular contact lenses. Because Ortho-K offers similar benefits to LASIK, it’s also appealing to adolescents and teens, which are not eligible for lasik. The majority of “Ortho-K” patients can expect 20/20 vision during the day as long as they wear the retainer lens the majority of nights while sleeping. Discontinuing lens wear altogether allows your corneas to gradually regress to their original shape or close to it. “Ortho-K” is Comfortable and pain free. EAVB_SBZWQTKAJE
Many people who use computers for long stretches of time complain about symptoms like dry eyes, blurry vision and eye strain. While it might not be feasible to cut down on computer use, there are a number of ways to maintain good eye care and health while you are at work. First, regular eye exams are a must and it is important to tell your doctor how much computer work you do each day. We have special computer lens prescriptions to help you on the computer. When using your computer, make sure that you stop for breaks at regular intervals. It’s a good idea to look away from the screen preferably out the window to relax your eyes for one minute every 10 minutes.
One problem many computer users face is a problem they probably are not even aware of; that is the fact that they do not blink often enough. When staring continuously at your monitor, you will blink far less than normal causing dry and red eyes. When working at your computer, make a conscious effort to blink as much as possible. In fact, closing your eyes for a few seconds can really help as well. Using artificial tears and applying them to keep your eyes moist is also helpful as is installing a humidifier in your work area.
The way you sit at your computer also plays an important role in the health of your eyes. Make sure the monitor is about 20 inches away from your eyes. The top of the monitor should be tilted a little below your eye level this encourages blinking and reduces back and neck strain. Also make sure that you keep your monitor free of dust and fingerprints, as these can greatly reduce clarity.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 by Eye Doctor Dallas
An eye doctor can see things you can’t. I’ll bet you didn’t know that a thorough eye examination checks more than just how clearly you see? Regular eye examinations can detect many serious medical conditions such as, diabetes; hypertension, elevated cholesterol, neurological diseases and cancer, just to name a few. Your eye is a body member and every drop of blood that is pumped from your heart goes to your eye resulting in impurities and disease showing up in the eye.
Four out of the twelve cranial nerves go to the eye making early signs of brain tumor and multiple sclerosis to cause eye symptoms and signs. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t detect medical diseases in the course of my eye examinations resulting in numerous two way referrals to and from, internists, cardiologists, neurologists, primary care physicians and other medical specialties.
Vision care is wellness care. It’s easy for the average person to delay or ignore altogether a yearly eye examination. Many people think if it isn’t broke or bleeding, why spend money to fix it. Well I say a stitch in time save nine! A comprehensive eye health examination can save your life and improves the quality of your life through clear vision. Fact is, 80 percent of everything we do is guided by our vision. Poor vision is a major cause of strain, fatigue, loss of productivity and irritability. Call our office today and make an appointment. We accept most vision and insurance plans.
…if you decide to put on colored lenses as part of your costume that weren’t prescribed for you by a licensed eye doctor.
Contact lenses are a medical device, similar to prescription medications, that need to be professionally fitted to your eyes, and there are laws to prescribing them. Wearing lenses that were not prescribed for you can result in damage to your corneas (the windows of your eyes) and diseases like corneal ulcers, that can result in scarring and permanent loss of vision.
Despite these laws, there are vendors who still sell them on the streets, in stores and on the internet. This is a timely topic, considering the time of the year, and the fact that I was at a educational seminar in another city and noticed a sign in the window of the store promoting the sale of tinted contact lenses for Halloween. I went into the store pretending I wanted to buy some, and was offered an array of colors to try on at a very affordable price.
I want to caution you as an eye care specialist to avoid any temptation to wear contact lenses that were not prescribed for you. On that note, even trying on clear lenses that belong to a friend can be potentially harmful.
Below I have reposted an investigative news story about such lenses in which Dr. Consor was interviewd by WB33 news.
Several weeks ago, a friend of my wife spent ALL NIGHT in the emergency room with her fourteen year old son. He had spent the evening riding four-wheelers with friends when one became stuck in the mud. In an attempt to free the vehicle they connected one end of a chain to the ATV and the other end to a truck. If you haven’t seen it coming yet, the chain broke, and under intense strain, flew back striking the young man in the eye causing a blowout fracture.
He spent the next six hours in surgery trying to save the eye. This didn’t include any attempts to repair the three fractured bones around his eye. Not long after the surgery it became apparent the eye would have to be removed and fitted with a prosthetic eye. (Okay, the cat picture at this link is just weird!)
Eyes are different than most other parts of the body. Unlike an arm, a foot, or even your heart, the eyes cannot be replaced with a functional substitute. The first step in protecting your eyes is to actively minimize the potential for an eye injury. In the case mentioned above, removing yourself from harm’s way is most important. I have been in that same situation before and always tried to get behind a tree, structure, or another vehicle. That chain was under enormous tension and can be lethal if it breaks and hits you just right.
Most of us find ourselves in this position very rarely, but we encounter other situations dangerous to our eyes with regularity. At least once a week I am out mowing the yard, weed eating, or trimming some trees around the house. Earlier this summer I was looking down while mowing and a low hanging limb hit me directly in the eye. Luckily for me, I was wearing safety glasses! They aren’t prescription and I got them for about $10 at Home Depot; much less than a visit to the ER! It is easy to think “it won’t happen to me…what are the odds?”. Actually, the odds are probably much lower than you think, and who wants to play the loss-of-vision lottery anyway?
Another frequent danger for the eyes is sports activities. It’s easy to get an elbow or finger in the eye why playing many sports. Or how about a baseball to the face? We encourage our patients to invest in a good pair of sports eyewear, such as Rec Specs, for these activities. We fit many patients with sports glasses that incorporate Transitions lenses so that children may play sports indoors or outdoors or for our patients that enjoy riding motorcycles both during the day and at night. Combined with an anti-reflective coating, these lenses can even improve performance through clearer vision and decreased reaction times.
Have you ever had an injury that could have been prevented with a pair of protective eyewear? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
Eyeglasses with bifocals with or without a line are the most common ways to treat presbyopia. Most people opt for the bifocal without the line called a progressive lens because they offer a more gradual transition with no image jump or unsightly line. The top of the lens either has no power or your distance prescription, the middle part of the lens is for the computer screen or people across the table and the bottom part of the lens is for reading.
I can read your mind; “Are they hard to get used to?” No they aren’t. For that matter, the new lens designs come with a guaranteed fit. Our patients’ success rate is 98%! We also offer the new surgical implants the Crystalens, ReStore lens, and ReZoom lens. We will be delighted to discuss these options with you during your next visit.
There are a wide variety of contact lenses that are worn to change your eye color, enhance your natural color, or just provide a creative design such as cat’s eyes for Halloween. However, too often these are sold as over-the-counter lenses by unlicensed retailers.
Not only is this practice illegal, but it is very dangerous. Laws are very strict about who may or may not dispense contact lenses, and for VERY GOOD reason. Dr. Consor was interviewed by a WB33 news team about the danger of purchasing such contacts from an unlicensed provider. Froms that interview:
”Dr. Consor has seen corneal abrasions caused by the inexpensive lenses, bumps on the inside of eyelids, and even blindness caused by infection. Those patients are not instructed properly in the handling and care, let alone those contacts don’t fit the contour and shape of the eye.”
A 14-year old girl in Sydney, Australia has lost sight in one eye after wearing novelty contact lenses purchased on the internet. She borrowed the lenses from a friend to go to a party. She developed a severe corneal infection. Internet marketing of contact lenses is giving people a false sense of security that contact lenses are a retail commodity and that all contact lenses are the same. Fact is, contact lenses are classified by the FDA as a drug and require the examination and fitting skills of an Eye Doctor to assure their safety and accuracy of fit.
Imported, diverted, counterfeit lenses often sold on the internet, often times from other countries may be packaged in non-sterile solution. To be safe, always order contact lenses directly from your Eye Doctor. Our website allows you to order lenses on-line. They will be delivered to your door. We give rebate discounts offered by the on-line mass marketers, and you know that you are getting what the doctor prescribed. Our prices are very competitive and affordable.
Eye Doctor Dallas, Dallas Eye Wear, Eye Glasses Dallas, Cataract Doctor Dallas, Laser Vision Correction & Eye Surgery by Dr. Bob Consor of Eye Doctor's Office & Eye Gallery in Highland Park area of Dallas Texas
An eye doctor can see things you can’t. I’ll bet you didn’t know that a thorough eye examination checks more than just how clearly you see? Regular eye examinations can detect many serious medical conditions such as, diabetes; hypertension, elevated cholesterol, neurological diseases and cancer, just to name a few. Your eye is a body member and every drop of blood that is pumped from your heart goes to your eye resulting in impurities and disease showing up in the eye.
Several weeks ago, a friend of my wife spent ALL NIGHT in the emergency room with her fourteen year old son. He had spent the evening riding four-wheelers with friends when one became stuck in the mud. In an attempt to free the vehicle they connected one end of a chain to the ATV and the other end to a truck. If you haven’t seen it coming yet, the chain broke, and under intense strain, flew back striking the young man in the eye causing a 
Another frequent danger for the eyes is sports activities. It’s easy to get an elbow or finger in the eye why playing many sports. Or how about a baseball to the face? We encourage our patients to invest in a good pair of 
Eyeglasses with bifocals with or without a line are the most common ways to treat presbyopia. Most people opt for the bifocal without the line called a progressive lens because they offer a more gradual transition with no image jump or unsightly line. The top of the lens either has no power or your distance prescription, the middle part of the lens is for the computer screen or people across the table and the bottom part of the lens is for reading.
There are a wide variety of contact lenses that are worn to change your eye color, enhance your natural color, or just provide a creative design such as cat’s eyes for Halloween. However, too often these are sold as over-the-counter lenses by unlicensed retailers.