Complete EyeCare Center and Dr. Olson encourage you to Look Local First

There’s no need to travel to find a high level of eye health care teamed with cutting-edge products. They are right here in our local community. The expertise and selection that is often only available in a larger city has been brought to you, our neighbors.  In fact, Mt. Pleasant’s Complete EyeCare Center has actually been ahead of the curve in many cases.

Mt. Pleasant had the first Optomap Retinal Imaging technology in the entire state of Iowa–at Complete EyeCare Center.

Mt. Pleasant had the first  Z-view Corneal Aberrometer in the state of Iowa–at Complete EyeCare Center.

Mt. Pleasant led Iowa, being the first to offer patients iZon high definition lenses–at Complete EyeCare Center. (We have patients that travel from Waterloo, Muscatine, Des Moines, and cities in Illinois to come HERE for this unique, customized lens!)

Mt. Pleasant had a Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomographer before the University of Iowa–at Complete EyeCare Center!

Mt. Pleasant led our state as one of the first to quantify macular degeneration risk with its ZeaVision macular pigment optical density instrument–at Complete EyeCare Center!

Mt. Pleasant is home to one of only 50 eye doctors in United States that had initial access to a brand new hybrid multifocal contact lens–it’s Dr. Christopher Olson.

If you were considering traveling for your eyecare, glasses, contacts, or sunglasses, think again.  By looking local you may be better off in many ways.  Just foregoing the drive is like getting instant savings of $58.17 on your glasses and exams!

*According to the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance the “Look Local First” campaign was started ”to change buying habits and unite our community by merging our greatest resources: local customers and local small businesses.”

Regular soft contact lenses are not designed to correct astigmatism.  If you have astigmatism and wear them you’ve been  experiencing blurry, inconsistent vision–definitely a source of frustration and compromised performance during daily activities.

What about soft toric lenses?  They are designed to correct astigmatism but can rotate on your eye, causing blurry vision that goes in-and-out of focus; especially at night.   Here’s another issue.  They are meant to stay aligned when your head is in a vertical position–like standing. But if you lie down, recline, or tilt your head, your vision can blur.  Think of all the activities you do where this is the case.  How would that work on the putting green?  Watching TV?  Even looking down to read something on your desk?

Some active people have given up altogether on the possibility that they can successfully wear contacts and are resigned to wearing glasses fulltime.  They can be cumbersome during sports and many physical activities. 

Dr. Olson wants to provide you with dependable, crisp, high-definition vision and all-day comfort no matter what life demands. He has the expertise and access to prescribe a cutting edge hybrid lens that eliminates many problems people have had with previous contact lenses!   

*If it’s been more than a year since your last eye exam, you’ll need one prior to your contact lens fitting.

Dr. Olson has used new Duette hybrid lenses to successfully fit people who thought they could never wear contacts!

I’ll let you in on a little known fact.  We have an expanded selection of great sunwear right here in Mt. Pleasant, in our eyewear gallery.  Why not stop in and try some on during your lunch break today?  If you’re interested in prescription sunwear, we have that too.  (In fact, this Saturday you can save $50 on a pair of prescription sunglasses, during our annual Fashion & Eyewear Event!)

Hope you can get outside and enjoy the weather!

Call our office, 319.385.9534, to schedule a corneal evaluation and tear analysis and our doctor will determine whether you would be a good candidate.  And right now, you can get a $50 rebate when you purchase an annual supply!

Not all people need a comprehensive eye health exam every year.  Every two years can be adequate for people who are not considered “at risk”.  Having said that, children and students may need more frequent care since their eyes are growing and changing quite rapidly.  That’s why it’s important for parents and teachers be educated to recognize signs of vision problems in children.

So who needs to been seen at least annually?  Those over age 60, contact lens wearers, anyone who has had eye surgery, people who take prescription or non-prescription drugs that can have ocular side effects, diabetics, anyone with high blood pressure, those who have a family history of ocular disease (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.), those who work in occupations that are visually demanding or with eye hazards, children with a high refractive error, an eye turn, or eyes with unequal refractive power,  children born prematurely, with low weight, or through difficult or assisted labor, children who received oxygen as newborns, children with family history of certain diseases, and people with other health concerns or conditions.  (Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list, and some conditions require more frequent monitoring.)

After examining and talking with you, Dr. Olson will make a recommendation about how long it should be until you have your next eye health exam.  Our first concern is your health, so we help you keep on track with convenient scheduling and reminders tailor-made to your situation.  But we won’t be surprised if your response is, “Has it really been a year?”

Lens sharing is a temptation with theatrical lenses, but infectious keratitis can be transmitted by doing this.  It can also begin when a particle under a contact lens scratches the eye, lenses are improperly cleaned, or worn too long.  Keratitis causes eye pain, redness, decreased vision and sensitivity to light.  Untreated, it can develop into a corneal ulcer–an open sore on the cornea.  This requires emergency medical treatment because corneal ulcers may spread and can lead to partial or complete blindness in a short period of time.

Theatrical contacts can be a fun part of your Halloween costume, when properly prescribed and worn.  Just remember it’s not worth it to sacrifice your eye health for the momentary effect.  We can fit you with these unique lenses, and provide training on proper care and wear regimens so you have a safe and comfortable Halloween.  Wild Eyes™ lenses from Complete EyeCare Center include the following designs: Jaguar, Zebra, Cateye, Knockout, Black-out, White-Out, Red Hot, Wildfire, Zoomin’, Icefire, and Hypnotica.

Eye color is primarily determined by melanin within the iris stroma.  Interestingly, just as the ultraviolet component of sunlight triggers melanin production in the skin, it can affect the iris’s melanin content and cause subtle eye color changes.  Melanin is absent in the iris of a person with albinism so the iris may appear pink as blood vessels in the back of the eye are reflected through it.

Some clinical studies have examined the relationship between iris color, race, and age-related macular degeneration.  There seems to be a higher prevalence of the disease in people with light-colored eyes and skin.   Sunglasses with UV protection are highly recommended for everyone, but especially for those who fall into this potential risk group.

If you have  green eyes, you are a rare breed.  Statistically, green eyes are found in only 1 to 2 percent of all people. Brown eyes are by far the most common eye color.  More than 50% of the population shares that trait.  Brown is followed by hazel–a blend of brown and green or amber.  Blue eyes are significantly less common than either brown or hazel, yet it is predominant in certain geographic areas.

Your eye color may have been different when you were born.  Some Caucasian newborns have blue eyes that change as melanin production increases during the first year of life.  Eye color often stabilizes by the time an infant is 6 months old.  By the age of 3, the eyes produce and store enough melanin for the color to be fully established.

If you are not completely satisfied with the color of your eyes, there are now contact lens products that can enhance or even change them.  Most enhancement tints have transparency so they work best on light-colored eyes.  Opaque lenses allow even those with dark eyes to have a new look.  A wide variety of both types are available in our office.  (Call 319.385.9534 to schedule contact lens exam.)

Theatrical contact lenses are typically opaque and create special iris effects such as the appearance of a cat-eye shaped iris, or a white iris.  These are often popular with people wanting a dramatic costume effect for Halloween.  Watch for an upcoming post with more information about these lenses.

CRT stands for Corneal Refractive Therapy.  With CRT the cornea, or outer surface of the eye, is reshaped each night using a specially designed rigid contact lens while you sleep.  The lenses are removed in the morning and your vision is corrected!  This means you don’t have to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day. 

Among people who benefit from wearing CRT lenses while they sleep, are those who have dry eyes, because they do not have to wear traditional contact lenses that can contribute to dryness during waking hours.  Those who work in dusty conditions or with fumes don’t have to worry about problems with contact lens irritation.  Anyone who enjoys swimming or exercising and would love to work out without their glasses, yet still see clearly, would benefit as well.  Emergency workers and others who face situations where they would be handicapped if their glasses were knocked off or contacts were dislodged, also appreciate freedom from typical corrective lenses. 

Another benefit to consider is that CRT is reversible, so when near vision begins to change in your 40s, the correction can be adjusted.  For Lasik patients these vision changes can mean that reading glasses are now necessary, but it’s possible that they could be avoided by a CRT patient using monovision. 

Anyone who finds the idea of freedom from traditional vision correction appealing, or has thought about Lasik, should consider the benefits of CRT.  Dr. Olson is only eye doctor in the Mt. Pleasant area to offer CRT.  Call his office, Complete EyeCare Center at 319.385.9534, for an eye health exam and he will help you determine if CRT is a good option for you.