Complete EyeCare Center

Are you compromising your active lifestyle because of your current contact lenses?  Have you been told you couldn’t wear contacts?  It’s time to take another look!

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!

It’s a sunny day in Mt. Pleasant, at least for now!  During this spring’s activities I’ve been thankful for a good pair of sunglasses, whether I’m driving, doing yard work, or watching a high school tennis match.  What a difference it makes in my comfort and enjoyment!  If you are a contact lens wearer you especially know what I mean.  We keep hearing more and more about the necessity of proper sun protection, for your skin and your eyes.

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!

You can rack up holiday shopping savings very quickly by purchasing your eyewear at Complete EyeCare Center’s downtown Mt. Pleasant, Iowa office.  Not only that, you could win a prize valued at $300 or more!  We are participating in Main Street Mt. Pleasant’s “Get Punched” promotion, which starts November 3rd, 2008.  For each $100 you spend at participating businesses, take your completed punch card to the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber office to receive a free gift certificate worth at least $5 to spend downtown, plus a chance to win the weekly prize.  That’s an automatic reward of at least 5% on your purchase, perhaps more!  Large weekly prizes will be awarded November 14th, 21st, December 5th, 12th, and 19th.  You can have a new look for the holidays, and these added bonuses, by getting those new eyeglasses or contacts you’ve been wanting now!

If your Halloween costume includes theatrical contacts, like Wild Eyes™ brand lenses, make sure you keep in mind that all contact lenses are medical devices.  They must be prescribed by an eye doctor because if they are not properly fit, or are worn improperly, they can cause serious eye problems.  That goes for all contacts–even lenses that do not corrective power in them.

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.

The colored part of your eye, called the iris, is what controls the amount of light that is allowed to enter the eye.  When your eyes dilate, the iris retracts and the central opening, or pupil, enlarges, letting more light in.  This automatically occurs when you are in darkness, and to a limited degree, when you are relaxed and happy.  Eye doctors can also provoke this response with dilation drops to get a wider view of the eye’s interior features.

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.

Ever wished you didn’t have to wear glasses or contacts, but find the idea of refractive surgery a bit drastic or expensive?  People who would like all the advantages of not wearing glasses or contacts during the day, but are reluctant to have refractive surgery (such as Lasik) are finding a solution with CRT at Complete EyeCare Center.

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.

We have an extensive line of products and we’re working on linking you to manufacturers and images from this page, so you can learn more and browse at your convenience.  Call our office or stop in to purchase any of these products 319.385.9534.

Frame Collections

• Altair
• Aristar
• Banana Republic
• Bill Blass
• Blue Ribbon
• Bratz
• Carrera
• Charmant
• Claiborne
• Clearvision
• Columbia
• Disney
• Elasta
• Elle
• Ellen Tracy
• Esprit

• Flexon
• Fysh
• Genesis
• Global Releaf
• Gloria Vanderbilt
• Hannah Montana
• Hershey’s
• Imagewear
• Jessica McClintock
• Jill Stuart
• Kliik
• Koali
• L’amy
• Levi’s
• Lightec
• Liz Claiborne
• Lulu Guinness
• Marchon
• Nickelodeon
• Nike
• Őga
• Pentax
• Perry Ellis
• Randy Jackson
• Riders
• Safilo
• Scooby-Doo!
• Sigrid Olsen
• Silhouette
• Sophia Loren
• Spiderman
• Stepper
• Stetson
• Stride Rite
• Swarovski
• Takumi
• Ted Baker
• Titan Minimal Art
• Tres Jolie
• Tura
• Valentino
• Visions
• Wildflower
• Wrangler
• Zyloware

Sunglasses

• Maui Jim

• Flip-up sunglass clips
• Solarshields – polarized, non-polarized

Contact Lenses

• Disposable
• Daily Wear
• Soft
• Rigid
• Multifocal
• for Astigmatism
• Tinted
• Color changing
• Theatrical
• CRT –Corneal Refractive Therapy

Lenses

• Drivewear
• iZon
• Polycarbonate
• CR-39, Plastic
• Glass
• Hi-Index
• Progressive
• Bifocal
• Trifocal, Quadrifocal
• Computer
• SolFx
• Zeiss
• Varilux
• Transitions

Lens Treatments

• Scratch Resistance
• UV Protection
• Anti-Reflective
• Tints–Cosmetic, Sunglass
• Mirror

Safety Glasses

• AO Safety
• Hudson Safety
• Liberty
• Titmus

Vitamin Supplements

• enlyten strips deliver nutrients faster & more effectively with less side effects–antioxidant, electrolyte plus, energy or melatonin.
• Tozal Eye Health Formula (To order Tozal use rep# 24894 to complete your purchase.)

• Omega Max
• Total Focus
• Viteyes
• Viteyes Advanced Formula
• Viteyes AREDS Companion
• Viteyes Smokers Formula

Ointments, Drops, Cleansers

• Nature’s Tears
• Aquify
• Ocusoft Foaming Lid Scrub
• Tears Again

Contact Lens Solutions

• Optifree
• Boston One Step
• Boston
• Boston Advance
• Clear Care
• MiraFlow
• Optimum
• Softwear
• Supra Clens

Optical Items and Accessories

• Contact lens remover
• Eyeglass chains
• Computer shields
• Lens cloths
• Eyeglass repair kits
• Visor clips
• Cases
• Readers
• Penlight
• Optix 20/20
• Natural Eyes lens cleaner – for anti-reflective treated lenses
• Shinize lens cleaner
• Euro lens bath
• Prescription Scuba Mask
• Sports bands

Low Vision Aids

• Pocket Microscope
• Handheld Magnifiers – 3x – 10x
• Telescope 4×13
• Full page magnifier
• Thin magnifier
• Monoculars
• Binoculars
• Spectacle clamp flip-ups
• Check writing guide
• Lap  desk
• Bausch & Lomb
• Eschenbach
• Beecher
• Light House
• Schweizer
• Specwell
• Edroy
• Walters

Vision Training

• HTS & PTS Home Vision Therapy Programs

We’re glad that you’ve found our new website!  Thanks for your patience as we develop it into what will be a useful and informative site.  We’re looking forward to enhancing your experience with our office by offering the convenience of 24-hour resources online.   So, when you’re home after a long day at work and remember that you needed to reorder your contacts, request an appointment, or find an answer to your question, you’ll be able to do that, no matter what time it is.  Of course, until these features are established on the internet, you can always call our office while it’s on your mind.  Our phone number is 319.385.9534.  If it’s after our regular office hours, you can leave a message, and our staff will get back to you the next business day.  If you have an eye health emergency just call the same number any time.

Our new website will be changing frequently as technology, products, and treatments, develop in our industry and practice.  Dr. Olson keeps abreast of the latest in eye health care, for the benefit of his patients.  He’ll be sharing his expertise and perspectives regularly so that you are well informed, so be sure to return to this site regularly.

You’ll probably notice that we’re just beginning to build this site and there are lots of improvements to be made.  If you have other suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.  We welcome your input.