Protect Your Eyes ... with Vitamins



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 Most likely from the time you were old enough to remember, you were told to take your vitamins. Not only do they protect your bones, lower cholesterol, and improve brain development, vitamins also protect your eyes. One of our most recommended vitamins at WGEC is Fortifeye. The family of Fortifeye vitamins includes Complete Plus, Macular Defense, and Super Omega-3 fish oil.


Complete Plus contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin, both proven to be beneficial for the eyes. Macular Defense has the same ingredients as Complete Plus but is three times stronger and was developed initially for macular degeneration patients. It is now recommended for smokers, extreme athletes, and patients taking lots of medications. Super Omega-3 fish oils were designed to aid the dry eye patient. This supplement can be taken alone or in combination with Complete Plus or Complete Macular Defense.

During your visit to our office, we can recommend the most beneficial vitamin for you.

The Optomap Makes an Appearance on Dr Oz

In 1990, a 5 year-old boy named Leif went blind in one eye because a retinal detachment was detected too late for treatment. He had eye exams yearly but conventional testing was uncomfortable. His father designed the Optomap in order to make retinal examinations more comfortable and accurate. Recently, Dr Oz featured the Optomap on his show.

At West Georgia Eye Care, we pride ourselves on being able to properly evaluate your eyes with the latest technology available in order to ensure your eyes are healthy and free of disease. A thorough screening of the retina is critical to verify that your eye is healthy. Dilation is the conventional method of examining the retina and is still very useful. With dilation, only 10-15% of the retina can be viewed at one time. In addition, dilation leaves you with light sensitivity and blurred near vision for several hours. The Optomap, on the other hand, is able to capture 80% of the retina in one image. It is quick, painless, and typically does not require dilation drops.

The Optomap is the preferred method of viewing the retina at WGEC. In one snapshot we are able to view the optic nerve, macula, and blood vessels of the back of the eye. The retina is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be viewed directly. So in addition to eye diseases, signs of other diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease can be detected by viewing the retina. Request an appointment today for your complete eye health examination.

Why Can't I Keep My Glasses Clean?

Have you ever wondered why your glasses are so hard to keep clean, or why your lenses keep getting fine scratches on them? It could be the way that they are being cleaned.

We recommend specific methods to care for your eyewear. First, when cleaning your lenses you should only use recommended spray solutions given to you by your eye care professional. We use a spray that can be used directly on the lenses and cleaned off with a soft cloth. The soft cloth that comes in the case with your eyewear can also be used alone to wipe off the occasional smudge or fingerprint.

If you do not have access to your cleaning cloth and spray cleaner, a special mixture of soap and water can be used to rinse your glasses clean while you are at home or on the go. Just make sure that the soap that you are using does not have a moisturizer in it. It will not harm your lenses, but it will leave a greasy film that will be hard to remove. Also, stay away from abrasive materials when wiping your lenses clean or drying them. Something soft like a cloth diaper is best to use when there is no cleaning cloth.

Lastly, consider the environment that you are in most of the time. If you are working in a dusty environment, you should keep your cleaning cloth away from the dust that can attach to your cleaning cloth and cause fine scratches on your lens. If you don’t have to wear your glasses all the time, remember that the best protection for them is in their case.

For more information on eyewear maintenance, or for a demonstration please stop by our office or watch our Youtube video on proper cleaning methods.

How to Pass Your Eye Exam

Which is better one or two, three or four?  For some, these words cause a sudden panic and what might be called, test anxiety.  The pressure to get the "right" answer can be overbearing at times, but an eye exam should not be stressful.  Here are a few tips to help you get through your next examination without breaking a sweat.

At West Georgia Eye Care our goal each day is to make all patients feel at home while providing great care.  Rule number one for a great exam is to relax.  At WGEC, the Optomap Retinal Evaluation is typically the first test you will encounter; the purpose of the Optomap is to obtain an image of the retina.  In other words, we're taking a picture, so open your eyes wide and say "cheese". Retinal detachments along with other retinal disease can be diagnosed with the help of the Optomap.

Rule number two is relax.  The next several tests will make measurements of your eyes to help determine your prescription, among other things.  All you have to do is look at an image in a machine.  Easy, right?

The last part of the examination is determining your prescription and evaluating your eye health.  The doctor will use all the information from the previous tests to fine-tune your prescription.  Your eyes will be evaluated on how well they focus and work together.  During this portion it is important to keep your eyes relaxed, don't try to make your eyes focus on the letters.  So the answer to "which is better",  is the lens that is clearest to you.  There is no "right" answer.'

As doctors, prescribing glasses and contact lenses is important, but your eye health is without a doubt, the biggest concern.  Your eyes will be carefully examined from the front of the cornea to the optic nerve and macula in the back of the eye.  Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration are just a few things that can be diagnosed when evaluating eye health.    After reviewing all findings, any questions you may have will be answered.  Then it is time to have some fun and select glasses or contact lenses. 

Hopefully, this will help to ease your test anxiety and make your next eye exam at West Georgia Eye Care a breeze.

Contact Lens Solution

Finding the right contact lens solution can be tricky. There are various solutions on the market that are for the different types of contact lens made today. Many stores create their own brand of solution and deceive you into thinking that it is name-brand.  This video shows some of the solutions I recommend to my patients and how to properly care for your lenses.

Welcoming Dr. Carter

I have enjoyed getting to know and work with Dr. Carter. She already feels at home, and she has only been with us for a month. Dr. Carter is making a great impact at West Georgia Eye Care. I thought you would enjoy seeing this from her. Share with your friends. 

Soft Contact Lens

This video is about soft contact lens. I have explained the different kinds of lens that are available at West Georgia Eye Care such as toric, multifocal, disposable and extended wear lens. More videos are to come that go into depth about the various lens available.