Latisse

Latisse is drug applied to the eyelids daily to improve the growth and thickness of eyelashes.  The success rate is nearly 100%.  There can be some irritation to the eye when this is applied to the lids.  Other than this, Latisse has few other adverse side effects.   

Latisse is only available by prescription, and Longmont Vision Center will soon be able to dispense Latisse directly to our patients.  Call us for more information!

Why Shouldn't I Just Order My Eyeglasses or Contacts Online and Save a Few Bucks?

You know that first answer from us is going to be obvious:  Support local business, of course! 

Now for the rest.  First, we will address online contact lens orders.

-  Is the online order entered in properly?  There are no exchanges for customer error.

-  Your optometrist has connections through their vendors, and in turn they can offer rebates for almost every brand that they carry -- some up to $100!

-  If your insurance does cover a portion of your contact lens fitting exam and/or lenses, you cannot use that benefit toward online purchases.

About purchasing glasses online:

-  You need an accurate PD (Papillary Distance) measurement, down to the millimeter.  

-  Even if you have the correct PD, there could be lab errors.  Then you have to send your order back and wait.

-  Accurate order entry of your prescription takes your time and energy.  Refunds or exchanges are only offered for lab errors -- not for customer errors.  

-  Speaking of time, energy, (and money), our labs have spent all of that developing the most accurate, high-tech add-ons for your lenses.  They back up their product.  Will an online lab do the same? 

-  Online eyewear shipping takes an average of 14 days.  We are usually able to dispense your order in far less time.

-  Online eyewear can be misrepresented in color, shape, and quality.  Will you like the fit and finish of your glasses?  Temple length?  Bridge?  Will the lenses sit properly, especially if you wear a bifocal or progressive lens?  If not, expect some mailing back and forth until you are satisfied.

-  Adjustment:  most frames initially need a little squeeze or loosening, a little tweak here, a little there, and sometimes again in the future.  Your computer isn't willing to do that for you when you buy online.

-  Is your online payment secure?

-  Finally, it's all about the human experience.  We have professional opticians to measure and fit the technical piece of your lenses, and who will offer you assistance in selecting the right frame for your face structure.  There is nothing harder for an optician to witness than a poor fitting pair of glasses, so they will work hard to make you happy with your decision.  Glasses are part of your daily "outfit," and we want you to feel good about what you are wearing to complement your accurate vision.  A good pair of glasses will cost some money, but they are something that most of us depend on using every single day.  We depend on our cars most every day too, and we pay a lot more for those!  

Clearly, these frames are wrong for him.  We would not have recommended that he purchase these. Well... unless he insisted!

We don't just want to sell you a great pair of glasses or contacts.  We want our patients to have a complete eye care experience at our practice, answering all of your questions from the exam to the retail purchase.  While good, cool, functional eyewear is important, we also want our patients to have healthy eyes and correct vision no matter where you decide to buy your eyewear.

Silicone Contact Lenses

About ten years ago, silicone was added to soft contact lenses.  This made the lenses highly breathable.  The oxygen transmission went from an average of 28 units to about 120 units.  This is obviously much healthier for human cornea.  There are numerous lenses available in this format including: B&L PureVision 2, Cooper Biofinity, Acuvue Oasys, and Ciba Night and Day.  Longmont Vision fits most patients with these new lenses, and we work to custom fit each patient with the best lens for comfort and vision.

Optomap

Taking photographs of the back of the human eye (retina) is becoming more common because you then have a permanent record of how the eye looks.   Past digital photography had its limitations because you could only get a small portion of the entire retina.  You can see nearly all the retina using an Optomap laser camera.  We will offer you this Optomap option during your routine eye exam, and also answer any questions you may have about this important tool. 

Bifocal Soft Contacts

 

People above 40 often start losing their near vision.  Bifocal soft contacts have been available for over 20 years, but new designs have made fitting patients easier. The idea is to give both far and near vision.  Acuvue Oasys and Bausch and Lomb PureVision are two of these.  Cooper Vision came out with Biofinity, which seems to give both far and near vision.  

These lenses can accomodate 80% of your vision needs, but usually need to be supplemented with occasional use of reading glasses.

Some of these contact lens manufacturers offer rebates that aren't available through websites or other third party distributors, so give our office a call to learn more. 

Spring Allergies

It is allergy season, and many patients are suffering with red and itchy eyes. Medications to help these symptoms include steroids, anti-histamines, and histamine blockers. Zaditor (Ketotifin) is a histamine blocker that is now over-the-counter. It is taken twice per day and symptoms may improve in a few hours. 

There are other medications for allergy sufferers available by prescription including steroids, anti-histamines and mast cell inhibitory drugs. You can get prescriptions for these drugs with a short office visit at LVC.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Longmont Vision Center Blog!  We will work hard to keep you up to date with eye care news, articles of interest, and maybe a fun thing or two as well.


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