3 Questions to Ask Your Eye Doctor At the Next Visit

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If you have glasses or an eye condition, then you likely see the eye doctor every one or two years. Your eye appointments are a chance to ask your eye doctor questions that can keep you informed about your eye health. Before you go to your next eye exam in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, give some thought to the types of questions that you might like to ask your eye doctor. Below are three examples of questions that could help you understand your eye health.
1. Will My Eye Condition or Prescription Change Over Time?
Prescriptions and eye conditions change over time. If you have an eye condition that may worsen, it’s helpful to know what changes in eyesight or eye health you can anticipate, so you can be on the lookout for symptoms and signs that it’s time to go back to the eye doctor.
2. What Lifestyle Changes Can I Make to Promote Good Eye Health?
Some habits, like smoking and drinking, can contribute to poor eye health over time. Your eye doctor can coach you on the changes that you can make to ensure good eye health with time.
3. When Should I Come Back for My Next Visit?
Some people need to see the eye doctor every year, some come back every two years – or even less often. Have a conversation with your eye doctor to find out when you should return to the eye doctor’s office for your next checkup.
Is it time to make an appointment with your eye doctor in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area? Contact Lappen Eye Care to get your next appointment on the schedule.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Eye Health: What You Should Know

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Most people know that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect every part of your body, but most people don’t consider that this can mean their eyes are affected too. When around 1.3 million people suffer from RA, it’s important to know how the symptoms manifest and why an optometrist in Greensburg, Pittsburgh, and McMurray, PA may be able to help.

Dry Eyes

When your body is attacking itself for no apparent reason, the consequences can be severe. Your autoantibodies are largely going after the joints, but they can end up going after your eyes as well. The glands that make tears won’t be able to do their job, and the results will have you blinking more often than you’d like.

Dry eyes in Pittsburgh, PA aren’t dangerous on their own, but they can impact your overall vision. If you’re driving or chopping a bell pepper, you can imagine why you’ll want to get treatment for your dry eye sooner than later.

Inflammation of the Sclera

While this is less common, you may experience pain and redness in the sclera (white portion). Again, what’s attacking the healthy parts of the body isn’t going to stop at just the eye. Talking to an eye doctor in McMurray, PA can help you understand more about how RA is linked to your eye health and what you can do to give yourself an edge over your illness.

Eye Doctors in the Pittsburgh Area

At Lappen Eye Care, we don’t just treat individual symptoms. Medical eye care in Greensburg, Pittsburgh, and McMurray, PA can help you discover issues before they have the chance to progress. Often, things like dry eye are an indicator of autoimmune diseases – long before official tests confirm it. Here, you’ll find a staff that’s focused on your overall health, so contact us today if you have questions or concerns about your RA.

I Don’t Need Sunglasses In Winter, Do I?

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Summer is a time when many people wear sunglasses, but in winter, some leave their sunglasses at home. Sunglasses are an important accessory at all times of the year, even during the short days of winter.

If you have prescription lenses but don’t have prescription sunglasses, now is the time to get some! Your eye doctor in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area can help. Below, we’ve listed information about why sunglasses are important at this time of year.

How Sunglasses Protect Your Eyes

Sunglasses protect your eyes by blocking harmful UV rays that can increase your risk of eye conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration and corneal damage. UV rays also age the structures of the eyes, thus contributing to an overall decrease in vision.

Why Sunglasses Are Useful in Winter

It may seem like your eyes are only at risk for UV exposure in summer, when the sun is out the longest and seems the brightest. Unfortunately, eyes can be exposed to UV rays in winter too, and can even suffer damage like corneal sunburn in winter, if you’re exposed to glaring sun reflecting off of the snow for many hours at a time. Sunglasses can help protect your eyes from this exposure, thus promoting good eye health.

How to Choose the Right Pair of Sunglasses

Finding the right pair of sunglasses starts with going to the eye doctor. Once you have an updated prescription, you can choose a pair of sunglasses from the many pairs of frames at your eye doctor.

To get started finding a pair of sunglasses in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, contact your eye doctor at Lappen Eye Care today.