Tag: eye care

Use Up Your FSA or Insurance Benefits Before They Disappear!

Smiling Woman

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s important to remember that if you have unused funds remaining in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or vision insurance benefits, they could be expiring at the end of the year. One way many people choose to spend these dollars is on eyewear like eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, or a yearly supply of contact lenses.

Maybe it’s been a year or two since you updated your prescription or had your eyes checked, in which case we recommend an annual eye exam and fresh pair of eyeglasses. If your current glasses suit you just fine, but you don’t own a backup pair, now could be a great time to gain the peace of mind of knowing that if you do break your favorite pair of specs, you’ll have a another waiting for you that you love just as much.

Daily glasses wearers are all too familiar with the frustration that comes with not owning a pair of prescription sunglasses, but what they may not know is Longe Optical can turn virtually any eyeglass frame into sunglasses. Our helpful opticians love styling our guests, and even if you can’t find a pair of traditional sunglasses to suit your style, your options at Longe are practically limitless. We use the highest quality polarized lenses to customize regular frames on a daily basis, and with our all-digital ClearVu Experience producing an ultra-accurate prescription, your vision will not be compromised in the least.

At Longe Optical we take contact lens care very seriously. Contacts are classified as a medical device, and a current contact lens exam with one of our independent optometrists is required to order a new supply. This is to help protect your eyes from problems caused by Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome or improperly sized contacts, which can cause long-term vision and health problems. Ordering contacts from Longe Optical is simple and convenient — we carry dozens of the most popular brands and styles, and are more than happy to provide guests with various trial lenses so they can find the contacts that suit them perfectly.

Even though insurance often eliminates or reduces your out-of-pocket expense, we offer some very budget-friendly promotions year-round — including 50% off a second pair of glasses and 50% off glasses when you purchase a year’s supply of contact lenses. We will do everything we can to help you maximize your insurance benefits and minimize the money you spend on eyewear.

For a list of our in-network insurers you can click here, or give us a call at (260) 469-3937. And if we’re out-of-network for you, we can often find special discounts or rebates to help you save as much or more than if you went somewhere in-network.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season, and if there’s anything we can do to help you see, look, and live your best, our friendly staff at all six of our Fort Wayne locations is ready to help!

 

Protecting Your Eyes from Blue Light — Why Quality Matters

Have you heard different terms thrown around for “blue light” protection and wondered what the difference is between these terms? Have you wondered if blue light is even harmful to your eyes?

A lot of optical companies refer to the coating they use to protect against blue light with their own branded term. Here at Longe Optical, we utilize the ZEISS DuraVision BlueProtect on our opticals. This coating has been specifically developed for people who spend a lot of their time indoors and are exposed to blue-violet light from LED light bulbs, TVs, computers, and tablets. For example, if you work at a computer for long periods of time your eyes would definitely benefit from this product.

We can also add an anti-reflective layer on the back of the lens to reduce the indirect light reflected into the eye. This allows our technology to block UV rays coming into the eye from all directions.

All digital devices emit blue light, a low wavelength, light energy light that can potentially damage your eyes over a long period of time. Although there is an element of blue light that we’re exposed to on a regular basis, for example from the sun, the concern with digital devices comes from their close proximity to users and the amount of time they’re used. Although not all blue light is bad, overexposure can lead to things like digital eye strain and retinal cell damage that can increase your risk for issues like macular degeneration. It’s important to know what blue light protection you are purchasing because not all blue light protection is the same. If your glasses aren’t protecting against the right kind of blue light or if they have a cheap coating, they won’t effectively protect your eyes.

Make sure to check out Longe Optical’s unique ZEISS DuraVision BlueProtect lens coating! Adding this feature to your lenses can ensure you have comfortable vision, even when there is a high level of blue light present. This BlueProtect filter reduces portions of the blue light spectrum from reaching your eyes, and many eyeglass wearers with the BlueProtect report greater visual comfort thanks to this coating.

A Few Words About Contact Lenses

Getting the most for your money on contact lenses is important and you may find yourself wanting to consider online options to save money, but what do you give up in the process? Is ordering a contact prescription online truly a better deal?

Here at Longe Optical, we are passionate about your vision care and through our exclusive, state-of-the-art all-digital ClearVu Experience, we can generate a prescription that is perfect for enhancing your lifestyle.

Here are some reasons why we believe getting your contacts through us is a better value and experience compared to purchasing online or over the phone.

Every one of our guests receives personalized care

At Longe Optical, you’re not just another account number, we do our best to know you by name and understand your vision history and situation. For example, our the manager of our West Jefferson location, Brent, has been with us for 15 years and he knows so many of our guests not only from a medical standpoint, but on a personal level.

If we see that one of our guests is refilling a year’s worth of contacts even though it has only been six months since they last ordered, we can get to the root of the issue to make sure that their contacts are working properly. There might be another issue at hand if they’re going through that many contacts in such a short amount of time.

We want to help you fix problems! This is a unique time for all of us, but during the COVID-19 shutdown, we had the opportunity to help out many guests who wouldn’t have been able to receive service from their “regular” retailers.

We carry a massive variety of brands and types of contact lenses

At our five Fort Wayne Longe Optical stores, we offer as many as 40 different types of contacts from all of the leading brands, virtually all of which that can be trialed to ensure you find a brand that works and fits you the best! We won’t try to steer you into a one-size-fits-all contact lens brand. We make sure you find the right contact lens for your needs, whether that’s a daily, weekly, or monthly disposable, a bifocal or multifocal, toric lenses, or something else!

Additionally, we take full accountability for the quality control of the lenses we carry and if we feel that a certain brand or type of lens is not up to our standards, we will not carry it.

Consistency is key and not everyone can offer that

We believe it’s important that our independent optometrists see our patients on a regular basis, preferably yearly, which leads to familiarity and allows the doctor to recognize an issue that you may not realize you have. This leads to healthier eyes and higher quality of life.

It may be tempting to attempt to save money through a discount retailer online or over the phone, and our concern with that is you could be potentially sacrificing the health of your eyes. An ill-fitting contact or incorrectly filled prescription can cause vision issues and lead to serious health implications.

We do our best to offer fair, value-based pricing for our contact lenses and often can identify rebates or alternatives to help manage your budget. More importantly, in our minds and hopefully yours, is the understanding we gain from the personalized care we provide.

Just some food for thought as you consider your next contact lens purchase! Give us a call at (260) 469-3937 or visit longeoptical.com/request-an-exam to schedule your next contact lens eye exam.

 

 

Sun’s Out, Shades On – Take Care of Your Eyes This Summer

According to our independent optometrists, too much UV light can raise the risk of various eye diseases over time, so knowing how the sun can affect you and your children this summer is important! Proper eye protection during the summer is vitally important to maintaining overall eye health.

Proper exposure to the sun can also be great for your vision when you’re properly protected! According to a study done by the Ohio State University College of Optometry, children who are exposed to more sunlight throughout the day are less likely to develop nearsightedness over time.

Understanding Types of UV Radiation

The sun emits two major types of UV radiation that can cause damage to the eye: UV-A and UV-B.

Overexposure to UV-A radiation can damage the macula, hurting your central vision. Too much UV-B radiation exposure can lead to damage in the corona and the lens of your eye. Understanding what you are trying to avoid will help you take steps to prevent damage to your eyes.

Four Ways to Protect Your Eyesight

Although the sun can be harmful, it’s still important to make sure you and your family are able to get great exercise and spend time outside. Here are a few tips for maintaining good eye health without having to hide from the sun completely.

  1. Choose sunglasses carefully

Not all sunglasses function the same way! It’s important to consider more than just style when grabbing a new pair of sunglasses. Look for sunglasses that are labeled with “100 percent UV protection” or glasses with larger lenses that wrap around the sides of your eyes. Just because your pair of sunglasses says it offers “UV protection” doesn’t mean it is protecting against both kinds of UV! If you’re not sure how efficient your sunglasses are, ask your doctor.

  1. Wear a hat

A hat with a 2- to 3-inch brim is ideal because it specifically protects the eyes. A dark underside to the brim can lower the amount of damaging UV rays your eyes and skin are exposed to. Many bucket hats and floppy hats are available for even the youngest of children to wear.

  1. Wear proper eye protection even when it’s cloudy

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 80% of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds. It’s important to make sure you still wear your sunglasses even if the sun isn’t visibly shining.

  1. Limit exposure to the sun during peak hours

The sun’s rays are most aggressive from 10AM to 4PM. It’s important to stay in the shade, apply sunscreen frequently, and wear other protective gear — especially during these hours.

At Longe Optical, we offer a wide variety of high quality, name brand sunglasses that can be purchased with non-prescription or prescription lenses. Let us help you have a safe and happy summer by scheduling your annual eye exam today. While you’re here, pick up a pair of stylish sunglasses that will keep you safe this summer!

 

 

 

Helpful Hints for Selecting Sunglasses

At Longe Optical, we are passionate about eye care, which includes the eyewear we wear during the summer months! Many of our customers don’t realize how important sunglasses are and that they function as more than just a fashion accessory. When shopping for sunglasses, it’s important to understand exactly what types of UV protection you are looking for and what might happen to your eyes if you’re not properly protected.

 

Types of UV Radiation

The sun emits two major types of UV radiation that can cause damage to the eye: UV-A and UV-B. Overexposure to UV-A radiation can damage the macula, hurting your central vision. Too much UV-B radiation exposure can lead to damage in the corona and the lens of your eye.

 

UV Protection

When picking out a stylish pair of glasses, Longe offers a wide variety of frames that also provide protection for your eyes at an affordable price. It’s important when you’re looking for a good pair of sunglasses to not just grab the cheap promotion glasses you got from a local parade: quality is important.  When looking for a pair, make sure your glasses say “100% protection against UV.” A pair of glasses that just says UV protection most likely will rub off after one cleaning, as the UV protection is just coated over the lenses, not embedded into it.

 

Polarized Lenses

Not all polarized lenses provide active UV protection! Polarized lenses have a unique chemical coating that is designed to reduce glare from reflected light. Although it is true that polarized glasses and UV protection are often paired together in high-quality glasses, this is not always the case. Many cheap polarized sunglasses on the market don’t have any UV protection which is why checking for 100% protection in your pair is important.

 

Serious Conditions

Prolonged unprotected exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, pterygium, and macular degeneration in the human eye. Cataracts involve a clouding of the eye’s lens resulting in blurred vision; pterygium involves painful tissue growth on the eyeball; and macular degeneration leads to destroyed central vision when the macula in the retina deteriorates. If not prevented, these conditions can require surgery or cause loss of vision.

 

Although serious conditions in your eye might not be occurring now, be sure to schedule your annual eye exam today and while you’re here, pick up some stylish sunglasses with lenses that will both protect your eyes and keep you looking great this summer!

 

Back to School Eye Exams are Due!

Kids in Glasses

It’s hard to believe it’s already back to school time, and you may already be busy prepping all the essentials like fresh supplies, the latest tech, and new clothes. But there is one thing you may have forgotten and we want to help you check it off the list – an annual eye exam!

Studies show kids learn better when they can see their best and regular eye exams are especially important for growing kids. Vision changes often go unnoticed without them, which could negatively affect a child’s performance in school.

Our friendly and helpful independent optometrists specialize in children’s eye care, offering stress-free, but thorough eye exams utilizing our exclusive ClearVu Experience, which generates an ultra-precise prescription that can be up to 25 times more accurate than using traditional equipment.

Here are some helpful children’s eye care tips from the American Optometry Association:

  • Be aware that pediatric eye exams are most likely covered by your health insurance plan. Most insurance plans recognize a comprehensive eye exam as an essential benefit and cover this expense, including glasses for children.
  • Keep an eye out for signs of poor vision and eye health issues. If you see your child covering one eye, holding a book close to their face, leaning down close to homework, or complaining of headaches or other mild discomfort, there’s a chance they have a vision problem and they may not even know it.
  • It’s essential to monitor the use of digital devices to help reduce eye strain. The AOA recommends following the 20-20-20 rule (taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away). We also offer special lens coatings that can help filter the light generated by digital devices, which is available to adults as well.
  • Proper eye protection for sports and outdoor activities is extremely important, as are quality sunglasses that offer UV protection. We carry a wide variety of high-quality brands of sunglasses and safety glasses, available in both prescription and non-prescription.

To help kids succeed and ease the cost of eyeglasses, we offer FREE HD lenses with the purchase of any frame in the store for students 17 and under? These digitally crafted lenses come complete with UV protection, scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coatings. This is a $240 value, absolutely FREE!

You can click here if you would like to learn more about our exclusive ClearVu Experience and if you’re ready to schedule your family’s yearly eye exams, you can do so here or give us a call at (260) 469-3937. If you’ve recently had exams but are ready for a fresh pair of specs, just stop in any of our 5 Fort Wayne locations with your prescription.

We look forward to helping your kids, and you, see better this school year!

Summer Eye Care Tips

Woman in sunglasses

With the bright summer months soon upon us, most of our guests turn their attention to looking at sunglasses. It is critically important to make sure that your eyes are protected from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by glasses with 100% protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Taking care of your eyes during the summer requires more than just great sun wear. Check out these tips below to make sure you’re seeing your best all summer long. 

1. Wear Goggles
A 2008 study revealed that freqGoogles Iconuent exposure to chlorine negatively affects the integrity of your corneal epithelium — the tissue on the front of the cornea that prevents bacteria from entering into the eye. If you’re going to be at the pool throughout the summer, make sure you put on goggles before diving in!

The same goes for the ocean or other natural bodies of water that can contain bacteria and contaminants that may hurt your eyes.

2. Wear a Hat
Hat IconEven if you wear sunglasses when outside, you are not getting all the ultraviolet protection that you can. Sunglasses usually have gaps along the sides where UVR exposure can occur. By wearing a hat with a brim, you can add additional shade that helps keep harmful rays out of your eyes.


3. Bring the Drops with You
Eyedrops iconWith warmer temperatures come more outside activities and more opportunities for allergies or temporary exposure to eye irritants. Having eye drops on hand can help alleviate symptoms before the irritation increases.

4. Drink Enough Water
Water iconSummer dehydration makes it harder for the body to produce tears, leading to dry eye symptoms and other vision problems. Drinking enough water each day can reverse the effects of dehydration as well as make sure you have enough fluid for normal eye function.

5. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep iconWith more daylight during the summer, many of us find ourselves staying out — and staying up — longer. But did you know that being tired actually decreases your visual cognition? A 2008 study found that people who have been awake for as little as 18 hours start to suffer from decreased cognition, which can impact everything from their driving to simple activities like cooking and caring for children. Also, when you’re tired, your eyes are more likely to feel dry. This leads you to rub your eyes, which can increase exposure to irritants and diseases. Hit that pillow this summer, and keep your eyes fresh!

Longe Optical carries the area’s best selection of high quality, name brand sunglasses, which can be purchased with prescription or non-prescription lenses. Be sure to schedule your annual eye exam soon and while you’re here, pick up a pair of quality, stylish shades to help you see better and healthier this summer.