Tag: vision care

Use Up Your FSA or Insurance Benefits Before They Disappear!

Posted on November 11, 2022

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!

What You Should Know About Fort Wayne’s Only All-digital Onsite Optical Lab

Posted on August 20, 2020

Our lab here at Longe Optical is vastly unique! We are the only fully digital lab found within the entire state of Indiana, utilizing the ZEISS digital technology and the Schneider world-class equipment!

When you buy a pair of HD lenses created in our digital lab, you’ll experience up to 50% clearer vision, sharper images, and brighter colors. In addition, our lenses fit in most frames and because the process is completely in house, our costs are similar to traditional frames.

Our unique ZEISS technology system takes the 60 second digital profile of your eye during your comprehensive eye exam to create an ultra-accurate prescription. Your eye’s refractive power distribution is analyzed and represented across the entire pupil aperture. This means you’ll be able to see better than you ever thought possible!

Using our world-class equipment through Schneider in our lab, we’re also able to deliver a customized pair of frames with anti-reflective coating to you in five days or less, when the industry standard is usually 12. Schneider’s precision machines offer pre- and fine-polishing methods to create the best lenses in a very economical way, allowing us to also keep your costs down while still giving you the best product. Within our in-house lab, we are able to apply anti-reflective coating and blue-protect coating to nearly every pair of frames.

Longe Optical’s lab has been fully digital for eight years, bringing a high level of expertise to our guests. Our lab technicians are also highly experienced with some having over 42 years of experience!

We’re proud to offer this entirely digital eye care experience in-house and we want to make sure you are seeing your best while also providing you with the best care possible. To schedule your eye exam today, visit longeoptical.com/request-an-exam or give us a a call at (260) 469-3937.

4 Tips to Promote Healthy Eyes During Back to School Season

Posted on August 17, 2020

Whether your child will be going back to classes in person, staying home this fall, or a little of both, their eyesight is important to their overall health and learning. Poor vision can harm your child’s education because their eyes are constantly used for visual learning activities such as reading, writing, and using computers. Be sure to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with Longe Optical for your child at the start of the year to ensure they are seeing clearly and can learn their best!

Screenings aren’t everything

A basic screening that your child might have done at school, while helpful with detecting vision issues, doesn’t capture the overall health of eyes. Only a comprehensive eye exam like the ClearVu Experience we offer here at Longe Optical can truly give you the big picture of your eyesight. Vision screenings in school and at a pediatrician’s office usually only test a child’s distance vision. Most learning is done through reading which is closer than 20 feet.

Know your family’s eye history

Knowledge of past and present family eye disorders can help save your vision. If age-related macular degeneration (AMD) runs in your family, you’ll have a greater chance of developing it. Telling your optometrist the types of eye diseases that run in your family can help them give you accurate recommendations for eye screenings. The earlier an eye disease is caught, the better chances you may have of saving your vision. This is why annual comprehensive eye exams are important!

Wear Sunglasses on cloudy days

Making sure your children have proper eyewear even if it’s cloudy outside is important! Your eyes are exposed to UV light even on cloudy days and during every season of the year. Cataracts, other growths, and various cancers are directly related to UV exposure. Make sure your sunglasses offer 100% UV protection. Just because a pair of sunglasses says it offers “UV protection” doesn’t mean it is protecting against all kinds of UV.

Healthy diet and exercise

Nothing can replace a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Eating properly is good for your body, and that goes for your eyes, too! Foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin help prevent cataracts, such as spinach, kale, and broccoli. Lutein also stimulates the growth of pigments that block out harmful UV rays. Antioxidants improve protection against sun damage. Carrots, blueberries, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes are a few excellent sources of antioxidants. Exercise is vital to healthy vision as it helps prevent high blood pressure which can damage vision and even lead to blindness.

For more information about what to include in a healthy diet and lifestyle, ask your optometrist or doctor! You can click here to learn more about our exclusive ClearVu Experience and when you’re ready to schedule your family’s yearly eye exams, visit us 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 at any of our five Fort Wayne locations with your prescription.

We look forward to helping you and your family out this school year!

A Few Words About Contact Lenses

Posted on July 30, 2020

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

Posted on June 30, 2020

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Posted on June 11, 2020

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!

Fun Facts About Vision

Posted on August 5, 2019

At Longe Optical, while we’re passionate about vision care, we’re also fascinated by some of the more obscure facts and figures out there. So on a lighter note, we thought we’d share some with you – just click the link to read more.

Half of your brain capacity is dedicated to visual perception. The other half is dedicated to the remaining four senses (and if you have a sixth sense, then your brain is running on overdrive)
The most used muscles in your body are the muscles to move your eyes. This is even more true if you enjoy watching professional table tennis
Surface tissue of your cornea (epithelium) is the quickest healing of all your body. We insist that you do not test this one out for yourself; please, just take our word for it!
Your eyes can get sunburned. It is called photokeratitis. Sunglasses, not sunscreen, can help prevent this. And no, your eyes will not get a tan, so let’s keep them the color they were meant to be!
Ommatophobia is the fear of eyes. While we definitely do not have any ommatophobes on staff, we definitely have some arachnophobes!
The average person will blink 15–20 times a minute. Some animals, like fish and snakes, don’t blink, simply because they don’t have eyelids. Hamsters also don’t blink; they wink — one eyelid at a time!

On a more serious note, not every eye care provider, especially the steeply discounted places, will perform a detailed, comprehensive eye exam; and very few can do them on the advanced, state-of-the-art Zeiss equipment that makes up our exclusive ClearVu Experience. So we encourage everyone to do their research prior to choosing where to have their eye exams done and find out in advance what will be checked and tested.

Best of luck in the new school year to all the students out there!