If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Healthcare Spending Account (HSA), you probably already know that they are convenient and can save you money in taxes. You also likely know that they may expire and that you might forfeit any money you don’t use at the end of the year. So what is the best way to spend your hard-earned dollars before the end of the year? On eye care, of course!

Are you finding yourself more dependent on reading glasses as you get older? Monovision may be right for you.

As we grow older, our risk of developing presbyopia increases. Presbyopia is a condition that makes it progressively harder to focus on nearby objects. Presbyopia can make it hard to read a book, for example, or dial a cell phone.

Typically beginning in your 40s, presbyopia is the result of age-related changes that affect proteins inside the crystalline lens within your eyes. The lens is flexible, so it can change its shape to bend light rays to give you sharp vision. The composition of the proteins made the lens soft and flexible in young people, but changes in the protein composition makes the lens harder and less flexible. When the lens loses its flexibility, it loses its ability to change shape and bend light rays – this diminishes the eye’s ability to focus on near objects.

At EyeCareToday, our Peoria eye doctors answer a wide variety of questions, both about eye care and about our office. Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions and their answers.

Frequently Asked Questions about EyeCareToday

What is EyeCareToday?

EyeCareToday provides same-day access to eye care for patients who are ages 5 years and up that have acute/urgent eye care or routine vision exams.

Illinois Eye Center is proud to announce the opening of our new Pekin location to expand our services and to help even more people in our community! 

Illinois Eye Center has been providing comprehensive eye care to thousands of Central Illinois families for more than 60 years. From the very first day, patient experience has been our number one goal. Every member of our Illinois Eye Center team works to meet that goal by responding to each of our patients’ individual needs as quickly as possible. Throughout the years, we have expanded our list of services and renovated our offices to provide the best eye care possible. Now we are excited to offer a wide variety of personalized eye care services in Pekin, IL.

You might be surprised to learn that some little habits can have a big impact on the health of your eyes. In fact, some habits can contribute to discomfort, pain, and even vision loss. Identifying these bad habits – and making an effort to break them – can help save your vision.

Kids take a lot of tests during their years at school, but they take one of the most important exams before they ever step foot in a school – their kindergarten vision exam. In fact, Illinois law requires that children entering kindergarten and kids enrolling in public, parochial, or private school for the first time undergo a comprehensive eye exam. The purpose of kindergarten eye exams is to give every child the best advantage possible when it comes to learning. Back to School Eye Exams ensure that a child’s vision has not changed over the years.

People are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of light pollution, especially as it relates to the health of their eyes. Many consumers are concerned about blue light emitted from electronic devices. In fact, many retailers offer blue light screen protectors that promise to shield eyes from the effects of blue light.

But is blue light really that harmful?

Taking good care of your eyes is important during childhood, of course, because that is when your eyes and your vision are developing. Proper eye care is essential to prevent age-related sight problems, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, when you get older. But what about when you are in your 20s and 30s?

If you are like most young adults in this age range, your eyes are probably in good overall health – you might even have perfect 20/20 vision, with or without the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses. By taking the right steps to maintain good eye health, you may expect great eyesight for the next decade or longer.

The average American spends about seven hours a day on a computer, either at home or on the job. Especially during these uncertain times where many of us are working from home, we are spending more time than ever on our screens. Not only are we doing work on our screens, but we are also participating in meetings virtually, meeting with friends virtually, taking class virtually, and depending on our screens for entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many worry about what all that screen time will do to their eyes.

Held every March, Save Your Vision Month is a great opportunity to learn more about protecting your eye health.

Approximately 12 million people aged 40 and over have some form of vision impairment that prevents them from seeing as well as they should. About 1 million American adults are blind, and 3 million still have vision impairment even after correction with glasses, contacts, or other treatments. Another 8 million people have uncorrected refractive errors, such as nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness associated with age (presbyopia).