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Just Got Vision Insurance? 3 Things to Do Now

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So, you just got eye insurance! If you’ve never had vision insurance before, then you may not have been going to the eye doctor and getting regular eye exams when you otherwise should have. Vision insurance makes eye care more affordable. Now that you’re covered by vision insurance, it’s important to find a good eye doctor and start taking advantage of your vision coverage. Here’s what we recommend for you.

1. Find Out What’s Covered

Different vision insurance policies may cover different services. Knowing what’s covered is the first step to ensuring that you’re getting the most use out of your policy. For example, if your vision insurance covers annual replacements for your prescription glasses, then it makes sense to replace your corrective lenses annually. Read your policy or call your vision insurance company to find out more about covered services.

2. Find an Eye Doctor

Find an eye doctor in Champaign IL that accepts your vision insurance. Call around to different offices. As you’re evaluating eye doctors, take into consideration:

  • Availability. Is the eye doctor available to see you?
  • Customer service. Is the scheduling staff polite over the phone?
  • Convenience. What are the eye doctor’s availability?

Remember that the eye doctor you choose now many continue to be your eye doctor for many years. Pick an eye doctor you trust to provide good service.

3. Get An Eye Exam

Once you’ve found the right eye doctor, it should be easy to get an eye exam in Champaign, IL. Simply call your eye doctor to make an appointment. The professionals at Champaign Eye Professionals are happy to help. Call today to get your eye exam on the schedule.

Tired businessman rubbing his eyes during night work

Having Trouble With Night Vision?

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Night vision is incredibly important, especially when you’re driving! If you’re having trouble with your night vision, see the eye doctor in Champaign, IL. Your eye doctor at Champaign Eye Professionals can help you determine the cause of your trouble and make recommendations for improving your night vision.

Potential Causes

Poor vision in low lighting is not an eye disease but a symptom of another problem. There are many things that can potentially cause this kind of issue.

  • Cataracts – this condition causes the lens of the eye to become foggy
  • Nearsightedness (myopia) – this condition can be exacerbated when the eyes dilate in low-light conditions
  • Glaucoma medications – some of these medications work by restricting the pupil

Many of these issues have solutions, but treatment for poor night vision depends on the cause. To find out why you’re having trouble seeing at night, make an appointment with your eye doctor for an eye exam. Your eye doctor may prescribe corrective lenses or recommend a procedure that can help. Even if there’s no way to fix the problem, your eye doctor can still offer tips to help keep you safe in low-light conditions.

Tips to Drive Safely

If you have poor night vision, check with your eye doctor to be sure that driving at night is safe. If your eye doctor clears you for night driving, the following tips can help keep your journey safe:

  • Plan your route in advance
  • Keep lights inside the car down low
  • Wear corrective lenses for driving
  • Avoid driving unfamiliar routes in low light conditions
  • See the eye doctor regularly to catch changes in your vision before they become severe

Having trouble with night vision? The first step is to find out why. Call your eye doctor at Champaign Eye Professionals to schedule an eye exam in Champaign, IL.

Optometrist giving an eye exam

Does My Baby Have a Lazy Eye?

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A lazy eye is a condition that many parents notice in their children when their children are just babies. If your baby has a lazy eye, it’s helpful to know what that means and what you can do about the problem.

What Is a Lazy Eye?

A lazy eye is a condition also known as strabismus. A lazy eye occurs when the eyes don’t line up together. The eye that is straighter becomes the dominant eye, and the eye that is more crooked becomes the “lazy eye.” Babies eyes often cross when they’re firstborn. The lazy eye may straighten up when the baby is more awake and alert and then becomes more crooked when they’re tired.

Should I Be Concerned If My Baby Has a Lazy Eye?

While it’s common for babies to have some wandering and crossed eyes when they’re first born, this problem usually corrects itself by the time the baby is about four months old. If the problem hasn’t corrected itself within the first four months, it’s a good idea to take your baby to see the eye doctor for an eye examination in Champaign, IL. This is likely strabismus.

When Should My Child Get Treated for Strabismus?

The earlier that you bring your child to the eye doctor in Champaign, IL, the better. Strabismus is easier to correct when your child is very young and harder to correct as your child gets older. Working with an eye doctor from an early age can help ensure that your child will get their problem taken care of before it becomes permanent.

Does your baby have a wandering eye? Are you wondering if it could be strabismus? Make an appointment with your eye doctor at Champaign Eye Professionals. Call today.

3 Surprising Ways Eyes Can be Injured

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Your eye health is of paramount importance to your Champaign, IL eye doctor. With regular eye doctor appointments, you have the best chances of maintaining your vision for a lifetime. However, there are certain precautions you need to take at home, too. There are a surprising number of ways that eyes can be injured during everyday activities.

1. Paper Cuts

You wouldn’t think that something as innocuous as paper could endanger your vision. But consider an incident that happened a while back when a seated employee turned her head at the precise moment that her colleague, standing behind her, went to pass a piece of paper onto the desk. The resulting paper cut to the cornea was successfully treated, but this demonstrates how small accidents can cause great damage.

2. Tanning Beds

Many teens and young adults visit tanning beds, not knowing how dangerous the lights are to the eyes. Not wanting to have a ring around their eyes where the goggles are, they remove their goggles during the session. Hours later, they have scratchy, painful eyes that are swollen and red, with blurred vision on top of everything else. Injuries from tanning beds are not uncommon. If it happens once, chances are the eyes can recover after a day or two. But abusing the eyes in this way can eventually result in vision reduction.

3. Woodworking

Woodworking is a common pastime of Champaign, Illinois residents. Just be sure to wear safety goggles the entire time. Otherwise, the eyes are vulnerable to wood chip debris that flies through the air during cuts. There’s also the chance of wood chip dust, which is in the air, to make its way into the eyes.

A little bit of caution and care can prevent accidents like these. If you do have an eye injury, contact your eye doctor in Champaign, IL right away for help.

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Common Eye Conditions: Diabetic Retinopathy

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Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that occurs in those with diabetes. High levels of sugar in the blood cause the formation of abnormal blood cells in the retina. If left untreated, this condition can lead to total vision loss. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s important to have your vision checked regularly by youreye doctor in Champaign, IL, and to learn how to effectively manage your diabetes.

How Will I Know If I Have Diabetic Retinopathy? 

The earliest stages of this progressive eye disease may have no symptoms, but as it worsens, you may notice signs such as:

  • Blurry vision
  • Floaters
  • Dark spots in your vision
  • Vision loss

Vision that has been lost due to diabetic retinopathy cannot be regained. However, by effectively managing your diabetes and keeping regular appointments for dilated eye exams, you can prevent your vision loss from worsening.

Who Is At Risk of Developing Diabetic Retinopathy? 

Anyone who has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. Because high levels of sugar in the bloodstream make it difficult for blood to make it to the retina, blood flow becomes obstructed and new blood vessels try to form. But these blood vessels usually don’t develop as they should, and they begin to leak blood and to form scar tissue that can cause retinal detachment. Your best defense against diabetic retinopathy is to learn how to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and take good care of your eyes.

Help for Diabetic Retinopathy in Champaign, IL

For help withdiabetic retinopathy in Champaign, IL, call on Champaign Eye Professionals. The dedicated clinicians at Champaign Eye Professionals are happy to schedule you for a comprehensive eye exam to help diagnose diabetes-related conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Call today to book your appointment.

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Summer Eye Care Tips

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Summer is an important time of year to take care of your eyes! Wearing the right protective eyewear and seeing your eye doctor in Champaign IL can help. This summer is fast approaching. Here’s what you need to know about taking care of your eyes in the coming season.

Wear Sunglasses

Sunglasses are good for your eyes in so many ways. Some sunglasses block harmful UV rays that can cause conditions like cataracts. Sunglasses also make it easier to see while you’re doing things like driving, spending time at the beach and navigating your way around town.

It’s very important to wear sunglasses throughout the summer. If you need prescription sunglasses in Champaign IL, make an appointment to see the eye doctor as soon as possible.

Wear Eye Protection When Doing Work Outside

Are you going to be using a weed wacker or a lawn mower? If so, you should be wearing eye protection! Wearing eye protection when doing work outside can prevent your eyes from getting injured by flying debris. There are many types of eye protection that can fit over prescription glasses, but if you need prescription eye protection for whatever reason, talk to your eye doctor.

Avoid Sunburned Eyes

If you go outside (maybe to the ocean or to a swimming pool) and spend too much time looking into bright lights, you can get sunburned eyes. This condition, also called photokeratitis, can cause problems like eye pain, headache, sensitivity to light – and even temporary blindness. Wear sunglasses and a hat when spending time outdoors!

Know When to See the Eye Doctor

If you’re experiencing blurry vision, changes in vision and other problems, see the eye doctor in Champaign IL. If you need sunglasses or new prescription lenses for this summer, call Champaign Eye Professionals to make an appointment.

How to Pick the Perfect Sunglasses for This Summer

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*Picking the perfect sunglasses is important – especially if you’re buying prescription sunglasses, because the right pair may be with you for a long time. Summer is coming and finding the right eyeglasses can improve your days in the sun.

Before you can get the best sunglasses, it’s important to see your eye doctor in Champaign IL. Your eye doctor will be able to help you find the best sunglasses for your needs.

What to Consider When Buying Sunglasses

When buying new sunglasses, it’s important to consider the following variables:

Style. Do the sunglasses fit your preferred style? Sunglasses come in a range of colors, shapes and sizes. The frames can even be made from different materials, including black and plastic. Try on a variety of styes when you’re deciding which ones are right for you.

Lens tint. Darker lenses block more light. For people with sensitive eyes, a darker lens is better. For people without sensitive eyes, darker lenses can make it harder to walk into a dark building with sunglasses on. Darker lenses also make it harder to tell what color the traffic lights are while driving.

Trendiness. Trendy sunglasses look great, but may need to be replaced just a few years after they’re purchased. If you want to keep your sunglasses for a longer time, consider a more classic shape and style.

Get Your Updated Prescription Before Getting New Frames

Before you can get new sunglasses in Champaign IL, it’s important to get an updated prescription from your eye doctor. Getting an updated prescription ensures that your new glasses will be fully customized to your needs – and they’ll continue to meet your needs for a longer period of time.

3 Things That Occur within Your Eyes When Your Blood Sugar Levels Are Too High

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From managing diabetic retinopathy in Champaign, IL to tending to changes in your vision, your blood sugar levels can mean more trips to an eye doctor for help. However, you can thwart some of your risks of facing these problems by keeping your blood glucose levels in check. Take a look at some of the things that occur within your eyes when your blood sugar levels are too high.

The lens of your eye can swell

It is quite common for people to feel like their vision is blurry when their blood sugar levels are too high. This may not always be a permanent vision change. In fact, the problem can come about because the high glucose levels in your blood cause the lens of the eye to swell. As blood glucose levels return to normal, the inflammation may subside.

Pressure can build within the eye

The swelling in your eye can make it impossible for the fluids within the eye to drain properly. Therefore, when your eyes swell due to high blood sugar, this can mean the eye also faces more internal pressure than usual. Unfortunately, this can lead to risks of glaucoma.

Small blood vessels in the retina may sustain damage

The small blood vessels in the retina are sensitive to the changes in blood flow and fluid circulation that come along with high blood sugar levels. Over time, if high levels occur too frequently, this damages these small blood vessels, and permanently affects vision. This is what leads to the condition known as diabetic retinopathy.

Talk to a Champaign, IL Eye Doctor About Vision Care and Diabetes

When you have diabetes, vision health management in Champaign, IL becomes even more important. Talk to your eye doctor about steps you can take with diabetes management to protect the health of your eyes. Reach out to us at Champaign Eye Professionals to schedule an appointment.

Common Eye Conditions: Presbyopia 

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Presbyopia may sound serious, but in reality, it’s something that happens to most of us as we age. It’s a fancy term to describe your eyes’ inability to focus close-up as you get older. If you have presbyopia, you may need corrective lenses to see things up close, such as the small print in a book or newspaper. Your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, can tell you more about this eye condition that affects millions of people every year.

What Causes Presbyopia?

Presbyopia happens when the lens of your eye becomes less flexible due to age. Usually, symptoms begin appearing around age 40. Small print becomes more difficult to read, and you may have trouble seeing well enough to perform close-up, routine tasks, such as threading a needle. When you’re young, the lens of the eye is softer and more pliable. It’s able to change shape more easily, allowing you to shift focus between objects near and far away. As the lens ages, it loses some of that flexibility. And what was once easy to see, becomes blurred.

What Are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?

Symptoms of presbyopia are similar for everyone. Over time, it becomes more and more difficult to see close-up objects clearly. You may be forced to hold your book or newspaper further away to focus on the print. And you may suffer headaches or eye strain after a session of doing close-up work, such as sewing.

Treatment Options in Illinois

Presbyopia isn’t something to fear. In fact, it’s a very common occurrence. Treatment usually involves eyeglasses that bend the light before it reaches the lens of your eye. Other options may include refractive eye surgery or lens implants.

If you’re struggling with age-related vision changes in Champaign, IL, schedule an appointment today with Champaign Eye Professionals.

About Your VSP (Vision Service Plan)

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VSP is a top insurer for managed vision care in the United States. If your family is covered under a VSP, you have access to many benefits that shave money off basic services and eyewear, including premium frames not covered by other insurance carriers. If it’s time for your annual eye exam, your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, can tell you more about the benefits offered by your VSP.

Who Is VSP?

Surprisingly, VSP has been operational since 1955. It has only recently grown to become the top provider of vision insurance in America. VSP was created by optometrists to help provide patients with access to better vision care. Currently, 40,000 doctors worldwide accept VSP, which means it’s easy to find an in-network provider.

Benefits Offered By Your VSP

Benefits may vary depending upon which company you work for and which plan you choose. However, the overall benefits include:

  • Additional discounts on featured frames
  • Full coverage on standard progressive lenses
  • Savings on LASIK
  • Monthly premiums as low as $13
  • Premium lens upgrades
  • Coverage and discounts on comprehensive eye exams

To learn more about your personal benefits under VSP, you can create an account at the VSP Member Portal. Or, you can call your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, to learn more about the services covered by your VSP.

Contact Champaign Eye Professionals Today

If you’re insured under a VSP, you have access to many discounts and perks, including the costs of your eye exam and prescription lenses. Call Champaign Eye Professionals today to schedule an appointment and to learn more about which services your plan covers. Our friendly team is always professional, and we’re happy to answer your insurance questions when you call.