Click here to see our COVID19 protocols
Up to 15% of Americans have dry eyes, a condition that occurs when you either don’t produce enough tears, or your tears are of poor quality. Either way, your tears don’t sufficiently lubricate your eyes, and you end up with uncomfortable symptoms like red, itchy, burning eyes. In many cases,...
Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness in the United States and affects about 3 million Americans. It often doesn’t lead to any noticeable symptoms until it causes vision loss, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as “the silent thief of sight.” Here at Paragon Eye Associates in Arlington...
At some point, you’ve probably noticed a tiny gray speck in your field of vision, but when you try to look at it more closely, it disappears. These specks, which can also look like tiny strings, are floaters, a typically benign ocular phenomenon. However, if you have a sudden cascade...
If you've been thinking about LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis), you're not alone. Every year, around 700,000 Americans have LASIK to correct their vision. Since the FDA approved LASIK in 1999, approximately 1 million Americans have had the procedure. Despite the procedure's history and popularity, something has kept you from having...
Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness around the world, and some 3 million Americans have one of the diseases encompassed by glaucoma. More specifically, 90% of glaucoma patients in the US — that’s about 2.7 million people — have open-angle glaucoma, the so-called “silent thief of sight” because it...
Every year around 3 million Americans have cataract surgery. It’s typically a quick procedure done on an outpatient basis. Your ophthalmologist makes a tiny incision in your eye, removes the lens, and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens. Our expert optometrists and ophthalmologists at Paragon Eye Associates perform hundreds...
You need to be over the age of 18 to be eligible for LASIK surgery, as your vision needs time to stabilize. However, it’s a common misconception that there’s an upper age limit for LASIK surgery. That said, aging increases your risk of conditions that could interfere with your suitability...
Millions of Americans have eye diseases that can lead to permanent vision loss and blindness when left untreated. However, less than 11% of Americans realize that these eye diseases don’t cause symptoms in their early stages. Preventive eye care, such as routine comprehensive eye exams, is critical to diagnosing these...
Whether you’re due for an eye exam and new glasses or you think you might have pinkeye, it’s time to see your eye doctor. But with COVID-19 sweeping the nation, the more you can stay at home, the better. That’s why we’re offering EyecareLive®, a state-of-the-art virtual eye appointment service. ...
Summer is in full swing, and hopefully, you're spending time outside. You should be wearing sunscreen, hats, and UV-blocking clothing to protect your skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays in sunlight. (And masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19). But are your sunglasses up to the task? UV rays can...
Over 24.4 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts, which gradually cloud the lenses in your eyes and impair your vision. Surgery is the only treatment for cataracts. Across the country, ophthalmologists performed over 3.8 million cataract surgeries in 2017. Chances are good that you’ll need cataract surgery...
There it is again. That translucent squiggle or dot that floats across your vision. No matter where you shift your vision, it’s still there — until finally, it disappears. Floaters are extremely common; almost everyone has them. Fortunately, floaters are usually harmless, but if they interfere with your vision, it’s...
Dry eye develops when you don’t have enough tears to adequately lubricate your eyeballs. Your tears are for more than just crying — they actually nourish your eyes and keep them healthy, so without them, your eyes may suffer. There are two main types of dry eye: one that...
You might not automatically associate eye problems and diabetes — not too surprising, considering diabetes is primarily a hormone-related (insulin) disorder and you don’t often hear about hormones affecting eyesight. However, when left untreated, diabetes can lead to a variety of complications that seem totally unrelated. Nerve damage, open sores,...
If you’ve been diagnosed with astigmatism, you may be wondering whether treatment is really worth it, especially if your condition is mild. The experts at Paragon Eye Associates encourage you to familiarize yourself with the effects of uncorrected astigmatism and learn about the best treatment option for you. What is...
Glaucoma refers to a collection of eye diseases that cause pressure to build up in your eye. The extra pressure damages your optic nerve and can cause irreversible vision changes or blindness. Of the estimated 3,000,000 people in the United States who have glaucoma, more than half don’t realize it....
You probably know the feeling of rubbing your eyes after a long day out in the sun or hours spent in front of a computer. They feel itchy, dry, and irritated, and you may not want to open them. Typically after a night of good sleep, you wake up with...
LASIK® (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) surgery can transform your vision, freeing you from needing eyeglasses or corrective lenses. However, LASIK treatment isn't right for everyone. This type of refractive eye surgery delivers good results for patients with certain types of eye problems, but can't correct other kinds of deficiencies. And while...
Glaucoma is a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve, which is essential for healthy vision. Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at greater risk of developing this disease than others. When you have glaucoma, you have increased pressure due to fluid buildup inside your eyes. This...
Are you worried about making the switch to contact lenses? Don't be. More than 45 million Americans choose to wear contact lenses for their many benefits. Contacts improve your vision without changing your appearance and they don't get in the way of physical activities. Don’t let myths stop you from...
Whether you have Type 1 or 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes that manifests during pregnancy, you’re at risk for vision loss and other conditions. Getting regular eye exams with an optometrist can help lower your risk and keep your eyes healthy for years to come. At Paragon Eye Associates in...
Are you noticing that straight lines appear to be distorted or curved, your vision seems fuzzy, or there’s a growing dark area in your line of sight? If so, you may have age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition where the part of your eye that controls...
Dry eye is a common condition that affects millions of people. And the number of infected people will continue to increase with the prevalence of computer use and smartphones. Though it’s certainly a nuisance, do you need to see your optometrist for dry eyes? Occasionally getting dry eyes is normal,...
Have you ever had a tiny object hover just inside your line of sight, only to slip off to the side when you try to focus on it? A tiny dot or a squiggly, squirmy line that looks kind of like a microscopic tadpole? That’s a floater, and pretty much...
About 45 million Americans wear contact lenses — that’s about 15 percent of the entire U.S. population and 18 percent of the adult population in the U.S. There are lots of reasons why contact lenses are so popular — probably the biggest reasons of all are convenience and increased self-confidence....
About 100 million people in the U.S. have diabetes or prediabetes, according to the CDC, and that means all those individuals are also at an increased risk for developing eye diseases and vision problems. In fact, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular edema (DME) and cataracts are so common among people...
LASIK surgery has helped millions of people with nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism see more clearly without needing to wear glasses or contact lenses. But as effective as the surgery is in correcting an array of vision problems, it’s not a good option for everyone. During your LASIK consultation...
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease that impacts the macula, which is found in the center of your retina and is responsible for your central vision. When the eyes are damaged due to either wet or dry macular degeneration, a person often develops what appears to be a hole in the...
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S., affecting about 2.7 million people. Still, as common as it is, the CDC estimates only half of those 2.7 million people know they have the disease, which means they’re at risk for permanent vision loss — and they...
When most people think of diabetes, they think about the effect the disease has on blood sugar levels. But there's a lot more to diabetes than that. That elevated blood sugar level can take a toll on your overall health and your organs - including your eyes. In fact, people...
You’re looking up at a clear, blue sky on a calm day, and rather than a smooth field of blue, you note tiny shadows moving around the sky, and when you try to focus on these, they coyly move in response to your eyes. These are floaters, and you may...
If you’re thinking that LASIK eye surgery is tired, old technology, it’s time to re-examine the process. This laser-assisted vision correction surgery, first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998, has developed, refined, and advanced in the meantime. While other, similar procedures have come online since, LASIK is still one...
The week of August 20-24, 2018, is National Contact Lens Health Week, and the focus is developing healthy habits for healthy eyes. Contact lenses are worn by about 41 million adults in the United States, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of contact lens...
Sunglasses have been a fashion statement — and an essential part of being cool — since movie stars began wearing them as a disguise amidst throngs of adoring fans. In addition to adding an element of style to your fashion ensemble, sunglasses do so much more than make you look...
June is Cataract Awareness Month. You should note two things about cataracts: Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, but they are simple to treat. Although the only treatment for cataracts is surgery, you don’t have to be intimidated because cataract surgery is among the...
Preventing Computer Eye StrainThe use of computer screens is relatively new compared to other common work activities, but it is already apparent that looking at a digital screen all day can cause eye strain. The American Optometric Association says that computer eye strain refers to a group of vision problems...
With today’s modern surgical techniques, cataract surgery is a quick outpatient operation. You can think of your recovery as a three-step process.Recovery from SedationThe cataract operation takes only about 10 minutes — that’s the quick part. You get a local anesthetic to prevent discomfort.Right after the surgery, you’ll be resting...
Occasional eye irritation is something that virtually everyone experiences, but with the prevalence of digital displays both large and small in today’s society, chronic dry eye is something we see more and more. Rather than accept dry eye as an inevitable fact of modern living, it’s a condition that most...
