VOTE for Dr. Tiffany Lione as the best Optometrist in the area! I AM Modern Magazine brings its second Annual Best of The Suburbs survey. Voting ends April 30th, so don’t wait, make your voices heard!

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Come join us for our 2012 Sunglass Show at the Oakton office! Have some fun and try on the latest in sunglass fashion. There will be a raffle for prizes, and delicious refreshments! And take advantage of the awesome savings! See you there!

ST. LOUIS—Consumers who order prescription eyeglasses online often receive glasses that fail to comply with optical tolerance and impact resistance requirements, according to a newly released study conducted by the American Optometric Association in conjunction with the Optical Laboratories Association and The Vision Council.

The study, which was published in the September issue of Optometry: Journal of the American Optometric Association, found that nearly half of the prescription eyewear ordered online in the U.S.—44.8 percent—had incorrect prescriptions or did not meet physical parameters to provide sufficient protection to the wearer.

Over a two-month period in 2010, 10 individuals from across the U.S. ordered two pairs of glasses, including pairs for both adults and children, from each of 10 of the most visited online optical vendors, for a total of 200 pairs of glasses. Frame styles were chosen from the mid-range options offered by each vendor, in varying frame materials, lens styles and prescriptions. The AOA’s published article did not identify the online optical vendors/retailers selected for the study.

Of the eyeglasses ordered, 154 pairs were received. After they were received, lens analysis included measurement of sphere power, cylinder power and axis, add power (if specified), separation of distance optical centers and center thickness.

Several pairs were provided incorrectly such as single vision instead of bifocals, or lens treatments that were added or omitted, the AOA reported. In 29 percent of glasses received, at least one lens was not within the parameters of the prescription. Nearly 23 percent of the lenses failed impact testing, based on center thickness and lens treatment. Of the children’s glasses tested, 29 percent failed impact testing.

Karl Citek, OD, PhD, a lead study author from Pacific University College of Optometry, noted that patients who purchase eyewear without the assistance of a trained professional may not receive a product of equal performance, value or safety. “Patients do not receive the benefit of ensuring an accurate prescription and a proper fit,” he wrote.

Sam Pierce, OD, trustee for the AOA, said consumers should be cautious when ordering any medical devices online. “Although online retailers may effectively market cost savings associated with online purchase of eyewear, consumers should beware, as this study points out, that the lack of oversight and quality control can lead to inferior products that could be harmful,” Pierce said.

Northern VA, October 25, 2011—On Halloween, an assortment of ballerinas, clowns, ghosts, and other goblins will have their eyes on just one thing—candy. Roaming dimly lit neighborhoods is part of the fun for children in pursuit of treats, but it can also be dangerous.

“Trick-or-treaters and parents need to remember that on Halloween, to be safe, you must be seen,” Dr. Hieu Vu-Gia of Associates in Eyecare, Optometrists, PC in Oakton said. “Studies have shown that a child’s risk of injury or death as a result of being hit by a car doubles around Halloween.”

Incorporate these simple precautions into the evening’s festivities to ensure Halloween safety:

• Dress children in light-colored costumes or adhere reflective tape to the costume’s fabric and accessories. Make sure children and adults are visible to passing cars.
• Eliminate masks from among the costume’s accessories. Masks can get in the way of clear vision and can increase the chances of tripping or running into objects.
• Hypoallergenic make-up is a safer alternative. Take care in keeping make-up away from the eyes.
• No trick-or-treater should go in search of treats alone. Children move through darkened neighborhoods more safely if accompanied by an adult.
• Approach only doorsteps that have a porch light lit. Similarly, if you plan to pass out treats, be sure to turn on your light.
• Pedestrians think they are more visible to drivers than they actually are, so remind trick-or-treaters to look both ways before crossing streets and to stay with the group.
• If cosmetic contact lenses are part of your costume, make sure you obtain them from your doctor of optometry to ensure that the lenses that fit your eyes properly, and to learn ways to care for them.

“This could mean that thousands of school-aged children simply can’t see correctly,” Dr. Hieu Vu-Gia from Associates In Eyecare, Optometrists, PC of Oakton said. “Parents and teachers need to know that with a complete eye examination, we can diagnose and begin treatment of many of these debilitating vision and eye health issues.”

Students with poor vision can be misdiagnosed as learning impaired, as having attention deficient disorder, or are just plain left behind from their peer group. And these kids don’t know that they can’t see what their friend sees, because they don’t know what normal vision is like.

It also means that many children, by the time they have that first examination, may have a condition, such as amblyopia or lazy eye, which now cannot be treated and is the leading cause of blindness. If they had had a complete eye examination earlier in their lives, the condition could have been easily corrected.

“We encourage parents to have children examined three times prior to starting school: at 6 months, 3 years and before starting kindergarten,” Dr. Vu-Gia said. “This monitors eye development and can prevent conditions that may be irreversible in later years.”

Teachers can help too by letting parents know the importance of eye examinations and the link between good vision and successful learning. Children need to have a complete eye examination where vision acuity, eye health and vision skills are measured. And they need to have these examinations at an early age.

Comprehensive vision examinations can only be conducted by an eye care professional with the specialized training needed to make a definitive diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Keep in mind that a vision screening, while a useful tool, is a limited process and cannot be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem, but rather to indicate a potential need for further evaluation.

Optometrist Dr. Hieu Vu-Gia has been serving the eye care needs of patients in Northern Virginia for 15 years. For more information, please visit us at www.OaktonEyecare.com.

Our Stone Ridge Trunk Show will feature frames by:

• Tory Burch
• Polo
• Coach
• Gucci
• Kate Spade
• Michael Kors
• Ralph Lauren
• Ray Ban
• Maui Jim
• and more…

Light refreshments will be served and a raffle will be held for a FREE pair of designer sunglasses.

Digital Lens technology is here and provides the best vision available. That’s because each lens is digitally processed (using 3D measurements) to meet your unique physiological needs and behavioral habits. Using our new VisiOffice System, this quick and painless process takes about 2 minutes and is done right in our office. And for those who have trouble seeing yourself as you try on new frames, the VisiOffice System. will take your picture so you can easily see yourself.

Join us on June 4th, from 10am to 2pm, for a VisiOffice System Demonstration.

Refreshments will be served and a FREE drawing for a pair of Tiffany sunglasses will be held.

Contact us for more information.

Our Annual trunk Show features frames by:

• Tiffany & Co.
• Bulgari
• Ray Ban
• Dior
• Jimmy Choo
• Tory Burch
• and more…

Light refreshments will be served and a raffle will be held for a FREE pair of designer sunglasses.