Keep up-to-date on the latest vision-related news and eye care events in our Practice. The items are displayed by year and month. To view older entries use the links in the box below to select the year and month you would like.
Sep 14, 2018
It can be a challenge to find the right person to get advice for any issue and eyewear is no different. Your Optometrist is an expert on medical eye conditions and refracting ( finding your optimal glasses prescription ), but most doctors do not get involved in how your lenses...
Sep 01, 2018
Contact lenses can often become uncomfortable as we age due to dryness. If your eyes become itchy, red, irritated and uncomfortable to wear for any length of time. You may suffer from MGD ( meibomian gland disorder) or commonly referred to as Dry eye. Some basic over the counter treatments for...
Aug 30, 2018
What Is Progressive Myopia? Nearsightedness or myopia is one of the most prevalent eye disorders worldwide and its incidence is increasing. In fact by 2050, myopia is projected to affect half of the world’s population! Many children diagnosed with nearsightedness (myopia) experience a consistent worsening of their vision as they...
Aug 23, 2018
There has been some more recent research done about how light can be a trigger for migraines in some people. Certain types of light, such as blue light or florescence, that are often a trigger for migraines are much more prevalent today than ever before. Some ophthalmologist believe the use...
Aug 15, 2018
Many athletes take for granted their most important sense to their athletic success. Vision is crucial to hand eye coordination, which requires good visual acuity as well as good binocular vision, eye tracking and contrast sensitivity. We can increase some vision skills through training, and corrective eyewear or contact lenses. ...
Aug 11, 2018
Many patients have vision plans and often wonder what is covered and how does my plan work. At North Country Eye Care, we want to take the mystery out of these vision plans. The first misnomer is that these plans are insurances. Insurances are a calculated risk, the insurance company...
Aug 09, 2018
An online eye test may seem like a convenient way to check your vision or get an eyeglass prescription but beware, these tests aren’t all they are chocked up to be. In fact, they may even be dangerous. What is an online eye test really testing? An online eye test...
Aug 07, 2018
If you wear glasses long enough, you will run into a situation were your glasses break or are severely out of shape. When this happens it can be a traumatic event if we do not have a spare or back-up pair of eyewear. Some traditional metal frames can be soldered,...
Aug 03, 2018
There is a lot of current discussion about blue light and its effect on the eyes. The reason for the increased concern is the amount of time we spend on digital devices that emit blue light. Because of the relative newness of these devices, we are not positive of the...
Aug 02, 2018
Many patients are confused by all the options available for lens materials. The factors you are looking at when choosing your lenses are impact resistance, scratch resistance, UV protection, optical clarity and weight. These are the most common lens materials ranked by properties with the best on top and lower...
Jul 26, 2018
Healthy eyes and good vision are essential for your child’s growth and development. In fact, learning is 80% visual, which means a child’s success in school, athletics and many other aspects of life can be impacted by poor vision. Good vision goes beyond how far you can see, and also...
Jul 20, 2018
Many patients suffer from a condition commonly referred to as dry eye. Dry Eye can be caused by the body not producing enough tears or the tear quality can be poor. One symptom of dry eye is unstable or blurred vision. Try focusing on an object and not blinking. You...
Jul 19, 2018
Why can't I get used to my new progressive lenses? There are several factors that can make or break your experience with progressive lenses. The following are the most common issues with these lenses and what can be done. The most common complaints about progressives are, blurred vision in the...
Jul 18, 2018
Many people these days spend hours of time on computers and digital devices a day. The constant focusing that this requires can cause discomfort in our eyes and visual system. Dry eye, headaches and tired feeling at the end of the day are all symptoms of CVS (computer vision syndrome). ...
Jul 16, 2018
It’s almost back to school time for college students and whether this is your first time away from home or you are already a pro, you want to be prepared with as much knowledge as possible to live safely on your own. This knowledge includes eye and vision safety, as...
Jul 02, 2018
Did you know there is a portion of the population that has a reaction to nickel, the main metal in monel, the most common metal material for eyeglass frames. This can cause a rash on the skin, discoloration, corrosion and pitting of the frame. Beside being uncomfortable, this allergic reaction...
Jun 25, 2018
While it may seem like a harmless action, rubbing your eyes can actually cause a lot of damage. There are a number of different reasons that people rub their eyes and for the most part, it does more harm than good. While rubbing your eyes might feel really good in...
Jun 18, 2018
Migraine Awareness Month: An ocular migraine is any migraine headache that involves a visual disturbance such as flashes of light, seeing stars or zigzags or the appearance of blind spots in the visual field. Ocular migraines can interfere with your ability to go about your daily tasks such as driving,...
Jun 11, 2018
North Country Eye Care is proud and excited to welcome Scott Thielen to our practice. Scott brings over 25 years of experience in the optical field. He will be managing the new optical shop in our practice and brings his wealth of optical knowledge to help our patient receive the...
May 30, 2018
Sure, sunglasses might add the final touches to your chic ensemble, but the real reason to purchase your shades is to protect your eyes from the sun. Not only does glare from the sun make it difficult to see, but the UV rays it reflects can cause permanent damage to...
May 10, 2018
Vision is a critical component to succeed as an athlete and this doesn’t just mean having 20/20 vision. There are a number of visual processes that are involved in optimal sports performance, whether you are playing a weekly little league game or competing in professional sports. The eyes and the...
Apr 25, 2018
While we all know that regular eye exams can help detect warning signs of disease and prevent vision loss, many people fail to seek medical attention when there is an acute problem with the eye. In fact, only about half of Americans that are at risk for serious vision loss...
Apr 16, 2018
April is Women’s Eye Health Month in the USA and May is Healthy Vision month in Canada too, so let’s take the opportunity to look at some tips for maintaining eye and vision health, with a special focus on women. Statistically, women are more at risk than men for eye...
Mar 27, 2018
If you want strong, healthy eyes and clear vision for life, a major step you can take is to protect your eyes from UV radiation. Wearing proper eye protection from the sun reduces the risk of a number of eye diseases and other conditions that are caused or worsened by...
Mar 12, 2018
We all experience the occasional eyelid twitch, which is when the muscle of the eyelid spasms involuntarily. Usually, it comes and goes without intervention and while sure, it can be irritating, is a twitching eyelid ever something to be concerned about? An eyelid twitch, also known as a myokymia, can...
Feb 27, 2018
Infant Eyesight Despite nine months of growth in utero, babies are not born with fully developed eyes and vision - just like they can't walk or talk yet. Over the first few months of life, their visual systems continue to progress, stimulated by their surroundings. Babies will develop the ability...
Feb 18, 2018
It’s that time of the year again. Each February, the optometric community bands together to create awareness about age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss for people 50 years and older; early detection plays a key role in the outcome of the disease. That’s why...
Jan 29, 2018
At this time of year when the sun sets early, many people are affected by night blindness. Night blindness or nyctalopia refers to difficulty seeing at night or in poor or dim lighting situations. It can be caused by a number of underlying conditions, sometimes completely benign and sometimes as a...
Jan 10, 2018
It’s that time of year again. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time set aside each year to create awareness about this potentially devastating disease. The reason awareness about glaucoma is so important is because as its nickname, The Sneak Thief of Sight, describes, the disease often causes permanent...
Dec 31, 2017
While most people have sunglasses high on their packing list for a tropical vacation, many people don’t consider it as much of a priority for colder climate getaways. But they should, and here’s why: Wintertime vacations often include activities that involve snow and ice and in general, conditions that can...
Dec 24, 2017
As the season to deck the halls arrives, make sure that you aren’t one of the many people who find themselves celebrating in the urgent care clinic due to an eye injury. The holidays present many opportunities for potential eye injury so it’s important to be aware and proceed with...
Nov 27, 2017
The New Year is coming and many people include healthier eating and exercise in their resolutions for the year ahead. Well other than weight loss and overall health and disease-prevention, a healthy diet and regular exercise can protect your eyes and your vision. In particular, there are certain vitamins and...
Nov 13, 2017
November 14th is World Diabetes Day. This year, the theme of World Diabetes Day is women and diabetes - our right to a healthy future. The goal of this campaign is to promote awareness of the importance of equal and affordable access for all women, whether they are at risk...
Oct 29, 2017
October is World Blindness Awareness Month, an initiative started to help the public to understand the realities of visual impairment and how it affects the world population. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of millions of individuals around the world who are unnecessarily blind or visually impaired due to causes that are...
Oct 15, 2017
October has arrived and that means many people are already starting to plan for upcoming costume parties and trick-or-treating for the Halloween season. This is why now is the time to remind the public about some very important precautions about eye safety since there are some common costume props and...
Aug 13, 2017
What’s it like to be color blind? Contrary to what the name implies, color blindness usually does not actually mean that you don’t see any color, but rather that you have difficulty perceiving or distinguishing between certain colors. This is why many prefer the term color vision deficiency or CVD...
Aug 04, 2017
We invite you to take a look around our new site to get to know our practice and learn about eye and vision health. You will find a wealth of information about our optometrists, our staff and our services, as well as facts and advice about how to take care...
Aug 04, 2017
Conjunctivitis, also called pink eye, is one of the most frequently seen eye diseases, especially in kids. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria or even allergies to pollen, chlorine in swimming pools, and ingredients in cosmetics, or other irritants, which touch the eyes. Some forms of conjunctivitis might be...
Aug 04, 2017
You can now request your next appointment online! Visit the Contact Us section of our site at anytime and complete the form. We'll receive the form via email and call you back to confirm your appointment request. We'll be sure to call you back within one business day....
Jul 26, 2017
On August 21st, for the first time since 1979, a solar eclipse will be visible across North America. What's even more historic is that it will also be the first time an eclipse will be visible across the continent, from coast to coast, since 1918. If you want to bear...
Jul 12, 2017
Light sensitivity, also known as photophobia, is a condition in which bright light - either natural sunlight or artificial light - can cause significant discomfort, pain and intolerance. People that experience light sensitivity will find themselves needing to close their eyes or squint when exposed to light and often experience...
Jun 26, 2017
What Exactly Is a Black Eye? A black eye, also known as a periorbital hematoma, is usually not an injury of the actual eye (which is why it is called “periorbital”- around the eye). It typically occurs when there is an injury to the face or the eye socket which...
Jun 19, 2017
It's National Cataract Awareness Month According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for 51% of cases of blindness worldwide - although this blindness is preventable with treatment. In fact, research shows that in industrialized countries about 50% of individuals over the age of 70 have had a cataract...
Jun 07, 2017
We invite you to take a look around our new site to get to know our practice and learn about eye and vision health. You will find a wealth of information about our optometrists, our staff and our services, as well as facts and advice about how to take care...
Jun 07, 2017
Conjunctivitis, also called pink eye, is one of the most frequently seen eye diseases, especially in kids. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria or even allergies to pollen, chlorine in swimming pools, and ingredients in cosmetics, or other irritants, which touch the eyes. Some forms of conjunctivitis might be...
Jun 07, 2017
You can now request your next appointment online! Visit the Contact Us section of our site at anytime and complete the form. We'll receive the form via email and call you back to confirm your appointment request. We'll be sure to call you back within one business day....
May 28, 2017
You Don’t Have to Live With Dry Eyes Have you noticed that your eyes feel chronically dry, itchy, scratchy or even sometimes watery? Many people that have these symptoms just go on with their lives until the symptoms become unbearable. What they don’t realize is that these are signs that...
May 10, 2017
Eye Doctors Weigh In: How Smoking Can Harm Your Vision & Eye Health We all know that smoking is bad for you, especially the risks that it poses to your heart and lungs. What many people do not know is that cigarette smoke negatively affects your eyes and vision too. Smoking...
Apr 30, 2017
In honor of Sjogren’s Awareness month, eye care providers are helping to spread the word to increase awareness about this hard-to-diagnose disease. Sjogren’s is a systemic autoimmune disorder that can affect the whole body. One of the primary symptoms is excessive dryness particularly in the eyes and mouth. Other serious...
Apr 06, 2017
Hey women! Did you know that women are more likely to suffer from vision problems and are at higher risk of permanent vision loss than men? Well 91% of the women surveyed recently didn’t know that, which means that many of them aren’t taking the necessary precautions to prevent eye...
Mar 30, 2017
There is nothing worse than a dirty spot on your glasses - well except perhaps many dirty spots or smudges. When that happens, most of us are tempted to grab the corner of our shirt and wipe it off, but resist the temptation - this is actually not a good...
Mar 15, 2017
Workplace Eye Safety Month Blue light. Do you know what it is? Do you know where it comes from, or how it can be harmful to your eyes? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you are not alone, yet it is important that you become aware to...
Feb 27, 2017
Eye color is a hereditary trait that depends on the genes of both parents, as well as a little bit of mystery. The color of the eye is based on the pigments in the iris, which is a colored ring of muscle located at the center of the eye (around...
Feb 14, 2017
Age-related macular degeneration is a serious condition that can threaten your vision and general well-being. Characterized by the deterioration of the central area of the retina called the macula which is responsible for focused vision, the disease gradually reduces your central vision. This affects the ability to see fine details,...
Jan 31, 2017
Your toddler may show every sign of good eyesight including the ability to see objects in the distance, however that doesn't necessarily mean that he or she doesn’t have a vision problem.
Jan 16, 2017
Make your resolution for healthy vision this year with increased awareness of the leading cause of blindness worldwide.
Dec 12, 2016
This is the one way you can be sure that you or your child’s eyes are truly safe during Nerf shooting:
Dec 06, 2016
Despite the fact that it is one of the most common eye problems, a surprisingly large percentage of patients are not aware of it.
Nov 21, 2016
Chances are it affects you or someone you know. November has been dedicated as a time to spread awareness about the disease, its risk factors and the effects it has on your body, your daily life and the lives of your loved ones.
Nov 14, 2016
Red, itchy, watery eyes and swollen eyelids (along with sneezing, congestion or a runny nose)...
Oct 21, 2016
Most people wouldn’t consider contact lenses dangerous. In fact, they are a great alternative to glasses, offering convenience and great vision for those who wear them. However, when not obtained and used according to an eye doctor’s instructions, the consequences can be devastating. Contact Lenses Need to Fit Like...
Sep 27, 2016
90%! That’s the number of sports eye injuries that studies show can be prevented using proper eye protection. Yet most sports leagues don’t require protective eyewear as part of their uniform or safety requirements. This leaves it up to athletes, parents and coaches to ensure that proper measures are taken...
Aug 30, 2016
It is important to teach your children about eye health and safety from a young age. This includes awareness about how your overall health habits affect your eyes and vision as well as how to keep your eyes safe from injury and infection. Starting off with good eye habits at...
Aug 19, 2016
Since studies show that learning is 80% visual, children with untreated vision problems can really suffer when it comes to school. Most people think that good “vision” means 20/20 acuity but in reality, vision is much more complex. Your brain is actually what completes the processing of the visual world...
Jul 30, 2016
We have all seen the futuristic thrillers that use high-tech eye scanning identification systems but nowadays the technology does exist to use them in real life. A greater number of high security establishments have begun to use iris recognition for identification and security systems. How does it work? The...
Jul 22, 2016
There have been a lot of videos going viral lately of color blind people “seeing color” for the first time using specialized glasses. The emotional reactions of amazement, shock and joy even lead some to break down into tears. The glasses provide these individuals a way to view the world...
Jun 26, 2016
Whether it is the sea, the sand, the sun or the softball field, summer brings people outside and this creates exposure to a multitude of potential dangers to the eyes. One risk that is possibly the least obvious is the swimming pool. Swimming pools are the culprit for multitudes of...
Jun 19, 2016
After the age of 50 most people will eventually be diagnosed with cataracts. Cataracts are when the natural crystalline lens of the eyes become clouded, causing vision impairment that can not be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. While commonly an age-related condition, occasionally there are infants born with a...
May 26, 2016
According to the Vision Council’s 2016 UV (Ultraviolet Radiation) Protection report, parents are more likely to wear sunglasses (56%) than their children (only 29%!). Yet children, who spend much more time outside, are typically exposed to three times the amount of sunlight and UV radiation that adults get. This early...
May 18, 2016
UV Awareness Month: This article might scare you, and we hope it does - just enough to motivate you to wear proper eye protection against the sun. Most people are aware of the dangers ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun pose to your skin, while the long-term effects of sun...
Apr 26, 2016
A stye (known by eye doctors as a hordeolum) is an infection of an oil gland which forms a pimple-like bump on the base of the eyelid or within the eyelid itself. Styes can be uncomfortable, causing swelling, pain, redness, discomfort and sometimes excessive tearing or blurred vision if it...
Apr 17, 2016
Along with congestion, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches and difficulty breathing, individuals with allergies often suffer from eye allergies or allergic conjunctivitis resulting in red, watery, itchy and sometimes swollen eyes. Just as irritants cause an allergic response in your nasal and respiratory system, your eyes also react with an...
Mar 30, 2016
If you are over 40 and have difficulty seeing close up, you probably have a common age-related condition called presbyopia which is when the eye’s natural lens loses the ability to focus on close objects. Presbyopia is a natural process that occurs as the eye ages and affects the majority of...
Mar 09, 2016
When people think of workplace dangers to the eyes, it is usually machinery, chemicals or construction materials that come to mind. However, a growing danger to the eyes is one that may be less obvious - exposure to blue light from digital devices, television and computer screens and artificial lighting....
Feb 10, 2016
February is AMD and Low Vision Awareness Month in the United States, and it’s White Cane Week in Canada. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in adults aged 50 and older. Awareness about the disease, the risk factors and prevention are critical, even for younger...
Jan 27, 2016
This year, make healthy eyes and vision your resolution. Find out if you or a loved one is at risk for glaucoma, and take steps for prevention. Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable vision loss and blindness in adults in the United States and Canada and the second leading...
Dec 31, 2015
Refractive errors including myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia.
Dec 09, 2015
‘Tis the season for giving, and parents, grandparents, family and friends need to know how to choose toys and games that protect children’s health and eyesight.
Nov 23, 2015
Have you ever thought about how vision works? It's an incredible system and process!
Nov 02, 2015
Prevention and treatment for eye complications associated with Diabetes
Oct 25, 2015
Beware this Halloween and think before you blink (in decorative contact lenses that is)! Sure, decorative contact lenses can enhance any Halloween costume, but if not taken seriously, they can also cost you your vision. Whether they are sold as cosmetic lenses, colored lenses or fashion lenses, they are anything...
Sep 24, 2015
Over the centuries there have been a lot of old-wives tales circulating about eyes and vision. You know, like the one that if someone hits you on the back while your eyes are crossed they will stay that way. Unlike this example, some of these myths do have roots in...
Sep 03, 2015
There are thousands of eye injuries a year related to sports. According to the National Eye Institute eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in North America and most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related. Further 99% of sports-related eye injuries can be prevented simply by...