What’s New

Eye twitching affects the muscles in the eyelid and causes twitching or involuntary blinking. The most common type of mild twitching of the eyelid usually feels more noticeable than it actually is — observers are not likely to notice a twitching eyelid in another person. This type of eyelid twitching...

When it comes to safe and comfortable contact lens wear, design elements matter. The lens material, its profile and edge design, interaction with our tear film, and performance over days and weeks all influence the wearability and safety of contact lenses. The first consideration in contact lens design is the...

The need for regular comprehensive eye examinations has been recognized for many years. Vision and ocular health conditions are not always accompanied by recognizable symptoms. There is often an increased risk to the patient if treatment is not initiated in a timely manner. Waiting for the occurrence of obvious symptoms...

The sun has been starting to peek out more and this is great for our health to get outside and enjoy it. While we prepare to go enjoy the sun more, we need to remember how important it is to protect our eyes. Why? UV light can damage our eyes,...

Ah… the golden years… when that retirement time gets filled with monitoring health concerns! I’ll touch on three common eye diseases that can affect people as they age: cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. A cataract is a term for the clouding of the lens in the eye, a process that...

CATARACTS EXPLAINED By Dr. Lawrence MacAulay A cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens within your eye. Cataracts  blur your vision, similarly to a foggy car windshield. This can make it more difficult to read, or drive and can make everyday activities more difficult. Cataracts are a normal occurrence...

Allergy Season Spring is upon us with its longer days, sunshine, flower blooms, and… allergies. Hayfever or seasonal environmental allergies are common in the springtime, although they can affect different people at different times of year. Many people have go-to remedies for the sneezing and running nose, but may neglect...

By Dr. Lisa Scharf: Spring is here in the North Okanagan! The change in seasons means that we have to adjust our thermostats, our wardrobes, and our eyewear. UV Protection: Longer days, more sunshine and outdoor activities mean that UV protection is essential. Make sure you use sunscreen for your...

February is AMD awareness month. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in patients over the age of 60. Most seniors will have friends and acquaintances in their age cohort who have been affected by this disease. As indicated by its name, the primary risk...

When it comes to safe and comfortable contact lens wear, design elements matter. The lens material, its profile and edge design, interaction with our tear film, and performance over days and weeks all influence the wearability and safety of contact lenses. The first consideration in contact lens design is the...

The incidence of type 2 diabetes has risen steadily in Canada and around the world, having a huge impact on individuals and on our health care system. There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In many ways, they are opposites:  Type 1 is the result...

Good eye hygiene is important to maintain healthy, comfortable eyes, and prevent issues with dry eyes and infections. Just like oral hygiene (brushing your teeth daily), you should have a strong preventative approach to eye hygiene. Daily preventative care of cleaning your eyelids will help stop future eye problems before they...

Some people may question the need for regular eye exams when they see great and aren’t experiencing any problems.  While that sentiment is logical, issues with your eyes can occur even in the presence of good vision. Here are some key reasons why you should regularly have your eyes evaluated...

Regularly scheduled routine eye examinations are a key component to maintaining good whole-body health.  Early detection and treatment can be critical to the successful management of many conditions both chronic and acute.  When acute eye problems occur, it is important to get proper evaluation and care.  We want to prevent...

Eye allergies:  Some of us can tell spring is starting by the onset of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and stuffiness. Seasonal allergies can also include eye symptoms such as watery, itchy, red, swollen, and irritated eyes, or light sensitivity. Eye allergies commonly occur during seasonal changes, but...

Newspaper Article - Smoking and Vaping – LAS It is universally known that smoking cigarettes is harmful to just about every system and organ in your body, and this includes your eyes! The harms of smoking cigarettes to your eyes and vision has been well-studied, but what about the trendier...

Many patients ask about how to best maintain and optimize our eye health as we age. Basic recommendations for maintaining good overall health hold true for maintaining healthy eyes: Eating a balanced diet (avoiding processed foods and added sugars), getting daily exercise and 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per...

5 Way to Optimize Your Vision See your Doctor of Optometry for an up-to-date prescription for corrective lenses. Your optometrist will ensure your prescription power gives you the clearest and most comfortable vision possible. Customize your eyewear designs and styles to your visual demands and activities. Just like you wouldn’t...

January is always an important month in the eye care community.  Although the first month has many of us looking forward to a new year, full of promise and optimism, it takes on a more important role to eye care providers for another reason.   January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. So...

Our beauty routines and eye care intersect when it comes to applying eye make-up and lash treatments. The efforts we make to make our eyes more attractive in the short-term can have long-term negative consequences to our eye health and appearance. Certain make-up products and techniques can cause problems with...

In Canada, there are over 190,000 car accidents each year. More than 90% of road crashes are a result of human error or condition. It is up to each one of us to mitigate the risks on the road and drive as safely as possible, and good vision is vital for your safety...

You may wonder why your optometrist asks about your medications and may specifically question you about high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common disorder, affecting about 33% of adults between ages 40-59 and 63% of adults over the age of 60. It is a leading cause...

Watery eyes and excess tearing is one of the most common complaints I get from my senior patients. It is not vision-threatening but it can be an ongoing frustration – constantly having to wipe away excess tears from around your eyes and down your cheeks. This condition is often chronic...

Comprehensive Eye Examination – What is this and what does it include? Many people consider the main objective of an eye examination is to answer one or both of these questions: 1. Do I need glasses to correct my vision? 2. Did my prescription for glasses or contact lenses change?...

UV Protection The sun has been starting to peek out more and this is great for our health to get outside and enjoy it. While we prepare to go enjoy the sun more, we need to remember how important it is to protect our eyes. Why? UV light can damage...

Prescription glasses can be expensive, so it’s understandable why many people don’t want to purchase multiples. However, there are many benefits to having more than one pair! UV Protection Not only do sunglasses make it more comfortable to see on sunny days, but they help block UV from reaching your...

As we enter 2022, we are experiencing a dramatic surge of Covid infections driven by the Omicron variant. Most of us are likely to be exposed to the Covid-19 virus, and it’s a good time to consider all the ways in which we can protect ourselves from severe illness. The...

January is glaucoma awareness month. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over 60 years of age. Glaucoma is treatable and vision loss from glaucoma is preventable with early detection and management for most patients; the problem is that it goes undetected and untreated in...

With the kids back at school, the fall is a great time for awareness about children’s vision. This year, increased awareness is especially important. With COVID around, most of us are spending more time than ever indoors and on a screen. B.C. health data prior to COVID showed optometrists in...

Our first dry eye article explained what dry eye disease is and how it has multiple causes. To review, anything that disrupts the tear film that coats the front of our eye can lead to dry eyes. One common external cause to dry eyes is screen time. Screen time duration and habits matter...

What is dry eye disease? Like many other medical diseases, the definition for dry eye disease continues to evolve as we gain more medical knowledge on the subject. Simply put, dry eye disease is an imbalance of the delicate tear layer that coats the front of our eye. This tear...

The COVID 19 global pandemic has created many challenges. Among them is an increase in dry eye related symptoms and complaints that have become known as “mask-associated dry eye”. This condition tends to affect those who are required to (or chooses to) wear a mask regularly and for extended periods...

The Omega 3’s are essential fatty acids that we do not want to go without!  I hope we have all moved on from the ill-advised low-fat diet craze of the 80’s and 90’s, but we may still hang on to some mental adversity at adding fats into our diet on...

Why is an eye doctor writing about our sense of smell?? Because it is fascinating! Smell is an under-rated and under-appreciated sense in humans. People can easily imagine how devastating it would be to lose our vision, but we tend to think that losing our sense of smell would have...

Sense of Smell Why is an eye doctor writing about our sense of smell?? Because it is fascinating! Smell is an under-rated and under-appreciated sense in humans. People can easily imagine how devastating it would be to lose our vision, but we tend to think that losing our sense of...

IRITIS - An inflammation affecting the eye. The iris is the colored portion of the eye. It contains muscles that contract and relax in response to light and other stimuli including emotional states. Muscle activity in the iris changes the size of the pupil, thus regulating the amount of light entering the...

I have always enjoyed school and learning – as evidenced by my nine years of university completing my Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and doctorate degree (Optometry), plus a few extra meandering courses along the way! One of the things that I love about practicing optometry is the ongoing opportunity for...

Cleaning your glasses may seem like a straightforward task, but improper cleaning techniques can cause damage to your lenses. We will review the best ways to clean and maintain your glasses. An easy step-by-step guide to clean your glasses: Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Rinse your lenses...

Three of the world's most published researchers in eye health have published their consensus, and the verdict is YES! Contact lens wear is safe. Despite some myths and misinformation currently circulating, these researchers have concluded that contact lens wear remains a safe and highly effective form of vision correction for...

Most of us now spend an appreciable amount of time using a computer, tablet, or smart phone for work or recreation. Computer vision syndrome is a term that was coined to describe eye and vision discomfort resulting from screen time. Symptoms of computer vision syndrome include headaches, blurred vision, sore...

We all know someone who had perfect vision all their life, but then began to need reading glasses as they entered their mid-40’s.  Why does this happen? First - a short explanation of how the human eye focuses for near vision.  Behind the pupil of the eye is the lens....

Astigmatism sounds bad, but really it is just a type of blurry vision that is caused by the focussing parts of the eye (the cornea and the lens) not being perfectly round. Since the eye is a biological structure, it is common for some imperfection like this to be present....

Canadians planning their Halloween costumes should be wary of decorative contact lenses, according to health officials. Health Canada warned in a recent release that while such decorative lenses are popular additions to Halloween attire, they can pose risks such as cuts or scratches on corneas, allergic reactions, impaired vision, infections...

I can still clearly remember becoming aware of floaters in my eyes as a young child. Lying in the sun with closed eyes I was able to visualize clear dots and tubules that would drift from side to side when I moved my eyes. I realized that the viewing conditions...

Contact lenses aren’t that scary, we promise! Here is a break down to ease your mind on common questions revolved around our processes with contacts.   At Armstrong Optometry we are always staying up-to-date with new technologies and materials for contacts. If you have tried using them before, we encourage...

It is well known that smoking is detrimental to your health. Smoking tobacco harms every organ in your body— your eyes included. Smoking tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in Canada. Most smokers are not aware that their tobacco use is a preventable cause of blindness. Avoiding...

There is help for your dry eye woes! Learn how to manage the symptoms of chronic dry eye syndrome. We have drops, cleansing wipes and more that can give you the relief you need. Dr. Tim Styles offers personalized care for Blephex treatments....

  Daily disposables are the perfect answer for traveling and camping. Even if you have astigmatism correction, these lenses will be able to keep up to your movements in all your summer activities. Contact us today for further information.    ...

Dr. MacAulay recently received the 2017 President’s Award for excellence in service to the profession of optometry. This award is well-deserved! Congratulations Dr. MacAulay!...

As the summer approaches and days get longer, it is a good time to review your UV protection options for your life outdoors this summer. Most people are well-versed in sunscreen for your skin, but let’s not forget that your eyes need protection from damaging UV rays as well. UV...

Spring is upon us with its longer days, sunshine, flower blooms, and… allergies. Hayfever or seasonal environmental allergies are common in the springtime, although they can affect different people at different times of year. Many people have go-to remedies for the sneezing and running nose, but may neglect direct treatment...

Living in the North Okanagan means a full four seasons of temperature changes, which can affect the hydration levels of the tear film on the surface of your eyes. The contrast of cold winter temperatures outdoors and dry heat indoors can dry out the tear film. This also happens in...

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