Start 2023 by knowing your risk of glaucoma.

Every New Year, we commit to staying healthy to feel our best. But did you realize that feeling your best includes seeing your best too? Learning about glaucoma is a great addition to your healthy list this year! Your eyes will thank you for it. Here are 5 things to know about glaucoma.

1. Glaucoma can cause vision loss and blindness and has no cure. Glaucoma causes fluid to build up in your eye, causing pressure that can damage the optic nerve. But you can save your vision with early detection and treatment.

2. There are no early symptoms. Glaucoma often has no early warning signs. No pain. No discomfort. No blurry vision. Only advanced glaucoma will affect your vision. Don’t wait for symptoms to visit your eye doctor!

3. In the United States, half the people with glaucoma don’t know they do. Lack of awareness and the absence of symptoms prevent early detection. Find out if you have glaucoma by scheduling an exam.

4. Some people are at higher risk than others. People with a family history of glaucoma, African-Americans over the age of 40, and Hispanics/Latinos over 60 have higher risks.

5. There is only one way to know if you have glaucoma – a comprehensive dilated eye exam. This exam will look for signs of the disease in the optic nerve.

Now that you know more about glaucoma, resolve for a healthier vision in 2023. Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam today!

The instrument also has a large normative database, allowing us to compare measurements from your eye to what a normal, healthy eye should look like. This helps improve detection of minute changes in the eye that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to detect!

Variations of Retinal Detachment as seen on OCT imaging

Macular edema as seen on OCT imaging

-Dr. M

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an Optometrist in Paducah, KY. He specializes in ocular disease care, specialty contact lenses, including Ortho-K, and pediatrics.

1. Replace contact lenses as directed: I know they may feel OK to stretch for another week, but you are putting yourself at significant risk for corneal infections, hypoxia, and new blood vessel growth on the cornea. Trust your doctor on this one.
2. Get a new case every 3 months: Most contact lens cases are anti-microbial, but not forever. Replace your case every time you buy new solution.
3. Don’t top off your solution: disinfecting solution is used to disinfect and clean your lens overnight. You wouldn’t reuse bath water each day, so don’t treat your contacts that way!
4. DO NOT USE WATER TO STORE CONTACT LENSES: Small parasites and bacteria like pseudomonas live in your tap water and can cause major, permanent damage to your cornea. It is NEVER OK to do this.
5. Always wash your hands before handling lenses: this one is self-explanatory.

These complications are real and I see them daily in practice. Contact lenses are safe if used properly. Wearers who don’t follow these rules are usually the ones in my chair with corneal ulcers. Don’t be this person!

-Dr. M

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an optometrist in Paducah, KY. He specializes in specialty contact lenses, Ortho-K, pediatrics and VT, and eye disease management.

There is an eye condition that has increased in prevalence in the US by 66% since 1971. This condition now affects over 25% of all Americans and the prevalence has reached upwards of 85% in some Asian countries.

I’m talking about myopia, or nearsightedness. While low amounts of myopia may seem harmless (hey, we can still see with glasses or contacts!), myopic patients are more likely to develop blinding eye diseases like glaucoma, retinal tears and detachments, and premature cataracts, among countless others.

Myopia is caused by an elongated eye

Luckily, new research is beginning to identify trends in those who are nearsighted. Besides genetics, increased near work and lack of outdoor play have been identified as contributing factors in myopia progression

So What Can We Do?

There are currently three preventative measures that can be taken to slow myopia progression:

1. Orthokeratology
2. Soft bifocal contact lenses
3. Low dose dilating drops, called Atropine.

   While all work well, bifocal contacts and atropine can significantly decrease a child’s clarity of vision, even though they reduced their risk of myopia progression. Ortho-K, however, offers clear vision AND slowing of myopia progression for children of all ages! That’s why it’s our go-to to get kids out of glasses and contacts and reduce their risk of myopia progression.

Want to know more about Ortho-K? Check out our website here.

-Dr. Montgomery

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an Optometrist in Paducah, KY. He specializes in ocular disease, pediatrics, and specialty contact lens fitting, including Orthokeratology.

We recently invested in the best corneal topographer on the market: a Medmont E300. A corneal topographer measures over 10,000 data points on your cornea (the clear front part of your eye) and uses sophisticated software to create a detailed topographical map of the front surface of your eye.

A topographical map of the cornea

So why do we need to do this technology?

Topography allows us to catch corneal diseases like keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration much earlier and monitor its progression. It also gives us the information needed to design custom contact lenses for those hard-to-fit eyes.

One of the things I’m most excited about is that topography will allow me to design and manage orthokeratology (Ortho-K) programs for patients. If you don’t know about Ortho-K, your mind is going to be blown…check it out here.

We have already started putting our topographer to good use and are already looking for the next piece of technology that will enhance your health care even more!

-Dr. Montgomery

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an optometrist in Paducah, KY. He specializes in contact lens fitting, including Ortho-K, ocular disease, and pediatric eye care.

To celebrate, we are having a TRUNK SHOW featuring:

Kate Spade

Hugo BOSS

Smith Optics

All frames from these lines will be 50% off and a HUGE selection will be available, as our rep will be present!*

Additionally, we are offering 25% off all lenses purchased that day!*

*Discount cannot be combined with insurance or any other offer.

ALSO FEATURING:

Jewelry by Montgomery Gardens

Big Green Egg demo by Richard Montgomery

Matilda Jane

Local Wine and Beer

Games, Giveaways, and Great Times!

When: Thursday, October 22nd from 3-7 pm

Where: Our office on Strawberry Hill

Can’t wait to see you there!

Fall fashion eyewear means one thing: tortoise shell frames! Darker tortoise shell frames pair so well with the earth tones we’re used to seeing in our fall wardrobe. They tow the line between the formal looks of the winter months and the carefree colors we love during the summer, plus you can pretty well match them to any outfit you can come with!

Without further ado, here are our picks for tortoise fashion this fall!

This Cat Eye Ray-Ban sports a classis brown tortoise front with thin, metal temples giving it a retro-meets-modern look

These Kate Spade frames mix a dark totoise front with a clear back and yellow accented temples. Top it off with hints of gold hardware and we are in love!

Tory Burch has taken a fresh approach to the tortoise look with these blue and green flecked frames. These are so unique!

Kate Spade mixes a lighter tortoise front with clear champagne temples with metal accents. This is one of the coolest tortoise patterns we’ve ever seen!

These Burberry’s are probably our favorite frame that we have right now! A translucent frame front with a blonde tortoise temple makes this frame so classy!

No one does the tortoise look better than Kate Spade!

The question I get asked the most is: “What’s the point in an eye exam if they can’t verbalize what they read on an eye chart?”

Optometrists have means of accurately determining refractive error on any patient, including patients who cannot speak. This involves using something called a retinoscope and various lenses placed before the eye to determine the exact prescription. In addition to checking for high prescriptions and eye alignment issues, we dilate the baby’s pupils and use special lenses to look inside their eye at the retina, where many eye diseases go undiagnosed by pediatricians.

A doctor using a retinoscope to determine the patient’s prescription

Remember: whatever your child’s vision is, that is “normal” for them until they are made aware that their vision should be better. This is the flaw in waiting until the child complains before visiting an eye doctor; at that point, it is often too late to intervene and stop conditions like amblyopia and strabismus.

Make sure your child’s first year of life sets the stage for healthy development: get an eye exam by an optometrist!

-Dr. Montgomery

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an Optometrist in Paducah, KY. As an eye doctor in Paducah, he sees pediatric patients beginning at age 6 months.

So, is there a magic pill that can prevent you from going blind?

In short, no.

So what’s with all the eye vitamins on the shelves at your local drug store?

The Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) has identified a specific formula of vitamins and supplements that has proven to slow the progression of macular degeneration. Here’s the kicker, though: the study only shows a benefit for those who already have macular degeneration. It does not confirm that taking these vitamins will prevent you from developing this condition.

So what can I do?

There are things that you can do to help protect your macula:

-Make it a point to have your eyes dilated EVERY YEAR! Skipping dilation is like going to the dentist and not opening your mouth!

-UV protection: Wear sunglasses any time you go outside!

-A healthy diet including leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach

-Keep your blood pressure in check

-Don’t stare at the sun (even during eclipses) or laser pointers

-And, for goodness sake, STOP SMOKING!

-Dr. Montgomery

Dr. Canaan Montgomery is an optometrist in Paducah, KY. As an eye doctor in Paducah, he treats eye disease, fits standard and specialty contact lenses, and treats pediatric patients.

Note: This is not medical advice. If you have questions regarding your eye health or supplementation, you should speak with your eye doctor.

Summer is all about whimsy. This is the time to try bold, bright colors as well as pastels. Put away your darker tortoise, black, and gray colors and save them for the winter months.

So, without further ado, here’s what we’re wearing this summer:

The retro shape of these Tory Burch combined with Blue Tortoise Geyser color are the definition of summer eye wear! These pair with a summer dress just as easily as a swimsuit on the lake!

Tory Burch in Blue Tortoise Geyser

The combination of metal frame with acetate temples give these Lilly Pulitzer frames a unique look. The temple features a classic Lilly pattern that would pair wonderfully with a Lilly summer dress or skirt! Bonus: these frames have a great color scheme for Spring-time, too!

Lilly Pulitzer Remmy in Teal

Another frame from Lilly…No surprise here! This frame is acetate featuring a metal bridge that gives them a 1920’s retro feel. When the sun hits the Fuscia Tortoise frame, it bursts with color! This is one of our favorite Lilly’s we’ve ever seen!

Lilly Pulitzer Witherbee in Fuscia Tortoise

Vera Wang typically designs more formal eye wear. We are used to pairing Vera with a cocktail dress and diamond earrings. These Coral Tortoise frames just scream summer, though! The coral accents on the lower frame and inner temple are the perfect pop of color for summer! We LOVE these!

Vera Wang in Coral Tortoise

That’s it! Don’t be afraid to embrace color this summer and don’t forget to pair your eye wear with designer sunwear for those bright, sunny days!

-Rebecca Montgomery

Rebecca is a frame stylist and optical manager at West End Eye Care in Paducah, KY. She is an expert at selecting the right frame to match each person’s individual style and face.