Q: WHEN SHOULD I TAKE MY CHILD FOR A FIRST EYE EXAM?
A: By age three unless symptoms such as crossed eyes appear earlier. It's important for your doctor to check your child's
ability to see clearly up close and far away, to change focus from far to near and back, and to use the two eyes
together as a team. If you don't think your child's vision skills are developing normally, your doctor can help.
Early treatment may prevent or slow children's vision problems. BACK TO TOP
Q: WILL VIDEO GAMES HARM MY CHILD'S EYES?
A: Actually, video games may help sharpen your child's vision skills, but
only if they're played in moderation. Video games can help sharpen
eye movement skills, eye-hand coordination, visual reaction time and side
vision awareness. However, staring at a video screen for hours on end
puts the eyes under great stress, causing headaches, fatigue, blurring
vision, and may contribute to nearsightedness. Five minute "eye breaks" are
recommended for every 30 minutes of play. BACK TO TOP
Q: MY DAUGHTER SAYS MY 7-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER NEEDS BIFOCALS. AREN'T BIFOCALS JUST FOR "OVER-FORTIES"?
A: Not necessarily. Most young people don't need bifocals, but some
nearsighted children need strong glasses to see things far away, but
the glasses make reading more difficult. Bifocals give them the right
prescription for distance and near in one pair of glasses. And some
children need bifocals with a prescription for reading on the bottom and a
clear lens on top. These are prescribed to make close work easier. And
sometimes, bifocals are used in treating crossed eyes. BACK TO TOP
Q: I'M PAST "MIDDLE AGE," AND MY EYES ARE DRY AND ITCHY. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?
A: Dry eyes are a common complaint as a person grows older. The usual
cause is malfunctioning tear glands. Other possible causes include certain
health concerns - vitamin A deficiency, some drugs such as diuretics used
in controlling high blood pressure and heart conditions, or an extremely
dry environment. Symptoms include a scratchy, sandy feeling, burning,
mucus secretion, light sensitivity, redness, pain, and sometimes, difficulty in
moving the eyelids. Seeking professional help is a good idea. Something
as simple as a liquid care solution may make you more comfortable, but your
eye doctor will give you the best advice after doing the tests to determine
the cause of your problem. BACK TO TOP
Q: I'M ALSO PAST "MIDDLE AGE," AND MY EYES ARE ALWAYS WATERING. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?
A: Just like "dry eye," watering eyes become more common as a person
becomes older. Symptoms range from a mild annoyance to a serious, painful
problem causing red, raw skin and constant wiping. Watering eyes
result from excessive tear production or poor tear drainage. Underlying
causes may include eye infections, general health problems such as
hypothyroidism, anemia, arthritis, allergies and menopause, dental
difficulties or severe acuity problems. You will need your
optometrist's help in pinpointing the cause. BACK TO TOP
Q: I WORK WITH A COMPUTER VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINAL ALL DAY. CAN THIS CAUSE EYE PROBLEMS?
A: There is no conclusive evidence that computer video display terminal
work causes problems, but it can irritate existing ones. If you are a
computer operator, tell your eye doctor. Describe your work and
mention any eye strain problems you're experiencing. There are special aids for
computer users, including polarizing lenses to combat glare,
progressive lenses giving you an intermediate distance while still providing a full
view of the screen, and special tints also may be helpful. BACK TO TOP
Q: I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE WEAR ONE CONTACT LENS FOR SEEING AT A DISTANCE AND ANOTHER ONE FOR READING AND OTHER CLOSE WORK. IS THIS OKAY?
A: Yes. This is called monovision. It a popular way to provide good
vision at all times for people over 40, most of whom have difficulty in reading
and seeing "up close," and also need help to see clearly at a distance. Most
people adapt to monovision, using any type of contact lenses that
meets their needs. If you only need help seeing up close, you might wear
just one contact lens. Be sure to ask your eyecare professional if
monovision is a possible solution for you. BACK TO TOP
Q: I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT SUN GLASSES ARE UNNECESSARY BECAUSE NATURE HAS GIVEN US SUFFICIENT PROTECTION. IS THAT RIGHT?
A: Natural sun protection used to be adequate, but no longer. Glare
bouncing off plastic, metals and glass are things our ancestors didn't
contend with. Also, unlike our ancestors, many people spend far more
time inside and are less accustomed to bright and intense light. In
addition, our longer life expectancy plays a part. Research indicates that
some long-term exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can contribute to
some types of cataracts as well as other vision problems. The bottom line is
that while our eyes have some natural UV protection, it is not enough
for today's average lifestyle or lifetime. Many types of sunglasses are
available today. Ask your optometrist for a recommendation. BACK TO TOP
While Accurate Optical has provided general answers to some of the most
asked questions in this Questions & Answers segment, only a fully-trained
professional can evaluate and treat individual patients' problems and
advise them as to a course of action. If you are experiencing any of the
problems described, or others that are not addressed, please make an appointment
with your eyecare professional at Accurate Optical today.
Continue to visit this website for additional "Frequently Asked Eye Care Questions."
Q: HOW DOES ACCURATE OPTICAL COMPANY (A0C) PROTECT MY CHILDREN'S PRIVACY?
A: Certainly, AOC is concerned about the safety of children when they logon to use the Internet. In accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, AOC will never request personally identifiable information from any visitor to this site under the age of 13.
If we become aware that a site visitor is under the age of 13 and has placed an order without first receiving verifiable parental consent, we will remove his or her personally identifiable information from our database
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Q: IS MY PRIVACY PROTECTED AT LINKS TO OTHER INTERNET SITES AND SERVICES?
A: AOC may maintain links to other sites that are not under our control. These Web sites have their own policies regarding privacy.
AOC suggests that you take the time to review these policies before visiting them. We have no responsibility for any linked Web
sites and provide these links solely as a source of information and convenience of the visitors to our site.
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Q: HOW DOES AOC MAKE SURE MY TRANSACTION AND ORDER INFORMATION ARE SECURE?
A: Your privacy is our number one priority. Our site uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect the
security of your personal order information. Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use SSL security to protect their
sensitive transactions and information. SSL security makes eavesdropping on the Internet nearly impossible. When
you use our secure ordering page you can be assured that your sensitive information and monetary transactions with
us are always encrypted, safe, and secure.
To check the security of your connection, look at the lower left-hand corner of your browser window after accessing
the server. If you see an unbroken key (Netscape Navigator) or a closed lock (Internet Explorer), the SSL is active
and the server is secure. You can also double-check by looking at the URL line of your browser. When assessing a secure
server, the first characters of the site address will change from "http://" to "https://".
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Q: WHAT DOES AOC DO WITH A PATIENT'S PHI?
A: Accurate Optical Company, Inc. does not rent, sell, or exchange any protected health information about its patients.
The only parties who have access to such information are employees of affiliates within the AOC family of businesses
and vendors who have signed Business Associate Agreements guaranteeing to safeguard a patient's PHI.
Third parties that need access to your information in order to provide operational or other support services to us must
agree to protect your PHI in strict compliance with our policy. AOC may provide information to regulatory authorities
and law enforcement officials in accordance with applicable law. In the event we are approached by a recognized legal
jurisdiction, AOC may disclose a patient's PHI when we believe in good faith that the law requires it.
The only AOC associates with access to your information are those employees who need it to do their jobs. AOC employees
are educated about our policies and practices with regards to safeguarding customer information; preventing its unauthorized
access, use or disclosure; and ensuring its proper handling.
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Q: CAN I DISABLE THESE COOKIES?
A: Most web browsers allow you to exercise control over cookie
files on your computer by erasing them, blocking them, or
notifying you when such a file is stored. Please take a look
at your particular browser for instructions on this function.
In the event visitors choose to disable cookies, they will not
be able to complete their shopping experience, and would need
to call our corporate office at 410.749.1545 in order to complete
their transaction.
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Q: WILL I RECEIVE PROMOTIONAL E-MAILS FROM ACCURATE OPTICAL CO.?
In the future, AOC may send you e-mails with promotional offers. There are no immediate plans for
such a program, but in the event one is developed, every person will be given the opportunity to
"opt out". If you would like be excluded from the receipt of e-mailed promotions, sales notifications
or other messages from us, please send an email to kkoffman@accurateoptical.net
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. Your e-mail address will be removed from our marketing list
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