optometrist

Help! My Child Doesn’t Want to Wear Glasses!

Do your kids need glasses in order to see clearly? Maybe they have a strong case of nearsightedness, perhaps they have astigmatism, or another type of refractive error. Whatever the cause, getting your kids to wear eyeglasses can be a parenting challenge.

Dr. Douglass treats patients from all over Cypress, Texas with their vision correction needs. The knowledgeable, caring staff at Precision Family Eyecare can help you and your kids if they’re struggling with their glasses or don’t want to wear them.

Why Won’t My Child Wear His or Her Glasses?

To help your children get the best vision possible, you first need to understand why they’re fighting with you over their glasses. It usually stems from something physical, emotional, or social, such as:

Wrong fit
Wrong prescription
Personal style
Reactions from friends

How do you know which it is? Pay close attention to the signs, from what your kids say, to how they behave, to how they interact with others.

Physical

Improper fit is a big reason why glasses could feel uncomfortable. If they slip down, itch behind the ears, or put pressure on the bridge of the nose, it can explain why a child wouldn’t like to wear them.

If there’s been a big change to their prescription, they may need time to get used to it. If they were given the wrong prescription, they may be straining their eyes, getting headaches, or having eye fatigue. An incorrect prescription can make wearing glasses painful or awkward. It doesn’t correct their vision, either, so they’ll still see blurry images. When this happens, your eye doctor can check the prescription and make an adjustment.

Emotional

Your kids at home aren’t the same as your kids in school, on the sports field, or with their friends. They may be afraid of being made fun of in school, or they may not want the sudden attention on their appearance. These feelings can be even stronger among the tween and teen set.

Social

Even young kids can feel different when they put on a pair of glasses, especially if it’s for the first time. Feeling different or weird, in their eyes, translates to a negative experience. When wearing glasses makes them feel like the odd man out, they may not want to wear them. The last thing your child wants is to feel like a social outcast. After all, everyone wants to belong.

How We Can Help

First, bring your child in to the eye doctor for an eye exam. Our optometrist, Dr. Douglass, will check to make sure that your child has the right prescription and that any vision problems are being corrected. Next, we’ll take a look at the glasses and place them on your child’s face to determine if they’ve got the proper fit. Our optician will take care of any adjustments that need to be made.

The Vision They Need, The Style They Want

Fashion isn’t only for adults. Your budding fashionista or trendy young stud wants to look awesome, so don’t forget about style. When your kids look great, they’ll feel great! Give them the top-quality eyewear they need without compromising on style. Your kids are a lot more likely to wear glasses when they like the way they look.

What You Can Do to Help

Encourage, stay positive, and don’t give up. Avoid telling them what you want them to wear. Let them choose for themselves. In the end, they’re the ones wearing the glasses. Making decisions is an important life skill, something they’ll need as they grow up and become more independent.

For younger children, use positive words to encourage them. Talk about how glasses are like magic, letting them see beautiful things around them. Show them how a pretty flower or a bright red truck looks with the glasses on, and how different it looks with the glasses off. For older kids, throw in a little pop culture. Tell them how trendy they’ll look by showing them pictures of celebrities who also wear glasses. You’ll also rack up some cool parent points.

At Precision Family Eyecare, we have the experience and unique approach to children’s eyewear that will make your kids want to wear their glasses. Schedule an eye exam today – you can book an appointment online right here. If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call and we’ll be glad to help.

Eye Allergies

Bothered by red, itchy eyes, sneezing and watery eyes? You may have allergies.

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Eye Allergy Specialist Serving Cypress, TX.

If you experience itchy, stinging, watery and red eyes from eye allergies, that is nothing to sneeze at (pun intended). Eye allergies can affect your ability to work, read, and enjoy the outdoors, but more importantly, eye allergies cause us to rub our eyes which can increase the risk of an eye infection by 50 times, as well as increasing the risk of other more serious complications and conditions.

There is no better place to take care of your allergies and put a spring in your step (another pun intended) than at our state of the art eye care center servicing Cypress. Our optometrists have extensive experience and use the latest technology to assess the cause of your allergies and provide a custom designed treatment plan to help you get back to normal.

One common misconception is that eye allergies can be managed effectively with over the counter medication. While in some cases that may work, in many cases an optometrist will be able to advise on more effective solutions.

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Is An Eye Allergy Exam Covered By Insurance?

Your visit to the optometrist will be billed to your medical insurance as opposed to your vision insurance. Treatment of eye allergies also referred to as allergic conjunctivitis or ocular allergies, is a covered medical service for most insurances.

Medical eye services include any medical complaint such as pink eye, dry eye, allergies, and diabetes). Approved testing will in many cases need a co-pay.

Eye care experts recommend you have a complete eye exam every one to three years, depending on your age, risk factors, and health.

What Causes An Eye Allergy?

Eye allergies, or any allergies for that matter, occur when the immune system is hypersensitized to a stimulus in the environment that comes into contact with the eye.

The allergen stimulates the antibodies in the cells of your eyes to respond by releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause the eyes and surrounding tissue to become inflamed, red, watery, burning and itchy.

Eye allergens can include:

Airborne substances found in nature such as pollen from flowers, tree pollen, grass or trees.
Indoor allergens such as pet dander, dust or mold.
Irritants such as cosmetics, chemicals, cigarette smoke, or perfume.

Eye Doctor, Eye Allergy Treatment in Cypress, TX.

Tips for Coping With Eye Allergies

Allergies can go from mildly uncomfortable to debilitating. Knowing how to alleviate symptoms and reduce exposure can greatly improve your comfort and quality of life, particularly during allergy season which can last from April until October.

To reduce exposure to allergens

Stay indoors and keep windows closed when pollen counts are high, especially in the mid-morning and early evening.
Wear sunglasses outside to protect your eyes, not only from UV rays but also from airborne allergens.
Avoid rubbing your eyes, this can intensify symptoms and increase irritation. When the eyes get itchy, it is difficult not to rub and scratch them. However, rubbing the eyes can aggravate the allergic cascade response, making them more swollen, red, and uncomfortable.
Check and regularly clean your air conditioning filters.
Keep pets outdoors if you have pet allergies and wash your hands after petting an animal.
Use dust-mite-proof covers on bedding and pillows and wash linens frequently.
Clean surfaces with a damp cloth rather than dusting or dry sweeping.
Remove any mold in your home.
Reducing contact lens wear during allergy season or switch to daily disposable contact lenses.

5 Tips to relieve discomfort

When itching begins, immediately place a cold compress over your eyes for a few minutes. If you don’t have a compress, wrap some ice cubes in a wash cloth. This is also a great option for children as it keeps them from rubbing their eyes and minimizes chemicals being put into eyes from other treatments.
Put a bottle of sterile saline solution, preservative-free contact lens solution or a commercial eye wash product in the fridge to chill and then use it to rinse out itchy eyes. This is particularly beneficial if your eyes have been exposed to dust and pollen.
Preservative-free over the counter eye drops are best as those with strong preservatives tend to sting the eye. Avoid drops that promise to “get the red out” as they don’t help allergy symptoms or offer treatment. Instead, they constrict blood vessels which can have significant side effects.
If symptoms persist, an optometrist will diagnose and prescribe medications to treat the condition. Prescription eye drops are more effective at reducing inflammation and itch. Some are gentle enough that they are approved for use in children as young as two years old.
When in doubt, make an appointment with an optometrist because your family’s vision is too important to jeopardize

Treatment for Eye Allergies

Treatment for the uncomfortable symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis includes over-the-counter and prescription drops and medications. It is best to know the source of the allergy reaction to avoid symptoms.

Often people wait until the allergy response is more severe to take allergy medication, but most allergy medications work best when taken just prior to being exposed to the allergen. Consult your eye doctor about your symptoms and which treatment is best for you.

Finding the right treatment for your allergies can make all the difference in your quality of life, particularly during the time of year when most of us like to enjoy the outdoors.

Non-prescription medications include:

Artificial tears (to reduce dryness)
Decongestant eyedrops
Oral antihistamines

Prescription medications

Prescription medications include eyedrops such as antihistamines, mast-cell stabilizers, or stronger decongestants as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy which are allergy injections given by an allergist is sometimes also helpful to assist your body in building up immunity to the allergens that elicit the allergic response.

Cool compresses & artificial tears

If no allergy medicine is on hand, even cool compresses and artificial tears can help alleviate symptoms.

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Contact Lenses In Cypress, TX

We offer a wide selection of contact lenses including disposable soft contact, bifocal/multifocal, toric, and colored lenses. Whether you wear daily or monthly disposables, or conventional (vial) lenses, check out our selection of lenses that fit your needs.

Proudly serving Cypress, TX!

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A Good Contact Lens Fit Is Crucial

A good contact lens fit starts with a thorough eye exam to ensure the most up-to-date prescription and rule out any pre-existing conditions that could interfere with contact lens wear.

We will determine the best fitting lens based on your lifestyle needs, the shape and health of your eye. In most cases, you’ll have the opportunity to try lenses on the same day as your exam. You can even go home with a few samples before making a final decision.

We follow up the initial fitting and then make any necessary changes in fit or materials to get you the best possible fit. We teach all our patients proper contact lens care and also possible consequences if proper care is not taken. Then we continue with long-term follow-up to monitor the condition of the lenses and to ensure that proper hygiene is being maintained.

Contact Lenses for the Hard-to-Fit Patient

These contact lenses are specially designed for people that have astigmatism or keratoconus.

Toric Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Toric contact lenses are developed for people that have astigmatism and find it difficult to wear regular contact lenses.

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses

Multifocal contact lenses are specifically designed for people suffering from presbyopia.

Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lenses

GP contact lenses are an alternative to soft contact lenses, that don't contain water.

Brands We Carry

Learn more about the contact lens we sell.

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Call for an Appointment (281) 238-5525

EYE CARE SERVICES FOR YOU

Our eye care center in Cypress offers a full range of eye health services to clients of all ages, from children to older adults: routine eye exams and vision tests, eye disease diagnosis and management…

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Eye Emergencies, Eye Exams & More

Our optometrist in Precision Family Eyecare provides eyewear prescriptions and offers corrective laser eye surgery co-management as well. You can get in touch with our eye doctor's office to set up an appointment at your convenience and learn more about some of our key services below.

Our optometrists have extensive experience and use the latest technology to assess the cause of your allergies and provide a custom designed treatment plan to help you get back to normal.

Our Eye Care Services:

Comprehensive Eye Exams

Eye Exams in Cypress, TX

Regardless of your age or physical health, it’s important to have regular eye exams at our Cypress eye care center.

During a complete eye exam, your eye doctor will not only determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

A comprehensive eye exam includes a number of tests and procedures to examine and evaluate the health of your eyes and the quality of your vision. These tests range from simple ones, like having you read an eye chart, to complex tests, such as using a high-powered lens to examine the health of the tissues inside of your eyes.

Eye care experts recommend you have a complete eye exam every one to three years, depending on your age, risk factors, and health.

Children’s Eye Exams

Some experts estimate that approximately 5% to 10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), all children should have their eyes examined at 6 months of age, at age 3 and again at the start of school. Children without vision problems or risk factors for eye or vision problems should then continue to have their eyes examined at least every two years throughout school.

Children with existing vision problems or risk factors should have their eyes examined more frequently. Common risk factors for vision problems include:

premature birth
developmental delays
turned or crossed eyes
family history of eye disease
history of eye injury
other physical illness or disease

The AOA recommends that children who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have their eyes examined at least every 12 months or according to their eye doctor’s instructions. Read more about Pediatric Eye Exams.

Adult Eye Exams

The AOA also recommends an annual eye exam for any adult who wears eyeglasses or contacts. If you don’t normally need vision correction, you still need an eye exam every two to three years up to the age of 40, depending on your rate of visual change and overall health. Doctors often recommend more frequent examinations for adults with diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders, because many diseases can have an impact on vision and eye health.

If you are over 40, it’s a good idea to have your eyes examined every one to two years to check for common age-related eye problems such as presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Because the risk of eye disease continues to increase with advancing age, everyone over the age of 60 should be examined annually.

Book an Eye Exam:

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PLENTY OF CHOICE—EYEGLASSES

Our optical offers a large selection of eyeglasses, contact lenses and sunglasses. We carry the latest European and American designer eyewear collections in a variety of styles, colors, and materials including titanium, stainless steel, and plastic.

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Quality Eyeglasses and Lenses

Our staff at Precision Family Eyecare will help you find the best fit for your needs and explain how different frames and lenses will impact your vision. They will help you narrow down your choices so you can find the look, fit and functionality you want from your eyewear.

New clients and all our current patients are welcome to visit our optical Precision Family Eyecare with their current prescription - no appointment necessary.

Our Eyeglass Services:

Toric Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a condition that is caused by an irregular shape of the cornea – the clear part of the eye that covers the iris and the pupil. The cornea is usually smooth, round, and spherical but in an astigmatic eye, the cornea turns into a shape that is not spherical and develops a second curve. One of the primary duties of the cornea is to focus light onto the retina which enables you to see clearly. When the cornea is out of shape and develops two curves, this created two focal points therefore causing blurred vision.

The irregular shape of the eye makes it hard for traditional contact lenses to fit and provide clear vision and therefore requires specialized contact lenses such as toric lenses or rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs).

What are Toric Contact Lenses?

Toric contact lenses are designed to correct astigmatism and custom made to fit the eye of the patient. Rather than having a perfectly spherical surface like standard contact lenses, toric lenses have a more oblong shape made to accommodate the shape of the astigmatic eye. Toric lenses can be made of either soft or rigid gas permeable (RGP or GP) lens material, however the soft toric lenses are more common.

Toric contact lenses are also designed in such a way that the lenses stay in place on the eye to maintain proper vision. Sometimes as the eye moves or blinks the lens can rotate considerably on the eye. If this rotation continues with a soft toric lens, a rigid gas permeable lens might be more effective. Rigid gas permeable lenses have a longer initial adjustment time, but once this has passed they are usually just as comfortable as soft contact lenses and they are often easier to care for.

Toric lenses are available in every wearing schedule from daily disposable to long-term wear. In some cases you may even find colored toric contact lenses. Due to the customization required, toric lenses tend to be more expensive and may take more laboratory time to make than traditional lenses.

If you have astigmatism, finding the right fit for your contact lenses is essential. Speak to your eye doctor today for a full assessment to determine which type of toric lenses will work best for you to help you see and feel your best.

Safety and Sports Glasses

Nowadays, sports eyewear tells the world that you are a serious player. It doesn’t matter whether you bat in Little League or skate with the pros, eye gear for sports offers a long list of benefits.

Protective eyewear, such as specialized goggles and wraparound frames with polycarbonate lenses, helps to reduce or eliminate your risk of eye damage. An added bonus is that performance is often enhanced, due to the high quality vision provided from eyewear made for wearing on the playing field.

Eye gear for sports is not merely recommended, but now mandated by many clubs. Members are required to wear proper protective eyewear in order to participate in activities. Once upon a time, kids used to cringe at the concept of wearing goggles, but just like bike helmets have become the norm – sports goggles are now accepted as part of the uniform and regarded as ultra-cool.

Protect Your Eyes from Fast and Furious Sports Action

If you’re still unconvinced about your need to wear protective eyewear for sports, take a look at these scary statistics:

Hospital emergency rooms treat 40,000 eye injuries annually, which are sports-related
Tennis and badminton are played with objects that zoom at 60 mile per hour or faster. With racquetball, the ball can whizz by at 60 to 200 miles per hours.
Activities such as racquetball involve racquets that swing at lightning speed in a confined space where crashes are inevitable.

Many sports are filled with pokes and jabs from elbows or fingers. Even basketball is associated with a high incidence of injuries to the eye.

Up Your Performance with Sports Eyewear

Until recently, people with mild to moderate vision correction used to play their games without wearing eyeglasses or contacts. Yet top performance in any sport is dependent upon sharp vision. Eye gear and goggles for sports allow you to compete at your best, with 20/20 eyesight.

Key Features of Sports Glasses

Sports eyewear does not share the same characteristics as regular eyeglasses, sunglasses or industrial safety glasses. Crafted in a variety of shapes, sports eye gear is specialized to suit the specific needs of each respective sport. Many types of eyewear are even designed to fit into helmets worn when playing football, baseball or hockey.

Protective lenses are generally made from polycarbonate, a durable and impact-resistant material that boasts full UV protection for outdoor action. Polycarbonate lenses are also scratch-resistant, which is a valuable feature for many rough sports.

The frames are typically designed from highly-impact resistant plastic or polycarbonate, and they are coated with rubber padding at every point that connects with your face. Some frame styles are contoured to wrap around your face, which provides secure coverage for activities such as hang-gliding, sailing and biking. Non-prescription wraparound shapes are useful for contact lens wearers, as they block your eyes from dust or wind.

Classic handball goggles used to be fashioned as plain goggles with small openings instead of lenses. That style was abandoned once it was realized that the high speed of handballs actually compressed the balls enough to penetrate through the goggle opening and seriously damage the orbital bones around your eye. Modern and effective goggles for handball and racquetball include polycarbonate lenses that protect your eyes.

Importance of a Good Fit

There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to sports goggles. Proper sizing is critical for top-notch function. For kids, many parents may be tempted to purchase larger goggles so that they’ll be long-lasting with room to grow. Yet if the frames are truly oversized, they won’t protect the child’s eyes adequately. Impact or blows to the face or head won’t be cushioned properly.

On the flipside, wearing sports goggles that are too small is just as hazardous. Not only will the child be constantly tempted to take them off due to discomfort, but the eyewear will also disturb peripheral vision. Without a good view of all that’s happening around your child, sports performance will be compromised. Hits from unseen sources on the sidelines are another risk factor.

The fit of sports goggles should be reassessed each year. The eyewear should still feel comfortable and provide proper eye protection. The padding on the interior of the goggles must rest flush with your or your child’s face, and eyes should be centered in the lens zone.

Specialty Eyewear Overview

You may think that you are set with your everyday eyewear, but there are a lot more options than just sun and ophthalmic glasses. Whether it’s water sports, a construction job or even working around the home, there are many circumstances which require specialty eyewear to add extra protection, prevent injury, and improve vision and performance. Here is an overview of some of the different types of specialty eyewear to consider.

Sports Eyewear

Typical eyewear is not made to hold up to the safety and performance standards required for sports and athletic use. Sports eyewear is made of stronger materials and design for ultimate impact resistance and durability. Sports eyewear is also designed for ultimate comfort, fit and coverage to protect from elements such as sun, water or wind. The lenses are also made with impact resistant materials such as innovative plastics such as Trivex or Polycarbonate. Most lenses will also include 100% UV protection, anti-glare and anti-scratch properties to further protect the lenses. Polarized lenses will also aid your sports eyewear to improve vision in outdoor environments. Depending on your sport there may be a specific type of eyewear suited to your needs such as sports goggles, shooting glasses or ski goggles. Speak to your optician about your sport of choice to determine the safest and most effective eyewear for you.

Computer Glasses

If you sit for extended periods of time at a computer or in front of a handheld screen you are at risk for computer vision syndrome, eye strain, eye fatigue, headaches and muscle strain. This is largely because your eyes view a computer screen differently than they view the world around you. Glare from the screen can also exacerbate these issues. Computer glasses are designed to reduce the strain and to create a more comfortable visual experience when looking at your screen.

Reading Glasses

As we approach the age of 40, our near vision begins to weaken – a condition called presbyopia. This can be corrected by wearing reading glasses when reading or doing close work. There are a number of options for reading glasses depending on your vision needs. People with distance vision correction needs may prefer bifocal or multifocal lenses that allow you to see at a distance as well with the same pair of glasses. It is worthwhile to speak to your optometrist to find the best solution for your vision near and far.

Safety Glasses and Goggles

Whether you are working with power tools in construction, mowing your lawn or using harsh cleaning products, there are plenty of household projects and hobbies that can pose a serious risk to your eyes and vision. Whether it is the danger of debris being projected toward your eyes or a chemical splash, safety goggles or glasses should be worn whenever dealing with dangerous materials or machinery.

Specialty eyewear manufacturers are always developing new innovations to protect your eyes and improve your vision during the activities that you enjoy. Ask your optometrist about the specialty eyewear that is suitable for your interests and hobbies.

Frame Maintenance

Your eyeglass lenses are designed to correct your vision based on being held firmly in a fixed, stable position in front of your eyes. So when it comes to your eyeglass frames, it’s pretty easy to see why frame protection and maintenance is so important.

Many of us don’t realize how critical proper eyeglass frame alignment really is. But it’s why our eye care professional checks and double checks the position of our eyeglass frames in relation to face shape and size. The correct part of the lens needs to align properly in front of the eye for ideal vision correction.

Eyeglass frame protection maintenance isn’t time consuming—but it is a common sense, routine task you can perform to keep your vision in the clear. Here are tried-and-true ways to keep your eyeglass frames in mind. And in place.

Caring for eyeglass frames

Both hands, please! Eye care professionals suggest using both hands when putting on and taking off your glasses to avoid twisting or misaligning them. Gently grasp the frame arms of your glasses with equal pressure and carefully slide them on, lifting them over your ears. Use the same grip to remove them, sliding them up and forward.

Pay attention.When was the last time you actually took a good look at your specialty eyewear frames? Periodically check your eyeglass frames to see if they are misaligned, and to test for loose screws in the frame arms. If the eyeglass frame looks twisted, or if your lenses seem to ride uneven on your nose, then it’s time to drop in on your eye care professional for a (typically free) adjustment. In addition, many drug stores sell inexpensive eyeglass tool kits containing a small screwdriver and an assortment of temple screws for emergency repairs.

Adjust early, adjust often. It’s a good idea to stop by your neighborhood optician to have your eyeglass frames adjusted. Many opticians will re-adjust your frames, whether you purchased your glasses from them or not. Even a slight adjustment can make an important difference in your healthy sight.

Don’t try this at home. Adjusting your eyeglass frames is not a do-it-yourself job. Your eye care professional is trained to know how your lenses need to be positioned relative to your eye. Also, an eyeglass frame can contain fragile materials and design elements. You might just snap them in your effort to fix them. That means no bending of frame arms!

Don’t forget to wash.Just as you need to wash your lenses, you need to wash your eyeglass frames. Regularly. With soapy water and a soft cloth.

Not on your head, not on the floor, not by the sink… Storing eyeglass frames on your head can stretch and misalign them. Stepping on your glasses is the quickest way to twist them or break them. And the bathroom sink is a good recipe for soiled lenses as well as frames. Sturdy eyeglass frame cases exist for good reason.

Special thanks to the EyeGlass Guide, for informational material that aided in the creation of this website. Visit the EyeGlass Guide today!