Eye Care in Phenix City, Alabama

Looking for professional and reliable eye care in the Phenix City, Alabama area? Look no farther than Eye Wear Unlimited, located just across the river in Columbus, Georgia. Eye Wear Unlimited has been providing eye exams and care to the local area for over twenty-eight years. We provide a full range of eye care services, including lense crafting, cataract and glaucoma screenings, and contact lense services. We also have a very large selection of eye glass frames to choose from.

We provide the latest styles of eye glass frames that are fashionable, yet won’t break your bank. When you purchase contact lenses, you will get full training on wearing and taking care of your new products. We also offer a large variety of contact lenses to choose from. If you take an eye exam for contact lenses, we provide you with a free trial of contacts. If you take a contact lens exam and would like a pair of backup glasses, we provide a special selection of frames that come FREE with the purchase of lenses for the frames.

We are located on the corner of 13th Street and 13th Avenue in downtown Columbus, Georgia, which is just minutes away from Phenix City, Alabama. Come see why many local residents already choose Eye Wear Unlimited as their choice for Phenix City eye care.

7 Foods that Improve and Maintain Eye Health

Overall eye and vision health is a concern to the aging population. Over half of the population over age of 80 has cataract formations. More serious diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma and other eye problems can rob people of their sight as time progresses. Before reaching this stage, it is prudent to take steps in maintaining healthy eyes. Exercise, eating right, and sleep are crucial to eye care. Exercise helps with the blood flow to capillaries of the eye and sleep provides the eye’s photoreceptors with needed rest. Eating right will provide the necessary vitamins and nutrients proven to be beneficial for overall eye health.

Caring for Your Eyes is Important

The recommended dietary allowance chart established by the Institute of Medicine highlights essential nutrients and vitamins vital to maintaining good eye health. Beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, Lutein, Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Zinc all play a role in macular degeneration and cataract prevention. Studies have shown people with cataracts often have low levels of vitamins, such as Vitamin E. Adding foods that contain these nutrients will help protect your eyes against disease and blindness. The following are some suggestions for foods that will help with eye health.

    Carrots Contain High Levels of Vitamin A

  • Carrots are the most recognized food for eye health. Carrots contain high levels of Vitamin A, and have long been touted as the healthy snack for healthy eyes. Carrots can be enjoyed as a snack plain or add carrots to your salad or main meal. Carrots are a versatile vegetable that can be included in every meal.
  • Cold-water fish such as sardines and salmon are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is important to maintaining overall eye health. Also a rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E, fish is a known effective treatment for macular degeneration and sight preservation. Easy to cook with a little lemon and seasoning; add fish to your weekly meal plan.
  • Eggs are rich in cysteine, amino acids, and other compounds that contain sulfur which protect the lens of the eye from forming cataracts. Try an egg in the morning, or boil eggs and dice to add to your salad. Starting your day off with an egg is not only good for your eyes, but provides a much needed energy boost to start your day.
  • Garlic, shallots, capers, and onions are also rich in sulfur. Sulfur helps produce glutathione, which is an antioxidant important to the lens of the eye and for the whole body. Garlic contains eye nutrients such as selenium and Vitamin C. Garlic can be added to any meal. A favorite and easy meal is stir-fry. Start with diced garlic and onions over extra virgin olive oil and add vegetables and meat or soy.
  • Soy is low in fat and rich in protein. A staple of most vegetarian diets, soy is becoming a popular meat substitute. Soy also contains fatty acids and vitamin E as well as anti-inflammatory agents. This helps prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. Soy can be used in any meal as a meat substitute. Read instructions carefully on how to prepare soy for your next meal.
  • Blueberries and grapes help improve night vision. Studies have shown the antioxidants in blueberries and grapes help improve the eye’s dark adaptation within a short time. Blueberries contain bioflavonoids and they are just fun and yummy to eat. Try a smoothie with blueberries, yogurt, and milk for a good way to include them into your diet.
  • Wine is known to help improve cardiovascular issues. But it also has nutrients that help protect your vision. Researchers agree moderate levels of red wine reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

In general, it’s best to maintain a healthy diet for your overall health. Be sure to incorporate plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables to your meals. Ensuring your diet is rich in vitamins and antioxidants will improve your vision and may prevent eye disease in your future. The time to start being proactive about your eye health is now.

What’s the Difference Between an Optometrist and an Ophthalmologist?

The words optometrist and ophthalmologist are thrown around often as they are very similar words with pretty similar meanings. Many people tend to get confused as to which does what. It’s even possible for optometrists and ophthalmologists to work in the same building and even co-manage patients they receive. We hope this article can explain the differences between the two to you.

Ophthalmologists

Eye Chart

Ophthalmologists are a type of physician, which means they are doctors of osteopathy (DOs) or doctors of medicine (MDs). Each of these complete at least four or more years of college premedical education, four years of college medical school, and then have at least one year of internship before getting their doctorate degrees. After licensed physician status is achieved, a residency of three or more years is then completed, which trains them more specifically in medical and surgical aspects of the eye.

An ophthalmologist will provide a complete range of services related to eye care. These may include:

  • Vision care and services, such as eye exams
  • Surgical eye care – treatment for glaucoma, trauma, tumors, crossed eyes, cataracts, etc
  • Medical eye care – treatment for chemical burns, orbital cellulites, glaucomes, iritis, etc
  • Plastic Surgery – some may offer these services for skin tumors, droopy eyelids, or for improving skin tone and smoothing out wrinkles near the eyes.
  • Diagnosis and treatment for eye conditions that relate to other diseases, such as diabetes

Optometrist

Optometrists are specifically trained to treat and diagnose eye conditions such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. They are also the doctors who will prescribe you eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, eye exercises, and therapy for your vision. Along with this training they know how to identify eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal disease, and in some cases will prescribe medicine to treat these conditions.

An Optometrist

An optometrist will not attend medical school, and most will receive an undergraduate degree then begin four years of training for an optometry degree (OD). Some will complete a one year post graduate clinical residency to gain certification as a specialist.

Services provided by an optometrist will generally include:

  • Eye disease and injury preventing services
  • Diagnosing conditions of the eye such as conjunctivitis, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration
  • Prescribing contact lenses or glasses
  • Eye care services like eye exams
  • Prescribing medication for eye diseases and conditions (only in some states)