5 Tips for Your Eyecare Health
A quick, practical guide by Katie L. Friedman, LDO, outlining five habits to protect vision: eat nutrient-rich foods (lutein/zeaxanthin, omega-3s), use impact-resistant eyewear and know Z87 safety markings, keep eyelids/lashes clean and replace mascara regularly, exercise daily with 20-20-20 screen breaks (avoid head-below-heart poses if you have a pacemaker), and quit smoking/vaping to reduce risks like cataracts, glaucoma, and AMD.
Bridge Of Hope
A concise guide for eyecare paraprofessionals on supporting patients after difficult vision-loss news. It underscores your “bridge” role: validate emotions, explain that vision rehabilitation helps maximize remaining sight, and make a warm, specific handoff to the next provider. It promotes team-based care (doctor, low-vision specialist/optician, rehab therapist, mental health) and offers a quick checklist: observe distress, empathize, give a clear next step, provide one practical resource, confirm contact details, and document the encounter.
Newsletter Vol. 2- 03202023 – Presbyopia
Volume 2 (March 20, 2023) is a patient-friendly newsletter on presbyopia (“short-arm syndrome”) explaining why near focus declines and how low-power readers (+0.75 to +1.00) and task-specific glasses can help, alongside other age-related issues (dry eye, cataracts, AMD, glaucoma). It shares five practical vision-health tips: eat for eye health (lutein/zeaxanthin, omega-3s), wear protective polycarbonate eyewear (Z87), maintain eyelid/makeup hygiene, exercise and use 20-20-20 screen breaks, and avoid smoking/vaping. It also offers home fixes—optimize lighting, reduce glare with proper shades or hats, and enlarge on-screen text—while emphasizing accessibility with alt text.