Lakefront Optometry

Dr. Kerri Winger Professional Optometry Corporation

200 Division Street Cobourg, ON K9A 3P9

Vision Library

Dr. Jane Coates, Dr. Kerri Winger and Dr. Melissa Robinson are pleased to offer this important library of topics related to vision for our patients. Our Vision Library provides information and resources related to many issues in eye care. Feel free to browse the categories to learn more about specific areas of interest or concern. Your doctor is always the best source of information related to your individual eye care and new developments, so be sure to raise any questions or concerns with your doctor during your appointment.

Legal Disclaimer: All content is provided solely for information and education purposes and should not be considered a substitute for the advice of an Optometrist. Dr. Jane Coates or Dr. Kerri Winger assume no responsibility or liability arising from any errors or omission or from the use of any information contained herein.

Eye Diseases

Cataracts

Cataracts are a clouding of the eye’s crystalline lens that usually develops slowly over time. It commonly affects people over 60 years of age but can occur in younger individuals or newborns. Symptoms include blurred vision, glare around lights, and colours appearing less brilliant. The treatment for cataracts is the surgical replacement of the clouded lens with an implant. Following surgery, it is normal to require a change in glasses.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, is the damage to the retina due to leakage from the fine retinal blood vessels. The majority of these changes are symptomless until extreme stages. Keeping your blood sugar levels under control will help decrease the risk of complications. When retinal changes become sight threatening, laser treatment or surgical intervention may be necessary.

Diabetics should be followed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist annually or sooner if recommended.

More information is available at the Canadian Diabetes Association Website.

Dry Eyes

Dry eye is caused by a lack of tear production or poorly formed tears that do not adhere to the surface of the eye. It can be caused by aging, medications, hormone changes, or environmental conditions. Symptoms include itchy, watery, red, burning eyes or the feeling of something in the eye. Treatment includes artificial tear drops, ointments or plugging of the tear drainage canals of the eye. Nutritional supplements such as Omega-3 and flaxseed have been shown to be effective in the treatment of dry eyes.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition in which the intraocular pressure of the eye can become elevated damaging the optic nerve and leading to peripheral vision loss. It affects 2-4% of people over 40 years of age and can be hereditary. Often there are no symptoms of this disease. Once diagnosed, glaucoma treatments are highly effective. Prescription eye drops, oral medications, laser treatment or even surgery may be required. If untreated, glaucoma can cause irreversible vision loss.

More information is available at the Glaucoma Research Society.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a hereditary condition in which the macula (the part of the retina responsible for sharp reading vision) fails to function efficiently. It is a common cause of impaired reading or detailed vision and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Macular degeneration is generally age-related. There are two forms of the condition; the less sight threatening dry form and the more sight threatening wet form. Initial signs include blurred reading vision, a weakening of colour vision, distortion or loss of central vision (e.g., a dark spot in the middle of your field of vision), and distortion of lines(appear squiggly).

Treatment of dry form: Although there is no cure, nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes can decrease the risk of progression. Vitamins based on the Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS 2) and lutein/zeaxanthin have been shown to decrease the risk of progression by 30%. Lifestyle changes such as not smoking, controlling weight and decreasing exposure to UV light will also decrease the risk of progression of the disease.
Treatment of wet form: The most recent treatment for this form of AMD requires the injection of a drug, anti Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), into the eye which seals the leaking blood vessels and stops the leakage of blood and fluid into the retina. The treatment is repeated every 4 to 5 weeks until diagnostic tests indicate that the blood vessels are sealed. This treatment has been shown to halt the deterioration of vision in the majority of patients, and to have improved the vision in some. The vision will not be restored to normal. It is possible that leakage will begin again, and then another cycle of treatments will be required.

For more information, you can visit these Websites:

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is the separation of the retina from the underlying tissues of the eye. Most detachments are due to a retinal tear, break, or hole. There is a higher rate of incidence in the highly myopic patient. Symptoms include flashing lights, increase in spots or floaters, or vision loss often described as a shadow or curtain affecting any part of the vision. If a retinal detachment has occurred, time can be critical, therefore the patient should see a specialist as soon as possible. The sooner the retina is reattached, the better the chance of recovering vision.

Spots & Floaters

Spots and floaters are tiny flecks or threads, which appear to float in front of your eyes. They are experienced by most people. They are often caused by particles of protein trapped in the fluid inside the eye, or by the deterioration of the fluid due to advancing age.

Occasionally floaters are the result of certain eye diseases or injuries, or they may signal the development of more serious conditions such as retinal detachment. They are usually harmless, but those experiencing a sudden change or increase in spots and floaters or flashes of light should consult their eye doctor.

Post Vitreous Detachment (PVD)

A PVD is due to the separation of the vitreous gel from the retina. Symptoms are flashes of light and floaters. When a patient has experienced a PVD, they are at a higher risk of a retinal detachment. Therefore a thorough dilated fundus exam is recommended to rule out any retinal involvement.

Styes

A stye is a red tender bump on the eyelid that is caused by an acute infection of the glands of the eyelid. Its appearance can vary somewhat, but it is harmless to your vision. Symptoms include a noticeable swelling with some discomfort and tenderness in the affected area.

Most styes heal without treatment, although the application of hot compresses can help. Unlike a pimple, however, styes cannot be manually ruptured and drained. Antibiotic ointments are available for recurring cases.

Visual Conditions

Amblyopia (lazy eye)

Amblyopia or lazy eye is the failure of the vision to develop in one eye and is not due to a health problem of the eye. The vision cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contacts. Treatment typically includes vision therapy, eyeglasses, contact lenses, or patching. Surgery will not treat amblyopia. The sooner treatment is initiated, the greater the rate of success.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism affects vision at both distance and near. The front surface of the eye (cornea) or the lens inside the eye is irregular in shape causing the light rays entering the eye to come to focus at two different points and result in blurred vision. It is a common refractive error, just like nearsightedness and farsightedness. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are used to correct for astigmatism.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

Light rays entering the eye focus beyond the retina and cause objects to be blurred at near. If there is a substantial amount of hyperopia, objects in the distance can be blurred as well. Farsightedness is very common among elementary school-age children and a frequent cause of reading and learning difficulties. It is often associated with headaches when reading or working on a computer. Hyperopia is commonly corrected by eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Light rays entering the eye focus in front of the retina and cause objects in the distance to be blurred while near vision is usually clear. Myopia is corrected by eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is a condition in which the eye can no longer accommodate or focus objects up close to the point where near vision becomes blurred. Presbyopia usually starts between the ages of 38 and 45. People with presbyopia will hold print further away, tilt the paper or increase the light in order to read better. Presbyopia is treated by reading glasses, bifocals or contacts.

Strabismus

Strabismus or “crossed eyes” is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. One or both eyes may turn in (esotropia), out (exotropia), up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia). Treatment may include the use of eyeglasses, prisms and/or vision therapy. In extreme cases, surgery may be needed.

VISION LIBRARY

Diagnosis of eye health and their conditions.

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TERMS OF USE

Lakefront Optometry owns and operates a Website at lakefrontoptometry.com (hereinafter referred to as the “site” or “Website”). Lakefront Optometry^® trademark except as otherwise noted on the site, which is accessible to all users (hereinafter referred to as the “user” or “users”). Refrain from using this Website unless you agree to comply with the conditions.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INFORMATION

Information on this Website is intended for informational purposes only and has no contractual value. Lakefront Optometry reserves the right to modify the content of this site. At any time, without prior notice. Lakefront Optometry assumes no liability for errors or omissions in the content of this Website or for information reliability or completeness of said information.

Information published on this Website is based on marketing, statistical or commercial services or other sources the Lakefront Optometry considers reliable and are the sole responsibility of their authors and not of Lakefront Optometry. We do not assume any liability for the accuracy or completeness of said information and in no circumstance should this information be regarded as such. Opinions and information as presented on this site reflect our position as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice.

UPDATING OF THE WEBSITE UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF Lakefront Optometry

Lakefront Optometry, its employees and directors will not be liable for damages incurred as a result of the information published on this site, for the views and advice published, expressed or implied regardless of its nature.

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CONFIDENTIALITY

Lakefront Optometry draws the attention of the user to the fact that all communication transmitted through this Website remains in the public domain and not the private domain. Lakefront Optometry cannot accept responsibility for the security of the transmission of information.

The confidentiality and integrity of the information circulating over the internet cannot be ensured. Lakefront Optometry cannot accept responsibility in the case that data contained on this site is intercepted.

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JURISDICTION

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the province of Ontario. Any dispute arising of this Agreement shall be brought before the court in the judicial district of Lakefront Optometry's head office.
Address:
200 Division Street
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3P9;
Tel: 905 372-8667.

PUBLISHING FIRM

Lakefront Optometry
200 Division Street
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3P9
Tel: 905 372-8667

Acceptance of the Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting lakefrontoptometry.com (the “Website”), provided to you by Lakefront Optometry (“We”). We respect the privacy of every individual who visits the Website and are sensitive to privacy issues on the Internet. We believe it is important that you know how we deal with information received about you.

This privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the personal information of our customers and Website users ("you"), describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide to us, and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. The Website is for general audiences and is not specifically targeted to or intended for use by children.

We will only use your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy unless otherwise required by applicable law. We take steps to ensure that the personal information that we collect about you is adequate, relevant, not excessive, and used for limited purposes. Privacy laws in Canada generally define "Personal Information" as any information about an identifiable individual, which includes information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person.

By accessing or using the Website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy, and you are consenting to our processing of your information as set out in this Privacy Policy. We may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time; if we change this Privacy Policy in a manner that materially impacts your privacy rights, we will provide a notice to you. Your continued use of the Website or our services after any modification to this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such modification. However, when required by law, we will confirm your consent to the revised Privacy Policy terms. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and considered a part of the Website Terms and Conditions of Use, located here

What information we collect

We collect and use several types of information from and about you, including:

Personal Information, that we can reasonably use to directly or indirectly identify you, such as your full name, email address, telephone number and any other identifier we may use to contact you online or offline.
Non-personal information is information that does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity or directly relate to an identified individual, such as demographic information, or statistical or aggregated information. Statistical or aggregated data does not directly identify a specific person, but we may derive non-personal statistical or aggregated data from Personal Information. For example, we may aggregate Personal Information to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific Website feature.

How we collect the information

Information You Provide to Us

The information we collect directly from you may include:

Communicating with us: When you contact us about a customer service issue, Vision Entrepreneur services or to make other inquiries, we collect the content of those communications, as well as your full name, clinic name, email, phone number, city, province, and any additional information that allows us to answer your request.

Information We Collect While You Interact With Us Through Cookies and Other Automatic Data Collection Technologies

Refer to Cookie Policy (here)

Information We Collect About You From Third Parties

Refer to Cookie Policy (here)

How we use your information

We use your information, including your Personal Information, to manage our business and to maintain and develop commercial relationships with you. We will collect, use, and disclose such information only to the extent that is necessary for those purposes.

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any Personal Information:

To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us.
To fulfill the purposes for which you provided the information or that were described when it was collected, or any other purpose for which you provide it.
To improve the Website, products or services, marketing, or customer relationships and experiences.
To allow you to participate in interactive features, social media, or similar features on the Website.
To measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you and others, and to deliver relevant advertising to you.
In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
For any other purpose with your consent.

How we share your information

We will not rent or sell your information to third parties without your consent. We only share your data as specifically provided in this Privacy Policy.

Other Disclosures

In addition to any disclosure you may have consented to or permitted under the terms of this Privacy Policy, we may transfer your data, including Personal Information to third parties in the following limited circumstances:

information you expressly consent to be shared;
when relating to anonymized information (individuals cannot be identified by it);
when you decide to make the information indexable by search engines, to share or to distribute the information to people or otherwise to make it available to the public;
to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request within or outside your country of residence when we have a good faith belief that the law requires it;
to enforce this Privacy Policy, the Terms, or an agreement, including investigation of potential violations thereof;
to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or protect the operations or you;
to protect our rights, property or safety as well as yours, the public, or others;
in connection with an acquisition, merger, change in control, debt financing, reorganization, sales of assets, bankruptcy or other change of our corporate structure or status; or
as necessary in connection with the performance of requested services or solutions, or as otherwise appropriate in connection with a legitimate need.

How we store and secure your information

Information Security

We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, availability and privacy of your Personal Information. We have put appropriate physical, technological and procedural security measures in place designed to help prevent your Personal Information from being lost, used, modified or accessed in an unauthorized way, or improperly disclosed. Examples of such measures include restricted access to offices, training of personnel, using passwords and well-defined internal policies and practices. We also use encryption technology and Secure Socket Layers ("SSL") in all areas of the Website where your personal account information is required.

In addition, we limit access to your Personal Information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need-to-know. They will be required to process your Personal Information only on our instructions and they are subject to an obligation of confidentiality. Our service providers are required to maintain adequate security protections in place designed to help safeguard your Personal Information and are not permitted to use it for any purpose other than fulfilling services to us.

If you have any questions about securing your personal data, please contact us in accordance with the “How to Contact Us” section below.

Information Retention

We will retain your Personal Information for as long as it is needed:

to provide the products and services that you have requested;
to communicate with you about a purchase or a request you have made to us;
to manage your choices and rights you have exercised pursuant to this Privacy Policy;
to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and to demonstrate compliance,
to resolve disputes and to enforce our rights and agreements.

We may retain non-personal information that has been sufficiently aggregated or anonymized for a longer period.

Once the retention period is over, we will dispose of your Personal Information as provided for in our internal data retention and disposal policy.

Where We Store Information

We use facilities operated by "Amazon Web Services" and located in Canada as our information storage and processing infrastructure. Our service providers can also, from time to time, store your Personal Information in accordance with purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at 905 372-8667.