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Congratulations to Brittany McDonald, a sophomore at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, Tennessee, who is our Fall 2019 Nicholas A. Pennipede Memorial Scholarship winner! Brittany plans to transfer to Middle Tennessee State University in Fall 2020 to major in psychology, with a long-term goal to pursue a medical career in psychiatry, and will receive $1,000 from Eye Associates to apply toward her education.

While the official first day of winter isn’t until December 21, temperatures are already dropping, cold winds are blowing, and we’re wearing coats, gloves and hats to stay warm and protected from the cold. But you may be neglecting one important part of your body in the winter: your eyes!

Our eyes have a natural lens that bends (refracts) light rays entering the eye to help us see clearly. The eye’s lens is primarily made up of water and protein. As we age, these proteins can start to clump together and cloud a small part of the lens. This cloudy area is a cataract, which will likely grow larger and cloud more of the lens over time – causing increased vision loss. 

Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common reasons for visits to an eye doctor. It is an extremely common condition that occurs when the quantity and/or quality of tears fails to keep the surface of the eye adequately moistened. Tears provide lubrication to reduce the risk of eye infection, wash away foreign matter in the eye, and keep the surface of the eyes smooth and clear.

Congratulations to Regan Licciardello, a first-year pre-med student at Texas A&M University, who is our Spring 2019 Nicholas A. Pennipede Memorial Scholarship winner! Regan will receive $1,000 from Eye Associates to apply toward her education.

While sunglasses can add a “cool factor” to your summer style, their main function is to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays and should be a routine part of your outdoor activities. Only about a third of us wear sunglasses regularly, despite the fact that eye damage can occur after just a brief exposure to intense sunlight.

I take a lot of pride in the family atmosphere that has developed in our practice over the almost 30 years we have served the people of Johnson County. Our primary goal is to give the best possible care to each and every person who walks in the door. We want them to have a great experience, so they continue to choose Eye Associates for many years to come. - Dr. Mark Siefkes, Partner

You just had your annual eye exam and have given your eye prescription to an optician so you can pick out the perfect pair of new eyeglasses. You may know in general whether you’re nearsighted or farsighted, but what exactly do all those machines used in your eye exam measure? And what do all the numbers and letters mean on your eyeglass prescription?

If you’ve ever had an eye exam (we hope you have!), you’ve probably wondered about the big piece of equipment you look through to answer “which is clearer: 1 or 2?” questions. It’s called a phoropter, and is one of your eye doctor’s most important diagnostic tools.

As children, our well-intentioned parents probably told us not to do a number of things they thought would hurt us, including many warnings about potentially harming our eyes. We have all heard these “myths” at one time or another, but how many – if any – of them are true?