Welcome back to Gloucester and Almonte Family Optometrists! We are happy to announce
that we will be re-opening our practices on Monday, June 1, 2020.
Re-opening June 1st
Feeling eye strain from all that screen time?
Avoiding too much screen time may seem particularly challenging right now — we know that screen time has gone through the roof under the current pandemic. Don’t despair, there are things you can do to avoid unnecessary eye strain.
Super foods for your eyes
If you think about the good things you can do for healthy eyes, eating well is a pretty appealing option. In popular culture we often associate carrots with good vision, but the truth is there are delicious superfood choices for all tastes, and each stand to benefit your eyes:
Orange foods – Carrots are indeed good for your eyes, but so are yams and sweet potatoes. All three are chock full of beta carotene, an anti-oxidant known for cutting risk associated with macular degeneration and cataracts.
Leafy greens – More anti-oxidant power here in the form of lutein and zeaxanthin! These are found in spinach and kale and they protect against UV damage from sun exposure.
Vitamin C rich fruits and veggies – It’s always a smart choice to add strawberries, grapefruit, bell peppers and broccoli to your menu. Vitamin C is also a strong contender in counteracting harmful UV rays.
Chickpeas and other legumes – Grab the hummus and dig in with cut up peppers and carrots for an extra dose of goodness for your eyes. In this case Zinc is the magic ingredient which your liver needs in order to create and drive Vitamin A to the retina to produce melanin (a key protector against ultraviolet light).
Turkey – Zinc and Niacin, a B vitamin, are found in abundance in this lean meat. This combo delivers UV protection and can help prevent cataracts.
Fish – Omega 3 fats have become popular for their disease-fighting powers, but they are also a help in the fight against age-related macular degeneration and dry eye!
Making smart food choices can also help with maintaining a healthy weight, so it’s really a win-win.
Did you know? Overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for a number of eye diseases and conditions including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Source: Canadian Association of Optometrists
Photo by Cole Patrick on Unsplash
Notice of temporary closure for COVID-19
On the recommendation of the College of Optometry, we have decided to close our offices until March 29th to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. We feel it’s important to heed the government’s call for social distancing at this critical time.
Open only for urgent care
Updated March 20th: Both our Almonte and Gloucester offices will be closed except for urgent care as per the recommendations from the Ministry of Health. Appointments for routine care are cancelled but we are available for urgent cases.
If patients need to order contact lenses, this can be done through our website or by sending an email or leaving a message. Once contact lenses arrive, an appointment will be arranged for the patient to pick up.
Glasses can be picked up as well by arranging an appointment.
In all cases, we ask that you come to the clinic only if you are symptom-free and not in quarantine for another reason.
Almonte patients can leave a message at 613-256-0770 or by email at almonte@ottawafamilyeyecare.com.
Gloucester patients can call 613-745-5588 or email gloucester@ottawafamilyeyecare.com.
We thank you for your understanding and patience at this challenging time. Stay well.
Our measures during the COVID-19 outbreak
We’d like to take a moment to draw attention to the extra measures we’re taking during the coronavirus outbreak:
Eye safety and winter sports
With the March Break approaching it’s a good time to review some basic winter sport rules. Your winter sport may just be a long walk with the dog, or you may be hitting the slopes, but the same broad rules apply.
Alzheimer’s disease and eye health
There is a great deal of awareness around many aspects of living with Alzheimer’s disease, but did you know that eye health and visual acuity can also be affected?
Over 400,000 Canadians suffer from Glaucoma
The number of Canadians affected by glaucoma is quite startling – are you affected by this group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve?
2019 Holiday Hours for Both Clinics
In order to help you plan for the upcoming holiday period, we’re sharing our holiday hours for both clinics. We wish you a very happy holiday season!
Gloucester Hours
24 – 26 Dec CLOSED
27 Dec REGULAR HOURS
28 – 29 Dec CLOSED
30 Dec REGULAR HOURS
31 Dec 8:30 – 2pm
1 Jan CLOSED
2 – 3 Jan REGULAR HOURS
Almonte Hours
24 – 26 Dec CLOSED
27 Dec REGULAR HOURS
28 – 29 Dec CLOSED
30 Dec REGULAR HOURS
31 Dec 8am – 2pm
1 Jan CLOSED
2 – 3 Jan REGULAR HOURS
2020 Saturday Openings in Almonte
Jan 4, 18 | Feb 1, 22 | Mar 7, 21 | Apr 4, 18 | May 2, 23 | June 20, 27
Contact our Gloucester clinic or Almonte clinic to make your appointments, or book online.
Picture by Annie Spratt, Unsplash
Fall Prevention: Your Optometrist is here to help
Building our awareness of risk factors as we age is a natural process, though we sometimes forget simple things that might help us.
November is actually Fall Prevention Month, and it’s a great time for seniors to book an eye exam. Sudden or gradual vision loss can greatly compromise independence as we age, including through the risk of frequent falls.
“By age 65, one in three Ontarians will have an eye disease that leads to changes in vision, and one in nine seniors experience irreversible vision loss.”
Source: The Ontario Association of Optometrists
For many seniors, a complicating factor comes in the form of medications, many of which can cause dry eye which in turn can lead to impaired vision. Advancing vision problems can intensify the difficulty of common daily tasks, increase the risk of depression, increase medication errors, and lead to double the risk of falls as well as quadruple the risk of hip fractures.
While changes in vision are a very natural part of aging, loss of vision can be avoided through regular eye exams and care under a qualified optometrist. If you or an aging parent has been putting off that eye exam, here’s an important reminder for sticking to regular appointments.
You can schedule a visit with one of our eye doctors either in Gloucester or Almonte. We look forward to seeing you.
Related Links
November is also Diabetes Awareness Month
Photo by Atanas Dzhingarov on Unsplash