Have you been eyeing a new pair of glasses to replace your old, worn frames? Christmas is coming up; it is a fabulous time of year to treat yourself (or a loved one) to the perfect pair of new glasses! 

When is gifting a new pair of glasses a good idea? 

- When it's someone's first pair of glasses. 
Getting your first pair of glasses can be a daunting ordeal! Especially if your son or daughter has apprehension on what they will look like with their new glasses. Many of our designers, these days, feature fun colours and designs. We are certain we can help make the search for the perfect pair of glasses an enjoyable one. 

- When someone is a registered student
Students up to the age of 19 are covered by Ontario Health to receive annual eye exams. Since eye health plays such an important role in learning, a new pair of designer glasses is the perfect gift for anybody who is still in school.  

- When you need a gift for your spouse or partner
Looking for a luxury gift for your hubby? We've got designer frames, sunglasses and the top of the line frame technology. If you are looking for something in particular we can order from any number of our European designers. You tell us what you want, we'll see what we can do. 

- When Mom or Dad is over the age of 65
Take note, when was the last time Mom or Dad got a new pair of glasses? For most people, vision loss is a very gradual process, so many seniors are not aware of how compromised their eyesight can become. It is important to discuss any noticeable changes in vision with your loved ones and make an eye appointment. 

If you would like to treat someone to a new pair of glasses, call now to book your appointment. 

​Ottica Veneta, an Italian eyewear company, is a small consortium of families located in the Veneto region in Northern Italy. Founder Riccardo Lamon guaranteed 100% production of Ottica Veneta be from Italy which is why the brand is known as Ottica Veneta | Eyewear from the Mountains of Italy. 

The Sospiri® collection represents Ottica Veneta’s signature luxury line of optical and sun wear. 

This limited edition collection captures the elegance and opulence unique to Italy’s city of Venice.  The intricacies of Venice’s architecture, textiles, Murano glass, Burano lace and infamous masquerades are captured within the rich patterns of laserwork intertwined with Swarovski crystals.

Sospiri and Ottica Veneta are committed to using time-honored methods to create the most untraditional of eyewear. Wholly dedicated to maintaining the same standards of quality to which artisans of centuries past were committed, each model is created with a rare blend of old world craftmanship with the latest in Italian fashion.

Sospiri® is sold worldwide to a select number of fine boutiques, opticians and luxury department stores.

Eye diseases like macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can have a significant impact on a senior’s functional abilities and quality of life. For some, impaired vision may even result in depression, withdrawal and inactivity.

According to Pris Rogers, program manager of VisionAware.org, an informational website for individuals living with vision loss, caregivers are often equally confused and overwhelmed by their loved ones’ visual changes. They do not know where to turn or how to help their elders who are struggling to accept new limitations.

“Many older adults believe that there is no way they can cope with this loss, since it affects almost all aspects of daily life,” Rogers explains. “But, caregivers and persons with visual impairment need to know that there is hope, and life, after vision loss.”

We tend to take our eyes for granted. The fact of the matter is that it's important to protect your eyes in order to maintain the best vision. 

Here's why you should get an eye exam at every stage of life:

As soon as babies are born, eyesight starts to develop allowing them to distinguish faces, simple shapes and the colours black and white. But most people don't know that optometrist visits should start in infancy—between six and nine months.

There are certain problems that if left untreated could lead to lazy eye and possibly surgery. An eye exam can determine early intervention that can completely correct the problem. 

Toddlers and school-aged children (six to 18) should also have regular checkups with the eye doctor. Vision issues can arise during these years, but it may not always be obvious that eyesight is the problem.

Parents should watch their children for complaints of headaches, rubbing of the eyes, short attention span or difficulty concentrating. All could be signs that a youngster needs to be fitted for glasses.

School-aged children should visit an optometrist annually, as studies have shown that up to a quarter of children that age have vision problems, which, if untreated, could lead to avoidable learning difficulties in important subjects such as reading. 

From young adulthood onward, people should be vigilant in both keeping up with checkups to ensure serious vision difficulties and diseases are detected. During an exam, optometrists check the front of the eye for changes that can occur to the lens, which can then be corrected by updating prescriptions or contact lenses, and the retina, or back of the eye.

After age 40, the risk of eye disease increases. One such silent eye ailment is glaucoma, which is caused by too much pressure in the eye. There are no warning signs for the condition which is why it is vital for adults to have regular vision checkups.

Visiting an optometrist regularly as you get older can also help detect other serious diseases which can lead to vision loss, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancerous tumours of the eye or high blood pressure.

Virtually indestructible and highly flexible handcrafted sunglasses and corrective frames. 

OVVO Optics’ eyewear is 100% manufactured in family-owned plants in Europe, where each frame goes through 65-85 steps before it is complete. First, using German engineered laser technology the frames are cut out from raw steel sheets imported from Sweden. Then, they pass through the various stages of hand-manufacturing. With great precision and attention to detail the frames are hand-polished, painted, decorated and assembled by a crew of 250 dedicated eyewear production experts. At each phase, they are inspected with care for highest quality assurance.

Learn more at https://ovvooptics.com​

Most people know the sun’s rays are bad for our skin. But did you know they’re just as bad for our eyes?

​Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Some of the sun’s effects on the eyes include:

• Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision. An estimated 20% of cases are caused by extended UV exposure.
• Macular degeneration, resulting from damage to the retina that destroys central vision. 
• Pterygium, a tissue growth over the white part of the surface of the eye that can alter the curve of the eyeball, causing astigmatism.

​When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation, so you can keep your vision sharp and eyes healthy.

Newborns have all the ocular structures necessary to see, although these are not yet fully developed. At birth, your baby can see blurred patterns of light and dark.

During the first four months, their visual horizon will expand from a few centimetres to many metres. Their vision will become clearer and colour vision will begin to develop. Their two eyes will start working together. By four months of age, an infant’s colour vision is similar to an adult’s, and by the sixth month, your baby will acquire eye movement control and develop eye-hand coordination skills.

For the first six months, an infant’s eyes can appear slightly crossed or out of alignment, but this is usually normal. But if your infant’s eyes appear significantly crossed or remain misaligned after six months of age, contact your Doctor of Optometry right away. Your child may have strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes, a condition that needs to be treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, prisms and/or vision therapy and, in some cases, surgery. In time, if not corrected, the ignored eye will become unable to function normally and will become largely unused. This may result in the development of lazy eye.

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is another condition that becomes apparent within the first six months of your baby’s life. This condition describes weak vision or vision loss in one eye as a result of an uncorrected prescription. If detected or treated before eight years of age, it will often resolve completely. It’s important to treat amblyopia early – with vision therapy, eyeglasses and/or contact lenses, or patching – as treatment becomes very difficult later on. Untreated, amblyopia can lead to blindness in the affected eye.
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Visual abilities play a big role in early development. doctors of optometry recommend infants have their first eye exam between six and nine months of age. Children should have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school. An optometrist can complete an eye exam even if your child doesn’t know their ABCs. A doctor of optometry can use shapes, pictures and other child-friendly ways to evaluate vision and eye health.

Between ages one and two, it’s important for a child to develop good hand-eye coordination and depth perception.

There are activities that can help improve these essential visual skills, such as playing with building blocks or balls of any shape and size.

Children at age two enjoy listening to and telling stories. It helps them develop visualization skills and prepares them for learning to read. At this stage of their development, toddlers also like to paint, draw and colour, sort shapes and sizes, and fit or assemble pieces. These activities are all integral to their visual development.

A preschooler’s eyes are not ready for prolonged or intense concentration at short distances, but they do enjoy TV. To make TV viewing easier on the eyes, the room should be softly lit, the television placed to avoid glare, and the child should sit further away than five times the screen’s width, taking periodic breaks from staring at the screen.

Be alert for symptoms that may indicate your child has a visual problem:

• red, itchy or watering eyes
• sensitivity to light
• an eye that consistently turns in or out
• squinting, rubbing the eyes, or excessive blinking
• a lack of concentration
• covering or closing one eye
• irritability or short attention span
• holding objects too close
• avoiding books and television
• visible frustration or grimacing

Protect your child’s vision. If you notice any of these symptoms, book an eye exam. Your child should have a complete optometric eye exam between six and nine months of age. Children should have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school.

The current number of people living with diabetes in Canada is approximately 3.3 million. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, accounting for 90% of cases. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically with current estimates confidently predicting a doubling of cases by 2025.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that prevents your body from making or using insulin, which in turn leads to increased sugar levels in your bloodstream, known as high blood sugar.

How does diabetes affect the eye?

Diabetes and its complications can affect many parts of the eye. Diabetes can cause changes in nearsightedness, farsightedness and premature presbyopia (the inability to focus on close objects). It can result in cataracts, glaucoma, paralysis of the nerves that control the eye muscles or pupil, and decreased corneal sensitivity.

Visual symptoms of diabetes include fluctuating or blurring of vision, occasional double vision, loss of visual field, and flashes and floaters within the eyes. Sometimes these early signs of diabetes are first detected in a thorough examination performed by a doctor of optometry. The most serious eye problem associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy.

What is retinopathy?

Over time diabetes can cause changes in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is a weakening or swelling of the tiny blood vessels that feed the retina of your eye, resulting in blood leakage, the growth of new blood vessels and other changes. When retinopathy advances, the decreased circulation of the blood vessels deprives areas of the retina of oxygen. Blood vessels become blocked or closed, and parts of the retina die. New, abnormal, blood vessels grow to replace the old ones.  If diabetic retinopathy is left untreated, blindness can result.

Can vision loss from diabetes be prevented?

Yes, in a routine eye examination, your optometrist can diagnose potential vision threatening changes in your eye that may be treated to prevent blindness. However, once damage has occurred, the effects are usually permanent. It is important to control your diabetes as much as possible to minimize your risk of developing retinopathy.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?

In the early stages, diabetic retinopathy is monitored through eye health examinations. If necessary, it may be treated with intraocular injections of anti-VEGF therapy (Lucentis, Avastin) or laser therapy. A bright beam of light is focused on the retina, causing a laser burn that seals off leaking blood vessels. In other cases, retinal surgery may be necessary. Early detection of diabetic retinopathy is crucial, as treatment is much more likely to be successful at an early stage.

Are there risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy?

Several factors that increase the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy include smoking, high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and pregnancy.

How can diabetes-related eye problems be prevented?

Monitor and maintain control of your diabetes. See your physician regularly and follow instructions about diet, exercise and medication. See your doctor of optometry for a thorough eye examination when you are first diagnosed with diabetes, at least annually thereafter and more frequently if recommended.