Location Change

Dr. Claudia Lee is now providing services exclusively at Whitby Vision Care! She no longer has to split her time at different clinics, so she is available throughout the week for all existing and new patients 🙂

Call (905) 666-4848 or email info[at]drclaudialee.com to book an appointment.

You may also use the contact form if you need any help with transferring your files.

Continue ReadingLocation Change

Eye Exams For Kids

I have seen many kids who need glasses but the parents had no idea. They don’t tell you, because they don’t know what things are supposed to look like! That’s why it’s important to have a comprehensive eye exam because an optometrist can measure how light focuses in their eyes, even if they can’t read the letters.
All kids under the age of 20 are covered for one yearly exam under OHIP. Through the Eye See Eye Learn program, children in JK can receive a complimentary pair of glasses donated by Nikon and OGI.
Get your child’s eye tested and make sure they are well equipped for learning

Call (905) 666-4848 to book an appointment today!

Continue ReadingEye Exams For Kids

How Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes

An estimated 3.4 million Canadians are living with diabetes, and the number has doubled in the last 12 years. Diabetes causes increasing and fluctuating levels of sugar in your blood, which causes damages to your organs. People with diabetes are 3x more likely to be hospitalized with heart disease, and 12x more likely to be hospitalized with kidney disease, and they account for 70% of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. Diabetes can also affect your eyes, and potentially cause serious vision loss.

Diabetic Retinopathy  is the leading cause of blindness in Canadians under the age of 65. It occurs when there is weakening or swelling of the tiny blood vessels in the eye, resulting in fluid leakage and bleeding. If left untreated, it can lead to blindness.
Here’s a photo of a healthy retina (left) and a retina with diabetic retinopathy (right)
diabetic retinopathy

Did you know diabetes can be first detected through an eye exam? There may be no symptoms in the early stages, so a person like this might still be able to see 20/20  on the eye chart and not notice any visual changes. If you wait until your vision becomes blurry, the retinopathy may have already worsened, and once damage has occurred, the effects can be permanent. That’s why early detection and treatment is critical, so that you can take action to prevent/delay complications and potential vision loss. Risk factors of developing diabetic retinopathy include smoking, high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and pregnancy.

If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, come see Dr. Lee for a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once per year (or more frequently if recommended) to minimize your risk of developing serious retinopathy.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and we encourage everyone – whether you have the disease or not – to visit Dr. Lee for a comprehensive eye exam. Regular visits are essential to monitor changes in your eyes and either detect diabetes or prevent further complications in your vision as well as your overall health.

If you haven’t been diagnosed, KNOW YOUR RISK of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
If you are over the age of 40, the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) recommends that you get tested for type 2 diabetes every three years, and more frequently if you have any of these risk factors:

  • A parent or sibling with diabetes
  • Are a member of an ethnic group at high risk for type 2 diabetes (African, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian and Aboriginal)
  • Are overweight
  • Have high blood pressure or high cholesterol
  • Have been diagnosed with prediabetes
  • Have polycystic ovary syndrome

Visit take2minutes.ca to take the test and know your risk so that you can take action to stay healthy!

Learn more about how to prevent type 2 diabetes, and diabetes-related complications at the The Globe and Mail’s Diabetes Awareness Month Feature

Resources:
1. More information from the Canadian Diabetes Association
2. National Eye Institute Facts About Diabetic Eye Disease

Continue ReadingHow Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes

Children’s Vision Month

Did you know? Each year, less than 14% of children entering grade one has had an eye exam by a doctor of optometry. This is despite the fact that an estimated one in four has a vision problem significant enough to impair their ability to learn.

Read how this can affect a child’s learning in the Doctors of Optometry  blog post all about Children’s Vision Month

Even if your child has “20/20 vision,” they still need to have an eye exam. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends infants have their first eye examination between six and nine months of age, at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and annually during the school years.

DOCTORS OF OPTOMETRY BLOG

Continue ReadingChildren’s Vision Month

Children’s Vision Month Contest

It’s Children’s Vision Month! Enter for a chance to win weekly prizes, including a hybrid laptop and $300 in goods and services from a doctor of optometry. You could also win the grand prize valued at $5,000 – including $2,500 towards your child’s RESP, an HP Canada hybrid laptop and more! Enter at http://www.doccontest.com and help your child see their full potential.

 

Children’s Vision Month Sweepstakes

Continue ReadingChildren’s Vision Month Contest