Most people don't think a regular eye exam could save their life. But the truth is that in many cases, a comprehensive eye exam can detect much more than eye disease.

That's one reason that we at Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena recommend annual eye exams to all of our patients, even in the absence of visual changes or symptoms. Read on to find out how a routine trip to the optometrist helped preserve Katie Dunn's vision and life!

Hey there, eyewear enthusiasts! It's that time of year again, when we start thinking about updating our wardrobes for the new year — and that includes eyewear.

If you're in need of some fresh frames, or just want to keep up with the latest trends, then you're in luck. Here are some of the most stylish eyewear trends for 2023 that are sure to turn heads. If you’re in the market for a pair of new specs, look no further than Optical Illusionz.

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What have you done today to improve your eye health?

Regular eye exams are just one of many ways to improve your eyesight and prevent injuries or illnesses that could damage it. Keep reading to discover our top 8 tips for how to improve your vision naturally.

If you'd like to learn more about eye care, or to schedule an eye exam, give Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena a call.

Your glasses doesn’t just enable you to see well— they are one of the most expressive items you can wear. Make your outfits stand out by pairing them with the perfect eye-catching frames that express your your personality, style, and vibe

Whether you have a prescription or need blue-light-filtering lenses, we guarantee that you'll love the wide range of silhouettes and colors this winter's eyewear trends have to offer. Keep reading to discover Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena picks for winter's top eyewear trends!

Holiday season is in full swing! And while most people are focused on shopping for gifts and other holiday prep, it's important to remember a few tips for keeping your eyes healthy through all of the holiday hustle and bustle.

At Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena, our priority is to help you keep your eyes safe all year round. Below you'll find our top 7 eye care tips this holiday season.

We rely on our vision from the moment we wake up in the morning until we close our eyes at night. It allows us to drive safely and to see the faces of the people we love.

Despite this, many people don’t [prioritize] their eye health. This includes getting regular check-ups by an eye doctor.

Taking care of your vision can be expensive, however, if you work for a company that includes vision coverage in your employee benefits package, it makes it much easier to stay on top of your eye health. If you haven’t used all of your vision benefits this year, now’s the best time to take advantage of them – before they expire!

Make sure to take advantage of your vision benefit by scheduling a consultation with Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena before the end of 2022. The reasons for this are as follows.

Blindness is defined as having 20/200 vision in the better-seeing eye that cannot be improved with surgery, medication or eyeglasses.

Such a severe degree of vision loss can be very challenging for children and their families.

But what if some of those cases – even half of those cases – could be prevented?

A new study sheds light on the main causes of childhood blindness, and the need to [prioritize] early eye exams—even right after birth and during the first year of a baby’s life—in order to prevent vision loss in children.

The year is coming to a close, so now is the time to ensure you’re getting the most out of your yearly vision benefits before they expire. If you aren’t sure how to use your benefits, continue reading to discover 4 ways to maximize them.

For more information on vision benefits and to schedule an appointment, contact Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena for all of your eye care concerns.

Are your eyes dry? As the season changes, the fluctuation in temperature and humidity can make your eyes feel even more dry, gritty and irritated.

While dry eye symptoms can sometimes be mild, moderate to severe dry eye syndrome (DES) can be painful and debilitating. Left untreated, severe DES can cause corneal ulcers and even vision loss.

At Optical Illusionz we believe that patients can benefit from a multifaceted approach to treating dry eye syndrome (DES) that includes both conventional treatments and natural healthy lifestyle changes.

If you wear contact lenses, you know how convenient and comfortable they can be, but convenience should never come at the expense of your eye health.

While contacts have an excellent safety record, improper handling of your contact lenses can result in eye infections that, in some cases, can threaten your vision.

That's why it's so important to take proper care of your contacts. Always wash your hands before handling them, and clean them according to your eye doctor's instructions. Be sure to disinfect them regularly, and never share them with others.

If you think you may have an eye infection, contact your eye doctor at Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena. Eye infections can lead to serious eye complications, so don't take any chances!

A recent poll conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital asked parents of 3-18 year-olds several questions about their children’s eye health. The results showed that despite having some basic knowledge of pediatric eye care, most parents have a great deal more to learn.

For example, only half of all parents believe that excessive screen time negatively affects a child’s eyes, and just 60% of parents set limits on daily screen time.

At Optical Illusionz, we’re passionate about educating our patients about lifestyle choices that support eye health, including healthy screen time habits.

Protect Your Eyes With These Contact Lens Safety Tips

Contact lenses have an excellent safety record – as long as the wearer carefully follows their eye doctor's instructions. October is Contact Lens Safety Month, so there's no better time to brush up on safety tips to keep your eyes and vision healthy while wearing contact lenses!

If you have further questions, need to update your prescriptions, get an eye exam or are considering a new brand or type of contact lens, contact Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena today.

If you’re over the age of 40 and it’s become harder to read books, merchandise labels, messages on your phone or small fonts on your computer, you’re in good company! Age-related farsightedness, a condition called presbyopia, causes nearby objects and small print to appear blurry.

While you might be tempted to buy a pair of over-the-counter reading glasses, they can cause eye strain, nausea and headaches when used for more than just a few minutes. Drugstore reading glasses definitely aren’t a substitute for custom-made prescription reading glasses from your eye doctor, which are prescribed with your specific visual needs in mind.

At Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena, we prescribe custom-made eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct presbyopia and other eye conditions.

During October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want our patients to know how breast cancer treatment may affect their eyes and vision.

Though eye problems aren’t a common side effect, it's important to be aware of the symptoms and seek prompt treatment from your eye doctor.

Do you look at your smartphone, computer or tablet on a typical day? If you do, then you’re being exposed to digital blue light.

Blue light is any light that you can see with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers. It’s less powerful than UV rays from the sun, and is made up of short, high energy waves. Although its name makes it sound like the light is blue, it can be seen as any color visible to the human eye.

It is a well-established fact that exposure to blue light emitted by digital screens is a common cause of sleeping problems that can leave you exhausted.

At Optical Illusionz we can help you block out blue light, to help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Here’s What You Should Do

Are You Suddenly Seeing Dark Spots? Here’s What You Should Do

No, that isn’t a swarm of tiny insects following you around. Those black spots, squiggly lines and drifting cobweb shapes in your visual field are called floaters.

Some patients are concerned about these moving specks, but they’re usually harmless. Still, a big increase in the number of floaters could indicate a more serious problem.

Contact Optical Illusionz if you experience any unusual visual symptoms, including a sudden increase in floaters.

We’ve all had nights where we just didn’t get enough sleep! Whether you pulled an all nighter at school, or you just binge watched late into the night, you know how hard it is to function the next day. While we can temporarily fix issues like fatigue and bloodshot eyes with some caffeine and eyedrops, regular sleep is needed to let our eyes rest and heal.

The American Sleep Association recommends that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. While our fast paced world often makes it difficult to get enough shut-eye, lack of regular sleep can lead to several health problems, including with your eyes.

When it comes to your eyes, you don’t mess around. Safety first! You get your eyes examined regularly and carefully clean the prescription glasses or contact lenses prescribed by your eye doctor. Still, have you ever been tempted to wear your lenses past their expiration date?

Wearing contact lenses that have expired - or for longer than the prescribed amount of time - can be dangerous for your eyes and vision. Not following the instructions of your eye doctor and lens manufacturer raises the risk of everything from eye irritation to infections and corneal abrasions.

So if you find a batch of expired lenses in your drawer, or are thinking about wearing your daily disposable lenses for more than one day, think again. If your eyes are feeling uncomfortable when wearing your lenses, it’s important to replace them with a new pair as soon as possible. If any eye discomfort or problems persist, contact Optical Illusionz today.

If you wake up in the morning feeling like your eyes have spent the night in the desert, or your eyes are itchy, dry, red and irritated all day long, you may have dry eye syndrome (DES).

DES is super-common, yet many people either ignore it or put up with the condition, not realizing that there are steps they can take to lessen their dry eye symptoms in conjunction with treatment from their optometrist.

Left untreated, moderate to severe cases of dry eye syndrome can impact your quality of life and even damage your vision.

At Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena we diagnose and treat DES, so contact us today to schedule a dry eye exam. In the meantime, here are some tips to manage your dry eye symptoms.

Back-to-school often means a lot of screen time, whether your child is writing an essay on a laptop, playing an educational video game or studying with a friend on a cell phone.

Unfortunately, even a few hours of screen time can cause digital eye strain, an increasingly common eye condition among kids and adults who use digital devices.

At Optical Illusionz, we help treat digital eye strain and educate parents on the best ways to prevent the condition altogether.

Going back to school can be full of challenges: the need to sit still in a classroom, to master new material, and to make new friends.

The one thing your child shouldn’t have to worry about is having good vision.

We know how important good vision is for learning and what a difference healthy visual skills can make in a child’s academic success.

Start your child off on the right foot and add “comprehensive eye exam at Optical Illusionz” to the top of your back-to-school checklist.

It can be hard to tell when an eye symptom is serious or not. The “wait and see” approach can work at times, but in certain situations, waiting can be detrimental to your eye health.

Here are 5 eye symptoms that warrant a call or visit to Optical Illusionz without delay, so we can treat your condition quickly and help keep your eyes and vision healthy.

We’ll just go right ahead and say it: contrary to myth, your contact lenses won’t melt into your eyeballs from intense heat exposure.

Now that that’s out of the way, here are some important guidelines to keep in mind when spending time outdoors in the heat while wearing contact lenses.

With summertime comes long days by the pool, on the beach or on the trails.

So while you enjoy your time in the sun, make sure your eyes are protected from ultraviolet (UV) light, which can cause the following eye conditions.

Where did the summer go?! As much fun as summer days have been, many parents and kids are already in back-to-school mode.

Back-to-school checklists generally include:

• ✔ school supplies
• ✔ backpack
• ✔ new clothes and shoes

A critical item missing from this checklist is a comprehensive eye exam!

Every child deserves to be set up for success for the new school year, and scheduling your child for a comprehensive eye exam at Optical Illusionz in Houston and Pasadena will help them achieve it.

Are you shopping for stylish new shades but aren’t sure which lens tint to choose? We’re here to help.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the various lens color options available, so you can make the best choice for your vision needs and lifestyle.

Do you wear prescription eyeglasses? If so, finding the right sunglasses can get really tricky. That's probably why you're likely juggling two pairs of glasses, squinting through non-prescription sunglasses, or forgoing sun protection altogether.

If you want to experiment with a new eye color, consider a pair of colored contact lenses. Whether you’re looking for subtle highlights or want to make a splash with a bold new look, here are the things you should know before purchasing colored contacts.

Sunglasses complement your wardrobe and express your sense of style while protecting your eyes against sun damage. Below, we’ve included the most popular sunglass styles which can be worn all year long.