Have you ever noticed small specks drifting through your field of vision or seen brief flashes of light that appear without an obvious source? These visual disturbances, known as floaters and flashes, are common and, in many cases, harmless. However, there are times when they may signal a more serious eye condition requiring immediate attention.

June is Cataract Awareness Month, and at Drs. Kopolow and Girsgen, we believe it’s the perfect time to spotlight the important role optometrists play in detecting this common eye condition early—before it clouds more than just your vision.

When it comes to protecting your health, regular eye exams might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But these visits do much more than check your vision, they also provide a vital opportunity to catch serious health conditions early. By examining the eyes both inside and out, your optometrist can identify subtle warning signs that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Graduation season is an exciting time. If you’re heading to college this fall, you’re probably juggling dorm checklists, class schedules, and daydreams of late-night pizza runs. But in the rush to prepare for your next chapter, one important item often gets left off the list: an eye exam. It may not seem like a big deal now, but your eyes are about to face a whole new level of demand. Think endless reading, streaming, studying, and scrolling. Your college experience will be powered by screens, and your vision needs to be ready for the challenge.

When your child plays sports, quick decisions and precise movements are key to their performance. Whether it’s catching a baseball, judging the distance of a basketball hoop, or hitting a moving tennis ball, vision plays a more critical role than many parents realize. Sports vision training is a specialized area of optometry that focuses on enhancing visual skills related to athletic performance, and two of the most important visual functions it targets are depth perception and accuracy.

As a parent, you want to ensure your child’s health is taken care of in every way, including their vision. Eye health plays a critical role in your child’s development, school performance, and overall quality of life. One key step in maintaining good vision is knowing when to schedule your child’s first eye exam.

For those dealing with farsightedness (hyperopia), that frustration often comes in the form of blurry close-up vision—whether it’s reading a menu at your favorite Henderson restaurant or checking a text message under the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip. If you find yourself squinting more than usual or holding things at arm’s length to see clearly, it’s time to explore your options.

When most people think about eye health, they focus on conditions like nearsightedness or cataracts. However, your eyes are much more than just a window to the world—they’re also a direct extension of your brain. Changes in your vision can sometimes signal underlying neurological conditions, making regular eye exams a key part of overall health monitoring.

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a common vision condition where distant objects appear blurry while close objects remain clear. This condition affects millions of people worldwide and can progress over time. Fortunately, advancements in vision correction technology are providing individuals with more options than ever before to improve their eyesight. Among these innovations, Ortho-K and LASIK stand out as two cutting-edge solutions for managing and correcting nearsighted vision.

Wearing contact lenses is a convenient alternative to glasses, but improper use—especially sleeping in contacts—can put your eye health at serious risk. If you’ve ever fallen asleep with your lenses in, you might have woken up with dry, irritated eyes. However, the dangers go beyond discomfort. Sleeping in contacts increases the likelihood of corneal abrasions and serious infections that can threaten your vision.