Blog Archive

There’s no denying that regular eye exams play a critical role in helping maintain your vision and your eye health. But what most people may not know is how often they need to have an exam to make sure they reap all the benefits they offer. Vision and Ortho-K Center...

Our tears play a critical role in keeping our eyes healthy, continually bathing the eye surface to wash away irritants while moistening our eyes and reducing the risk of infection. When our eyes water, it’s often a sign that something’s “off” with the production or distribution of our tears. It...

Keratoconus is a serious eye problem that happens when the cornea assumes a steeper, more cone-like shape. Not surprisingly, the layered shape of the cornea can affect how well we can see, and it can also make finding suitable lenses a lot more challenging. At Vision and Ortho-K Center, Curtis...

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about eye comfort — until we experience uncomfortable symptoms like grittiness or burning. Because we depend on our eyes so much, even minor or mild symptoms can have a big impact on our comfort and ability to perform simple daily...

There’s no denying that contact lenses offer plenty of benefits for people who don’t want to be burdened by glasses. Unfortunately, traditional contact lenses can be uncomfortable for people with complex eye conditions, and they may not give you the clear vision you’re looking for, either. Vision and Ortho-K Center...

More than 166 million American adults wear prescription eyeglasses to see better. While corrective lenses are a great option for people with all sorts of vision issues, there’s no denying that most of us would prefer to leave our glasses behind. With ortho-k lenses, that just might be a possibility....

Keratoconus is a serious corneal problem affecting about one out of every 2,000 Americans. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to make keratoconus a leading reason for corneal transplant surgery in the United States. At Vision and Ortho-K Center, Curtis Frank, OD, helps patients with keratoconus...

Americans spend an average of almost seven hours every day online staring at computer screens on tablets, laptops, phones, and other electronic devices. That’s more than 17 years of your adult life. With so much time spent gazing into a lighted surface, it’s not surprising that this particular habit leads...

If you have dry, burning, or gritty-feeling eyes, it’s easy to write off your symptoms as allergies or simply not getting enough sleep. But if those feelings become chronic, there’s a good chance you have dry eye syndrome, a chronic condition that disrupts the normal balance of moisture that keeps...

Worldwide, more than a billion people have myopia (nearsightedness), and that number appears to be rising. Perhaps even more alarming, children appear to be leading the trend. Myopia isn’t “just” about having difficulty seeing objects far away. Even mild myopia can take a toll on a child’s quality of life,...

You’ve grown used to the fact that you need corrective lenses to see things at a distance, and you’re certainly not alone in this. More than 150 million people in the United States have vision issues, and the most common is nearsightedness, or myopia, which affects about 42% of Americans....

Like one billion other people around the globe, you rely on your glasses to see the world around you, and they perform admirably in this role. Did you know that those same lenses can go beyond snapping everything into focus if you opt for a speciality coating or lens? As...

Of the different ways your eyesight can be affected, myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common, affecting 42% of all Americans, which comes out to nearly 140 million people. If you or a loved one is part of this large group of people who can’t see distances all that well, you...

Your once-clear vision is starting to become a little cloudier, and you’re having trouble with glare and night vision. These are some of the telltale signs of cataracts, which affect about 17% of the global population. Closer to home, more than half of Americans age 80 and older have cataracts,...

When it comes to casting a wide net over your life, diabetes certainly qualifies. More than 38 million Americans have this chronic condition, which heightens their risks for some very unwelcome health complications. From lower limb ulcers to vision loss, diabetes can affect many different areas of your health, which...

You look forward to spring when the temps warm up and the world goes from gray to green. Unfortunately, this time of year can also wreak havoc on your eyes, especially if you’re one of the more than 81 million people in the United States who have seasonal allergies.  To...

To call your vision important is an understatement as you rely on this sense to make your way safely through the world. While vision issues such as being nearsighted or farsighted are common and easily correctable, we want to discuss a more serious eye condition in this month’s blog post...

Getting out of your chair doesn’t come without a grunt these days and, when you want to take some medicine to relieve the ache in your knees, you can’t read the label. Aging can certainly cast a wide net and includes your eye health and vision. Not that we want...

Did you know that 30% of the population in the United States is nearsighted? Also called myopia, this vision issue is one that can affect people from an early age, or it can develop later in life due to diabetes or excessive screen use. If you find yourself unable to...

November is National Diabetes Month in the United States, so Dr. Curtis Frank and the team here at Vision and Ortho-K Center want to discuss the close and problematic association between this chronic condition and your vision. Not to put too fine a point on it, but diabetes is more...

When fall rolls around each year, you want to get out and enjoy the beautiful colors, but your dry eye flares up. Instead of hiding inside, you want solutions that will help remedy your itchy, scratchy, burning, or blurry eyes so you can appreciate this time of year again. Dr....

Mornings are hectic as you get ready for the day, but imagine if you can meet them without having to fumble for glasses or get your contacts in. Instead, you jump out of bed and the world around you is clear and focused, helping you to be the same. If...

Slightly more than 200 million adults in the United States (nearly 80%) use some sort of vision correction, such as glasses, contact lenses, or readers. Included in this number are prescription sunglasses, which go far beyond being a cool accessory. Prescription sunglasses can play an important role in safeguarding your...

Nearly 42% of people in the United States have trouble seeing things at a distance, a condition known as myopia, or nearsightedness. By the year 2050, researchers predict that about half of the world’s population will have myopia. If you or a member of your family is part of this...

You need to use your phone’s flashlight to make out the menu in a restaurant, not to mention a pair of readers. Or, perhaps you joke that your arms need to be longer in order to read. These are perfectly natural signs of aging eyes. More seriously, more than 3.4...

You’ve got a great pair of wire-frame glasses that help you to see clearly throughout the day, but when you head to the gym, these glasses don’t perform so well and slip and slide on your face. Or, you head out to play some golf or tennis with friends and...

Cataracts affect nearly 25 million people aged 40 and older in the United States, not to mention half of people by the time they reach the age of 75. If you conclude from these numbers that age plays a large role in this vision-robbing condition, you’d be correct. While age...

Do you remember the first time you put your glasses on or put your contact lenses in? The world around you snapped into focus and you could finally see what you were missing with your less-than-perfect vision. More than 150 million people in the United States use corrective lenses and what they, and you,...

Itching, burning, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, redness — these common symptoms of dry eyes have a way of making your life miserable. If you’re among the nearly 16 million people in the United States who have dry eyes, the good news is that there are effective treatments and lifestyle tweaks that...

You used to feel perfectly comfortable driving at night, but now you struggle because of glaring lights and halos around lights. And you’re in your 20s, so age has nothing to do with it. If this sounds familiar, an uncommon condition called keratoconus may be to blame. At Vision and...

A whopping 150 million Americans are unable to see clearly thanks to a refractive error, and astigmatism is the most common. If your eyesight is less than perfect because of astigmatism and you want to achieve better vision, the good news is that this condition is highly treatable and you...

We talk a great deal about 20/20 vision, but what does this really mean? Do you have it? If not, how can you achieve it? As experienced optometrists, Dr. Curtis Frank and the team here at Vision and Ortho-K have devoted our practice to helping people to achieve great vision....

When it comes to eye disease, cataracts are the most common, affecting more than 24 million people age 40 or older in the United States. In fact, by the time Americans reach the age of 75, about half have cataracts. To give you a better idea about what cataracts are...

About 45 million people in the United States rely on contact lenses for a number of different reasons — from correcting vision to reshaping their corneas. We understand the power and versatility of contact lenses here at Vision and Ortho-K Center, which is why Dr. Curtis Frank and our team...

While we experience four distinct seasons here in the Northeast, the sun can be out and about in each. Just as you take steps to protect your skin against the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, we urge you to extend this protection to your eyes, which can also be damaged...

Approximately 45 million people in the United States wear contact lenses, and a portion of these users are turning to ortho-K lenses to correct issues with myopia and astigmatism.  If you’ve opted for ortho-K lenses for you or your child, taking good care of them is paramount, which is why Dr. Curtis Frank and our team...

Age-related degenerative processes in your body can be felt almost everywhere, from your joints to your eyesight. In the United States, 128 million people have some degree of presbyopia, which comes from the Greek words “old eyes,” sending them for reading glasses any time they want to view something up close. At...

Refractive errors, which include astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness, are what send millions of people in the United States searching for solutions to improve their vision. Of the three, astigmatism is the most common, affecting 1 in 3 Americans. To help you figure out whether you might have astigmatism, Dr. Curtis Frank and the team...

Cataracts are one of the most common visual-impairment issues in the United States, affecting nearly 25 million people aged 40 and over. While cataracts are prevalent, there’s still some misinformation out there about the eye disease, and we want to present you with the facts. At Vision and Ortho-K Center, our...

As winter slowly gives way to spring, we’re starting to enjoy longer days with more abundant sunshine, and we’re reveling in the warmth. While we encourage you to get outdoors and soak it all in, we caution you against leaving your eyes unprotected. Here at Vision and Ortho-K Center, Dr. Curtis...

Your vision has deteriorated to a point where you acknowledge you need corrective lenses, and you’re deciding which option is best for you — glasses or contacts. Or, you’ve been wearing glasses for some time and you’re tired of hiding your eyes behind frames. Whatever your reasons for considering contact...

As we ring in a new year, it’s always a good time to take stock of your health. If you want to see more clearly in the new year, and beyond, a comprehensive eye exam is a great place to start. At Vision and Ortho-K Center, we offer eye exams...

The prevalence of myopia — or nearsightedness — in the United States and around the world is eye-opening. Nearly one-third of the global population has myopia and this number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050. In the US, the prevalence of myopia has nearly doubled over the last...

There’s a good reason why more than 10 million people in the United States have opted for LASIK surgery — it’s a highly effective procedure that can improve your vision and eliminate your need for corrective lenses. If you’re on the fence as to whether or not you should have...

Your eyes are overly dry, overly teary, scratchy, and irritated, and you’re tired of these symptoms interfering with your ability to see clearly. Nearly five million adults over the age of 50 in the United States have dry eye syndrome, and many have found relief. Dr. Curtis Frank and the...

From the moment your eyelids flutter open in the morning, you rely on your eyes to help you navigate the world around you. To help them serve you well for years to come, your eyes can benefit from a few lifestyle adjustments that support their health. To give you an...

You’ve decided that contact lenses are the best option for your lifestyle, and you want to enjoy your ability to see the world more clearly. To accomplish this, it’s important that you steer clear of some common mistakes that both contact lens newcomers and veterans often make. At Vision and...

Whether you need to update your current prescription or you’re entering the world of eyeglasses for the first time, choosing the right frames for your face and your lifestyle is important. To help you get the most out of your glasses, Dr. Curtis Frank and the rest of our optometry...

To say that astigmatism is common would be an understatement, as it affects about one-third of Americans. Thanks to this high prevalence, much headway has been made in treating the problem. From corrective lenses to surgery, the good news is that we can help you see more clearly despite your...

Cataract is a very common eye disease — it’s the leading cause of blindness around the world and affects approximately 22 million Americans over the age of 40. In fact, cataracts rob more people of their vision than macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy put together. Since next month (June)...

Your eyes are complex structures that receive and refract light so that your brain can form images, which means each component needs to do its part to help you see clearly. With keratoconus, your normally dome-shaped corneas become thin and cone-shaped, which distorts the light as it enters, leaving you...

Nearly two billion people around the globe suffer from presbyopia, which is the inability to focus on things that are close to you, such as printed words. The reason for these large numbers is that presbyopia is an age-related condition that occurs when the lenses in your eyes become less...

Nearly five million people over the age of 50 have dry eyes, with women outpacing men by almost two to one. While some view this problem as a nuisance, the fact is that chronic dry eyes can lead to larger problems if left untreated. Dr. Curtis Frank and our team...

You may have grown up with a parent telling you, “Turn off that TV or you’ll wreck your eyes.” While this turns out to be mostly myth (though it did get you to turn off the TV), gone are the days of only watching an hour or two of TV...

If you’re among the millions of people who struggle with dry eyes, you know that winter presents some unique challenges, especially here in the Boston area. The freezing temperatures and drier air are enough to make even those with healthy eyes experience what it’s like to have dry eyes. To...

The human eye may seem simple enough — it’s simply small and round. The reality is that eyeballs come in many different shapes and sizes, along with a host of different functional issues. Thankfully, specialty contact lenses can address these variations for many people. As optometry specialists, Dr. Curtis Frank...

More than 150 million people in the United States rely on corrective lenses to help them see their way more clearly. While effective, wearing glasses or contact lenses on a daily basis can present challenges. Now, imagine waking up each morning with great vision that serves you throughout the day,...

Nearsightedness, which is medically known as myopia, is a refractive error that occurs in 30-40% of adults in the United States. These numbers are on the rise, and experts predict that by the year 2050, half of the world’s population will have issues with nearsightedness. At Vision and Ortho-K Center,...

Headaches can crop up for any number of reasons, from problems with spring allergies to stress and tension. In fact, there are more than 150 different types of headaches, including headaches that are related to vision problems like astigmatism. At Vision and Ortho-K Center, our optometrist Dr. Curtis Frank specializes...

Americans spend a whopping 11 hours or more looking at screens each day, which is wreaking havoc on our bodies — from tech neck to digital eye strain. While there are many ways to combat some of this added strain that comes with office work or school, our focus is...

For patients who’ve developed relatively routine refractive errors, contact lenses offer an ideal solution, restoring their vision to as close to 20/20 as possible. If, however, you’re among those who have higher order aberrations because of irregularly shaped corneas, severe astigmatism, or other eye problems, your road to better vision...

It’s no mystery that what you put into your body directly impacts your health — after all, you are what you eat. Just as you can increase your intake of certain nutrients to improve your heart health, there are some foods that are better than others when it comes to...

You wake each morning to a world that’s fuzzy, one that only snaps into focus once you don your glasses or put in your contact lenses. Each year, 700,000 people in the United States turn to laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery to put an end to their vision problems, allowing...

Everyone gets dry eyes from time to time, but chronically dry eyes often signal a larger problem to do with the health of your eyes. If you find yourself with red, itchy, dry eyes, identifying the underlying cause and finding a treatment protocol that works is important, which is where...

Contact lenses offer millions of people the opportunity to see more clearly without the hassles and change in appearance that come with glasses. If you’re among those who require scleral contact lenses because of problems with an irregular cornea or another issue, you still need to make a few adjustments...

The prevalence of myopia has been on the rise in the United States over the past 40 years — increasing by 25% — and there’s no end in sight. In fact, myopia rates among both children and adults continue their upward trend, preventing a large chunk of the population from...