Eye Health Solutions

09/29/2025

Our staff is really busy this fall keeping up with all of our kids activities!

09/24/2025

Did you know Dr. Jason is a President-Elect of the Iowa Optometric Association board?? We are thankful for all of these docs that give their time to make sure Iowa is a great state to practice optometry!

09/22/2025

11 Terrible Contact Lens Habits
Here are 11 bad contact lens habits we eye doctors often see--

#1 Sleeping in your contacts.

This is the No. 1 risk factor for corneal ulcers, which can lead to severe vision loss and the need for a corneal transplant. Your cornea needs oxygen from the atmosphere because it has no blood vessels. The cornea is already somewhat deprived of oxygen when you have your eyes closed all night, and adding a contact on top of that stresses the cornea out because of the lack of oxygen. You don’t need to see when you are sleeping! TAKE YOUR CONTACTS OUT! I promise your dreams will still look the same.

#2 Swimming in your contacts.

Salt, fresh, or pool water all have their individual issues with bacteria, amoeba, chemicals, etc., that can leach into your contacts. If you end up wearing them in the water, then take them out as soon as you are done and clean and disinfect them.

#3 Using tap water to clean contacts.

Tap water is not sterile. See No. 2.

#4 Using your contacts past their replacement schedule.

The three main schedules now are daily, two weeks, and monthly. Dailies are just that – use them one time and then throw them away. They are not designed to be removed and re-used. Two-week contacts are designed to be thrown away after two weeks because they get protein buildup on them that doesn’t come off with regular cleaning. Monthly replacement contacts need to have both daily cleaning and weekly enzymatic cleaning to take the protein buildup off. Using your lenses outside of these wearing and maintenance schedules increases the risk of infection and irritation.

#5 Getting contacts from an unlicensed source.

Costume shops and novelty stores sometimes illegally sell lenses. If you didn’t get the fit of the lenses checked by an eye doctor, they could cause serious damage if they don’t fit correctly.

#6 Wearing contacts past their expiration date.

You can’t be sure of the sterility of the contact past its expiration date. As cheap as contacts are now, don’t take the risk with an expired one.

#7 Topping off your contact lens case solution instead of changing it.

This is a really bad idea. Old disinfecting solution no longer kills the bacteria and can lead to resistant bacteria growing in your case and on your lenses that even fresh disinfecting solution may not kill. Throw out the solution in the case EVERY DAY!

#8 Not properly washing your hands before inserting or removing contacts.

It should be self-evident why this is a problem.

#9 Not rubbing your contact lens when cleaning, even with a “no rub” solution.

Rubbing the lens helps get the bacteria off. Is the three seconds it takes to rub the lens really that hard? “No rub” should never have made it to market.

#10 Sticking your contacts in your mouth to wet them.

Yes, people actually do this. Do you know the number of bacteria that reside in the human mouth? Don’t do it.

#11 Not having a backup pair of glasses.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves with contact lens wearers. In my 25 years of being an eye doctor, the people who consistently get in the biggest trouble with their contacts are the ones who sleep in them and don’t have a backup pair of glasses. So when an eye is red and irritated they keep sticking that contact lens in because it is the only way they can see. BAD IDEA. If your eye is red and irritated don’t stick the contact back in; it’s the worst thing you can do!

09/19/2025

Have a fun and safe Homecoming!
Go Panthers! 🐾

09/15/2025

Dr Lily and Dr Jason made the trip to Dr Lily’s alma mater to cheer on the Irish this past weekend! 🍀🏈

09/12/2025

Congratulations to the 2025 Homecoming Court!

Your 2025 Knoxville High School Homecoming Court!!

Celia Marean, Rian Rowley, Jordyn Counts, Halle Baker, Caelie Smith, Bailey Gullion, Olyvia Scovel

Regan Roberts, Brady Roozeboom, Brody DeJong, Drake Larson, Austin Bishop, Luke Roozeboom, Brett Watters

09/11/2025

Today we remember the heroes and lives lost on this day 24 years ago.
🇺🇸

09/04/2025

New Landscaping! Thank you Creative Landscaping for making the outsude of our building always look great!

09/01/2025

Happy Labor Day!

Our office will be closed today in observance of the holiday. We will be open tomorrow at 7:45!

08/28/2025

Did you know that we have wheelchairs available?

If you or a loved one needs assistance coming in or leaving the office we are happy to offer the use of our wheelchair!

08/27/2025

Why Bringing Your Current Glasses to the Eye Doctor Can Help a Lot
Despite requests that patients bring their current glasses to their office visit, many show up without them.

Sometimes it’s an oversight: “I was rushing to get here and forgot them”; “I left them in the car”; “I picked up my wife’s glasses instead of mine by mistake.” Doctors have heard them all.

Sometimes it is unavoidable: “I lost them”; “They were stolen”; “I ran them over with the car”; “I left them on the roof of the car and drove away and now they are gone.”

Frequently, however, it’s intentional. There is a perception by some people that if they don’t like their current glasses or feel like they are not working well for them that they are better off having their eye doctor start from scratch. “Why would I want the doctor to utilize a pair of glasses I’m not happy with as a basis or starting point for my next pair of glasses?”

But bringing your glasses to an appointment is important.

There are two main reasons for eye care professionals to know what your last pair of glasses were.

The first is to see what type of glasses they are and how you see out of them. Are they just distance? Just reading? A bifocal? A trifocal? A progressive?

Even if you feel they aren’t working for you, it is essential for doctors to know the type of lens you had previously. It is also important to know how you see out of them and what the previous prescription was. This can help eye care professionals determine a new prescription that will work better for you.

The second reason doctors like to know what was in your last pair of glasses is that the majority of people who wear eyeglasses have some degree of astigmatism in their eyeglass prescription.

A significant change in either the amount or axis of the astigmatism correction from one pair of glasses to the next is often not tolerated well, especially in adults. If there is too much change from the previous prescription, many people experience a pulling sensation in their eyes when they wear the new glasses. It can cause symptoms of eye strain, headaches, and distortion, making flat objects like a table look like they are slanted.

Many of the problems that occur when we try to give someone a new eyeglass prescription could be avoided if doctors knew the last prescription and how you did with it.

Any time you are going to the eye doctor, it is essential to bring your most current pair of glasses with you to the exam--whether you love them or hate them!



Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.

08/25/2025

Happy First Day of school to all of our area students, teachers, administrators and school staff!
🚌✏️ 📚🤓

Share your first day of school pictures in the comments! 📷