Voted the BEST EYE DOCTORS, Again!

June 29, 2023 – Media Press Release (Source – Shaw Newspapers)
Congratulations to the winners in the 2023 Kendall County Best of the Fox Readers’ Choice Awards!

BRENART EYE CLINIC – 2023 BEST EYE DOCTORS – KENDALL COUNTY

Fourth of July & Fireworks Safety

🎆 Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on consumer fireworks, which cause more than 9,000 injuries a year. With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding the public that fireworks are not toys but incendiary devices that can cause devastating eye injuries. BE CAREFUL!

Sun Damage to the Eyes – Protecting Our Families

Studies show that long-term exposure to bright sunlight may increase the risk of cataracts , macular degeneration, and growths on the eye, including cancer. This is just one of the many reasons that Optos testing is our “standard of care” for all comprehensive eye exams. We don’t want to miss ANYTHING regarding the health of your eye, and that starts by having our doctors study excellent images of your retinas (and ensuring there’s no sun damage to your eyes).

Did you know that UV rays reflected off sand and water can actually cause your eyes to sunburn, potentially resulting in temporary blindness in just a few hours? We bet you didn’t know that! That’s why it’s even more important to have the right eyewear – eyewear that protects from these harmful rays. And we’re willing to bet that those dollar-store frames aren’t going to cut it.

In support of UV Safety Month (every July), the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds the public of the importance of shielding eyes from the sun’s harmful rays with 100% UV-blocking sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats.

While we’ll leave the right hats to the fashion industry, Brenart Eye Clinic carries sunglass lines that are ideal in providing the protection you and your family need. And don’t forget the KIDS need sunglasses too – quality UV protection is especially important for them!

We encourage you to stop in (and know you’ll be surprised by our amazing inventory and deals!) Our optical shop carries both designer lines and economy sunglasses and KNOW we can keep your families’ eyes safe from all those harmful rays this summer.

In addition to well-known brands like Ray-Ban, Michael Kors, Maui Jim or Lindberg…. we also encourage you to research one of our specialty brands INVU – offering some of the best polarized sunglass lenses in the industry… (yes, we carry those too!).

Come in to our optical shop today… we’ll hook you up with the perfect pair!

Eye-Related Sports Injuries

Each year, an estimated 100,000 people are hurt by sports-related eye injuries.

About 13,500 of these injuries result in permanent vision loss. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds athletes everywhere that the great majority of sports-related eye injuries can be avoided by simply wearing the proper protection.

Macular Degeneration & Low Vision

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans, but new treatments have dramatically changed the course of this disease over the last 10 years, making AMD more manageable than ever before.

 

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding people with AMD that they can save their vision thanks to recent treatment advances, but early detection is a critical first step.

Glaucoma Awareness

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. Glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms in its early stages, and vision loss progresses at such a gradual rate that people affected by the condition are often unaware of it until their sight has already been compromised.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises the public that the best defense against developing glaucoma-related blindness is by having routine, comprehensive eye exams.

Contact Lenses and COVID-19

You may have heard a lot about contact lens wear and COVID-19, unfortunately a lot of what’s out there isn’t interpreting the data accurately, so Dr. Rob Brenart wanted to answer some questions you may have.

Contact lenses won’t cause you to catch COVID-19.
Eyeglasses are not an effective droplet barrier to protect you from COVID-19.

The entire discussion revolves around touching your face and washing your hands. Some people will rub their eyes more frequently when they have contacts in, other people will constantly take glasses on and off for different tasks or to clean them (ever wear your glasses on a drizzly day?).

Touching your face between hand-washing is the actual risk, you need to assess whether glasses or contacts cause you to touch your face more and do what is right for you. That said, if you do develop a cold, flu like symptoms, or red eyes, contacts are never a good idea. Many viruses can be measured in your tears when sick and you do not want that to get trapped in the contacts.

Stay safe and healthy, never hesitate to reach out and ask us if you have eye health questions, and we look forward to seeing you as things return to normal!

Congrats Dr. Brenart, Key Person Award

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Brenart, OD for receiving the 2018 Key Person Award in Peoria, IL at the Illinois Optometric Association Convention held the weekend of September 20th.

The Key Person Award recognizes the optometrist who actively advocates and supports the profession in many key ways. This individual supports and meets with legislators as well as attends numerous political events throughout the year!

Dr. Brenart has also served on many committees within his community including the Yorkville School Board, serving as President and Vice President for many years. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and a Diplomat in the American Board of Optometry.

Congratulations Dr. Brenart!

What to Do with Your Old Contact Lenses

According a recent report from CBS, between 2.25 million and 3 million Americans are flushing their contact lenses down the sink or the toilet.

And that adds up to six to ten metric tons of contact lenses piling up in wastewater plants every year.

When you flush your contact lens down the drain, it doesn’t dissolve. It breaks into smaller and smaller fragments. When those fragments get back into the water supply, they sink to the bottom of ponds or rivers, where bottom-feeding fish mistake them for food. And through these fish, the fragments of your old contact lens can end up on someone’s dinner plate.

So how should you dispose of contact lenses? First, check if your community offers recycling for contact lenses. If recycling isn’t an option, toss them in the garbage.