The Coast's Best of Halifax 2017

We make no bones about it, we love being part of the community of Halifax and, in particular, in playing our role as a downtown business.  We also love being in Nova Scotia, our connection with the sea is a strong one!

Practicing optometry in Nova Scotia means that we have to comply with the Standards of Practice for Optometry set by the Nova Scotia College of Optometrists (NSCO).  As such, we have just received a news bulletin from the College which makes it very clear that we cannot participate in any "Best of" award run by media or organisations such as the Chambers of Commerce.

We have only been open for four years and in that short time we have been fortunate to have been nominated for a Chamber of Commerce Best New Business award and several of The Coast's "Best of Halifax" award.  Once again we have been nominated for The Coast's "Best of" awards (although as we placed Gold last year, we were also automatically included).

Having received the above recent communication for the NSCO, we immediately contacted The Coast to ensure that we are withdrawn from their awards.

We are very grateful for everyone who has thought us worthy of their vote and their support since we opened just a few years ago and it is with much regret that we have to withdraw from the contest. 

We never opened Ocean Optometry to win awards though, we opened with the desire to bring the world's finest eyewear made by independent companies to Halifax and to provide excellent optometric care for our patients.  We have done this without relying on promotions, discounts or specials; believing that people appreciate fair and reasonable pricing without gizmos and giveaways.

We wish everyone participating The Coast's Best of Halifax 2017 awards well, we would encourage you to vote for your favourite businesses, venues, places and fine folks. More importantly, we'd encourage you to support the many great local independent business that Halifax has with your custom!

Best of luck, everyone, and thank you for your ongoing support.

Omega 3 Supplements (Part 2)

We continue our series of questions reviewing the benefits of Omega-3 fish oils with Drs. Wilson and McGinty (part one available here).

4. Can I not just eat more fish and not use supplements?

"YES!!!!!!! is the short answer. You would need to eat approximately 3.5oz of fish every day to acquire the desired daily amount of Omega 3 oil. You also need to remember that this figure can vary due to things like the variety of fish you choose or how it's prepared." Dr. Wilson answers, "As with most things fish is much healthier baked or broiled. Deep­ frying may just undo all the good work you're trying to do."

He goes on to add, "With supplements you have the really big advantage of consistency - you can know that you are consistent with your doctor recommended dosing regime.  Another advantage of using a supplement for Omega 3 is all reputable manufacturers screen their product for unwanted elements, like mercury, thus reducing the health risks associated with these heavy metals.  The supplements also make it easier to add in to a busy lifestyle, whereas switching to a fish rich diet may mean a major change for some."

5. So if I'm going to start taking these supplements, is there an omega 3 fish oil that is better quality?

"That's a really interesting question," Dr. McGinty responds, "To answer this it really is best to look at the kinds of fish oil supplements available, there two different kinds:

a) Triglyceride or TG and

b) Ethyl Ester or EE

TG is naturally occurring and the EE is synthesized chemically. Putting it another way. EE omega 3 is like having fruit juice made from concentrate and I for one prefer my juice freshly squeezed. TG
for me then!"

"Great point!" Dr. Wilson adds to the explanation, "There has been various studies into the comparison between the two forms and the long and short is that the EE is not absorbed nearly as effectively as the TG. Some studies showing an absorption rate up to 50 times slower for the EE derivative. Strike 2 for EE!"

"Looking into it further, there's also some debate about the harm that could come from the metabolism of the EE type in the intestines. During it's synthesis the EE form has a single fatty acid molecule bonded to an ethanol “backbone” whereas the naturally occurring TG has 3 fatty acid molecules bonded to a glycerol “backbone”. The ethanol is released when broken down in the gut and this for many is a cause for concern. That said, tests have shown that the amounts of ethanol (an alcohol) should be safe for humans. Not quite strike 3 but that bonding to the ethanol “backbone” also means technically that the EE form isn't a true oil.

That's a home run for TG in my game!"

6. Can I not just take omega 3,6 and 9 combined?

Dr. Wilson is enthusiastic to answer this question, "Firstly Omega 3 and 6 are essential acids and need to be consumed in our basic human diet through food sources or supplements. Omega 9 is non-­essential and as such isn't actually required so why supplement it at all.

Omega 3 has a potent anti­-inflammatory response in the body. This helps reduce the pain and swelling from most inflammatory responses in the body whereas Omega 6 has the complete polar opposite being pro-­inflammatory. Maintaining a balance between these two important acids is critical. The kicker is that Omega 6 is abundant in the Western diet so you're much less likely to need a supplement.

So, yes, you could take an Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement but in the words of my esteemed business partner, Dr. Euan McGinty, “You can but you'd be wrong!”

In conclusion, I believe supplementation of Omega 3 fish oil in the Western diet is essential, but, as with many things, the simple rule is everything in moderation. Obtaining it in it's most natural form is always preferred and regularity works best. Always check with your doctor before starting any new medication or supplements.

Remember, we're always interested in peoples experiences, comments or concerns and would love to hear from you so please do not hesitate to fill in our contact form or reach us through our social media with a tweet or a post."

Many thanks to optometrists Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty for taking the time to answer these questions.

Omega 3 Supplements (Part 1)

Here at Ocean, Dr's Wilson and McGinty are strong advocates of the use of Omega-3 fish oil for the health of your eyes, especially when a patient has dry eyes.  We decided to interview our optometrists to find out more and answer some of the common questions that you may have about Omega-3 fish oils and the eyes.

1. Why Omega-3 fish oil? Won't flax seed or hemp oil do?

"There are 3 acids that make a complete omega 3 molecule. These are ALA, DHA and EPA.  ALA is found mainly in nuts and plants, e.g. walnuts and flax seed, but to a lesser degree in fish.  DHA and EPA are found to be more concentrated in fish derived Omega 3."  Dr. Wilson explains.

"Until recently, this wasn't considered an issue as all Omega-3 was really considered equally beneficial. More recently, however,  studies have found that the processing of ALA in the human body isn't nearly as efficient. It's conversion to the more usable DHA derivative is limited and slow."

"Now, I'm not saying there are no benefits to the ALA form."  Dr. Wilson adds, "It's still beneficial as a supplement for vegans and vegetarians who may wish not to take the fish oil, but you need to consume approximately 80% more than the equivalent fish oil supplement to achieve the same effect."

2. When should I take my fish oil?

Dr. McGinty responded, "Conventional reasoning states that Omega-3 supplementation should take place with meals, or just prior to meals. Probably to help combat the fishy aftertaste that is sometimes encountered by some and also to promote good uptake through digestion. It is also wise not to take fish oil prior to working­ out as this may cause gastrict distress."  

"Did you know that I used to have really trouble with taking them?" Dr. Wilson asks, "Then I was chatting about them with a retired pharmacist who said “Why don't you just freeze them and take them at night before bed?” I was amazed that this worked so quite often will recommend this to my patients and so far no-­one has complained of any gastric­ distress through the night"

"I had never heard of that" remarked a surprised Dr. McGinty, "every day's a school day!"

"Indeed!  I would value your feed­back if anyone tries it (good or bad I'm interested) so if you do try this tip, please e-mail me with how you get on: dr.john@oceanoptometry.ca."

3. How much fish oil should I take?

"Now, as optometrists we are dealing with the eyes primarily, but have to remember that the eyes are connected to the rest of the body and therefore have to consider any potential side ­effects." explains Dr. Wilson, "I never recommend more than the daily recommended amount of Omega-3 fish oil, which is between 900-­1200mg/day. This amount should contain a minimum of 600mg of DHA so check those labels carefully."

Dr. McGinty adds, "Sometimes you actually have to take 2-­3 times the amount of “oil” to get the appropriate concentrations depending on the quality and type of fish oil you choose. 

There are also times that amounts higher than this that may be recommended by your Physician for other health issues, especially increased blood triglycerides, but this is done in careful consideration of any other medications you're taking at the time. Omega-3 acids can both enhance and decrease the effectiveness of a number of medications."

"Absolutely" agrees Dr. Wilson, "There is even evidence that excessive amounts of Omega-3 can, in some people, increase their risk of stroke. I, for one, believe in everything in moderation so the daily recommended amount values sit well within my ethics and personal feelings."

To be continued .../ (Part 2)

Please don't come to us!

It may seems strange for any business to say that, but we sincerely mean it ... in certain circumstances.  In fact, by this stage you've maybe already decided that we're not for you - that's fine, move along!

This is something which is quite core to everything we do here at Ocean Optometry and has been part of our journey from our very earliest discussions.  When we started shifting from the pipe dream of, "We should do something", to actually saying, "We're doing something", we had to consider how our office would be.

From the outset there seemed to us that there are already plenty of optometry offices serving Halifax and Nova Scotia who do a good job, providing optometric services and a fair selection of eyewear to choose from.  If you want to get your eyes examined or want to get some glasses, they'll sort you out.

So why did we need to create Ocean Optometry?

We had a need to offer something different, something new and something exciting.  We wanted to create an optometry office which was contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun to attend.

Initially we even thought that we would carry ranges from all the fashion labels and have wall-to-wall

brands covering our shelves.

We're so glad we didn't.

The more we looked into these ranges, the more we became disappointed!  Now, these are just our personal feelings, if you like branded eyewear and they resonate with you, wear them loud and proud, it's really important to enjoy your eyewear.

To our eyes, though, it became pretty obvious that these ranges very quickly appear somewhat generic ... blah, even, they are predominantly manufactured by one of three huge corporations.  They often have very little association with the actual brand they represent, in reality it tends to be a licensing agreement.

When the same few companies are manufacturing a huge amount of the eyewear, it's little surprise that they begin to appear "samey".  When these companies then have sales and distribution channels which means that they pervade virtually every optometry office and optical, while owning their own stores as well, you do really begin to wonder just how something so generic has managed to create the allure of something exclusive ... they're "designer" after all.  Or, at least we did.

Then we took a leap of real faith, we believed in our abilities and skills to do our work well.  Now it was time to put our belief into products which also represented our independent nature.  We sourced all of our ranges from independent companies, who deal mainly with the leading eyewear boutiques around the world ... and us!

Fashion's bleeding edge

What has been really surprising is how well this decision has been received, very pleasantly surprising!  There does seem to be a real desire to get beyond the consumerism of brands and have a genuine sense of providence over the purchasing decisions we make.  Eyewear is no different and folks are telling us the choices we are making are good choices!

A fortunate happenstance of this pinnacle decision is the eyewear we carry is actually at the leading edge of fashion trends.  The corporations produce eyewear to sell as a commodity and volume is key, they are duty bound to maximise turnover and profit for their shareholders.  Therefore they don't lead the fashions, they follow and try to capitalise on them.  Every company needs to make a profit, obviously, however, in our experience when dealing with independent companies this is not their driving goal.

When you come to Ocean Optometry you should find all of those features mentioned earlier, that we are contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun.  If this appeals to you, come right in.  If you want to choose eyewear which says more about you than a corporation, then we're definitely for you.  If your sense of style is not generic, but you have an attention for detail and fine design and products then the welcome mat's right there.

If you're thinking that by writing this we've completely lost the plot and if you want a brand or label on your glasses, if you want a bargain basement deal, or a twofor proposition, then you are going to be disappointed.  If you want to be just a sheep in the flock, then probably best to avoid us.

Seriously, stay away, we're going to irritate you with our friendly cheerfulness, humour, cool musical vibes and desire to make the eyewear of the Maritimes that bit more beautiful one pair at a time.  You know what, we're not even apologetic about it!

As an aside, when I was penning this article I didn't realise where the phrase "pipe dream" came from - every day's a school day!

The eye examination photo series - Part 1

We are always looking for new ways to share what we do at Ocean through our social media.  To kick off 2015 with a blend of style and information, one of our optometrists and owners, Dr. John Wilson, decided to create a series of Instagram images showing the eye examination in 10 steps.

We've already talked about what a comprehensive eye examination involves (see blog here), bringing it to life with pictures is lets us share it in a whole new fashion!  Great thinking, John.

Let's take a look at the pictures and give a little more detail as to what is going on.  This first series of pictures involves the steps that go together for our preliminary assessments.

Auto-refractor/keratometer

This machine may appear a little scary, however, there's really nothing to it.  We get you all lined up, one eye at a time, so that you see a picture.  The picture helps the eye to focus into the far distance, so usually they have images with items on the horizon, like hot air balloons or houses.  Once it is completely aligned you may see the image go in and out of focus as the instrument goes through a series of steps to gain a complete reading.

The information the instrument provides is an estimate of the focus of the eye and a measurement of the curvature of the front surface of the cornea.

The next instrument, the tonometer, is perhaps the one most people have concern over.  The tonometer measures the pressure of the fluid in the eye using a gentle puff of air.  It is definitely not sore or uncomfortable, however, our natural reflexes make the air-puff seem like quite the surprise.

Non-contact tonometer

It is important for us to measure the pressure of the eyes as part of providing a comprehensive assessment of the overall eye health.  For those that are really squeamish, however, we do have another technique for assessing eye pressure - just let us know.

The last of the trio of instruments used in our preliminary assessments is the digital fundus camera.

Digital Fundus Camera

This last step is very straightforward, just keep looking straight at the flashing light, keep your eyes nice and wide open and we'll take photographs of your retinas.  These pictures provide a great way to both initially  view the retina and also to monitor the health of the retina over time.

At each eye examination we can compare the newest retinal photographs with previous ones on file, either side-by-side or even overlaying them one on top of the other.  We also have filters and effects which can be used to enhance the images to assist with interpretation.

One last great feature of taking retinal images, that we love, is that it gives our optometrists the ability to show you exactly what they are looking at when they are examining the back of your eyes.

If you have any questions about any of these steps during the eye examination, do not hesitate to ask.  Both Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty are very keen to make sure that you have an excellent experience when you come in to Ocean Optometry.  Taking time during their eye examinations is definitely something that they will do.

If you are reading our blog and thinking, "Hey, I need an eye exam." then we would be honoured to take good care of your eyes.  You can call us directly on (902) 446-4470 or use this link.

To check out our Instagram feed, just click on the logo!

Ocean's Instagram

'Tis the season!

Seasonally named eye conditions!

We're sure that you've come to recognise our optometrists, Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson, are eye geeks through and through.  So for this holiday season, our eye guys thought they'd share some seasonal naming quirks for eye conditions!

All of these are real eye conditions ... well ... almost all, for a bit of Christmas fun we're throwing in a fake one - let's see if you can pick out the fake one.

1- Christmas Tree Cataract

Usually cataracts are a haziness or discolouration of the natural lens inside the eye, which sits just

Christmas Tree Cataract - (image Medscape)

behind the iris.  They can look foggy or smokey to look at and can cause a similar effect on our vision.  Christmas Tree Cataracts are slightly different, this cataract tends to form highly reflective particles in the eye, which significantly bend the light or refract it.  These refractive and reflective properties give the cataract a highly coloured, iridescent and sparkly appearance which is where it gets its name from.

Similar to other cataracts, we would monitor this for its affect on your vision and look for associations with medical conditions.  While it is very pretty to look at, its affect on your vision would depend upon how significant it was in size and its location in the lens.

2 - Frosted Angiitis

This uncommon condition gives an distinct appearance to the blood vessels at the back of the eye and can unfortunately lead to significant degradation in the quality of vision.  Perhaps due to its rareness, the cause can sometimes be a mystery (idiopathic); however it is thought to be associated with an immune response from the body.

Frosted blood vessel appearance

3 - Rudolph Vasculature

A normal and healthy eye, which has a slightly unusual presentation in the blood vessels entering and

Classic Rudolph Vasculature presentation

leaving the optic disc at the back of the eye.  The optic disc is the natural blind spot at the back of the eye, where there are no light receptor cells.  At this point the optic nerve leaves the eye to carry the nerve pulse signals to the brain and where the blood vessels enter and leave the eye.

In Rudolph Vasculature the blood vessels all leave going upwards, giving the appearance likened to the antlers of a reindeer, and due to the twisting of the blood vessels there appears to be a "red nose" in the center of the optic nerve.  No known side effects are associated with this condition.

4 - Snowball Vitreous Floaters

Snowball floaters (bottom-left) - (image Optos.com)

Floaters are not an uncommon finding and often we can be aware of them in particular lighting conditions or against blank backgrounds - a white wall or a blue sky.  As floaters can also be a sign of activity in the eye, they definitely should not be ignored and if you experience new floaters always arrange an appointment for assessment without delay.

Snowball floaters are usually inflammatory cells, which are white in appearance, and occur in a condition called Pars Planitis.  The presence of floaters may actually be the only symptom of this condition, which is generally benign and may only cause a small effect on vision, if at all.

5 - Macular Star

Macular Star (yellow star to the right) - (photo EyeWiki)

The macula is the central part of the retina, which is the most sensitive area responsible for fine detail and colour vision.  When we talk about seeing 20/20 vision, it is this part of the retina which is working for us.

A Macular Star forms due to leakage of lipid rich fluid leaking from the blood vessels into the tissues of the retina, often forming a classic star pattern around the macula. 

If seen, it is important to try to identify the cause, although sometimes the cause is unknown.  It can be related to hypertension or to nerve inflammation.  The nerve inflammation, when caused by infection, is most commonly related to cat-scratch disease.

Thankfully, for most of these conditions, they are quite rare to see!

Click here to give your choice as to which condition is our "Christmas Cracker"

This will be our last blog until 2015, we do hope you are enjoying them.

Many thanks to all our friends, followers, supporters, customers, patients who have made 2014 such a fantastic year for Ocean Optometry - we can't wait for 2015!

Happy Holidays from all at Ocean!

What exactly is a comprehensive eye examination?

When you schedule your eye examination at Ocean Optometry, you can be sure that we are going to take very good care of you and your eyes.  Many people may wonder what is involved in an eye examination and may even be a little nervous about it, so let's try to demystify it a little.

We have designed our comprehensive eye examination to be a flexible approach to gathering a range of baseline measurements to best assess the health of your eyes, the best focus for your eyesight and lifestyle and to provide an opportunity to address any concerns that you may have.

To begin with we will ensure all of the basic information that we have for you is correct, for example your address and contact information and then we will take preliminary assessments prior to your time with one of our optometrists.

There are three main instruments that we currently use for our preliminaries: auto-refractor/keratometer; non-contact tonometer and the digital retinal camera.  This gives a range of information which is useful to gather for most people.  We tend not to use the auto-refractor/keratometer and the non-contact tonometer on people less than 20 years of age as it is not the most reliable way to gather this information on younger eyes.

When we gather any information as part of our eye examinations we want to ensure that the information is good quality information and we want to ensure that there is a real need/reason to gather this information.  Perhaps this is a good example, at a simple level, of what we mean by having a flexible approach.  There is little benefit in doing tests for the sake of doing tests, we are not interested in merely performing the test, but in the information that we gain.

Once the preliminary assessments are carried out, you will be introduced to whichever optometrist is scheduled to see you.  Optometrists Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson are not only our optometrists, but also the owners of Ocean Optometry.  With over 30 years experience in the whole "testing eyes thing", they both have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw on, however, they are not your stuffy/bossy doctors, so feel free to call them Euan and John.  We're pretty relaxed here!

The first thing our docs will do is review all of the information so far and then have a chat about why you have come in for the eye examination, finding out if you had any specific issues needing addressed or have any specific goals that you'd like to achieve.

From here on in, things are really going to get personal!  We will generally ensure that we assess the quality of your vision and find the optimum focusing requirements for any spectacle lenses you may need. (refraction) We will assess the alignment of the eyes, the way they work individually and as a pair (binocular vision).  At times, however, this may not be appropriate to do at this visit and we will discuss this with you as well.

During your appointment we will also carefully assess the health of your eyes.  We will look at the front of the eyes under high magnification, all the time asking ourselves questions about how healthy they look? Are the eyelids working properly? Are the front tissues quiet and clear?

We will then carefully review the internal health of your eyes, looking at the crystalline lens, the fluids inside the eye and right back to the retina and the optic nerve head.  If this is your first eye examination with us we will be looking to establish baseline assessments for all of these features and considering if the appearance falls within the expected normal variations found within healthy eyes.

If it is not the first eye examination we will further consider how this compares to previous visits and look for any signs of change which could indicate any abnormalities with the eyes or even with your overall general health.  There are also indicators linked to neurological assessments which will be reviewed when we are examining your eyes - for example do the pupil reactions function normally?

Once we are satisfied with all of our findings, we will make appropriate notes and then discuss all of our findings with you, where possible sharing the findings with you when we can review it with our digital instrumentation.

We will make sure that any concerns that you came in with are addressed, that we have discussed any issues that we may have found during our examination and answered any questions which you may have.

Once we are sure that all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, all concerns and questions are covered we will then conclude the eye examination and advise when your next eye examination is recommended.  If it is within a reasonable time we will in fact schedule the appointment there and then, so we know that the clinical time has been set aside for you (don't worry, we can always re-schedule down the line if we need to).

What many find surprising, however, is that John and Euan will then accompany you either to help you choose frames, or to discuss your spectacle requirements with our optician, Mike, or to make sure all matters are taken care of with our front desk.

Even beyond this, though, if you go home and think "Oh, I wish I had asked this ..." then please send us an e-mail, contact us through our website, call us or drop in.

We like to consider that once you choose Ocean Optometry to take care of your eyes, then we're going to take care of them exceptionally well and for a long time.  It's not just about a quick "one/two"; "better/worse" rapid appointment every couple of years, or whenever you remember!  We'll be your go to resource for all things eyes and eye-related!

For further information about our eye examinations, please visit this section of our website: http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/the-collections/the-examinations

Mental Health

This is going to be a slightly difficult blog post to create, it shouldn't be ... and that's part of the problem.

This week actor and comedian Robin Williams ended his battle with mental health issues by taking his own life.  At age 63 he was not going through some sort of growing pains or teenage angst, he was facing the challenges that he did and choose the avenue which seemed correct for him.

What has this got to do with Ocean Optometry?

What has this got to do with eyes?

You may ask these questions, and on a clinical sense vision is simply the neurological processing of data provided by the eyes - themselves, a simple tool for turning light radiation into an electrical signal.

Yet, your overall mental wellbeing may have a huge impact on your perception and therefore your vision.

and this is where the blog could end

but.

both Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson feel that mental wellbeing is much, much more important.

The cold hard facts are undeniable.  You may see stats saying 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from mental health problems, the reality is more like forty percent.  That's two in every five, look around you, how many people do you see?  Now consider that almost half of them face mental health challenges.

Consider this.

Recovery.

Recovery should not be a hope, a goal or an ideal.  Recovery should be the norm.  We should aim for recovery with every single person who suffers from mental health challenges.

If you are not sure ... ask us

Here's some resources:

Canadian Mental Health Association: http://www.cmha.ca/
Recovery: http://ontario.cmha.ca/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/recovery/

If you wish to talk, reach out to Ocean, we're here. info@oceanoptometry.ca  and (902) 446-4470 .  If you know someone with mental ill-health challenges, heck, forget that, if you know someone ... just send them a message to say "hey?".  We are there, you are there, let us move forward on this.

PS  the worst of it ... the very worst of it ... Robin wore some fabulous glasses, here are some of our favourites.

RIP Robin

New York / Vision East Expo ... The Revenge!

After so many wonderful days of eye geekery, it was definitely time to head home.  Day six was done, we had finished with the expo, safely hopped on board the shuttle bus headed to the airport and settled down.  We traversed Manhattan on the way out and managed a last fleeting glimpse of some of the sights, Macy's, The Empire State Building, a last look down Broadway.

Then we were headed through the suburbs and staring out on the rain soaked houses and businesses.  After so many days immersed in the eye world, there is always a sense of reflection at times like this.  Our chat turns to what we had seen, what had excited us.  We talk about the new frames that we had purchased, some of the new clinical instruments.  It also gives an opportunity to discuss what we had been interested in and would earmark as a item to watch for future shows.

Soon enough we arrive at the airport and negotiate our way through check-in, security and find ourselves a quite corner in which to settle for the next few hours until our flight is ready to depart.

Gazing out we are treated to a never ending stream of taxis slowly snaking their way through to pick up new passengers.  It really is a grey and miserable day.  Then again, we were headed home.  We had dodged the bullet of the snowstorm which slammed in to Nova Scotia, the worst of the winter.  Not long to go.

Except, while we are watching the rain slowly drip down the window there is something brewing further north - an ice storm!

We start to receive news about Halifax airport having cancellations and delays due to freezing rain ... you have to be joking!  Apparently not, but our flight looks good.  The time comes to make our way to the gate - "I'm sorry, your flight has been cancelled"!  Seriously?

So it seems like our mammoth trip is not over.  We are sent to a nearby hotel, well, when hotel would be a generous definition!  There are bars on the windows, the corridors slope at an alarming angle and there is a definite sense of not being alone in your room.  You're not!  With a couple of sightings of Porcellio scaber a quickly drawn conclusion of this not going to be the best night's sleep ever is made!  It's hard to believe that we have moved from the rather wonderful Yotel to this!

Ah, well, we all survive the night and get a flight home in the morning!  Phew! What a marathon trek, but it has been so worth it.  We have some fabulous new things to bring back to Ocean, we've full of enthusiasm and energy for the days and months ahead.  With the time spent with Tom Davis our skills with being able to Couture a frame are enhanced and we are sure that people will love the ability to have a custom made frame which fits perfectly.

I hope you've enjoyed this series of blogs about Vision East Expo, New York and adventures of these two optometrists and one optician - eye geeks to the core!

New York / Vision East Expo Day 5

Hard to believe that this is our fifth day in NYC, this is turning into quite the marathon event.  Looking at our schedule we knew that this was going to be a busy day, we had a lot of appointments, and quite a special day - we would only be spending half of it at the actual convention centre.

Visiting the stands at the convention centre brings many great things, you inevitably see new things across all of the different sectors that make up the optometric business.  You find some amazing unexpected finds, perhaps hidden away in a smaller booth or tucked away in a corner.  You also see some tremendous showboating by some of the industry giants as they try to prove that my stand is bigger than your stand.  We could go on at some length about how awful some of these are, but that's not why we're here.  When we see these monstrosities, though, it does reassure us that we are absolutely correct to continue to forge great relationship with independent manufacturers, designers and suppliers.

This mornings hidden gem was something that we have been looking for since before we opened, and today we found the solution - literally!  We have been looking for an eyeglass cleaner spray that we were happy with for a long time, we wanted something as environmentally friendly as possible, which did a great job of cleaning and protecting your lenses and fitted our general office philosophies.  Now we have it:

Our very own 'local' eyeglass cleaner

When you now pick up your new eyewear, be sure to pick up a bottle of this spray formulated with Nova Scotia water!  The great thing is, when you have this bottle you can come back any time to get it re-filled - we want you to keep your eyeglasses looking fabulous, after all!

So, where shall we start today? With our only appointment at the show, first thing.  We love working with this supplier who creates our very own line of "by Ocean" eyeglasses for us.  These offer a great value option with frames handmade in Germany in a clean and elegant style.  We updated our selection of shapes and also added in more sunglasses - we are so confident that this winter will end!

Now, with a few hours before our rendezvous in an Airstream, we go for an explore.  This is when we found our eyeglass cleaner.  It also gave us an opportunity to look at some of the eye exam equipment.  We admit it, we are eye geeks through and through and when we are presented with a range of eye-toys it's very difficult to resist.  So, we didn't!  Dr Wilson picked up a new lens for examining the back of the eyes in great detail and we also choose some new tools to help us in our day to day eye examinations and when we have an eye emergency of some foreign matter stuck in the eye.  All of these additional tools add to both the range and quality of services we can provide in the eye care/eye health factor of our business.

Activist Eyewear

With the exploring over, it was time to head out, cross the rainy street and find a polished Airstream.  Inside were our friends Activist Eyewear.  Anthony & Mark gave us a very warm welcome and there's no denying that this is a seriously cool place to come and meet with them.  It is slightly surreal inside with the polished, curved walls creating a funfair hall of mirrors type effect, but with some cool mood lighting and groovy tunes you can get away with anything!

We love how Activist have an exquisite level of attention to detail.  There are so many subtle touches throughout the whole range and within each product that let you know you really have something special.  It really was a simple decision for us to order in more of their ophthalmic frames which people have been loving in Halifax.  Once we are done with the ophthalmic collection, we move on to their sunglasses.  Wow!

These really are fabulous, combining a sense of classic style with modern functionality, you are sure to be choosing sunglasses that not only look great but perform superbly.  Make sure you follow our Twitter and Facebook posts as we'll definitely be announcing when these arrive in our office and we suspect that they're not going to hang around for long when they do!

We shoot the breeze for a while as Anthony & Mark really are lovely people to spend time with, but with our next appointment looming soon enough it's time to head out into a rainy March day in New York.

After a short walk we arrived at the Loft - this time to do business, rather than to party.  Mind you, what a place to do business!

The sparkliest business venue ever!

The exhibitors at the Loft are perhaps some of the most exclusive eyewear ranges available, the cream of the crop.  The Loft was originally started by Bevel to try to provide a better setting to choose eyewear in and to get away from the burden of dealing with the main venue's exhibition red tape.  In so many ways, they have succeeded.  The atmosphere is relaxed and laid back, there are a wonderful collection of exhibitors and you get the sense of both open-ness and intimacy at the same time.  There does not feel any pressure to choose your selection and move on, here.

We start with meeting with Bernhard Wolf, from Rolf.  Rolf are by far the best makers of natural product eyewear globally at the moment, bar none.  With frames made from wood, stone and buffalo horn their selection is exquisite.  When choosing to carry Rolf Spectacles we knew that having a good relationship with them would be important, as a family business Rolf completely get the importance of this.  We spend time with Bernhard, review their offerings and bring ourselves up to date with all of their activities.

We then spend some time with Bevel.  Bevel is a line which we have not reviewed before, however, as they are the innovators of the Loft, it would seem rude not to.  Firstly, they are thoroughly nice people ... thoroughly!  Creative, global, caring and most of all ... nice!  So it's already looking good from the relationship point of view.  In saying that, we already had quite a lot of stock organised and some more appointments to go.  We have good lines chosen for the office already that have been working well for us, do we really need another range?

We get down to the task in hand and start to go through the range - beautiful, simply, beautiful.  Hand made in Japan, their quality is superb.  Oh, go on then, let's chose some of these, they really are wonderful.

Then we go to our final appointment - SALT.  We've been looking forward to this for quite some time, they really are a range of eyeglasses which has become a firm favourite in our office.  After meeting with all the great people of SALT., including designer David who we'd last seen in Paris, it was time to catch up with Amy - our local agent from Ontario.  We went through the new collection, you feel very special seeing the models as they have just been launched and aren't even in the market yet.

What's new for this year for us?  Sunglasses from SALT. Having found their ophthalmic frames to be such a popular range and having found their quality to be exemplary, adding the sunglasses range was an easy decision.

Some of the models are available as both sunglasses and ophthalmic frames and some are just available as one or the other.  SALT. sunnies come with quality polarized lenses as standard and we are able to put prescription lenses in all of the.

Thankfully we also managed to find some wonderful models to help us choose the sunglasses that we wanted to showcase at Ocean.

Okay, maybe it wasn't all about modelling the sunglasses, maybe it was all about just shooting the breeze with a cool California vibe while looking fabulous and feeling 100% the absolute rockstar.  They're not just sunglasses, they're a lifestyle choice, and you know it!

Did we order some?

Absolutely!

We were in New York; we were there avoiding a storm that was burying Nova Scotia in snow; we were hiding from the rain lashing down outside - but we were wearing the coolest sunglasses and in our world the sun was most definitely shining.

Our sunglasses collection.

As a final note we are very thankful for the time that all of the companies give us.  We are fairly intensive about wanting to be completely knowledgeable about the products that we carry and some of our questions are challenging.  It is important to us to know the construction techniques inside out and back to front, we want to ensure that the glasses you  choose from Ocean are second to none.

For more information about these independent eyewear ranges please see:
Activist Eyewear - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/activist-eyewear
Rolf Spectacles - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/rolf-spectacles
Bevel Spectacles - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/bevel
SALT. Optics - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/salt

The rainy day finished with a lovely Italian meal in an incredibly busy restaurant right on 7th Avenue near Central Park.  Kindly invited as guests of Allergan again, it is a great chance to catch up with both optometrist colleagues, especially from different provinces, and the professionals from Allergan.

The eye examination ... what do you see back there?

One of the greatest privileges of being an optometrist is to be able to look at our patient's eyes in great detail, including right through the pupil to the back of the eye.  The eye is an amazing organ with many intricate details which we routinely examine as part of our eye examinations and so often we take our sight for granted, but many may wonder what are we actually looking at back there when we examine the eyes.

Examining the eyes isn't as scary as some may think, especially given the popular myth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the eyes somehow recorded what we saw and that if you photographed the eyes of a dead person you could see the last thing they saw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optography and http://www.college-optometrists.org/en/college/museyeum/online_exhibitions/eye/optography.cfm).  This popular concept was used as a plot device in some fiction of the time and was even employed as an investigative technique for some actual forensic investigations.

Our digital retinal camera

At Ocean Optometry we are pleased to include retinal photography as part of our standard comprehensive
eye examination* and we use a Nikon DSLR camera back mounted on a digital retinal camera to capture the images even before you see Dr McGinty or Dr Wilson.  These images are seamlessly integrated into your electronic health record at Ocean and will be reviewed with you by our doctors as part of your eye examination.

Here is an example of one of our digital images:

Digital Retinal Image - Right Eye

You can clearly see some very important structures in the eye, although on first glance it may resemble more the appearance of Mars or the Sun towards sunset.  The salmon pink colour of this photograph shows a nice healthy retina, with the blood vessels overlying the retina.  The lighter/thinner blood vessels are the arteries, which supply oxygenated and nutrient rich blood to the tissues.  The darker/thicker vessels are the veins which take the blood back to the heart.  The vessels branch out from a single point, with smaller and smaller branches, nicely resembling a tree in appearance.

In the lighter pink areas, almost yellow, the retina is light enough that the underlying blood vessel structure is visible.  This is from the white of the eye, right round at the back of the eye!

The point where the blood vessels enter and leave is also the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye to take the information to the brain about what we are seeing.  This is the optic nerve head or the optic disc and creates the natural blind spot in the eye which we all have.  Careful examination of the optic nerve head is very important to help to assess for the presence of glaucoma.  Using digital photographs as part of our eye examination allows for careful comparison in appearance of the optic nerve head between visits to help detect change over time.

Central in the picture is a darker area, called the macula.  The macula is the area of greatest sensitivity of the retina, it has the highest density of light receptive cone cells present, the highest density of pigment underlying the macula and has a very rich supply of nutrients provided through the underlying vessel structure.  Unfortunately, if this area is damaged the impact on our quality of vision can be significant and this is why regular assessment to look for signs of diseases such as Macular Degeneration is important.

One final feature we often get asked about when we are discussing the retinal images is "what is that bump/lump in the top right corner?".  This is a historical feature in retinal photographs and is always in the top right corner as a way of saying "This way up!".  Prior to digital photography, retinal photographs relied upon either 35mm slide film of polaroid film to capture the images, once printed a photograph could be rotated and with slide, flipped even, which could lead to confusion over the area of the eye you were looking at or if you were looking at a right or a left eye.  So don't worry about the bump, we want it to be there!

* There is a $25 co-pay for digital retinal photography for MSI paid eye examinations.

Quality ensured using our Nikon camera

New longer opening hours

It's been a great first four months here at Ocean Optometry, the time has really flown by.  We've had lots of lovely people come in and see us, with so many of them being incredibly flattering and gracious in their feedback about our office and about the frame ranges we carry.  It's all quite humbling to feel that we are doing something rather special and that it is being appreciated.

It is with great excitement, then, that we want to share the news about our new longer opening hours.  This will make it even easier for folks to come in and share in their little bit of Ocean!

Our new hours are:

• Mon  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Tues  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Wed  -  9:00  - 5:30
• Thur  -  9:00  - 8:00
• Fri     -  9:00  - 5:30
• Sat    - 10:00 - 4:00

Hopefully we will see you in Blowers Street real soon!

Six Weekiversary

Victoria Day – our six weekiversary!

What an amazing 43 days!

 

Ocean Optometry officially opened its doors for business six weeks ago on Victoria Day. In that time we have now performed many more eye examinations than we dared to anticipate and we’ve helped people choose some beautiful eyeglasses. We’ve worked with our lens suppliers to bring crystal clear vision in the optically and cosmetically best way possible. We’ve even fitted people with contact lenses for their very first time.

We are amazed by the response that we’ve had and also quite humbled. We’ve had complete strangers tweet to us that our store looks great as they’ve walked past. We’ve heard comments that it is “glasses heaven” and that we have “too many nice glasses”.

Since our earliest plans were being laid, John and Euan wanted to create a truly unique optometry office. From the interior design, to the eyewear ranges, through the advanced IT infrastructure to our engagement via social media. We wanted to be dynamic, vibrant, on trend and urban. Most of all we wanted to have fun while we did it. This is the reason that four friends have chosen to work together and even though, like all good friends, we have had disagreements and ‘heated debates’ we’ve stayed true to our core principle and loved every moment of it.

This Victoria Day weekend we closed on the Monday, to get a chance to spend time with our loved ones and recharge our batteries. We've come back refreshed and hungry for success.

This is where we now need your help. Our office is very much in a David and Goliath situation. We are a small local office, competing in an industry worth billions of dollars. We are creating our own space against competitors with years of trading history and incredibly deep pockets for advertising budgets. We are also competing against offices who you may imagine are local and yet are owned by national corporations with hundreds of offices.

You can help, though, by spreading the word.

We would love if you tell people about Ocean Optometry, perhaps someone needs an eye examination or you feel they could do with new eyewear. Perhaps someone has a red eye and needs immediate attention. Whatever the reason, we would be incredibly grateful if you could tell people about Ocean Optometry and your experience with us.

We would love for you to follow us on Twitter, like us on facebook or review us on Yelp!

If you’ve just picked up your new glasses, tweet us a picture of them, or post a picture to our facebook wall.

Whatever you can do, however you can spread the word, we would be honoured and grateful.

We too hope that you had a great Victoria Day weekend and, most of all, are having fun,

Euan & John

Dr Euan McGinty & Dr John Wilson

co-owners and eye-geeks to the core.

Finding our location

It was the 13th of September, surely that shouldn't be a lucky day.  Perhaps because it wasn't a Friday, for us it has turned out to be a great day!

This is the day that we first visited the location on Blowers Street which would become our office. 

I have to admit, when I first saw it from the outside I wasn't holding out much hope.  It was a tired looking building with all of the signage from a business which had just failed.  We had taken the time come to see the unit, though, so we may as well have a look inside.

Wow!

What you may not realise from the outside and what I certainly didn't appreciate is how beautiful the building is on the inside.  There is exposed brickwork which is original, over 100 years old.  The space is fantastic with thirteen foot ceilings.  From the moment we walked around inside we were excited.  This was not the first time, though, we had been excited about other locations as well.  5240 Blowers Street was unique, though, it offered us a completely blank canvas.  Rip up the tired looking laminate, take down the rickety partitions and we were left with 2000 square feet of space which was open, fresh and so, so usable (okay, it took a little imagination too see that).

Over the next coming weeks and months we planned, considered, negotiated, formulated.  The winter set in and things seemed to take four times as long as we'd originally estimated.  Through it all, though, was a vision of what we could do.

We were excited!