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Tired of Dry, Itchy, Irritated Eyes? You’re Not Alone.

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in Asheville, Contact lens, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health.

How often are you reaching for eyedrops to soothe that gritty, burning feeling? What time of day do your eyes begin to feel tired after hours on a screen? Are they itchy, red, or watery with seasonal changes?

You might be one of the 16 million Americans suffering from dry eye symptoms!

Dry eye disease, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), and eye allergies are some of the most common eye conditions today and they’re on the rise. Contributing factors include increased screen time, pollution, medication side effects, and hormonal changes.

If left untreated, dry eye can lead to recurring infections, blurry vision, and in severe cases, even vision loss.

We offer personalized treatments to provide relief for our patients including:
• At-home therapeutic options
•️ LipiScan, Thermal 1-Touch, and more
• NEW! OptiLIGHT & OptiPLUS (the only FDA-approved IPL devices for treating dry eye due to MGD, is available in our clinic.)

Our certified clinicians ensure your treatment is safe, comfortable, and effective.

Common symptoms of dry eye include:
• Burning, stinging, or scratchy eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Eye redness
• A gritty or foreign body sensation
• Excessive tearing
• Trouble wearing contacts
• Blurry or fluctuating vision

✨ Relief is possible. You don’t have to live with discomfort.
Call us at 828.254.6757 or schedule your exam online today!

Top 5 Tips for Happy, Healthy Eyes

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in Education, Eye Care & Eye Health.

Since July is full of sunshine, mountain adventures, and screen-scrolling on rainy days, we thought it’d be the perfect time to share our Top 5 Tips for Optimal Eye Health. Whether you’re hiking up at Craggy or bingeing your latest TV series, your eyes deserve a little TLC. Ready? Let’s dive in — eyes first!

1. Schedule Your Annual Comprehensive Eye Health Exam — It’s Self-Care!

Just like your morning coffee across the street at Liberty House Cafe or finding your zen with our neighbors’ over at the Asheville Yoga Center, your annual comprehensive eye health exam is a must!

Even if your vision feels fine, our eyes can be sneaky. Many conditions show no symptoms until they’re advanced. Let us take a peek behind the scenes so we can catch anything early and keep those peepers in top shape! You can schedule with us here.

Bonus: We make exams easy, educational, empowering, and even fun!

2. Rock Those Sunnies, But Make Sure They Have the Right Filters!

Sunshine is good for the soul… but the harmful radiation? Not so much for your eyes. When you’re out exploring Asheville’s greenways or relaxing near our beautiful lakes and rivers, always wear sunglasses that block UVA, UVB, & HEV rays. Polarization is another treatment we recommend to help reduce blinding glare to keep you safe and comfortable on roads, mountains, and waterways.

Pro tip: Our optical experts can help you find sunglasses that protect your eyes and suit your style! Give us a call at 828.254.6757 and schedule your spec fitting today!

3. Treat Your Eyes to a Spa Day!

Dry, tired, or irritated eyes? You’re not alone! 10-20% of Americans suffer from dry eyes. We carry these specific, therapeutics recommended by our doctors so your eyes don’t have to suffer:

  • Oasis Tears – an artificial tear to keep your eyes hydrated

  • Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser – to keep lashes clean and inflammation-free

  • Mibo Heating Mask – to help stabilize tear film, improve oil gland function, and slow tear evaporation

Treat yourself to all three and save 15% when you purchase our Home Therapy Dry Eye Kit!

4. Screen Breaks Are a Must — Try the 20/20/20 Rule

Modern life seems to be a series of different size screens. Between responding to emails at work, leisurely scrolling on social media, or watching a movie marathon with friends, our eyes can easily become strained and tired. Try this:

  • Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds.

  • And don’t forget to blink — it’s like a mini refresh button for your eyes!

Your eyes weren’t designed to stare at screens all day — let’s be kind to them.

5. Know Your Family (Eye) Tree

Turns out, your family might be holding on to more than just old recipes and quirky traditions. Eye conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma can be hereditary, so knowing your family’s eye health history is a game changer.

If Grandma had glaucoma or Dad’s been dealing with AMD, let us know. It helps us keep a closer watch and tailor your care just for you.

️ Your Eyes Deserve the Best — And We’ve Got You Covered

Here at Envision Eyecare, we’re not just about glasses and contacts (though we do love finding your perfect pair). We’re about whole-eye health, lifelong care, and helping you see with clarity, comfort, and confidence.

Have questions? Want help picking out those dream shades? Need to book that annual exam? We’re here for all of it — and you.

Stay cool, stay curious, and don’t forget to look soak in those summer sunsets — they’re even better with happy, healthy eyes.

Procedures We Are Following To Keep YOU Safe!

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Asheville, COVID-19, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Eyewear, the team.

 We are open for routine care! We have remained diligent in our safety procedures during the pandemic. Here are the top 7 safety measures we practice every day to keep you safe!

1. Masks, of course! We’re all wearing masks, and you are too!

2. Hand Sanitizer and Hand Washing: All team members are consistently sanitizing and washing hands, and we ask that you do the same when entering the office.

3. We’re crazy about sanitizing! All surfaces are sanitized after each patient and throughout the day.

4. Social distance please: We ask all patients to respect a 6ft social distance with other patients, at all times in the office. Orange markers are placed around the office to indicate 6ft between each person.

5. COVID-10 Health Screening Process: Before a patient enters the office, team members are asking a COVID-19 screening question during our check-in process. As patients enter, their temperature is taken to ensure everyone’s safety.

6. By Appointment Only: Only patients with appointments are allowed in the building to help maintain our safety measures.

7. Disinfecting Frames: We sanitize all frames that are tried on during a patient’s visit with our Optical Experts to purchase new glasses.

***

Your safety and wellness is our top priority, and hope all of our patients are staying happy, and healthy! Thank you for your continued support of our locally owned and operated business! Any service or purchase makes a difference in our community! 

 Image may contain: 8 people, screen

 Sincerely,

Dr. Larry Golson, OD and Dr. Eric Bryant, OD

&

Your Envision Eyecare Team

Make A Difference Daily; Recycle Your Contact Lenses!

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Asheville, Contact lens, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health.

Did you know your contact lenses are recyclable?

The majority of contact lens wearers are misinformed about recycling their contact lenses. Every year up to 3 billion contacts end up in wastewater treatment plants due to contact lens wearers tossing their contacts down the drain of their sink. 

Recycling something as small as a contact lens can make a huge impact. Contact lenses cannot be recycled through standard recycling practices due to their small size. They normally get filtered out and end up in landfills. Microplastics, like contact lenses, contribute to the 8 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. 

 

Together, we can make a difference with recycling your contact lenses, One by One. 

How can you help?

  1. Collect: Hold on to your used foil top, contact lenses, and the blister pack; it is all recyclable!
  2. Drop off your lenses at our office!
  3. Once our recycling container is full, we ship all of the material to TerraCycle. TerraCycle upcycles the material to become park benches, playgrounds, and other structures! 

Any type or brand of contact lenses can be recycled. This program has collected over 6 million items in over two years! This is a simple and easy way to be environmentally conscious, so help us save this beautiful place we call home!

 

 

We celebrate diversity in all of its facets!

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in Asheville, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Eyewear.

We celebrate diversity in all of its facets!

  • Envision Eyecare embodies diversity and inclusion in our everyday lives. We believe in equality for all people no matter race, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, or religion. During the recent protests we have made donations to the Asheville Bail Fund and Color of Change Organization, which is the nation’s largest online racial justice program. June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots that happened at the end of June 1969.

Glasses & Contact orders: Delays.

  • Due to COVID-19, the optical labs we use are not operating at full capacity, therefore we have been experiencing longer than normal return times for optical orders. Orders are averaging 3 weeks turn-around. We appreciate your patience for your orders, we will call you once your order has passed our check-in inspection and is ready for you to pick up!

Happy National Sunglasses Day!

  • Saturday, June 27th is National Sunglasses Day! The number one concern that American adults have about UV eye exposure is vision loss, yet 27% report they do not typically wear sunglasses when they are outside. Remember to take care of your eyes by wearing a quality pair of polarized sunglasses!

Bari, our Billing & Insurance Specialist is celebrating 5 years with Envision Eyecare!

  • We would like to take the time to congratulate Bari for working at Envision Eyecare for 5 years! An insurance specialist for over 15 years, Bari is determined to learn the ins-and-outs of the insurance world to best support our patients in their care. She is a behind the scene’s mastermind and a most integral part of the Envision Eyecare team!

 

BARI KOVAL

Thank you for everything you do, Bari!

 

SEE you soon!

Dr. Larry Golson, OD and Dr. Eric Bryant, OD

&

The Envision Eyecare Team

Order Contacts Online With Us!

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in Asheville, Contact lens, Cost, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Featured.

Supporting local businesses during this time of uncertainty is critical. Here at Envision Eyecare, we are adapting to our ever changing world. We now offer ordering your contact lenses through our website!

How to order your contact lenses online:

  1. Access https://www.myenvisioneyecare.com/ and scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the section labeled as “Order Contacts” 
  2. Create an account with an email, first & last name, DOB, an approved username & password.
  3. Once the order is placed, please be mindful that there is a 1-2 business days pending approval before the order can be processed, to ensure authorized and valid contact lens prescriptions.
  4. If there are any issues, you will be contacted by an Envision Eyecare team member.

Please allow 1 week after your order is placed to receive your contacts. If your contact lens prescription is expired, at this time we are allowing patients to order a 6 month supply through our office to hold over until we are open for normal care.

We appreciate your continued support! 

We Are Here For Your Eye Emergencies!

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Asheville, Contact lens, Cost, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Eyewear, Personal Development.

Did you know that our doctors can still perform emergency eye care visits and follow up appointments?


Envision Eyecare is excited to offer access for urgent eye care needs with Telehealth services and in office visits as needed.
Telehealth is a virtual visit conducted with an Envision Eyecare Doctor. In most cases, this is done via video, imaging, or a phone call from a safe location of your choice. Telehealth supports the advised social distancing that could help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.


What you can accomplish with a Telehealth appointment:
You can talk about symptoms, or follow up on your prior medical or vision problems. In many cases you can receive a diagnosis and medical prescription, for your health issues from the convenience of your safe location. If this is not possible, we can schedule an in office visit to assess and resolve your eye issue. 


How to schedule an urgent eye health appointment:
Please call (828) 254-6757 or email us at [email protected] and request an appointment and we will find a convenient time for you to schedule a consultation. If you must leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR DATE OF BIRTH. You will be contacted by an Envision Eyecare team member at your designated telephone number.


***
You can order your contact lens through our office!

Contact Lens Basics: Types of Contact Lenses, And More


Please call (828) 254-6757 or email us at [email protected] and a team member will assist you. If two or more boxes are purchased, we can ship the supply to your address for free!

We also offer online ordering for your contacts through our website!

  1. Access https://www.myenvisioneyecare.com/ and scrolled , labeled as “Order Contacts”
  2. Create an account with an email, first & last name, DOB, an approved username & password.
  3. Once the order is placed, please be mindful that there is a 1-2 business days pending approval before the order can be processed, to ensure authorized and valid contact lens prescriptions.
  4. If there are any issues, you will be contacted by an Envision Eyecare team member.

 

Please allow 1 week after your order is placed to receive your contacts. If your contact lens prescription is expired, at this time we are allowing patients to order a 6 month supply through our office to hold over until we are open for normal care.


***
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What is Best of WNC?
Each year Mountain Xpress asks the community to vote for their favorite local businesses in a variety of categories. The winners of each category are then published in the “Best Of” edition; encouraging the community to shop local and venture somewhere new.



We’d like to ask the favor of your Vote for the “Mountain Xpress’ Best of WNC!” contest which ends in a few short weeks on April 30th. We’ve been fortunate to have been voted “Best of Eyecare Specialist/Service” for the last 8 years running.


Link to vote: https://mountainx.com/bestofwnc/

***Please note! You must vote in 30 categories for your vote to count! So think of all your favorite local places in Western North Carolina and vote for them as well.***

If you have any questions or need help, please do not hesitate to reach out!

***

Be safe and be WELL!

 

Dr. Larry Golson, OD and Dr. Eric Bryant, OD 

&

The Team at Envision Eyecare

Practice UPDATES Beginning March 23rd, 2020

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Asheville, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, In the Media.

Hello again dear community,

We hope you’ve been staying well and as calm as can be during this heightened state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our leadership team has been on full alert as to how we can get back to life and business as usual as soon as possible, though it doesn’t look like that will be anytime soon. In the meantime, to ensure we keep purpose in our daily lives and tend to our patients’ needs, we’ve come up with the following availability for patient care and product services. This schedule will take us through the next 2 weeks (at minimum) in the safest ways we know how.

  • ALL previously scheduled appointments through Friday, April, 3rd have been CANCELED.

Hopefully, you’ve received a phone message from us about this if you were scheduled in the next 2 weeks. We have you on our recall list and will be rescheduling appointments as soon as the CDC deems it is safe to do so.

  • Beginning Monday, 03/23/2020 our office phones will be ON (see amended hours below), though our doors will be LOCKED. 

    • What we CAN do now:

      • Telemedicine for URGENT eye care, including new patients

      • In Office urgent eye care if telemedicine is deemed insufficient

      • Fulfill contact lens orders

      • URGENT eyeglass repair

      • Product curb-side dispense for glasses and contacts

      • Product curb-side delivery for dry eye and supplements

      • Medication prescription refill via phone

    • What we CAN NOT do now:

      • Routine eye care

      • Fit glasses

      • Eyeglass adjustments

      • CL follow-up appts/dispensing of trial lenses

***Please note that we are not admitting anyone into the building unless it has been approved by one of our doctors***

  • We will be accepting phone calls at (828) 254-6757 during the following times for the next TWO weeks, March 23rd- April 3rd 2020:

    • MONDAY 10:00 am- 4:00 pm

    • TUESDAY 10:00 am- 4:00 pm

    • WEDNESDAY: 12:00 pm-6:00 pm

    • THURSDAY 10:00 am- 4:00 pm

    • FRIDAY: 10:00 am- 4:00 pm

  • We will be triaging URGENT eye care needs via *Telemedicine.

We will put you in touch with Dr. Golson or Dr. Bryant to help resolve your urgent eye care needs as soon as possible. Instructions and information on this process are below.

*Instructions on Telemedicine:

Envision Eyecare is excited to offer access for urgent eye care needs with Telehealth service.

Telehealth is a virtual visit conducted with an Envision Eyecare Doctor, in most cases via video, imaging or a phone call from a safe location of your choice. Telehealth supports the advised social distancing that could help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

What you can accomplish with a Telehealth appointment:

You can talk about symptoms, or, follow up on your prior medical or vision problems. In many cases, you can receive a diagnosis and medical, spectacle or contact lens prescription (as needed) for your health issues from the convenience of your safe location.

How to schedule a Telehealth appointment:

Please call (828) 254-6757 or email us at [email protected]  and request a Telehealth appointment and we will find a convenient time for you to schedule a virtual consultation. If you must leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR DATE OF BIRTH!  You will be contacted by an Envision Eyecare team member at your designated telephone number.

Globally, we want to encourage good-natured health, happiness, engagement, and relaxation during this time!

There are a lot of emotions to experience in a time like this. Please take extra good care of yourself.

Well wishes always,

Dr. Larry Golson, OD and Dr. Eric Bryant, OD & Your Team at Envision Eyecare

We Value Our Patient’s Health; Envision Eyecare’s Response to COVID-19

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health.

Dear Patients,

The health and safety of our patients and our team is the number one priority here at Envision Eyecare.

We are monitoring the status of COVID-19 carefully, staying informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as State and Federal agencies regarding gatherings/events recommendations. We would like to let our patients know the steps we are taking to minimize your risk and ensure the safest and healthiest environment for everyone. 

The Envision Eyecare Team is sanitizing all patient care areas before and after each patient, using sanitizer and washing our hands for 20 seconds or more, and staying home if we feel ill. We are disinfecting and sanitizing the lobby and common areas; wiping down chairs, tables, displays and restrooms. We are also disinfecting frames, measuring instruments, and desk before and after each patient.

We have a temporal artery scanning thermometer on order. Once in the office mandatory temperature testing for all team members and patients will begin. Any with a fever will be asking kindly to leave and return when they no longer have a fever. The definition of a “FEVER”:  Medically, a person is not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 F (38.0 C).

We are monitoring our patient care schedule based on the published guidelines. Currently we are running our normal business hours, but we will notify you immediately if there are any changes.

At this time we encourage everyone to stay alert and be diligent. Please follow all recommended sanitary and hygienic guidelines. We encourage any patient who is not feeling well to reschedule their appointments as soon as they are aware of symptoms in order to make room for other patients that need care.

The CDC has provided resources on what you need to know regarding COVID-19. Please take a moment to review for further information.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

Thank you for your continued support and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Your Envision Eyecare Team

828-254-6757