Month: December 2021

Eye Twitching

We love to come on here and explain different eye phenomena to our patients. We like to keep you informed and hope to educate you for the future. Have you ever had your eye start twitching all on its own? This is an extremely common issue that many people experience. There are several reasons why this might happen.

What can trigger eye twitching?

  • Stress
  • Fatigue
  • Irritation
  • Caffeine excess
  • Smoking

The technical term for this issue is essential blepharospasm, which is a movement disorder of the muscles around the eye. There isn’t an exact cause that has been found, but it is believed that a malfunction of some cells in the nervous system called basal ganglia is a likely culprit.

Conditions that can include eye twitching:

  • Corneal Abrasion
  • Dry Eye
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blepharitis-this is an inflammation of the eyelid commonly caused by your tiny oil glands becoming clogged around the base of your eye lashes.
  • Uveitis-this is another form of inflammation that is trickier to find a cause for. It is important to catch this one early so if you start to feel inflammation along with your eye twitching seek care immediately.

The above conditions are benign, which means they are usually nothing to worry about. There are some more serious nervous system disorders that eye twitching can be associated with, but they are rarer.

In most cases, if it persists longer than a day, make an appointment with us. We would be happy to examine your eye and see if we can pinpoint the cause.

This is usually just an annoying little issue that will clear up on its own, so if you experience this don’t worry.

We here at TriCounty Eye Associates look forward to helping you no matter what your eye care needs are!

Vision Insurance: Do you need it?

This time of year is popular for a lot of companies to do their Open Enrollment for benefits. The most common way for people to get vision insurance is through their employer. Most employers will offer plans to cover you and your family.

The overload of insurance information and the different prices can make it seem overwhelming during the open enrollment, so we wanted to point out some of the pros to having vision insurance. Of course, you know you and your family’s needs better than anyone, so that should be your big deciding factor.

Vision insurance is going to vary depending on your employer and the plans they offer. Usually, vision insurance can be limited compared to medical or dental insurance, but it is also known to be much less expensive.

Things to evaluate:

  • Do I or anyone in my family have current vision needs?
  • How much is the monthly cost?
  • Does my preferred provider accept the carrier my employer offers?
  • Will I or anyone in my family have vision needs soon?

All in all, whether you enroll in a vision plan should be based on your needs. Keep in mind the below list of carriers we can guarantee we can accept:

Vision Insurance Plans:

  • Eyemed
  • VSP Vision Care
  • Vision Benefits of America (VBA)
  • National Vision Administrators (NVA)
  • Physicians Eyecare Plan
  • Community Eyecare
  • Spectra
  • Superior
  • Davis Vision

Medical Insurance Plans:

  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield
  • United healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Tricare (standard and prime)
  • Most Medicare plans
  • Many Supplemental Medicare plans
  • Majority Medicaid plans

Should you have any questions about a carrier that isn’t listed here, please call us. We want to be sure we can serve you and your family.

Our main goal is to make sure our patients are well informed when it comes to their eye care. Choosing the right insurance for you is key. Make sure to weigh the monthly cost against the amount of usage you will get out of it.

As always, call us with any questions you may have. We want to be a part of your continued eye health journey and are here for you and your family always!