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Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in New Tampa FL
Bright Eyes Kids in Westchase Fl

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New Tampa & Westchase

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Welcome to our blog!

Dr. Nate and Dr. Beth like to write on subjects that affect us in our daily lives and are relevant to healthy eye care. This blog contains information about not only about the vision of children and adults, but scientific research into vision. There are also posts about past Bright Eyes events and other local happenings.

You can see the the most recent posts below,use the search box or categories on the right to look for anything you are interested in. We are always looking for excellent guest posts to share with our readers, so if you are interested, fill out the contact form below and let us know!

Cheers,

Dr. Nate & Dr. Beth

 

Recent posts:

Bright Eyes will be closing for Hurricane Idalia

Due to Hurricane Idalia, Bright Eyes will be closing for the safety of staff and patients. Both offices will close to patients Tues, Aug 29 at 12:00pm Bright Eyes Kids office will open Wed, Aug 30 at 1:00pm for patients. Bright Eyes Family office will open Wed, Aug 30 at...

Clinical Study on Myopia Control at Bright Eyes

Has your child been diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness)? Bright Eyes Family Vision Care is participating in a clinical investigation of the effectiveness of a contact lens to help slow the progression of nearsightedness (myopia) in children. Participants must be 8-12 years old and interested in wearing contact lenses. This study...

End of Year Second Pair Glasses Sale!

It is always nice to have a new pair of glasses! From Thanksgiving to New Year, Bright Eyes is offering a 2nd pair discount on almost all glasses. Buy one pair of glasses regular price (or use a vision plan) and the 2nd pair is 40% off. Additional pairs also...

Bright Eyes COVID-19 Clinical Update

Our patients' health and safety is our number one concern. As health care providers, our top priority is to protect our patients and staff. In addition to regular safety protocol, during high levels: Do not come to the office with any symptoms of cough, fever, or symptoms of illness. Masks...

Dr. Nate and Haylie Duff interviewed about Myopia and Screen Staycation

 Dr. Nate was invited to take part in several new media interviews to discuss the link between myopia and screen time and outside time. He joined actress and mother Haylie Duff to talk about these issues with interviewers from around the country. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common disease...

Podcast Episode #19: Dr. Beth with Chelsea on Sports Vision

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower...

Join us for a sports vision training clinic July 23!

Ready to take your athletic performance to the next level?   Join us for a sports vision training clinic! One session on July 23rd at our Bright Eyes Family - (Westchase location)     Processing visual information faster on the field can help you better anticipate direction and speed which...

How do we check kids’ vision if they don’t know their letters?

One of the most common questions I get as a pediatric optometrist is, "How do you know what kids can see if they don't know their letters for the traditional eye chart?" We have more options than you would think. -- HOTV Chart -- This chart looks a lot like...

Bright Eyes Myopia Control Superstars!!

Here at Bright Eyes, we've been able to get a lot done in 2021! One of those things is our new wall display celebrating our Myopia Control Super Stars!  We requested help with ideas earlier this year. Over the last dozen years, we've had hundreds of successful patients patients. We...

Podcast Episode #18: Dr. Beth with Dr. Zilniki on Eye Exams of Children with Special Needs

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower...

Dr. Beth is a New Partner at Bright Eyes!

Dr. Beth and Dr. Nate with the 2021 Best Practice Award When Dr. Elizabeth Knighton "Dr. Beth" joined Bright Eyes in 2014, we were thrilled to have her. After all, she had specialty training in children's vision and is extremely nice.  Initially she saw patients two days a week and...

Back to school in 2021

At Bright Eyes, we do "Back To School" season every year. Lots of eye exams for kiddos, education, new glasses, etc. But, of course, this year is different. Way different. Personally, I now have a middle schooler and a high schooler for the first time. But like every other city,...

Podcast Episode #17: Vision and Learning with Wendy Taylor, M. Ed

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower...

The Bright Eyes Patient Map!

  Did you know that we help patients from all over the world? Sometimes patients make the trip just to see us for specialty services. Sometimes they come for Florida vacation and tack on an eye exam.   For years we have kept a digital map showing wearing patients come...

Bright Eyes Needs Kids Art!!

At Bright Eyes Family Vision Care and Bright Eyes Kids, we love to celebrate the creativity of our young patients! When you walk in the front door, you are greeted with a display of different kinds of artwork. We currently have drawings of monsters,  a painting of the US flag...

Myopia Awareness Week: May 24 – 28

You may have noticed that children’s vision and myopia have been in the news a lot. The New York Times. CNBC.  So many others.   This is in part due to the concerns over changes in behavior during the pandemic. Not only have many children been E-learning, but even children who...

Myopia Control Showcase!

  Some of the most notable images in the office are the Success Trees. These are handprints from the graduates of the Vision Therapy program. Patients are so proud to add their hands to the trees when they complete the program. And they should be! They've worked hard. We want...

Bright Eye Wins “Best Practice” Award from CooperVision!

Dr. Nate, Dr. Beth, and Cristina are proud to announce that Bright Eyes Family Vision Care has been honored with the 2021 CooperVision Best Practices donation! In the photo above, you can see the Bright Eye staff showing off the new plaque. This award is very meaningful because it shows...

Allergy Season is Upon Us!

Are your eyes red and itchy right now just in the last few weeks? It might be due to all the pollen in air. It might be allergies! What are ocular allergies? When our eyes are exposed to substances like pollen, animal dander or mold spores, they can become red,...

Bright Eyes Doctors Complete COVID-19 Vaccination

At Bright Eyes, we take the health of our staff and patients very seriously. It is for this reason that we have been very cautious during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring of 2020 we closed for several weeks for all but urgent care. Since reopening, we have taken significant precautions...

Dr. Nate Earns Fellowship in the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control

I am excited to share that I am now a full-fledged Fellow of The International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (IAOMC), a non-profit organization of practitioners and academics devoted to the science and education of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. Since I have offered myopia management options for over a...

E-learning Without Eyestrain: Guide for Visual Health For Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

TL;DR: If your child is e-learning, be proactive to help prevent vision problems. If your child appears to be having screen-related eye fatigue, see your optometrist first and discuss it - your child may have underlying problems made worse by excessive screen time. (Downloadable PDF of this guide can be...

Binocular Evaluation Testing Information

Because the Binocular Vision Evaluation is somewhat different that a standard eye exam, we have created a document to help you understand the different parts of the test, what they look like, and what we hope to learn from them. You can download the document here​ to review ahead of time or...

BRIGHT EYES FAMILY VISION CARE AND BRIGHT EYES KIDS OFFER NEW APPROACH TO TREAT CHILDREN WITH NEARSIGHTEDNESS

  First and only FDA approved contact lens to slow the progression of myopia in kids - call 813-792-0637 or click here to request an appointment.  With the high demand of screen time from virtual learning it is crucial to keep an eye on kids’ sight.  The increased screen time...

The Bright Eyes Lego Glasses Challenge!

 If you have ever been to Bright Eyes Family Vision Care or Bright Eyes Kids, you have probably noticed the various Lego sculptures around. My kids and I are big Lego fans! And although we have 65 billion Lego bricks at home (low estimate), after one week of Virtual...

Dr. Beth’s Screen Time Tips

 Between Virtual School, Facetime with family and friends, and (yes) the occasional video game, screen time is off the charts right now in our house. Maybe yours, too. To help,  Dr. Beth made this 1-minute video  to remind people about visual hygiene, a fancy word that means "keeping your...

Order contacts through Bright Eyes NEW Contact Lens Webstore!

At Bright Eyes, we take the health and safety of our staff and patients very seriously. Nationwide, people are practicing social distancing and enhanced hygiene to avoid the coronavirus. While we are not usually crowded at Bright Eyes, we are adjusting the flow of patients overall - to continue to...

Is Your Child at Risk for Myopia? Send Them Outside!

Listen to our podcast for more in-depth info on myopia. Myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that affects millions of adults and children worldwide. This condition occurs when a person’s eyeball is too long, or the cornea or lens has an irregular shape. A myopic eye...

Can Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Help Stroke Patients With Vision Problems?

Though not always evident, a stroke almost inevitably affects vision. Neuro-optometric rehabilitation can treat the resulting vision deficiencies and improve the person’s functionality and quality of life as part of an integrative treatment plan.

Dr. Nate Talks about Screen Size on Bay News 9

  The end of the year is gift-giving time and for many children, that means digital devices and video games. Roy de Jesus of Bay News 9 reached out to Dr. Nate to talk about how the size of the screen matters. Many people are have learned that more screen...

So Thankful!

  Like many families, ours has a tradition of taking time each Thanksgiving of taking time to be appreciative of the many blessings in our lives. For many years our family has gathered in the living room and took turns listing people, organizations, and other things that we are thankful...

Join us for the Westchase Location Grand Opening – September 10th!

  Any of the patients that have been to Bright Eyes Family in Westchase have seen the new office. We are so excited that the construction is (finally!) done, the dust has settled and we are ready to celebrate our expansion! You will notice that we have more than doubled our...

Dr. Nate Featured on Local TV News Discussing Children’s Vision

Because it is back to school season, people want to know what they need to do get their kids ready to learn. And one of the most important things they can do is make sure that children can see well. Jenny Dean from WTSP 10 News reached out to Dr....

Podcast Episode #15: Myopia Management With Esther Rodas

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

MYOPIA AWARENESS WEEK!

  This week, from May 13th to 19th, is the first international Myopia Awareness Week. The goal is to raise awareness that Myopia is a serious condition that can be managed. In fact, rates of nearsighted are increasing all over the world.    “We know that almost half the world’s...

EnChroma gives a more colorful view of the Valspar PGA Tournament

This week, Bright Eyes was excited to partner with the Valspar PGA Tournament and EnChroma color blind glasses to help a young golf fan! Bright Eyes optometrist Dr. Beth Knighton had the pleasure of assisting 2018 and 2019 Valspar Championship winner Paul Casey surprise her patient Ronan with a new...

Any Colorblind Golf Fans around?

  Bright Eyes is teaming up with the Valspar Championship and Enchroma to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for one local teen or adult who is color blind.  The experience will take place during tournament week of the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship, “the most colorful tournament on TOUR” – which is scheduled to take...

Podcast Episode #14: Adam Cegielski From Eyecarrot on Binovi

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

Bright Eyes is Getting Bigger!

[youtube]r9C6JGMbQoc[/youtube] Hi, it is Dr. Nate with good news! As longtime patients know, Bright Eyes Family Vision Care was started in a very small location. Located in the West Park Village in the Westchase neighborhood of Tampa, we occupied the space on Montague street where the Coldwell Banker is now....

Podcast Episode #13: Peter Shaw OD and Shaw Lenses

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

Dr. Nate Gives Lecture on Myopia Control to Optometrists

Recently, Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford and Dr. Beth Knighton attended the Hillsborough Society of Optometrists annual Fall Classic. They showcased Bright Eyes Family and Bright Kids at the exhibit hall and talked with area optometrists. Additionally, Dr. Nate gave a lecture about the latest research in myopia control and ways that...

Podcast Episode #12: Betsy Yaros on Vision Therapy and Developing 3D Vision

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

Ray Ban Sale and Show Event

Ray Ban is one of the most popular lines we carry, so we are extra excited about the..... Big Ray-Ban Event for Adults and Children Only at our New Tampa Location Saturday June 30th 2018 9 am to 1 pm 20% off Prescription Frames and Lenses 25% off Non-Prescription Sunglasses...

Bright Eyes Team Members Participate in 100-Mile Relay Race for Charity

Dr. Beth Knighton, Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford, and assistant Melissa Joseph were members of the team "No Run Intended" of the 100-mile, Keys 100, relay race to raise money for The Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys, Inc . The relay race follows US 1 from Key Largo to Key West....

Podcast #11 – Colorblindness and EnChroma Glasses with Dr. Jeff Goodhew

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

Spring Cleaning Sale – All Frames on Sale

  Here at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care we have to get ready for SUMMER. And one of the things that means for us is making room for the newest styles of frames. So we hare having a Spring Cleaning Frame Sale! A few things to know: Friday, May 18th,...
NVMF 90 30 lenses

Podcast #10: NaturalVue Contact Lenses with Dr. Douglas Benoit

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...
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Good Morning America Shares a Story about How EnChroma Glasses Helped a Color Blind 6-year-old Boy

We have had the EnChroma glasses for a bout a month now and the response has been fantastic. Not only have Tampa Bay patients with color vision problems been wowed by them, we have had people visiting Florida from countries around the world stop by and purchase multiple pairs before...
Vivid Vision Logo With Circle

Podcast #9: Vivid Vision with James Blaha

- Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower...

Dr. Nate meets with USF Pre-Optometry Society

Last week, Dr. Nate spent an evening at Bright Eyes Kids with the USF Pre-Optometry Professional Society. The event was arranged by the group's president, Melissa Kontos who also works at Bright Eyes Family. The group had a great time discussing optometry school, the life of an optometrist, and practice...

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care Becomes Only Tampa Bay Retailer of Enchroma Color Deficiency Eyewear

  Our Bright Eyes Family Vision Care optometric practice and Bright Eyes Kids pediatric optometry practice in Tampa, Florida have become exclusive retailers of an advanced eyewear product for patients with color deficiency. Bright Eyes now offers Enchroma glasses for individuals who have difficulty distinguishing colors correctly. I am very excited about offering this...

Bright Eyes is Running for Cancer – and you can help!

Since its inception, Bright Eyes has been very involved in the community and has made charitable giving a goal. Over the years, we have participated in many programs and fundraisers. In May 2018, we are doing something radical, Dr. Beth, Dr. Nate, Melissa, and Lindsay are part of teams that...

Podcast Episode #8: Vision Therapy with Edna Moore

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages. Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training. Their mission to empower patients...

Podcast Episode #7: Myopia and Outdoor Time

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower patients...

Bright Eyes Updates for 2018

2017 was quite the year at Bright Eyes! Dealing with the Kids office flooding and then Hurricane Irma were challenging, but other parts of 2017 were wonderful.  Dr. Beth and other staff members joined us full-time, and you’ll see several new faces. We celebrated the Bright Eyes babies born this...

Podcast Episode #6 – Refractive Error (Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism, and Presbyopia)

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower patients...
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Podcast Episode #5: Eclipse Safety

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower patients...
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Podcast Episode #4: UV Protection for the Eyes

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower patients...
hero sportsvision

Podcast Episode #3 – Vision Leads

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower...
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Podcast Episode #2: What is an Optometrist? (The 5 O’s)

Welcome to The Bright Eyes Podcast: Advice for Healthy Vision for All Ages.  Your hosts are Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford & Dr. Beth Knighton, residency-trained optometrist that provide eye exams for glasses and contacts, and specialty services including vision therapy, myopia control, orthokeratology, and sports vision training.  Their mission to empower...
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Podcast Episode #1 – Who We Are

Note: This is the first episode of our new podcast that will cover all aspects of vision care. You can listen in the player below or read the transcript. The show is available via Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes, and the webplayer below. You can find all episodes here. If you...
COVD

Dr. Beth and Dr. Nate lecture in Miami

This weekend, Dr. Nate, Dr. Beth and vision therapists took a trip to Miami Beach to attend the 6th Annual Florida COVD Study Group. Dr. Nate is one of the founding members of the group and usually goes each summer to listen, lecture, and discuss the very latest treatments for patients....
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2017 Spring Newsletter:New Hours, Sales, Giveaway, Ortho-K, VR & more!

  Hello, Bright Eyes Patients!  Welcome to our first email update of 2017. We have so much to tell you that we'll get right to it: Not One But Two Spring Events  Spring has sprung and we have 2 big events coming up! The first is our Spring Eyewear Show...

2 Events: Smith Optics Show/Banana Republic Show and Spring Cleaning Eyewear Sale!

  Event 1: Spring Eyewear Show! Wednesday, April 26 – 4 to 8pm 25% OFF 1st pair – 50% Off 2nd Pair Bright Eyes Family Vision Care – Westchase Win FREE SMITH PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES! Featuring Smith Optics and Banana Republic. Every style, every color, every size to try on Eyeglasses!...
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New Hours

Update: Starting Monday March 27th, there will be some new office hours. The Westchase location will be opening and closing 30 minutes earlier on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. See below for exact times. If you a pre-scheduled appointment that falls outside of the new hours, we'll accommodate that appointment as...

My Daughter’s Ortho-K Journey

I wear glasses. Most people in my family wear glasses or contacts because they cannot see well at a distance. They have myopia, also known as nearsightedness. This story is similar for my wife, Cristina who is also the office manager at Bright Eyes. She and many members of her...

It’s Time to Talk About Blue Light

Workplace Eye Safety Month Blue light. Do you know what it is? Do you know where it comes from, or how it can be harmful to your eyes? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you are not alone, yet it is important that you become aware to...

TV News Segment on Orthokeratology and Myopia Control

The mission of Bright Eyes Family Vision Care and Bright Eyes Kids is to empower our patients by providing the best vision care possible. One of the most exciting ways that we are able to do this now is called orthokeratology. It is one of the methods used to keep...

6 Ways to Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a serious condition that can threaten your vision and is a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. The central area of the retina, called the macula, is made up of millions of light-sensing cells that provide sharp, central vision. Macular...

Top Ten New Years Resolutions for Screen time and Kids Eyes

(Note - You can read my previous Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for Healthy Vision for Eye Health,  Children's Vision, Saving Money on Eyecare, Myopia Control, and  Computer Vision Syndrome,  -Dr. Nate)   [youtube]nzS4mXBygiI[/youtube] Did your child receive any gifts with screens this holiday season? Or gifts such as a movie or...

Virtual Reality Home Vision Therapy is Here!

Good news! I am thrilled to announce that Bright Eyes Family Vision Care is now offering Vivid Vision Virtual Reality-based vision therapy system for home use. For a year we have offered Vivid Vision in our Bright Eyes Kids clinic in new Tampa and I have been extremely impressed with...

Holiday Season Shopping: Are Nerf Guns Safe for the Eyes?

This is the one way you can be sure that you or your child’s eyes are truly safe during Nerf shooting:

Tell Your Kids to Go Outside: Exposure to Sunlight May Reduce Risk of Myopia.

Big news today for pediatric eye doctors, parents, and children!  The New York Times reports exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of developing myopia, according to a new study  published in JAMA Ophthalmology. Researchers found that people “with the highest UVB exposure, especially in the teenage and young adult years, had about...

New Days and Hours!

We have great news! Bright Eyes Family Vision Care will now be open on Saturdays! Patients have asked for Saturday appointments and it took us awhile, and we have made this a reality. And Bright Eyes Kids will open Thursdays, too! The last 2 years, Dr. Beth Knighton has seen...

Bright Eyes is Hiring!

  Bright Eyes Family Vision Care is growing and we are hiring people with who want to help in our mission to empower patients through providing the best in friendly, professional, and individualized eye care.  If you see yourself joining our team, please email your resume and well-written cover letter about...

PeroxiClear Contact Lens Solution Recalled

Recalled product. Attention patients: Our office has been informed that Bausch + Lomb is conducting a voluntary recall of PeroxiClear® 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning & Disinfecting solution in the U.S. and Canada. Although this voluntary recall represents low risk to patients and is unlikely to cause serious health consequences, the company is...

New Signs at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

If you have been to Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, you might have noticed some changes. We always trying to keep the office fresh and update and we think you'll agree these changes are an improvement. The first change was to the outdoor blade sign. We've had that sign for...

Fox 13’s Dr. Jo Comes to Bright Eyes to Cover Vision Therapy for Amblyopia

I usually go to bed around 9:30pm, so I was surprised when Edna, Bright Eyes Family Vision Care's head Vision Therapist, texted me at 10:15 pm to say "You are on the news! Turn on Fox 13!" She was right. The 4 minute video on our vision therapy program was...

10 Reasons Patients Choose to Purchase Glasses at Bright Eyes

Recently, I asked the Bright Eyes opticians to come up with 10 reasons why patients purchases glasses from us. They know that patients have many options for for buying glasses. They also know that we have patients who return year after year to buy their glasses from a team that they trust....

Governor Rick Scott Recognizes August as Children’s Vision and Learning Month

As we do every year during back-to-school season, we recognize how important vision is for efficient learning. Vision is more than 20/20! For lots of information on this subject, going back to 2008, you can see some previous posts we have done here, here, and here. Not only we do recognize this,...

10th Anniversary Party Pics!!

Thank you to all our patients, friends, and family who came out to have fun and celebrate our 10th anniversary with us! Below are some pictures of the festivities.   Cristina and Dr. Nate with Cristina's parents. The musical entertainment. The winning ten! The winners of the free Gucci frames!...

Dr. Nate and Betsy Yaros discuss Vivid Vision on Bay News 9

Several weeks ago we mentioned that Dr. Randy Shuck from Bay News 9 interviewed Betsy Yaros and Dr. Nate about Vivid Vision, the Virtual Reality Vision Therapy. You can watch the whole segment here: [youtube]YL2T6XVBR6M[/youtube] Here are the topics that are covered in the interview Betsy discussed the nature of...

Recommendations for Playing Pokemon Go

If you are under 30 or have kids, chances are good that you’ve heard of Pokemon, a card game/cultural phenomenon featuring “pocket monsters”, combining card collecting, game play, and battling. Pokemon is celebrating its 20th year and has spawned books, TV shows, movies, video games, and more. The new app...

Vote For Your Favorite “10” and Win Gucci Glasses!

To get in the celebration spirit for our 10th anniversary party, we decided to have a creative competition among the Bright Eyes staff!  And we're giving YOU a chance to win FREE Gucci eyeglasses! The staff was broken into small teams. Each team was give a "10" to decorate. The...

NanoVista frames for Kids!

We are always on the lookout for the best in new eyeglass frame options for infants, children, and adults. We are thrilled to announce that we have NanoVista in stock and ready for your child. Talk to our professionals in children's glasses and you will find something that will work for...

Bright Eyes 10 Years Anniversary Party!

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care is turning 10 years old! Over the last decade, our patients have seen us grow from a small office with a small staff, to two locations with a much larger staff. We have also added Dr. Beth Knighton and a host of specialty vision care...

TC Charton – Asian Fit Eyeglasses

Have you been all over Tampa, trying on pair after pair of eyeglasses, only to find that none of them seem to fit your nose or they touch your cheeks? Let’s face it, we’re all different, including the shape and symmetry of our face. Sometimes it is difficult for Asian or...

Virtual Reality Therapy

I have been interested in Virtual Reality (VR) for a long time. In the early 2000's I had my first computer-aided "augmented reality" experience at Wired's NEXTFEST. I got to put on a headset and play a human-sized game of PacMan, where I walked around a real-life maze and ate...
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Helping Adults See in 3D With Vision Therapy

[youtube]FPLrHq8bUW0[/youtube] It is such an exciting time to provide vision therapy! There are so many advancements in treatment and knowledge in this area of Optometry. Although Vision Therapy is often thought of as an essential treatment for children with vision problems, adults can benefit from it too. A case in...

Dr. Nate Lectures at American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control Meeting

Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford just returned from the annual educational conference of the American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (AAOMC) in Scottsdale, Az.  International speakers presented on a variety of topics, but the myopia epidemic and its impact on public health, and new methods for slowing nearsightedness in kids were the top...

7 Tips to Survive Allergy Season

The tree pollen counts are sky-high this week in Tampa. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, more than 60 million Americans suffer from allergies. The same yellow dust that is coating all of our cars is also getting into our eyes. Are you suffering this week...
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Research Shows Adults Can Be Treated for Amblyopia

Adult Amblyopia Treatment Treatment options for adults with amblyopia isn't magic. It is real and based on science. For decades there has been a belief among eye doctors that if a patient had amblyopia (AKA "lazy eye"), it was untreatable after childhood.  Whether the cut-off age was 6 years old,...

#IPatch On-Line Patching Party to Support Amblyopia

[youtube]zvrvN-pDEHs[/youtube] March, 2016, is "Save Your Vision Month". Our friends at A Child's Eyes  are hosting an #IPatch on-line patching party to help spread awareness about Amblyopia and we are excited to support them! Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision impairment in children, affecting 2-3 out of every 100 children. If...

John John’s Vision Videos

Over the last few years John John has become a wonderful friend of Bright Eyes. He is an incredibly fun and inquisitive young man who loves to make YouTube videos. Everyone was impressed by his cute and surprisingly accurate early video about Eyes. After that, we started emailing and he eventually...

Bright Eyes Escaped!

A few times each year we take some time out from patient care to work with the staff. It usually is a little bit of training and a little bit of fun, but we do all of it with our mission of empowering our patients though vision care. This year...
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Optometrist Barbie!

Recently Stephanie from our favorite toy store, Learning Express at Citrus Park, gave Dr. Nate an amazing present: Optometrists Barbie! Everyone loves it! It is especially great that the visual acuity chart is the correct, traditional Snellen chart, but just a little smaller. The small ophthalmoscope and phoropter look pretty good,...

Bright Eyes is Approved For Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) Scholarships

  We have great news. We are pleased to announce that Bright Eyes is now an approved provider for the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA). The PLSA is a newly created program administered by state-approved nonprofit Scholarship Funding Organizations that is designed to provide the option for a parent...
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Protecting Our Kids From Head Injuries In Soccer

This week the United States Soccer Federation introduced new safety initiatives to reduce head injuries for young athletes. The new regulations will prohibit players 10 years of age or younger from heading the ball and limits headers in practice for athletes ages 11 to 13. These new policies will be...
myopia gene news

Myopia gene? Well, Partially.

  For those of us who are concerned about myopia and its development,  there is some pretty big news! Just take a look at the screen shot of all the news headlines to the right. It goes on an on. Under the title, APLP2 Regulates Refractive Error and Myopia Development in...
Bright Eyes Tampa

Welcome to Our New Website!

Notice something different around here? Yes, that’s right! We’ve given our website a new makeover! At Bright Eyes, we are committed to keeping pace with the advances in technology, and that includes our website.  As a part of that philosophy, we have spent the last several months working with the excellent...
back to school

Back to School 2015 at Bright Eyes!

It is official! Summer is winding down and the Back to School season is in full swing!   That late summer "Back to School" season is exciting  for everyone. New shoes! New teachers! New Clothes! And On that to-do list should be making sure your child can see well for school!...
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Quit getting bent out of shape, with TurboFlex!

Are your glasses constantly needing adjustment? Do the temples (or arms as most patients call them) seem like they're always too wide? As an optician here at Bright Eyes, I find that I perform a fair amount of adjustments for these issues. While these are common problems for most eyeglass...
Kids eyewear

National Sunglasses Day

National Sunglasses Day Is June 27! We live in a state that gets a lot of sunlight. So much so that in 1970 "The Sunshine State" became the official nickname for Florida. Sunshine is wonderful - it makes people feel happy, it is great for growing beautiful plants, and it's available...
Photo by Connie Garces

The Brooks Celebrate Life Event

As anyone who has experienced severe trauma knows - it can be devastating for the victim, friends, and family. Many activities that were previously taken for granted can be a frustrating challenge. Recently, however, Dr. Beth and I were lucky enough to participate in a truly fun and magical event....

“Will My Child Be Nearsighted?”

Following the American Optometric Association's recommendations of performing eye exams for children before age 1, at age 3, and before starting kindergarten, that is one of the most common questions that Dr. Knighton and I get. Parents who are nearsighted, or myopic, especially ones who got their first glasses in...

How Can an Eye Exam Detect High Cholesterol?

“Why is my eye changing color?” is a question we are asked from some patients. While there are conditions that can change the actual color of the eyes, typically the “color change” they are noticing is an accumulation of cholesterol deposits in the cornea. Yes, cholesterol! The Center for Disease...

Amblyopia Video Game Treatments on the Horizon

In a recent blog post on new treatments for amblyopia (sometimes called "lazy laze"), I mentioned the Tetris study from a few years ago.* When this study was done, it was exciting because it was just a hint of the possibility of treatments that lay ahead. Well, this morning I...

Amblyopia Research Supports Treatment Without Patching

New amblyopia research shows that treatment with both eyes is better than patching alone! For ages, the majority of amblyopia research and treatment has focused on two areas: the use of glasses to provide the clearest vision possible and the use of an eye patch to force the amblyopic (weaker) eye...

Welcome to Dr. Knighton!

There are so many changes at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care right now!  We have added new services such as vision therapy and ortho-k and we are now opening a new pediatric office in the Tampa Palms area. I am now excited to announce that in order to meet out ...

New Ray Ban Eyewear at Bright Eyes!

Bright Eyes is so excited about our newest frame line: RAY-BAN! A well-known eyewear brand, Ray-Ban eyeglasses come in iconic styles such as the very popular Wayfarer, and come in colors from bold blacks to cool blues to flirty pinks. The bold geek-chic frames continue to grab the attention of...

New Water-Gradient Contact Lenses – Alcon’s Dailies Total 1 Available at Bright Eyes!

Bright Eyes is excited about the newest daily contact lens: Dailies Total 1! Manufactured by Ciba Vision, this new lens is the first to supply the perfect balance between hydration and comfort for daily contact lenses. Sometimes people find a lens that's comfortable, but they still experience occasional discomfort during...

Back to School checklist: Eye Exam

Although this article by the American Optometric Association was released in 2009, its message is still pertinent and important, especially during this time of the year. While parents are getting their kids prepared for a new school year by purchasing supplies and meeting new teachers, it might be easy to...

Ask Dr. Nate

In the spirit of making Bright Eyes News and Updates a two-way means of communication, I have created a new category called Ask Dr. Nate. This is your chance to ask any questions you may have about eye disease, vision, infant & child vision, contacts, or other eye-related questions. You...