Medicare is issuing new cards in April for all those who have this plan. Please be sure to bring your new card to your appointment if you have received it!.

Thank you for visiting Rocky Mountain Eye Center - Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico's most comprehensive family eye care center.

Rocky Mountain Eye Center's current, seven board certified ophthalmologists diagnose, treat and help to prevent diseases of the eye. Our ophthalmologists complete annual eye examinations, perform surgical procedures, assist in specific areas of eye care and prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses. Rocky Mountain Eye Center is Southeastern Colorado's only LASIK surgery center. Our eight optometrists are available to assist with your family's optometric needs. We have a trained optical staff who can provides assistance with the variety of eye care products available at any one of our optical shops.

Our doctors treat eye diseases such as diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration along with other common or unique eye conditions. Other common eye conditions and diseases that our doctors treat regularly include dry eye syndrome, corneal and external disease, vitreoretinal disease, pediatric ophthalmology and oculoplastic conditions.

At Rocky Mountain Eye Center, we are here to provide the best possible care in a patient-centered environment. As a practice, our doctors have committed substantial resources to stay abreast of and utilize the latest technology to help you to see better. As you browse through our web site, we hope you will become acquainted with the complete range of services that we offer. We are available to assist you in caring for all of your family's personal eye care needs. If you have questions or concerns, we would be happy to talk with you.

As a convenience to our patients, Rocky Mountain Eye Center has offices in various locations throughout Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico.

Thank you for choosing Rocky Mountain Eye Center!

Safety + Function = Fashion

April is "Sports Eye Safety" Month

Tens of thousands of sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur each year. The good news is that 90 percent of serious eye injuries are preventable through use of appropriate protective eyewear. The risk of eye injury can vary depending on the activity. Make sure the level of eye protection you or others in your family use is appropriate for the type of activity. Regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection.

High-Risk Sports

For all age groups, sports-related eye injuries occur most frequently in baseball, basketball and recquet sports. Boxing and full-contact martial arts pose an extremely high risk of serious and even blinding eye injuries. In baseball, ice hockey and lacrosse, a helmet with a polycarbonate (an especially strong, shatterproof, lightweight plastic) face mask or wire shield should be worn at all times. Protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses should be worn for sports such as basketball, raquet sports, soccer and field hockey. Choose eye protectors that have been tested to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

Other Risky Leisure Activities

While sports account for a particularly high number of eye injuries, they are by no means the only hobby that poses a risk to your sight. According to physicians surveyed for the 2008 Eye Injury Snapshot conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma, more than 40 percent of patients treated for eye injuries sustained at home were involved in home repairs, yard work, cleaning and cooking. Use common sense and error on the side of caution, whatever the activity.

● Consider the risk of flying debris or other objects during activities and wear appropriate eye protection.
● Remember that eyeglasses aren't sufficient protection.
● Be careful during activities or games involving projectiles and other sharp objects that could create injury if in contact with the eye. For example, the U.S.
   Eye Injury Registry indicates that fishing is the number one cause of sports-related eye injuries.
● If you wear contacts or eyeglasses, pack a back-up form of vision correction during bike trips or other activities where you could lose or shatter a lens.

If an eye injury occurs, see an ophthalmologist or go to the emergency room immediately, even if the eye inury appears minor. Delaying medical attention can result in permanent vision loss or blindness.