Eye Trends of Conroe is doing more now than ever before to bring customers the best of advanced eye care technology and customer service.

When two highly-trained therapeutic optometrists first partnered more than 35 year ago, their goal was to bring professional, technologically-advanced eye care to the booming Conroe area. Well into the 21st century, people can still find the same friendly, small-town customer service at Conroe Eye Trends that Dr. Douglas Inns and Dr. Michael Toups first envisioned. “We treat customers like family,” Inns said. 

Over the years, Eye Trends has introduced members of the community to many wonders, including disposable contact lenses. As time and technology progressed, the optometrists at Eye Trends were able to prescribe multi-focal contact lenses, too. Some patients were pleased to learn that, with help from Eye Trends optometrists, they were able to wear contact lenses for the first time, even though they had never been able to wear them before. Today, daily disposable lenses are even available for some patients who have astigmatism or require multi-focal correction. 

“Today’s contact lenses can correct eyesight the same way that glasses do, even allowing for multi-focal adjustments in many patients,” Toups said. “These multi-focals allow people to see far and near like bifocal glasses.” Inns agreed: “They really are advanced products. It’s truly a revolution over the past 20 years.”

One of the latest innovations available at Eye Trends is orthokeratology, sometimes called Ortho-K, which is a non-surgical process of molding the cornea to reduce nearsightedness. The procedure involves an extensive mapping of the cornea, followed by the creation of custom contact lenses that are worn at night to gradually change the curvature of the cornea. In the past, Ortho-K took up to two years to complete, but thanks to new technology and innovative contact lens materials, improved vision can occur in just a few weeks. Eye Trends optometrists are proud to be able to offer this reversible, non-surgical option to patients who are nearsighted. 

Of course, some people prefer glasses. For those who do, Eye Trends has a mind-boggling assortment, from budget frames to designer frames, including women’s glasses by Burberry, Michael Kors, Coach, Chloe and Gucci, as well as men’s glasses by Armani, Ray Ban, Calloway and Tom Ford. In addition to daily-wear glasses, Eye Trends offers a wide array of prescription sunglasses by such respected makers as Maui Jim, Ray-Ban and Oakley. An in-store lab means that for many prescriptions, same-day glasses are available. 

While many people might only associate an optometrists’ office with glasses or contact lenses, Eye Trends is also a first line of defense for many eye problems, such as eye infections and foreign bodies in the eyes. Appointments are readily available so that customers’ concerns can be put to rest quickly.

Eye Trends offers high-tech diagnostic options. For example, the Topcon OCT is a diagnostic scanner that provides detailed cross-sectional imaging of the retina and optic nerve, enabling examination and diagnosis without surgical biopsies. The scanner does not make contact with the eye, so it causes no discomfort to patients. The Topcon OCT scanner can help diagnose conditions such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration while they are in their earliest, most treatable stages.  

 Furthermore, if patients dislike eye dilation, they are in luck: Eye Trends also utilizes Optos retinal cameras, which captures images in one second, giving optometrists an ultra-wide view of the back of the eye. The procedure is quick, non-invasive and painless; it also provides a permanent record that can be used to compare with future images. If needed, it can be sent electronically to specialists. 

Optometrists at Eye Trends can also help patients with technologically-advanced solutions to dry eye. The Meibomian glands, the tiny glands in the eyelids that keep eyes from becoming dry, can be stimulated with thermal pulses, a procedure originally developed for dermatological application.  Controlled heat treatment can help alleviate the symptoms of dry eye, and prescription-strength eye drops are also available. 

As most parents know, good eye care begins in childhood. Children can perform better in school when they can see their best, so the Conroe Eye Trends staff recommends making appointments for children during the summer. That way, any visual deficiencies can be addressed, allowing students to start the school year with corrected vision. Eye Trends is committed to the community, and its heart for students extends beyond the office. The staff assists school nurses in the Montgomery Independent School District when they conduct routine vision screenings. 

While nearsightedness is common in children, making it hard for students to see the blackboard or whiteboard, farsightedness—the inability to focus well on objects up close—can also hinder children in the classroom. Because so much schoolwork is done at desks with books, paper, pencils or computers, it can quickly become difficult for students who are farsighted. They may avoid reading and, consequently, their grades can suffer. Unfortunately, parents and teachers might think these students are simply unmotivated or inattentive. “When these kids get glasses, all of a sudden they like to see things up close,” Inns said. “They might take an interest in school, whereas before, they didn’t because it was just too hard. It required too much focusing power.”

Eye Trends can also solve the visual challenges of teenagers, who are often candidates for contact lenses. “Contact lenses are a very good choice, especially for those active in sports,” Inns said.  He often suggests daily disposable lenses for teenagers because it suits the hectic teenage lifestyles. “There are no cases and no solutions,” he said. “You always have a clean pair of lenses. They’re the healthiest choice. They provide healthy eyes and excellent vision.” Daily disposables are slightly more expensive than traditional contact lenses, he said, but require no solutions, and more than 30 percent of all people in America who are fitted with contact lenses for the first time choose daily disposables. 

Eye Trends is a multi-generational provider, helping not only children and teenagers, but also adults of all ages, including seniors. Inns and Toups are therapeutic glaucoma specialists, having attained the highest level of accreditation in the field of optometry.  The two optometrists handle most of their patients’ eye care, such as in-depth visual analysis and testing for glaucoma and cataracts.  They also co-manage LASIK procedures with renowned Houston surgeons, providing consultations and follow up in their offices in Conroe and The Woodlands.

Over the past 35 years, Eye Trends has garnered a loyal following and has earned an impressive 4.7-star rating on Google. “Always a caring environment,” said one reviewer. “Great staff that makes sure your needs are met to the fullest.” Another reviewer agreed: “I would never consider going anywhere else.”

Inns is not surprised. “We really work with people,” he said. “They come back because they know we will go to the end of the earth for them.”  

Eye Trends offices accept most vision insurance plans. For more information about Eye Trends, visit www.eye-trends.com.