February - We are settled in at the new shop! 🎊

REMINDER - We have a NEW address -

5317B Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228

♥️🥰💕😍♥️🥰💕😍♥️🥰

This year had a crazy start for Brooks Optical! New shop, lots of snow and ice, and brrr...it is cold! ❄️

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We are settled in here in the new shop, and would love to hear what you think! It has been a work in progress but we think that it has turned out nice and hoping that you love it. Our ultimate goal is better parking for our customers, better handicap accessibility, and a nice waiting area! As a bonus, we have some wonderful new neighbors, and more natural light in the shop!

Now about February...it is all about love—and that includes loving how you see and how you feel in your glasses. At Brooks Optical, we’re here to help you fall in love with your eyewear all over again, whether that means clearer vision, a confidence-boosting new frame, or simply care you can trust from a local team who truly knows you. Stop in this month to explore frames you’ll adore and experience personalized service that’s always made with love. 💕👓

If we can help you in any way at all, give us a call at (804)261-0222! 🥰 Cliff, Sheila, and Catherine

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DO YOU FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES? Please do! This is where you find up to date weather schedule changes, and many other things. To keep up to date on our most recent shop updates, plus a little entertainment and positivity, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram by the links below! ↙️

We sincerely appreciate your support and every like, share, and follow! 🥰🥰🥰

Would you like something fun and useful? Here is a FREEBIE for you!

This month's freebie is again a physical item! Eyeglass cleaning spray! Every glasses purchase at Brooks Optical comes with a free small cleaner.

⭐ SHOP UPDATES ⭐

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? We are getting new shipments of eyeglass frames weekly here at Brooks Optical! We are working hard to bring you the products and accessories that you love, along with bringing in new fun and practical products that we think that you would like! Is there anything that you would like to see in the shop? A certain brand, a new product, etc.? Reply to this newsletter and let us know! We value your input! 😍

your eye health reminder This is a reminder to get your yearly eye exam! Eye exams are not just to get a new prescription. They also screen for glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and dry eye. They also look for indications of general health issues such as high blood pressure, neurological conditions, diabetes, and more. These exams are important. As you know, Brooks Optical does not do eye exams. But if you need it, we are happy to recommend someone to you.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT This month our product spotlight is Kim wipes! These handy little wipes are low lint, high absorbency, and anti-static! They are disposable and great for wiping your glasses.👓

FRAME SPOTLIGHT This month we are highlighting Mattisse eyeglass frames! We just received a shipment of these beautiful and colorful frames! They will make you sparkle! ✨

FEBRUARY EDUCATIONAL ARTICLE

How the 20-20-20 Rule Can Reduce Eye Strain

Viewing screens increases your risk for digital eye strain, a common condition that makes your eyes feel sore, dry, itchy, or blurry. Following the 20-20-20 rule can help you keep your eyes comfortable when you're using your laptop, tablet, phone, or another digital device.

Understanding Eye Issues Caused by Screens

You may not notice any difference when you read a text on a screen or look at a picture, but your eyes do. Unlike the solid letters in books, letters on digital screens:

• Have Indistinct Edges
• Are Made Up of Tiny Dots Called Pixels
• Are Darker in the Middle and Lighter at the Edges

Digital images are also made of pixels that vary in intensity and uniformity. As you play a game or write a report, the ciliary muscle around your eye must work harder to maintain the eye's focus on the pixels. The muscle helps the lens of your eye change shape as you focus. Although you probably won't notice any problems if you only use devices infrequently, spending several hours viewing devices can lead to eye strain.

Glare or poor contrast between a screen's background or foreground may also cause or worsen eye strain.

Digital eye strain is a common problem. In fact, 68% of employees surveyed by VSP Vision Care and Workplace Intelligence reported digital eye strain symptoms. According to the 2025 Workplace Vision Health Report, 59% of employees noted that digital eye strain affected their performance.

Signs and symptoms of digital eye strain, also called computer vision syndrome, include:

• Sore, Red, Irritated, Burning, or Itching Eyes
• Headaches
• Blurry Vision
• Sensitivity to Light
• Dry Eyes
• Watery Eyes
• Trouble Focusing
• Neck, Shoulder and Upper Back Pain

Although anyone can experience these symptoms, they may be more likely to occur if you have an uncorrected refractive error that affects your vision, like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism.

Have you noticed your eyes seem abnormally dry when you use your devices? You're probably blinking less. Blinking distributes a film of tears over your eyes and is essential for eye comfort. Eye doctors note the average blink rate declines significantly when using screens. The normal blink rate is 15 times per minute, but screen users only blink five to seven times per minute, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Improving Eye Strain Symptoms with the 20-20-20 Rule

The 20-20-20 rule is a simple guideline that will help you remember to take breaks when viewing screens. After looking at a screen for 20 minutes, you'll take a short break. During this break, you'll shift your gaze to an object 20 feet in the distance for 20 seconds. Breaks occur every 20 minutes while using digital devices.

The 20-20-20 rule allows your ciliary muscles to relax and recover from continuous focusing. The short break may also temporarily improve your blink rate and help keep the surface of your eyes lubricated. Best of all, the 20-20-20 rule can be performed anywhere. Whether you're at school, home, or work, short breaks will improve your eye comfort and reduce your risk for headaches and muscle pain.

An interesting research study published in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye in 2023 examined the effects of the 20-20-20 rule in 29 laptop users who struggled with digital eye strain. Researchers set up webcams to evaluate user breaks, eye gaze, and blinking. The computer users took more breaks when reminded of the rule and experienced improvements in digital eye strain and dry eye symptoms. Researchers also noted an improvement in accommodative facility. Accommodative facility is the ability to quickly shift focus between distances.

The 20-20-20 rule reminders were particularly important to study participants. The researchers noted the users didn't maintain the same improvements one week after the reminders stopped. Luckily, you can set up your own 20-20-20 reminders on your devices and enjoy the benefits of this useful rule.

Worried that your outdated contact lens or eyeglass prescription may be contributing to eye strain? Make an appointment with your optometrist to be evaluated.

Sources:

VSP Vision: New Research from VSP Vision Care and Workplace Intelligence Finds Nearly 3 Out of 4 Employees Struggle with Digital Eye Strain, 59% Say It Affects Their Productivity, 2/25/2025

​https://www.vspvision.com/newsroom/eye-health-and-wellness/vision-care/new-research-from-vsp-vision-care-and-workplace-intelligence-finds-nearly-3-out-of-4-of-employees-struggle-with-digital-eye-strain-59-percent-say-it-affects-their-productivity​

Contact Lens and Anterior Eye: The Effects of Breaks of Digital Eye Strain, Dry Eye and Binocular Vision: Testing the 20-20-20 Rule, 4/2023

​https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1367048422001990​

American Academy of Ophthalmology: Computers, Digital Devices, and Eye Strain, 7/27/2024

​https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage​

American Optometric Association: Computer Vision Syndrome

​https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome​

Haryana Journal of Ophthalmology: Digital Eye Strain: The Current Perspective, May-August, 2024

​https://journals.lww.com/hjop/fulltext/2024/05000/digital_eye_strain__the_current_perspective.8.aspx​

5317B Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228

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