Reflections Eyecare

08/25/2026

Only those who have small businesses truly understand what it takes to own one. A small business is one that is independent and has less than 500 employees. According to the US Small Business Administration, there are 36,207,130 small businesses in the US, which make up 45.9% of private sector workers. Since 1995, small businesses have accounted for 61% of net new jobs. Women own over 40% of all businesses, over 14 million businesses. Only 67.7% of new businesses survive 2 years, 49.2% survive past 5 years, and less survive beyond that.

WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW—Business owners and their independent businesses CARE about their clients and desire to SERVE them to the best of their abilities because they BELIEVE in the quality of their products. This is why their products are not to be compared with less expensive items found online or in a big box store that can purchase in bulk. We charge more because we are charged more by our vendors. Remember, many small businesses are the ones that support your kids’ sport teams with sponsorships.

DID YOU EVER THINK?—Independent businesses face much STRESS— during periods of low cash flow, over being able to pay employees, pay rent, pay bills, pay off debt, about making clients happy, keeping employees happy, and in healthcare, whether a correct decision was made that could impact someone’s life potentially forever, etc, etc. IYKUK. Small business life is not for everyone.

Both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE reviews matter. Small businesses are not like chain stores—we take to heart all reviews and would especially appreciate any direct feedback (speaking to the owner) prior to posting. Point is…BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE…you say you support local but are you purchasing from your local vendor or are you buying online or from a big box store? THINK BEFORE YOU PURCHASE. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Your small businesses NEED YOUR SUPPORT more than you know.

08/11/2026

Don’t these gradient lenses look great? Love love love it when people make bold choices for their lenses! 💙

08/05/2026

07/01/2026

We will be closing early on Friday at noon. Wishing you a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend! 🇺🇸🎆🗽

06/28/2026

What is a glasses prescription? These are the numbers read off the phoropter, the machine with which we ask which is better, 1 or 2?
1) OD, from the Latin words Oculus Dexter, refers to the right eye. OS, or Oculus Sinister, is the left eye
2)Sphere is the amount of nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+) in the prescription. Our unit is called the diopter and like a dollar, there are 4 quarters in each diopter. So in our example, there are 3 1/2 diopters of farsightedness in the right eye.
3)Cylinder is the amount of astigmatism in the correction. Astigmatism is curvature in the cornea and/or lens that can cause distortion in your vision, with the horizontal axis at 180 and the vertical, at 90 degrees. In a prescription written by an optometrist, the cyl is negative (-) while ophthalmologists write it with a positive (+) number.
4)Axis is the location of the astigmatism (in degrees) needed to correct the distortion. In our example, the spaces next to the +3.50 are blank so the patient does not have any astigmatism in their right eye.
5)The add is the portion of the prescription for those who have focusing issues or presbyopia (age-related change for 40+ year olds) that helps eyes relax to help them focus. It is always a positive (+) number.

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all! 💙

06/15/2026

Updating our SD EYES frames today with one of our favorite reps, Cardin! 💕 We have close relationships with our sales reps so that we can provide quality products with great warranties. Our reps visit at regular intervals to make sure our frames stay fresh and up to date!

06/01/2026

Stop by and come check out our new frames from ! Designed in Minnesota and made with quality Japanese titanium and Italian Mazzuchelli acetate, they have fun (not your ordinary) names!

05/28/2026

Part 2–
Smoking 🚬 can cause oxidative stress to tissues in eyes and can increase the risk of macular degeneration by 2-4 times over non-smokers and can worsen glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye symptoms. THC may temporarily decrease eye pressure in glaucoma but long term use could damage the optic nerve due to low blood flow to the eye. “The largest association of eye physicians and surgeons in the world (American Academy of Ophthalmology) does not endorse cannabis or its derivatives as a glaucoma treatment.”

Insufficient sleep😴 (less than 7 hours) can cause a decrease in tear production and increased risk for illness and conditions like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Sleep apnea can also raise the risk of glaucoma. Lack of sleep can hinder the brain’s ability to restore and repair itself, to remove waste products such as the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta. Amyloid beta is 25-30% higher in those who are sleep-deprived.

Mindfulness meditation 🧘🏻‍♀️can help with stress reduction, lowering the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol regulates how the body uses glucose, affects inflammation, blood pressure, and helps regulate your circadian rhythms (sleep-wake cycle 🛌). Meditation has also been proven to help with mental health as well. 😊

TAKE HOME POINT—everything in your body is connected. Taking care of your body helps your eyes 👁️and your brain 🧠 as well!

References available upon request.

05/28/2026

Most people think of melanoma as skin cancer, but melanoma can also develop inside the eye.👁️

Ocular melanoma is a rare but serious form of cancer that develops from pigment-producing cells inside the eye. Because of its rarity, many patients have never even heard of it before diagnosis.

At Tennessee Retina, our Ocular Oncology team cares for patients facing this complex condition through advanced imaging, treatment planning, long-term monitoring, and collaboration with researchers dedicated to improving outcomes.

What makes ocular melanoma especially challenging is that research and treatment options for metastatic disease remain limited. That’s why organizations like Eye on Grace Foundation and A Cure In Sight Ocular Melanoma are so important — helping fund research, support patients, and raise awareness for a cancer many people don’t realize exists.

This Melanoma Awareness Month, we’re recognizing the patients, families, physicians, researchers, and advocates working to bring more hope, visibility, and progress to the ocular melanoma community. 💙

👉 Learn more about our Oncology Team https://www.tnretina.com/retinal-care/ocular-oncology
🔗 Eye on Grace Foundation: https://www.eyeongracefoundation.org/
🔗 A Cure In Sight: https://acureinsight.org/