Downey Eye Clinic

10/27/2025

Staying safe this Halloween includes protecting your eyes:

• Ensure that masks or hoods do not block your vision or restrict your peripheral field, which can increase the risk of trips and falls.
• Avoid sharp props. Choose accessories made from soft, flexible materials and avoid sharp-edged items like swords or wands that could cause eye injuries.
• Use for high-quality, FDA-approved makeup and face paint, and test it on a small skin patch first.
• Use costume eyepatches only when standing still for photos. They can affect depth perception.
• Don’t wear decorative contact lenses without a prescription. Even if they don't change your vision, contact lenses are medical devices and require a prescription and fitting by an eye doctor so you don’t have serious complications such as corneal abrasions, infections and blindness.

09/20/2025

Add these eats to your menu.

09/05/2025

Tens of thousands of people suffer eye injuries related to sports activities in a common year. Using the right kind of eye protection while playing sports can

09/04/2025

MEET OUR TEAM!

Dr. Amanda Ballard is a Marion County native. She completed her undergraduate degree at WKU and earned her doctorate from Indiana University School of Optometry. She and her husband, Walter, live in Lebanon with their three daughters, Sophie, Lilly and Evelyn. She spends all of her free time in the bleachers cheering on the St. Dominic Lady Knights and the Washington County Commanderettes. Dr. Ballard will be seeing patients at our Columbia location.

08/29/2025

Only 67 percent of children in Kentucky receive routine vision screening, behind the 72.4 percent figure in top-performing states, according to Vision Center.

With school starting, you may notice that your child is having difficulty reading.

Prioritizing comprehensive eye exams throughout a child’s academic years can help them see correctly to succeed in school, sports and life.

08/23/2025

It is recommended that a second exam happen at pre-school age, with yearly routine screenings beginning at school age.

08/15/2025

08/14/2025

We hope everyone had a great first day back at school! ✏️📚🚌

08/02/2025

WINNERS 🏆
Jeff Cloyd
Susie Stephens


Baskets will be in Russell Springs and Columbia location on Wednesday!

07/28/2025

Back To School! 🚌✏️🖍️

Tag your favorite 👨‍🏫 👩‍🏫 , 👍🏻 our page, share our post!

3 teachers will be chosen on August 1st (one for each of our locations and one more 😉)

As always, thanks to Dryce Studios for making our swag! Give them a 👍🏻, too!

07/25/2025

Johnny Morgan just wanted his contact lens prescription refilled. But his prescription had expired, and the optometric staff member on the phone gently insisted Morgan come in for a comprehensive eye exam.

07/18/2025

If you play sports at school, you know they can be a lot of fun. The last thing you want to do is miss a game, especially if it’s because you’re hurt. That’s why you should always follow the rules and wear the right safety gear.

Think about your favorite sport. Do you wear anything to protect your eyes, like goggles or a face mask? You might think you don’t need protective eyewear, but sports-related eye injuries are serious. Eye injuries are a leading cause of blindness among children in the United States. The good news is that most eye injuries can be prevented with the right protective eyewear.

Check out the list below to see examples of some sports that may put you at high risk for eye injuries, and contact your local doctor of optometry for information about protective eyewear: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/nei-for-kids/sports-and-your-eyes