Information

Whether developing from heredity, aging or some other cause, there are many eye conditions that can affect you. The following is a list of common eye conditions and how they can affect your vision. If you or a loved one suffer from any of these conditions, or fear that you might, please contact us to schedule an appointment with our doctors.

• Myopia: also called nearsightedness; people with myopia can see objects up close while distant objects are blurry.
• Hyperopia: also called farsightedness; people with hyperopia can see distant objects clearly but have trouble seeing things up close.
• Astigmatism: a type of refractive error in the eye, people with astigmatism have trouble focusing on light, causing multiple focus points and blurry vision.
• Presbyopia: the gradual loss of your eyes’ ability to focus on close objects. People tend to get presbyopia as they age because the lens of the eye is less flexible, causing focusing issues.
• Age related macular degeneration: progressive damage of the macula (the area of the retina responsible for our central vision), AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss in patients over 65.
• Glaucoma: increasing eye pressure causes compression to the optic nerve, leading to loss of your peripheral vision and eventually your central vision.
• Cataracts: there is a clear lens in your eyes called cataracts, providing the power to help us focus. With age, this lens can become cloudy from UV absorption and environmental factors. Cataract issues lead to problems focusing.
• Dry eye syndrome: occurring when your tears cannot provide enough moisture for your eyes, dry eye syndrome causes great discomfort.
• Eye allergies: during allergy season, your eyes may become itchy, red, and swollen. Eye allergies are caused by irritants such as dust and pollen. Allergy season can last from January to November depending on where you live.
• Retinal detachment: your retina is at the back of your eye. It contains cells sensitive to light that trigger nerve impulses to the brain, enabling us to see. Your retina can tear or detach, causing you to see sudden flashes of light or have blocked vision. Contact an optometrist immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Amblyopia: also called a lazy eye, amblyopia is a vision development problem in infants and young children. One eye cannot achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription glasses or contact lenses. When detected early enough, lazy eyes can be treated.
• Strabismus: the failure of your eyes to maintain proper alignment, strabismus causes the inability of your eyes to work as a team. You will experience double vision, with your eyes looking in different directions at the same time. When caught early enough, strabismus can be corrected through therapy and the use of special glasses, but if left untreated your brain will ignore visual input from the misaligned eye.
• Vision therapy: a term used to describe several different exercises, vision therapy is used to help develop visual abilities or improve already existing visual skills.
• Colour blindness: a deficiency in the way you see colour, people with colour blindness have trouble telling the difference between certain colours such as red and green.

There are many times when our patients require urgent or emergency eye care; including a need for new eyeglasses or contact lenses, and therefore require an appointment as soon as possible. When patients provide us with advanced notice that they need to cancel or reschedule their appointment, we can assist other patients in need of urgent eye care or a routine eye exam.  In this way, our clinic can better serve
the needs of every patient efficiently.

Rideau Optometric requires a minimum of 24-hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule all appointments. If an appointment is cancelled or rescheduled without a 24-hours’ notice, a cancellation fee will be charged.

In the event a patient does not “show up” on a second occasion or for a re-booked appointment, our clinic policy is to ask the patient to find a new provider. Our clinic will be happy to transfer the records to the new office of your choice with a letter explaining why the transfer is being made once all no-show or cancellation fees have been paid in full.

Please note that insurance providers and government agencies do not cover fees for missed appointments.

Better late than never. We understand that factors out of our patient’s control may lead to delays in arriving for your appointment! We won’t punish you if you’re 7 minutes late, and we’ll do our best to get you in. If we don’t feel that we can complete a thorough eye examination with the remaining time left for your appointment after your late arrival, we will need to reschedule your visit!

But What If Rideau Optometric Cancels on Me?

We like how you think. Just like you have a responsibility to keep your appointment, we do as well. Occasionally our optometrists get sick, just like all of us! If we have to cancel or reschedule with less than 24-hours of your appointment time, we will provide you with a $20 in-clinic credit, which may be applied towards any professional service or product purchase.

For more information, call us by dialing (613) 567-0800.

Shipment processing time

Payment must be received by Rideau Optometric before we dispense retail contact lens orders.

All orders are processed within 24 to 72 hours.

For orders through our online store, we may need to verify information you provide before an order is accepted. We may cancel or limit an order any time after it has been placed, including but not limited to the event that a product is listed at an incorrect price due to typographical or other error. If payment has already been processed and your order is cancelled or limited, we will refund any payment you made for the product that will not be shipped due to cancellation or limitation of an order in the same tender as the original purchase.

Shipments and deliveries do not occur on weekends or holidays. Please note that occasional backorder issues can occur for our product at the manufacturer level. These issues are unfortunately out of our control. We will contact you at the email or telephone number you provided if we are experiencing delays or issues in processing your order.

Shipping rates and delivery estimates

Unless otherwise noted, we will use our best efforts to ship products within 24 to 72 hours of the receipt of a properly completed order. Product availability may be limited, and particular products may not be available for immediate delivery.

In-store pick up is always free and is available for all orders.

We offer free shipping on contact lens purchases when you buy a 6 month or annual supply of daily disposable lenses, or an annual supply of reusable lenses (some exclusions apply). We offer $10 flat rate shipping for orders that do not meet the minimum purchase (some exclusions apply).

Orders that ship through Canada Post, such as PO Boxes, or to US and international addresses are not eligible for promotional shipping. All fees listed below are subject to change.

+Bowman, Cantley, Chelsea, Clarence-Rockland, Denholm, Gatineau, La Pêche, L’Ange-Gardien, Lochaber, Lochaber-Partie-Ouest, Mayo, North Grenville, Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Ottawa, Pontiac, Russell, Thurso, Val-des-Bois and Val-des-Monts

*Some exclusions apply to promotional shipping

Shipment confirmation and order tracking

To keep you informed after you place your order, you will receive an order receipt emailed to you to confirm your order details. Once your order has been shipped, you will receive a Shipment Notification with carrier and tracking information.

Customs, duties, and taxes

Rideau Optometric is not responsible for any customs and taxes applied to your order. All fees imposed during or after shipping are the responsibility of the customer (tariffs, taxes, etc.).

Lost, stolen or damaged orders

Rideau Optometric is not liable for any products damaged, stolen, or lost during shipping. If you received your order damaged, please contact the shipment carrier or our team directly to file a claim. Please save all packaging material and damaged goods before filing a claim.

At Rideau Optometric, we want to ensure you’re happy with your purchase! If you are not satisfied with your purchase, we’re here to help. Please call our office at (613) 567-0800.

We do not offer refunds for services or offer returns under any circumstance. We cannot offer exchanges for any over the counter or cosmetic products.

Contact lenses may be exchanged within 365 days of purchase provided they are unopened, unmarked, undamaged, unexpired, and in original condition with packaging; conditions apply. Custom-made to order lenses are final sale and are not exchangeable. Such exchanges will receive a credit, excluding any shipping charges.

Shipping fees are not refundable. The customer will pay for freight on all non-defective item(s). For more information, email [email protected]