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Itchy, Watery Eyes

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girl with allergies

I hope this is the peak of the allergy season and the air clears soon. There are a lot of people suffering from itchy watery eyes. Besides locking yourself indoors or wearing goggles to avoid the cause of seasonal allergies there are a few things you can do.

  • Wear sunglasses outdoors to minimize exposure to wind
  • Start using an allergy drop with mast cell inhibitors to reduce the allergic response. At your next visit to Westside Optometry we can write a prescription and make recommendations.
  • Rinse your eyes with cool, sterile saline. This soothes and rinses out allergens.
  • If you wear contact lenses, consider switching to glasses temporarily. Pollen and irritants stick to the lens creating more time for the eye to react to them. The glasses will create a barrier between the eye and wind too.
  • Do not rub your eyes! This will only create more of a reaction and cause swelling. Instead put ice cubes in a washcloth and gently rest on closed eyes to soothe them.

Allergies are so common in Petaluma, I wrote about them in April, Eye Allergies. If you suffer all year long, I have more information about indoor allergies such as dust and animal dander, too.  Your Eyes and Allergies

 

Cool things patients teach me

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I would like to say that I think of this stuff by myself but my brain is scientific and analytical (a good trait for a doctor). I can’t help but admire a creative mind. The other day I asked a patient for a list of medicines he was taking and he whipped out his iPhone. I thought he was going to call his wife to ask her, instead he went to his notes and read his list to me. Usually I get a piece of paper which I appreciate because I can xerox it and update my list later, but the phone list was legible, and up-to date. I was very impressed until about an hour later I asked a different patient if there were any changes in the medicine he was taking. The gentlemen whipped out his phone. PrescriptionNo way, this has never happened and twice in the same morning, did I miss a memo? Instead of a list, the patient showed me a picture. The picture was a pill bottle of his newest medication. Easier yet, includes dosage, correct spellings and even easier to maintain. Just take a picture of the bottle. Brilliant!

How do you use your smart phone to be smarter about your health and eyes? What about setting alerts when it is time to change your contact lenses?

How do I take care of my new glasses?

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Caring for your Glasses

You have carefully selected the best lens materials and designs to fit in a stylish frame, it is important to take good care of your new eyewear.

  • Remove glasses from your face with two hands
  • Never place glasses lens side down, it is best to put them in their case when not wearing them
  • Clean glasses with water and a little oil-free soap. Wipe them with a clean cloth or a cloth especially designed for your lenses
  • Do not leave glasses on the dashboard of your car. (It gets too hot for the frame and any coatings on the lenses)
  • If your glasses start to slide or feel lopsided  on your face, come by the office for an adjustment

Evatik

GLARE

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glarePeople suffer from 4 types of  glare: distracting, discomforting, disabling and blinding. Distracting glare is caused by reflections on eyeglass lenses. This can be eliminated with anti-reflective coating. At Westside Optometry, we recommend this type of non-glare coating on the back side of sunglasses also.
Discomforting glare is caused by everyday light conditions that cause squinting and eye fatigue. Tinted or photochromic lenses will reduce this type of glare.
Disabling glare occurs when excessive, intense light reaches the eyes. The effects of disabling glare can cause long-term eye damage. Good sunglasses with maximum ultraviolet protection eliminates disabling glare.
Blinding or reflective glare comes from light reflected off smooth, shiny surfaces such as water, sand, snow or wet roads. A polarized sunglass is the ideal solution for blinding glare.

Glare is a problem during the day and night. It bothers people working at a computer, driving on the freeway and fishing on a boat. Don’t squint and suffer any longer, let us eliminate the discomfort of glare with appropriate glasses.

Eating for your Eyes

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Everyone knows that proper diet and nutrition have advantages for health, but did you know that it is beneficial to your eyes as well? A diet rich in beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and certain vitamins can also help protect against vision loss, particularly age related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD diminishes central vision and currently affects the vision of more than 2 million Americans, ages 50 and older. AMD is a progressive disease that if left untreated, can result in severe vision loss and even blindness. The exact cause of AMD is unknown, but risk factors for the disease include age, race, smoking, family history and health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

eyes and nutrition

A wide variety of foods including lentils, grapes, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, kale, certain kinds of fish, turkey and some kinds of nuts, have been shown to aid eye health. Although there are a variety of available over-the-counter supplements designed for vision and eye health, a doctor should always be consulted before use.

Foods that contain refined starches and are high in sugar can be damaging to vision. A study by Tufts University showed that high-glycemic foods cause a dramatic rise in blood sugar, which over time, may damage the retina and capillaries in the eye by promoting oxidative stress and inflammation. Soda and sugary drinks, candy, baked goods,  some cereals , white rice, foods made with white flour, such as white bread and pasta, should be avoided or limited.

Other healthy habits can lead to healthy vision. The risk of eye disease and vision loss can be lowered by:

  • Avoiding trans fats
  • Quitting smoking
  • Controlling blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Exercising regularly
  • Visiting your optometrist regularly

Why is Driving at Night so much harder than Driving during the Daytime?

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Even with the longer days of spring, driving at night is still challenging.
When you are behind the wheel of a car, your eyes are constantly on the move – looking at vehicles ahead and to the side, reading  traffic signs, checking your rear view mirror, and shifting your gaze inside and outside your vehicle in order to check the speedometer, look at your global navigation system, or change a radio station.
During darkness these tasks can become even more difficult for some drivers. According to a nationwide survey 32% of the drivers say they have difficulty seeing all or most of the time while driving in the dark.
Low light levels cause the pupil to dilate, which can accentuate existing focusing problems and result in blurred vision. Wearing the best distance correction will minimize this vision problem. At Westside Optometry we also recommend a non-glare coating to eliminate reflections from annoying headlights.

Dry eyes will effect your vision when driving at night also. If the tear layer is uneven, thick or thin, the quality of vision is negatively impacted. I compare this phenomena to the windshield and wipers. Every blink is like the windshield wiper across the windshield, in the case of the eye, the eyelid wipes across the cornea. If the windshield is dry, the wiper makes it smeary. You can resolve this by squirting water on the windshield and wiping again. If the eye is dry, vision gets smeary and sometimes there are not any tears to clear it up. I recommend applying a drop of artificial tear solution before starting to drive at night.
When you do not see well you have to get closer or drive slower, and if you do not account for that need, you are at risk of causing accidents.

Glasses vs. Contact Lenses

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What are the differences between glasses and contact lenses?

Eyeglasses

  • Side (peripheral vision) is compromised.
  • Possible reflections off the eyeglass lenses.
  • Weight on nose, pressure on sinuses.
  • Glasses fog up with change in temperature.
  • Glasses are a distraction during sports.
  • Eyeglasses do not have windshield wipers and get speckled in the rain.

 

Contact Lenses

  • More natural vision, correction right on the eye.
  • Field of view is full, especially important for driving and sports.
  • No weight on face or frame slipping down nose.
  • Contacts match everything you wear.
  • Can wear non-prescription sunglasses.

There are similarities between glasses and contact lenses too:

  • Both require careful handling and cleaning to maintain the best vision.
  • Both can correct astigmatism.
  • Both are affordable, when you consider that you wear glasses or contact lenses every single day, the amount you spend on them is far less than for any other item in your wardrobe. Add in the importance to the quality of your life and they are invaluable.

Eye Allergies

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Driving through the Sonoma wine country last weekend, I thought how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. The fields were green, the lambs were frolicking and the mustard was in full bloom. Gorgeous! But if you suffer from allergies, Sonoma County can be wicked to your eyes and sinuses. Petaluma tends to be particularly windy, stirring up the pollen even more.

Eye allergies are also called “allergic conjunctivitis.” It is a reaction to indoor and outdoor allergens (such as pollen, mold, dust mites or pet dander) that get into your eyes and cause inflammation of the conjunctiva, the white tissue that lines the inside of the eyelid and eyeball. Eye allergies are not contagious.

Other substances called “irritants” (such as dirt, smoke, chlorine, etc.) and even viruses and bacteria, can compound the effect of eye allergies, or even cause irritating symptoms similar to eye allergies for people who are not even allergic. The eyes are an easy target for allergens and irritants because like the skin , they are exposed and sensitive. Dry eyes tend to be more susceptible to ocular allergies because there are less tears to rinse allergens and irritants away.

Certain medications and cosmetics can also cause eye allergy symptoms. By way of response to these allergens and irritants, the body releases chemicals called histamines, which in turn causes inflammation. This reaction makes the eye tissues red and swollen.

The signs of eye allergies are red, itchy, burning, tearing, swollen eyes, along with a gritty sensation. These symptoms may be accompanied by a runny or itchy nose, sneezing, coughing, or a sinus headache. Many sufferers also find that their vision is temporarily blurred.

I find it best to treat eye allergies before the onset of symptoms, but treatment can improve comfort and the appearance of the eye anytime. Do not suffer, there are treatments to control eye allergies.

Save your Vision

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Here we are closer to the end of March than the beginning and I have not talked about Save-Your-Vision month yet. March is Save-Your-Vision month. The American Optometric Association (AOA) selects a theme for Save-Your-Vision month and this year the theme is the importance of annual eye examinations. Having an eye exam every year can, ..well…, save your vision.

There are a number of eye conditions that do not have symptoms, like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and brain lesions. In most cases, early detection and the proper treatment can prevent blindness, disability or death. Some conditions do have symptoms, but they are still ignored. Blurred vision, eye strain and red eyes can be treated to make your life much more comfortable.

If you have not had a comprhensive eye examination in the last 12 months, make that call (707)762-8643, it can save your vision.

What to Expect from your Eyes when Expecting

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During pregnancy a woman’s body undergoes miraculous changes, some good, some uncomfortable and some that are puzzling. Everyone experiences different things as every pregnancy is unique.

The eyes do not escape the wild hormonal ride during pregnancy. The lens and/or cornea respond to fluctuations in hormones. Not every pregnant woman will see vision changes but for those who do the impact is significant. Ocular structures swell and deswell causing refractive changes. The result of these changes is blurry vision. The women I have treated with vision changes notice shifts in their vision for most of their pregnancy. Some woman experience increased dry eye and/or contact lens intolerance.

The good news is I can usually help patients through their pregnancy with temporary vision corrections. And the best news is that most symptoms resolve post-partum.

Another ocular concern during pregnancy is the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions such as Graves disease and diabetes. Although these are systemic diseases, they have significant effects on the eye health.