Eye Health – Page 11 – Westside Optometry

2012 New Years Resolutions

December 28, 2011December 28, 2011 admin

If you make your 2012 resolutions with the intention of achieving good health and well-being, you will be benefiting your eyes also. Here are recommendations from Westside Optometry to get you started:

1. QUIT SMOKING

Smoking contributes to cataract formation, macular degeneration and dry eyes.

2. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Anti-oxidants and other nutrients found in a variety of fruits and vegetables can prevent age-related ocular conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

3. EXERCISE REGULARLY

Exercise can benefit you in many ways. It reduces stress, helps control weight and improves circulation all benefits for you and your eyes.

4. SCHEDULE EYE EXAMINATIONS FOR THE KIDS

It is never to early for children to have their eyes examined. The American Optometric Association recommends the first eye exam at 6 months of age. Early detection of vision problems can save your child much frustration when learning to read and play sports.

Happy New Year

Dry Eye Symptoms and Treatments

November 20, 2011November 20, 2011 admin

Last time I talked about the risks of dry eye. This included the increase incidence for people with diabetes. Today let’s talk about the symptoms. Dry eye presents in many different ways: the eyes can sting, burn, feel gritty, scratchy and even watery. That’s right, you can suffer from dry eyes and produce too many tears. The other significant symptom of dry eyes is fluctuating vision. If the tears evaporate too quickly, vision is best right after a good blink and blurs until the next blink. Identifying which layer or layers are compromised is the first step to finding the right treatment.

The tears consist of 3 different components:

1. Oils or lipids from the meibomian glands (in the eyelid)

2. Mucus from the goblet cells (surface of the eye)

3. Water or aqueous from the lacrimal gland (under the brow)

The eyelid can be a problem too. Inflammation of the eyelid margin is often a factor. The eyelid changes with age, it may be scarred or looser causing the lid to turn inward or outward. Either direction has a negative effect on the tears and blinking.

The goal of dry eye treatment is to restore the tear film balance. Addition of a humidifer, drops, ointments, supplements, change in diet, and/or punctal plugs can all be helpful. Once the cause of dry eye disease is identified I can create a treatment plan.

The first thing I recommend in treating dry eye disease is to control the factors that you can. Check out the last blog for a list, you can’t change your age or gender, but you can control your blood sugar, and some environmental factors. What you eat or do not eat matters too. Too much caffeine will dehydrate you. If you are a fan of energy drinks that are high in caffeine and sugar, try a week or two without them and see if your eyes feel better. I’ve seen significant improved in contact lens tolerance with the elimination of these drinks.

Do not suffer from dry eye, call Westside Optometry for evaluation and treatment. For more dry eye information download http://old.westsideoptometrynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Dry-Eye-Syndrome.pdf

Dry Eye and Diabetes

November 6, 2011November 6, 2011 admin

November is National Diabetes Month. Last year and in previous blog posts, I wrote about diabetes and the eye. Today I want to talk about dry eye disease (and diabetes).

Dry eye can lead to decreased vision, corneal scarring and secondary bacterial infections. Not to mention the general discomfort and reduced quality of life from the symptoms.

There are 8 Risks Factors for the Development of Dry Eye Disease:

AGE The older you are the greater the risk for dry eye.
GENDER Women are twice as likely to develop dry eye than men.
ENVIRONMENT This includes smoking, airplane travel, computer use, low humidity environments and several other considerations
LID MARGIN DISEASE This is especially true of meibomian gland dysfunction. Meibomian, an icky sounding word on its own, but you should see the glands under a microscope when they are plugged or inflamed. It’s not pretty.
CONTACT LENS WEAR Contact lens wear contributes to dry eye and increased symptoms
OCULAR SURGERY Surgical procedures such as LASIK or cataract removal can cause temporary dry eye in patients who have predisposing risk factors.
MEDICATIONS Many drugs including oral anti-histamines or anti-acne medications like (Isotretinoin)

And for the risk factor that ties this all in with Diabetes Month…

SYSTEMIC CONDITIONS This includes not only diabetes but also rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid disease.

The mechanism responsible for dry eye disease in diabetic patients is unclear, but many studies have been done. One study found that the rate of dry eye disease was higher if the HbA1c values were higher. Yet another good reason to maintain diabetic control and lower HbA1c values. Another study showed that the tear proteins of diabetic patients are different from those of healthy subjects. More than half of the people who have diabetes experience dry eye symptoms and suffer from ocular dryness. Controlling the diabetes and managing the dry eye disease can lessen or alleviate the discomfort of ocular dryness.

Eye Irritation

September 12, 2011September 12, 2011 admin

The skin condition, Acne Rosacea, may affect the eyes. A recent survey by the National Rosacea Society reports that 60 percent of rosacea patients also have eye involvement. In fact, ocular symptoms may appear before the effects of rosacea appear on the skin. Ocular Rosacea is characterized by redness around the eyelids, bloodshot eyes and watery appearance. Sufferers of Ocular Rosacea experience foreign body sensation, burning or stinging, dryness, itching, light sensitivity and blurred vision.

Gentle, consistent cleaning and oral medication may relief the symptoms of ocular rosacea. If ocular rosacea is not treated, patients could endure potentially serious consequences, such as scarring or corneal damage that could lead to decreased vision.

If you have any questions or would like more information about ocular rosacea, call the office or post a comment.

Diabetic Retinopathy

August 10, 2011August 10, 2011 admin

In the previous blog post I wrote about the reasons I dilate patient’s eyes. If you have diabetes, I will dilate your eyes at least once a year. Diabetes can affect many organs of the body, in the eyes it causes blindness.
Many problems develop in the retina due to diabetes. There is abnormal blood vessel growth, hemorrhages and lipid leakage. If these problems are allowed to continue without treatment they will cause scarring which leads to detachment of the retina. Another complication is the leakage of fluid under the macula which will severely reduce vision.
Not all these conditions will have symptoms. Only when the bleeding or fluids reach a certain size will you notice blur or dark spots. The earlier changes in the retina are detected, the better treatment results will be.

The picture above shows some of the changes diabetes causes in the retina. There is bleeding and some areas where blood isn’t flowing properly (ischemia). This patient did not notice any changes in his vision.

Why do I Dilate the Eyes?

July 16, 2011July 16, 2011 admin 1 Comment

I dilate most everybody’s eyes during an eye examination. If you have any health conditions such as diabetes, are taking certain medication, or have cataracts I will dilate your eyes more often.
Through a dilated pupil I can see more eye structures. I will use diagnostic lights and lenses that provide a 3 dimensional view of the inside of the eye. If there is a retinal hole, a lesion or fluid, it is much easier to detect through a dilated pupil. If I look through a keyhole, I can see part of the room, if I open the door, I can see everything.
Dilation requires drops in the eye. The effect usually lasts 3-4 hours. Most people notice an increased sensitivity to lights because the pupil is larger. I recommend bringing sunglasses to your appointment. If you think driving may be a problem, arrange for a driver. The drops can also cause a cycloplegic effect, which means focusing on objects up close will be difficult. Try to plan your schedule accordingly. Don’t plan on doing computer work or other close tasks immediately after being dilated.

This is the view of a normal retina looking through a dilated pupil. The optic nerve is the whitish circle on the left, it provides an entrance point to the eye for the blood vessels and an exit pathway for the nerve fibers carrying input to the brain. The 130 million photoreceptors (rods and cones) covering the retina, which appears as an orange background, receive all visual images and send these signals to the brain where the vision process occurs. When you have your eyes dilated at Westside Optometry we will take a similar picture of your eye. Don’t let me forget to show it to you.

Firework Safety

June 14, 2011June 27, 2014 admin

For most of us, celebrating the Fourth of July means barbeques and fireworks. Unfortunately, the fun can be cut short when fireworks are used inappropriately and cause serious injuries. One of the most common causes of firework injury is when a device explodes before expected. This often results in cuts, burns and bruises in and around the eye. Sparklers are not exempt, in fact they are responsible for a significant percentage of eye injury cases.

According to a study by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were the culprit for an estimated 8,800 injuries treated in US emergencies departments during 2009. Of these, 54 present were children and teens under the age of 20 years.

Below are tips to help protect and preserve eyesight during the Fourth of July holiday.

Discuss firework safety with children and teens prior to the Fourth of July holiday.
Do not allow kids to handle fireworks and never leave them unsupervised near fireworks.
Wear protective eyewear when lighting and handling fireworks of any kind.
Store fireworks, matches and lighters in a secure place where children won’t find them.
Refrain from purchasing sparklers. Heating up to 1,800 degrees, sparklers are the number one cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room.
Be aware of your surroundings and only light fireworks when family, friends and children are at a safe distance.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Helping Others with Vision Loss

June 5, 2011June 5, 2011 admin

If you or a loved one is living with vision loss, make living easier. Here are a few tips from the Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation.

Appliances Mark frequently used settings on appliances with bright nail polish or Touch-Dots.
Storage Store similar foods together; differentiate like-shaped containers with tactile markings like rubber bands.
Label Clearly label toxic substances and keep them away from food.
Clothing Arrange clothing by outfits, color, or with large-print labels.
Pills Use large-print or color-coded labels, or buy pill organizers and talking pill bottles.
Rugs Remove throw rugs or use non-skid rubber backing or double-sided tape to eliminate sliding. Always use non-skid rubber mats in the bath.
Talking Aids Purchase talking appliances like watches, weight scales, and alarm clocks.
Lighting Use flexible-arm lamps to focus light on the task, Install under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen, and use nightlights in hallways and bathrooms.

Ultraviolet Protection

May 17, 2011May 17, 2011 admin

Ultraviolet light from the sun will burn you skin, it will also damage your eyes. A sunburn on the cornea, the surface of the eye is called, “photokeratitis”. The incidence of photokeratitis increases when in the snow or on the water because of increased reflections. Most of us know the pain of a sunburn on our skin, a sunburn on the eye hurts much worse and causes the vision to be blurry until it heals.

Other eye tissues are permanently damaged by ultraviolet(UV) light. The conjunctiva, the white of the eye can develop benign bumps called pinguecula. Pinguecula are not dangerous, but they can become inflamed and red. They typically have a yellowish appearance. Cataracts, (a clouding of the lens in the eye) worsens with UV light exposure. The retina is also susceptible to UV damage. Damaged retinal tissue, especially the macula can lead to severely reduced vision.

Sunscreen protects your skin from overexposure to the UV rays, sunglasses protect the structures of your eyes and the skin tissues around them. Read how to select quality sunglasses in an earlier blog.

Category: Eye Health