Tag: Dry Eye

Sjogren’s Syndrome

Karen Griffith

 Sjogren’s is an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, including dry eyes and corneal infections, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas.

Most people with Sjogren’s syndrome are women. It can occur at any age and in any race, but most often shows up after age 40.

The immune system is supposed to fight disease by killing off harmful viruses and bacteria. But with autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks parts of the body by mistake. In Sjogren’s, the immune system attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. The damage keeps these glands from working properly and causes dry eyes and dry mouth.

Sjogren’s Syndrome is diagnosed with medical history, physical exam, specific eye and mouth tests and blood tests.

Treatment differs by what parts of the body are affected.

Treatment for the eyes includes artificial tears and ointments to protect the surface of the eye. Prescription eye drops such as Restasis and Xiidra suppress ocular inflammation . Punctal occlusion, temporary or permanent, prevent tears from draining from the eye.

Avoiding medications which cause dryness is helpful, this includes cold and allergy medicines, diuretics, some blood pressure pills, some antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants.

It’s natural to worry when you learn you’ve got a chronic condition that requires regular care. Most people with Sjogren’s stay healthy and don’t have serious problems.

For more information, Sjogrens.org

 

Visual Comfort at the Computer

Karen Griffith

computer and glasses

There are many symptoms of computer vision strain: eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, watery eyes, tired or burning eyes, squinting, and eye pain.
If you experience any of the above, here are a few things you can do now to improve your situation.
Lighting is one of the biggest problems. Light should be distributed equally to avoid discomfort. The overhead lights and windows are often too bright. If possible dim the lights over your computer and rearrange your workstation to avoid facing bright light sources such as a window. Use blinds to adjust the light allowed into the room.
If auxiliary lights are used they should be low wattage and not make the documents or desk brighter than the computer screen. Remember you are trying to equalize the lighting.
Workstation set-up is also within your control. Avoid reflective materials such as white or shiny surfaces. Desktops should be matte.
Lower the monitor and increase blink rate to reduce tear evaporation which contributes to dry eyes.

Take a Break. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20 second break every 20 minutes. Focus your eyes on images at least 20 feet away.

It is important to have an accurate spectacle or contact lens prescription for computer use. Often a prescription designed just for the computer can relief most eye symptoms. Call (707-762-8643) or schedule an appointment online to resolve your computer vision issues.

Why do we Blink?

Karen Griffith

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Blinking cleans the ocular surface of debris and flushes fresh tears over the ocular surface. Each blink brings nutrients to the eye surface structures keeping them healthy.
Human are meant to blink. Not only are we meant to blink, but we are meant to blink in a particular way and at a particular frequency that ensures the renewal and revitalization of the front surface of the cornea and conjunctiva.
Blinking cleans the ocular surface of debris (dead cells, mucus and the junk that blow in the wind). It rinses fresh tears over the ocular surface. The fresh tears bring nutrients and other substances to the surface structures keeping them healthy. It helps prevent infection and clears and brightens the image received by our retina. Blinking wets the outer eye and in the case of a contact lens wearer, replenishes the tear layer upon which the contact lens floats.

Normally, a blink brings tears from the lacrimal gland which is located above the eyeball and under the brow bone, and sweeps them across the eye surface. Infrequent and incomplete blinks cause the surface of the eye to “dry” between refreshing tears. A few things will cause us to blink less often – staring at a computer for example. The blink rate slows down when reading or concentrating on a task. Paying attention to our blink rate can decrease dry eye and discomfort.

Lid structure and bad habits can prevent us from closing the eye completely with each blink.  After an incomplete blink the lower part of the eye is left exposed and without fresh tears. This is called “lagophthalmos.” Some people sleep with the eye partially open causing dessication (dryness) of the lower portion of the cornea. Not only is this uncomfortable, but can cause scarring. Nighttime lubricants and habit changes are often required to prevent complications from lagophthalmos.

Pay attention to how often you blink and how you blink. Make sure your eyelids meet with each blink and that you avoid starring when concentrating on a task.

 

Improved Dry Eye Care

Karen Griffith 2 Comments

Dr Staton and I spent attended the UC Berkeley School of Optometry lecture and workshop on “Dry Eye Disease: the Latest Trends in Clinical Care and Scientific Research.” Many eye conditions cause feelings of dryness, plugged meibomian glandsdiscomfort, burning, foreign body sensation or blurred vision. “Dry Eye” is a general term that is more a symptom of ocular surface disease than a cause. Many people stop wearing contact lenses because of poor tear quality. The majority of dry eye disease is caused from obstruction of the meibomian glands. The meibomian glands are located in the eyelids and secrete meibum, a substance important to the tear quality and health of the front surface of the eye. The accurate diagnosis and management of dry eye requires special evaluation that extends beyond a standard eye exam.
We have been experimenting and testing different eye drops, eyelid cleaning solutions and heat compresses to find the most cost effective and best results. Some dry eye treatments require prescription eye drops, oral medications, and/or punctual occlusion.
Dry eye can cause significant discomfort and poor vision for the person suffering from it. We are planning to aggressively treat and control dry eye causes and symptoms. Don’t be surprised if either one of us asks you to schedule a dry eye assessment. Or you can be proactive and schedule yourself.
We are starting the dry eye clinic on Thursdays and will expand as demand requires.

Winter Eyes

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Winter winds and moisture zapping heaters can cause dry, red and irritated eyes.
Tears are essential for good eye health and clear vision. They bathe the eye, washing out dust and debris, and keep the surface moist and clear. The natural tear film also contains enzymes that neutralize microorganisms, reducing the risk of eye infections.
Tear FilmThe most common signs and symptoms of dry eyes are persistent dryness and irritation, scratchiness, a burning feeling in your eyes and red eyes. Oddly enough, dry eye syndrome also can make your eyes watery, as dryness can cause a protective overproduction of the watery component of your tears.

How to prevent dry eyes in winter

Cold winter wind outdoors and dry heat indoors can cause or worsen dry eyes. Follow these tips to keep dry eyes at bay.

  • Wear sunglasses or goggles. Wearing close-fitting sunglasses outdoors reduces exposure to sun and wind that can dry out your eyes. If it’s especially cold and windy, try foam-lined goggles that provide even greater protection from tear evaporation.
  • Supplement your diet. Fish oil and other nutritional supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent or relieve dry eye symptoms.
  • Drink more water. Mild dehydration often makes dry eyes worse, especially during dry and windy weather.
  • Switch contact lenses. If your contact lenses feel dry and uncomfortable, ask me about trying different lenses that are replaced more frequently and/or are better for someone with dry eyes.

Dry eyes may not be completely curable in certain cases, but the unpleasant Oasis Tearsdryness, scratchiness and burning sensation can be managed. We are carrying a new artificial tear called Oasis that contains long-molecule hyaluronic acid which keeps the moisture on the eye longer. Click here to read more about dry eye syndrome.

Long-Lasting Lubricating Eye Drop

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Not all eye drops are the same. Oasis TEARS is a new type of eye drop with a unique formula, optimized to provide long-lasting comfort. Some of the benefits of Oasis TEARS Lubricant Eye Drops:

  • Oasis TEARS offers instant relief of dry eye symptoms
  • It is natural and contains no damaging chemicals
  • Provides prolonged comfort with fewer applications
  • Provides moistening and lubrication to the surface of the eye
  • Eliminates the source of toxic irritation with preservative-free options

Oasis TEARS Lubricant Eye Drops coat, lubricate, and moisten delicate eye tissue. With each blink of your eye, a special substance in Oasis TEARS combines with the active ingredient, glycerin, to keep tears on the eye surface for a long time. This unique combination coats and recoats the surface of the eye for continued relief of dry and, irritated eyes. Use Oasis TEARS to relieve all dry eye symptoms any time of day. They work well for tired eye and discomfort related to computer vision syndrome.

Westside Optometry is pleased to offer Oasis TEARS for dry eye relief. To learn more about Oasis TEARS click here

Contact Lens Tip

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An easy way to make contact lenses more comfortable is to put a drop of artificial tears into the eye or onto the lens before putting on the contact lens. The scientific basis for this includes physical lubrication which enhances comfort by reducing dryness and protecting the cornea (surface of the eye). It also increases viscosity and lowers the tear film tension so the eye stays wetter.

In addition, the common ingredient in artificial tears is carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The CMC is negatively charged so it binds to the preservatives in the multi-purpose disinfecting solutions to decrease irritation.

If your contact lenses are uncomfortable and you find yourself taking the lenses out earlier each day or not even putting them in, call Westside Optometry to schedule an appointment.

Dry Eye and Diabetes

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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.