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The Scariest Word in Eye Care

Astigmatism – a long, hard to pronounce word that strikes fear to the faces of patients every day. Follow up questions include, “Am I going to go blind?”

Rest assured, astigmatism is not a disease or pathology, it is simply a condition that causes blurry vision quite similar to nearsightedness or farsightedness. In fact, astigmatism to some degree is extremely common. Slight amounts of astigmatism may not even affect your vision, but larger amounts can cause distortion, blurry vision, eyestrain or headaches.

Technically, astigmatism is when your eye has two different focal points, thus preventing a sharp image from being focused on the back of your eye. This most often results from your cornea, the clear part in the front of your eye, not being perfectly round.

The example we often use is to relate your cornea to the shape of a football rather than a basketball. When light rays enter your eye from different directions, they are focused in different places. And because your eye cannot focus what you’re look at into a single point, your vision is blurry at all distances.

There is usually no specific cause of astigmatism, although genetics certainly can be a factor. Most people have it from birth. Other ways astigmatism may develop is from the lens inside your eye not being round, from an eye injury or from an eye disease.

One such disease is keratoconus, where the cornea becomes progressively thinner and cone shaped. Early keratoconus causes symptoms of astigmatism, which can progress to severe astigmatism requiring special contact lenses or possibly a corneal transplant.

Astigmatism can be detected with a comprehensive eye examination from your Optometrist. The tests are the same as any complete exam – we check your visual acuity, the curvature of the front of your eye, and what prescription lenses you may need to see better. All of this information together helps to determine if you have astigmatism and to what degree, as well as any correction to help you see your clearest.

Astigmatism is a common and easily correctable condition affecting millions of people. You shouldn’t fear the diagnosis, you should only correct your vision and check your eye health to ensure your are seeing at your optimum level.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care, a family Optometry practice in Palmetto Bay, Florida. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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Tags: Astigmatism, clarin eye care, contact lens, cornea, Health, Keratoconus, optometrist, optometry, Visual acuity

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McDonalds Worker Serves As a Warning to Us All

Fast food giant McDonalds recently had to pay a former employee who became partially blind while working at one of their restaurants. The employee attempted to unclog a drain in the restaurant, but when the first attempt at using a sulfuric acid-based cleaner did not work, he poured a second bottle into the pipe.

The contents of the second bottle blew back into the employee’s face and into both of his eyes. Following treatment, he regained almost all of the vision in his right eye but only about 55% in his left eye.

This serves as a warning about household cleaners and chemicals and the possible effects in your eyes. Some substances only burn or sting, but are relatively harmless, while others can potentially cause serious long-term injuries.

If you do get a splash of a chemical in your eye, immediately wash your eye under a steady stream of water for 15 minutes. Allow the water to run into your open eye to wash out as much of the chemical as you can. Next, call your eye doctor or go to an emergency room. Remember to tell the doctor exactly what substance got into your eye and what you’ve done about it.

Chemical burns can cause blindness, so anytime you get a foreign substance in your eye it’s important to take it seriously. The most important step is washing out your eye, then calling your eye doctor.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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Tags: chemical burn, clarin eye care, Eye care professional, eye doctor, vision loss

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Can Video Games Actually Improve Your Eyes?

To the dismay to parents everywhere, recent studies have come out showing that video games can actually improve some aspects of vision.

For one, playing fast-moving action games is shown to increase hand-eye coordination. Kids learn to respond quickly to a visual stimulus, thus speeding up their response time.

Another use for video games is for children with amblyopia, a condition where one or both eyes never develop 20/2o. Forcing a child to use their weak eye can help exercise and improve vision. Using video games has actually shown even better results by teaching the brain to pay more attention and respond faster.

Of course everything is better in moderation, so too many video games can casue eye strain. Frequent breaks are needed especially for small hand-held games like the Nintendo DS or PSP. Just as with computers, it’s always best to use the 20-20-20 rule– for every 20 minutes of work, take a 20 second break and look at least 20 feet away. That will decrease the strain and discomfort on your eyes.

Remember parents, assuming the homework is done, there are worse things for the eyes than video games. But rest assured, I won’t volunteer that information while examining your child!

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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How Video Games Reorganize Your Brain [Science] (kotaku.com)
Gaming the Brain (psychologytoday.com)

Tags: Action game, amblyopia, clarin eye care, eye care, eye doctor, Eye–hand coordination, Games, optometrist, optometry, vision care, vision correction

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How Social Media is Changing Health Care

Online chatrooms and forums have always been a place where people are more open and speak more freely, often sharing intimate information that they’d have a hard time telling a close friend. Now drug companies and doctors are using social media, blogs and online forums to gather information on patients that they may be reluctant to share with their doctor.

People tend to be more open on the internet because it’s just them and a machine, a sense on anonymity allows them to open up about things they may otherwise hide. Things like side effects of medications, experiences in a particular doctors office or just talking honestly and openly about their illness.

So companies are now trying to mine this cloud of information to increase patient care and improve patient outcomes. From InformaionWeek:

One of the early market leaders is PatientsLikeMe, which offers an online data-sharing platform for patients with “life-changing” illnesses. About 80,000 people participate in 11 disease communities, including ALS, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and other mood disorders, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, organ transplants, and Parkinson’s.

Obviously, online health forums aren’t new, people have been discussing their illnesses, symptoms and medical conditions since the days of dial-up. What is new is the ability to track and analyze the information in the interest of patient care.

The future may be even more exciting. It’s possible to imagine a world where we can track the spread of the flu by patients just posting when and what symptoms they have. Or your doctor’s office using an electronic health record that uploads medications and side effects automatically. This information can be quickly analyzed and can alert doctors to changes they may otherwise have missed.

We’re still in the infancy of social media with respect to health care, but the possibilities are endless.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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Medical Monday: Making Online House Calls? Will The Internet Change How Doctors See Patients? (ogilvypr.com)
David Harlow Keynotes on Health Care Social Media and the Law at Annual Healthcare and the Internet Conference (healthblawg.typepad.com)
Should Doctors Tweet Between Patients? (33charts.com)

Tags: clarin eye care, Electronic health record, eye care, Health care, optometrist, optometry, PatientsLikeMe

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When Should Your Child Have Their First Eye Exam?

When I ask most parents about their children’s eyes, almost all of them tell me they had an eye exam at their pediatrician‘s office. I’m here to tell you that that is far from a comprehensive eye exam.

Pediatrician’s offices are good at screening for large distance vision problems, but there is more to vision than just reading the 20/20 line. On the same note, I’ve seen a lot of kids who passed a ‘school screening,’ but get to my office and absolutely need glasses. In fact, if you just do an eye chart you miss 50% of eye problems.

Nearly all farsighted children will pass a vision screening, and most in fact won’t require glasses. But as an Optometrist with you child’s best interest in mind, I want to know their exact prescription and make sure we’re not missing any problems.

Vision is responsible for 80% of what kids learn, so it’s important to make sure they can see clearly and comfortably. That’s why I recommend every child has a comprehensive eye exam before they start kindergarten. It’s so vital to make sure your youngster starts school seeing their best, to ensure they get off on the right foot and have every advantage to excel at school.

When I do a pediatric exam, of course I test distance vision. I also test your child’s ability to use both eyes together and focus at near. I look for symptoms of headaches, trouble reading, or subtle eye turns.

Our office is very kid friendly and we work closely with many pediatricians. And even though taking your child to yet one more doctor’s appointment may seem like a chore for both of you, just know that visiting the eye doctor is not likely to be as upsetting for a youngster as visiting the pediatrician. As I tell all of the kids to put them at ease, we don’t have shots, only letters and a flashlight.

Pediatric exams are fun and rewarding for us, knowing that we are integral in your child’s overall eye and health care.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

Tags: Child, children, clarin eye care, eye care, Eye care professional, eye doctor, eye exam, Eye examination, optometrist, optometry, Pediatrics, vision, vision care

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Don't Take Your Sight For Granted

By Nikki Temkin

How much time do you spend staring at the computer screen? Do you wear sunglasses outside? When was the last time you had your eyes checked? The answers to these questions may say a lot about the state of your eyes.

Many of us take our sight for granted yet, when asked, most people fear losing their sight more than any other sense. It may be true that medical advances have sometimes made it possible to correct vision, replace diseased parts of the eye and even heal some forms of blindness. But, if you’re lucky enough to have perfect vision now, taking care of your eyes is essential to keeping them perfect in the future.

Optometrists in a survey found that more than 14% of their patients had computer vision syndrome (CVS) – not surprising considering that humans weren’t designed to sit and stare at a screen all day. But, staring at a computer screen will most probably uncover your eye problems rather than cause them.

“The high visual demands of computer work and play make many individuals susceptible to the development of eye and vision-related problems,” says optometrist Jeffrey Anshel. “With the proliferation of portable electronic devices such as laptops, palm pilots and video game players, it’s no surprise eye-care professionals are seeing more patients who complain of ocular discomfort.”

The increased use of smaller, portable work and recreational gadgets such as smartphones and tablet computers may contribute to eye fatigue. “Eye stress and strain may be caused by a combination of individual visual problems, improper viewing habits and poor environmental conditions, such as glare, improper workstation set-up, dirty screens, poor lighting and viewing angles,” says Anshel.

But, it’s not just computer geeks who need to be careful. Your genetics also play a role in the health of your eyes. If anyone in your family suffers from anything like macular degeneration (an eye disease in which the macula, a structure within the eye, gradually deteriorates, leading to decreased vision or blindness) or any eye disease, then be extra vigilant.

The best thing you can do for your eyes is to have an annual examination. Optometrist Brian Levin says: “Children should ideally have their eyes tested at the age of three. If you have a family history of eye problems such as early cataracts, then it may be possible to take a medication that will help to prevent this happening to you.”

In South Africa, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, affecting 160000 of an estimated 250000 blind population. Another important preventative measure is always to wear sunglasses when out in the sun as sun damage can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts. And remember, the sooner an eye problem is identified, whether it be poor eyesight or glaucoma, the more successfully it can be treated.

Tips for healthy eyes

Have an annual eye exam.
A red eye or a pain in an eye that doesn’t go away within a short time, or changes in your vision, need to be checked out.
Wear sunglasses with UV protection and a hat when you’re outside. This is especially important for anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors, such as golfers or gardeners.
A healthy diet and lifestyle is good for your eyes.
Smoking contributes to macular degeneration.
If you have a medical condition such as diabetes or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, you’re at an increased risk of developing a serious eye disease.

Use an anti-reflective coating on your lenses if you’re at the computer for extended periods to reduce the glare. Check that the contrast setting is not too bright and sit at least an arm’s length away from the computer screen. If you’re light sensitive, consider putting a small tint into the lens as well.
After every hour at the computer, take a five-minute break to relax your eye muscles. Also, blink more when you’re sitting at the computer and every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds.
Avoid always working at the computer from the same distance. Change your focus regularly.
Computers can give off a lot of heat, causing dry eyes. Use artificial tears to moisten the eye.
If you’re older than 50, consider a specialised pair of glasses for the computer.
Teach children not to hold books or computer games too close to them.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

Tags: clarin eye care, computer, Contact Lenses, eye care, eye doctor, eye exam, eyecare, glasses, optometrist, optometry, vision, vision care, vision correction

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Are progressive lenses for you?

Let me review a common scenario in our office:

A patient in their mid 40′s comes in, wearing over-the-counter reading glasses for a few years and tells me it’s finally time to get their eyes checked by a professional. Many times I find they have a small prescription for far away and they are greatly underestimating which over-the-counter glasses are nearest to their actual prescription.

Depending on the patient and his or her visual demands, I often recommend a progressive lens – a lens that’s as close as you can get to natural vision, allowing you to see far, near and in between, without taking your glasses on and off.

You begin to need progressive lenses when there is a different lens power to see far away and up close. This condition, called presbyopia, often happens after your 40th birthday when a normal, age-related process occurs that decreases the amount your eye can focus at near.

A progressive lens is set with your far away vision at the top, so if you look out straight ahead you see far away. As you look lower in the lens, the power gradually increases until you get to the ultimate prescription towards the bottom of the lens. This allows you to keep the glasses on your face and be able to see clearly at any and all distances, from the road signs at night to your computer, all the way to the tiny print on the back of a pill bottle.

At our practice, we always recommend high quality Varilux lenses – the industry standard in progressive lenses. All progressive lenses cause some peripheral distortion, both limiting the width of clear vision and causing a “swimming” effect when moving your head.

Both of these limitations are easily adaptable, assuming you have patience. It also helps if you start with a lens that provides the largest viewing area and least peripheral distortions. That’s exactly what a Varilux lens offers, and exactly what our practice wants to give our patients.

At Clarin Eye Care, we want our patients to be happy and satisfied with their eyewear. We want to go above and beyond to make sure you can see clearly and comfortably. When it comes to progressives, there is a lot to know so it’s important to trust your vision to a qualified professional.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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Tags: clarin eye care, eye care, eye doctor, eye exam, glasses, optometrist, optometry, progressives, vision care, vision correction

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Multifocal contact lenses `may affect night driving`

By Adrian Galbreth

People’s ability to drive at night may be affected depending on the type of contact lens they wear, a new study has suggested.

According to a research article published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, multifocal contact lens wearers tend to drive slower at night than people who wear other means of vision correction.

The research was led by Dr Byoung Sun Chu, formerly of the School of Optometry at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, who said that for patients who drive long distances and hours at night, medical professionals should carefully consider the best form of correction for presbyopia.

“One alternative is to prescribe the multifocal contact lenses for daytime use and a different correction for driving at night,” he suggested.

Recent safety advice issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health recommended that people who may have purchased coloured or decorative contact lenses over the Halloween period without a prescription should throw them away. ADNFCR-1853-ID-800227617-ADNFCR

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

Tags: clarin eye care, Contact Lenses, eye, eye care, eye doctor, eye exam, eyecare, optometrist, optometry, vision care, vision correction

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We're One Step Closer to 'The Terminator' With Artificial Corneas

For the first time, corneas created in the lab have been successfully transplanted and have the potential to restore sight to millions of visually impaired people waiting for transplants from human donors, researchers say.

“This is the first time we have been able to regenerate a cornea in humans,” said researcher May Griffith, PhD, of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “We are still in the prototype stage, but this shows that regenerating a human cornea is possible.”

More than 10 million people worldwide have impaired vision or blindness due to corneal damage, but only a small number are able to receive transplants from cadaver donors. Synthetic corneal replacements that are made from standard plastic are currently available but are only an option for a small percentage of those in need.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

Tags: blindness, clarin eye care, cornea, eye care, eye doctor, eye exam, optometrist, optometry, Transplant, vision care, vision correction, vision loss

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Another Reason Why It's So Important to Dilate Your Eyes

Ocular melanomas are the most common type of eye cancer and the second-most common form of melanoma, which affects almost 2,000 adults in the United States every year. This disease is most common in patients over 50, with the tumors arising from pigment cells situated just behind the retina. Up to half of people with this type of cancer eventually develop metastatic disease, which is universally fatal.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene linked to the spread of eye melanoma, an important step in understanding why some tumors spread and others don’t. They believe these findings could lead to more effective treatments.

The team found a specific mutation in a gene called BAP1 in 84 percent of the metastatic eye tumors they studied. Compare this to tumors that did not metastasize where the mutation was rare.

Metastasis is the most common cause of death in cancer patients, and there is little known about how and why the cancer cells become able to spread to other parts of the body. There is growing evidence, however, that mutations in so-called metastasis suppressor genes may promote the spread of cancer, while still having little to do with earlier stages of a tumor. Only a few such genes have been identified, but these new findings strongly implicate BAP1 as a suppressor gene.

Hopefully this new research leads to better diagnoses and treatment of this unfortunate eye disease.

This is another example of why our office places so much importance on dilation and Optomap retinal imaging. These are the only ways to see inside of your eye where harmful and potentially fatal conditions can occur without any outward signs or symptoms.

Remember, an eye exam is more than just blurry vision. Call your Optometrist for an appointment today.

This information is brought to you by Clarin Eye Care Center. Please call or contact our office for more information.

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Tags: blindness, clarin eye care, eye care, eye doctor, eye exam, eyecare, medical, optometrist, optometry, retina, vision, vision care, vision loss

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