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Category: Eye Health

Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

Can Allergies Cause Dry Eye?

You might notice your eyes feeling dry and scratchy during allergy season, wondering if your seasonal sniffles and scratchy eyes are connected to that gritty, uncomfortable feeling. Your instincts are right—these 2 conditions often go hand in hand, and Eyelab Doctors of Optometry sees many patients dealing with this challenging combination that affects both children and adults.

Allergies can absolutely cause dry eye by disrupting your natural tear production and creating inflammation that affects how well your tear film protects your eyes. When you understand this connection, you can better manage both conditions with targeted treatments available through specialized eye care services.

How Allergies & Dry Eye Connect

When allergens enter your eyes, your immune system launches an inflammatory response that directly affects your tear glands. This inflammation can reduce the quality and quantity of tears your eyes produce.

Histamine release during allergic reactions disrupts your normal tear film, making it less stable and effective at keeping your eyes moist. You might also find yourself rubbing your itchy eyes, which wipes away the protective tear layer and makes dryness worse.

  • Allergic inflammation affects the tear glands
  • Histamine release disrupts the normal tear film
  • Eye rubbing from itchiness worsens dryness
  • Seasonal allergens can start both conditions at once

Learning more about dry eye disease can help you recognize when allergies are contributing to your discomfort and plan appropriate treatment.

Signs Your Dry Eyes Come From Allergies

Allergy-related dry eye often starts with watery, itchy symptoms that gradually turn into dryness as inflammation takes hold. You’ll typically notice your symptoms follow seasonal patterns or occur after exposure to specific allergens.

The combination of itching with dryness is a telltale sign that allergies are involved in your eye discomfort.

Watch out for:

  • Itchy, watery eyes that turn dry
  • Red, swollen eyelids
  • Symptoms worsen during specific seasons
  • Burning or stinging sensation
  • Gritty feeling in your eyes
  • Clear, stringy discharge

When It’s Allergies vs Other Dry Eye Causes

Allergy-related dry eyes often come with itching, while other forms of dry eye tend to focus more on burning or grittiness without the urge to rub. Your symptoms might spike during certain times of year or after exposure to pets, dust, or outdoor activities.

Other dry eye causes, such as aging or screen time, tend to cause more consistent symptoms that don’t follow seasonal patterns. If your eyes only bother you during the spring pollen season or around cats, allergies are likely the main factor.

Common Allergens That Start Dry Eye

Different allergens become active throughout the year, which explains why your dry eye symptoms might come and go with the seasons. Knowing your specific allergens can help you prepare for flare-ups.

Some allergens are present year-round in your home environment, while others peak during specific months when plants release pollen into the air.

Watch out for:

  • Tree pollen in spring
  • Grass pollen in summer
  • Ragweed in fall
  • Dust mites year-round
  • Pet dander year-round
  • Mold spores year-round 

Indoor vs Outdoor Allergens

Outdoor allergens like pollen tend to create seasonal patterns in your dry eye symptoms, with spring tree pollen often being the most problematic for many people. You might notice your eyes feel worse on windy days when pollen counts are high.

Indoor allergens like dust mites and pet dander can cause year-round dry eye issues that might seem less obvious because they don’t follow seasonal patterns. Your symptoms might be worse in bedrooms or living areas where these allergens concentrate.

Treatment Options That Actually Work

Managing allergy-related dry eye requires addressing both the allergic response and the tear-film problems it causes. The most effective approach combines allergen avoidance with treatments that restore healthy tear production.

At-Home Relief Methods

Preservative-free artificial tears can provide immediate relief without adding chemicals that might irritate already sensitive eyes. Cool compresses help reduce the inflammation that’s disrupting your tear production.

When Antihistamines Help & When They Don’t

Oral antihistamines can reduce the allergic response that’s creating inflammation in your tear glands, but they might also have a drying effect that makes your dry eye symptoms temporarily worse. Antihistamine eye drops often work better because they target the specific area without affecting your whole system.

You might need to balance allergy control with dry eye management, sometimes using artificial tears more frequently when taking oral allergy medications.

Professional Treatment for Persistent Symptoms

When home care isn’t providing enough relief, an eye doctor in Vancouver can offer specialized treatments that target both your allergic response and your dry eye symptoms. Professional treatment becomes important when ongoing discomfort affects your daily activities.

Specialized Dry Eye Management

Prescription anti-inflammatory eye drops can address the inflammation that’s disrupting your tear production, while punctal plugs help your eyes retain the tears they do produce. IPL therapy uses light energy to improve the function of oil glands around your eyes.

  • Prescription eye drops for inflammation
  • Punctal plugs to retain tears
  • IPL therapy for chronic cases
  • Custom treatment plans for your specific allergens

Why Children Need Special Care

Kids often can’t describe their dry eye symptoms clearly and might just complain that their eyes “feel funny” or rub them frequently. Children also tend to touch their eyes more often, which can worsen both allergic reactions and dryness.

Pediatric treatment focuses on gentle, preservative-free options and teaching kids how to avoid rubbing their eyes when they feel scratchy.

At Eyelab Doctors of Optometry, the team specializes in dry eye management and can help identify whether allergies are contributing to your symptoms. Contact the practice to learn more about comprehensive treatments that address both the inflammatory response and dry eye symptoms, providing lasting relief for you and your family.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Can Your Vision Improve?

Many people wonder if their eyesight can get better, either on its own or with a little work. However, the answer to whether your vision can improve isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s possible to manage some vision conditions, thereby improving how you see the world, but issues like nearsightedness can’t be reversed naturally.

For instance, targeted treatments like vision therapy can often help you manage issues related to your sight.

How Your Eyesight Can Change Over Time

It’s true that your vision can shift—and sometimes for the better. Your lifestyle, age, and overall health all play a part in how clearly you see.

Can You Train Your Eyes?

While eye exercises won’t help you get rid of your glasses, vision therapy can improve issues related to eye misalignment and focus. This therapy can help both children and adults achieve clearer, more comfortable vision.

Is Perfect Vision Possible Again?

Reaching “perfect” 20/20 vision through natural methods like exercise isn’t a realistic goal. However, professional treatments and therapies can manage many vision conditions effectively. This can lead to significant improvements in how well and how comfortably you see.

What Causes Dry & Irritated Eyes?

A common reason for uncomfortable vision is dry eye syndrome. This happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears or when your tears are of poor quality. This lack of moisture can make your eyes feel scratchy, look red, and cause blurry vision.

Common Signs of Dry Eye

  • A scratchy or burning feeling
  • Redness
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Blurry vision or fluctuating vision
  • A feeling like something is in your eye
  • Watery eyes—which is the body’s response to the irritation

Options to Relieve Dry Eye Discomfort

Managing dry eye often involves a combination of at-home care and professional treatments. As your optometrist in Vancouver, we can help you find the right approach for your needs. This may include treatments ranging from eye drops to in-office therapies that address the underlying cause.

Professional Dry Eye Therapy

For more persistent symptoms, your eye doctor may suggest specific treatments. These can include therapeutic eyelid masks or special products to gently clean your eyelids. In-office procedures can also help improve the function of the small glands on the edge of your eyelids (the meibomian glands) that produce oil for your tears.

The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

You may have heard about omega-3s for dry eye. These healthy fats are known to have anti-inflammatory effects. While some research questions their effectiveness, omega-3s may nonetheless help improve the eye’s oil film, which is a key part of healthy, stable tears.

How to Choose an Omega-3 Supplement

Getting enough omega-3s through diet alone can be difficult. If you’re considering taking a supplement, look for one that’s high in EPA instead of DHA. The form of the omega-3 also matters—triglyceride (TG) forms are absorbed more easily by the body compared to the ethyl ester form.

Active Ways to Support Your Child’s Vision

When it comes to your child’s vision, proactive care is key. Conditions like myopia—or nearsightedness—can get worse as they grow. While these conditions can’t be reversed, we do have strategies to manage them and support your child’s overall visual development.

An Introduction to Myopia Control

Managing childhood myopia involves treatments aimed to control the condition. This approach goes beyond standard glasses that just correct blurry distance vision and involves treatments like orthokeratology (ortho-k), prescription eye drops, or therapeutic eyeglass lenses that slow the rate at which myopia gets worse.

How Vision Therapy Can Help

Vision therapy is designed to help with issues like eye misalignment, eye coordination, focus, and other visual skills. Think of it like physical therapy for the eyes and brain—it helps them work together more efficiently.

When to See Your Eye Doctor in Vancouver

If you or your child experiences new or persistent visual symptoms, you should let a professional take a look. We can assess your eye health and find the source of the problem.

Beyond visits for specific issues, we also recommend regular eye exams. For children, annual exams help catch any issues early, from myopia to challenges with visual skills that can affect their learning. For most healthy adults, we recommend an eye exam every 1–2 years,

Protect Your Family’s Vision

Your family’s eye health is our primary focus. At Eyelab Doctors of Optometry, we’re here to help you navigate everything from dry eye discomfort to your child’s developing vision. Feel free to contact us to request an appointment and discuss your family’s needs.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Does Omega-3 Help With Dry Eye?

If your eyes feel scratchy, burning, or just plain uncomfortable, you might be experiencing dry eye. This condition can disrupt your day and make simple tasks like reading or using a computer feel like a chore.

If you’re living with dry eye, you might be wondering if supplements make a difference. Omega-3 fatty acids can play a supportive role in managing dry eye symptoms by helping improve the quality of your tears. Your optometrist can offer advice about how much Omega-3s to take and what other supplements might support your health.

What Are the Signs of Dry Eye?

Dry eye is a common medical condition that happens when your tears can’t provide enough lubrication for your eyes. This tear instability can lead to discomfort and a range of different symptoms. You might notice a few of these signs:

  • A stinging or burning feeling
  • Scratchiness
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Red eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Watery eyes (the body’s response to the irritation)

The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Eye Health

Types of Omega-3

There are three main types of omega-3s—EPA, DHA, and ALA. EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish and are thought to have the most direct health benefits for your body. ALA is found in plant sources like flaxseed and nuts, but your body has to convert it to the more useful EPA and DHA forms. Current studies show that EPA and DHA are more beneficial for improving the function and quality of the meibomian glands, while there isn’t sufficient data on the efficacy of ALA.

How Omega-3 May Affect Dry Eye

Omega-3 fatty acids can help improve the function of your meibomian glands. These glands are located in your eyelids and produce the essential oil layer of your tear film. This oil prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly, and better oil quality can lead to fewer dry eye symptoms.

Get Omega-3 from Your Diet vs. Supplements

Food Sources of Omega-3

You can increase your omega-3 intake by adding certain foods to your diet. Good sources include:

  • Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, & sardines (EPA/DHA)
  • Flaxseed & chia seeds (ALA)
  • Shellfish (EPA/DHA)
  • Leafy green vegetables (ALA) 

While a healthy diet is a great start, it can be difficult to get a therapeutic amount of omega-3s from food alone.

Why Consider an Omega-3 Supplement

Supplements offer a direct and concentrated way to get specific amounts of EPA and DHA. This makes it easier to achieve the dose that may help with dry eye relief, although research on their effectiveness continues to evolve. It also removes the concern of consuming too much fish, which often contains mercury.

How to Choose a Good Omega-3 Supplement

Look for the Re-esterified Triglyceride (rTG) Form

Omega-3 supplements come in different forms, and not all are created equal. The triglyceride (TG) form is the natural structure found in fish. rTG is a form of fish oil that has been purified and processed to be more easily absorbed by the body compared to other forms like the synthetic ethyl ester (EE) form.

Check EPA & DHA Amounts

Always read the label to see how much EPA and DHA are in each capsule or serving. For dry eye, a supplement with a higher ratio of EPA to DHA is often suggested. The right dose depends on your needs, so it’s a good idea to discuss it with your optometrist.

Read the Label for Quality & Freshness

A quality supplement should be purified to remove toxins like heavy metals. It’s also important to check the expiration date. Fish oil can go bad, and rancid oil is less effective and may even be harmful to your health.

Other Supplements & Professional Dry Eye Treatments

Can Supplements Replace Eye Drops?

Omega-3 supplements are not a replacement for other dry eye treatments like artificial tears. Instead, they can be part of a broader, personalized plan to manage your symptoms effectively. Think of them as one helpful tool in your toolbox for eye comfort.

Other Options for Dry Eye Relief

Besides omega-3, other supplements like lutein and zeaxanthin can support your overall ocular health. Your treatment plan may also include preservative-free eye drops, eyelid warming masks, or in-office therapies.

Your Personalized Plan from an Optometrist in Vancouver

Dry eye has many causes, so a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work. That’s why the first step toward relief is should be a comprehensive eye exam. We can determine the cause of your symptoms and create a personalized treatment plan just for you. This plan might include nutritional advice, supplements, or in-office therapies to help you find lasting comfort.

At Eyelab Doctors of Optometry, we’re here to support your family’s eye health with a friendly and knowledgeable approach. Contact us to request an appointment and take the first step toward comfortable vision.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Astigmatism vs Myopia: How Are They Different?

Two cheerful kids with prescription glasses standing in front of a chalkboard.

Noticing your child squinting at the television or holding books unusually close can generally mean one thing: it’s time to visit their eye doctor.

Astigmatism and myopia are 2 common refractive errors affecting children today. While both cause blurry vision and eye strain, they’re fundamentally different conditions that require distinct treatment approaches.

Myopia leads to blurry distance vision, while astigmatism can lead to blurry vision at all distances. Other key differences include:

  • Underlying cause 
  • Progression patterns 
  • Visual symptoms 
  • Age of onset

Staying on top of your child’s health includes keeping up with annual eye exams. The sooner we identify any concerns, including refractive errors, the sooner we can take action.

What Is Myopia?

Better known as nearsightedness, myopia occurs when your child can see nearby objects with ease, but distant objects, such as the TV or whiteboard, appear blurry. It happens when the eye grows too long or when the cornea is too curved. As a result, when light enters the eye, it focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it, hence blurry distance vision.

With more screen time and less exposure to natural light, myopia is on the rise, particularly in children, as it usually begins in childhood and tends to worsen over time.

Watch for these common indicators of myopia:

  • Sitting too close to the television or computer screen
  • Complaints of headaches or eye strain
  • Difficulty seeing the board at school
  • Holding books or devices very close to their face
  • Frequent eye rubbing

Children with myopia typically find it easy to focus on tasks like reading or drawing, but struggle when it comes to seeing the board or keeping their eye on the ball during recess. Because children with myopia may struggle to see clearly during physical activities, they might feel less confident participating. Combined with less time outdoors, this could contribute to myopia progression.

What Is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism stems from an irregularly shaped cornea or lens. Instead of being perfectly round, the cornea or lens has a more oval shape, similar to a football. This irregularity prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, resulting in blurry or distorted vision, typically at all distances.

Unlike myopia, which has a single focal point in front of the retina causing distance vision to appear blurry, astigmatism involves two focal points—either in front of the retina, behind it, or one of each. This causes the eye to constantly shift focus between these two points, leading to symptoms like headaches, eye strain, and visual blur. The goal of vision correction is to align both focal points directly onto the retina, and the treatment depends on where those focal points fall.

Children with astigmatism might experience:

  • Eye strain and fatigue
  • Headaches, especially after reading or close work
  • Difficulty with night vision
  • Squinting or tilting their head to see better
  • Trouble distinguishing between similar letters like “H” and “N”

Because astigmatism affects vision at all distances, children might not realize their vision isn’t normal. They may adapt by squinting or tilting their head to find the clearest point of focus.

This is precisely why annual routine eye exams play a monumental role in children’s vision, and in turn, their learning and development. The sooner we detect these concerns, the better we can support them.

A young child sitting in an exam chair at the eye doctor, wearing trial lenses to help assess their vision.

Astigmatism vs Nearsightedness

Though the changes in eye shape may seem subtle, they cause important differences between astigmatism and myopia in how they affect vision:

  • Visual acuity patterns: With myopia, close-up vision remains clear, and distance vision is blurry. Astigmatism can cause blurry or distorted vision at all distances, depending on its severity.
  • Underlying cause: Myopia develops because the eye is too long or the cornea is too curved. Astigmatism stems from an irregular, oval cornea or lens. 
  • Progression patterns: Myopia often worsens during childhood and adolescence, while astigmatism can remain stable in many children, but it may also change over time, especially during growth spurts, after surgery, or with eye disease (e.g., keratoconus). 
  • Visual symptoms: With myopia, vision becomes blurrier as distance increases. With astigmatism, blurriness and distortion stay the same, regardless of the distance. 
  • Age of onset: Myopia usually develops between the ages of 6 and 14 and often worsens during adolescence, while astigmatism is often present from birth, though it can also change or appear later in life.

On a greater note, children can have both conditions simultaneously. When this occurs, they may experience symptoms from both myopia and astigmatism, underscoring the importance of routine exams for an accurate vision prescription.

How to Treat Astigmatism

A better way to frame this is how we correct or manage astigmatism. Treating a refractive error tends to push the notion that we can go in and alter the eye’s shape, which isn’t the case.

The good news is that we can easily correct astigmatism with a few options. It’s our role to find the option that aligns with your child.

Glasses

Glasses are likely the treatment people are most familiar with. These have cylindrical lenses that correct the irregular curvature, allowing light to focus properly on the retina.

Modern lens technology has made glasses lighter, more durable, and more comfortable for children. The fun part is always finding a new pair of frames!

Contact Lenses

Toric contact lenses can be a great option for older children who are active or prefer the “no glasses” look. That said, contact lenses require proper hygiene and care, making them ideal for older, responsible children.

Orthokeratology Lenses

Orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses are specialty contacts that are worn overnight. As you sleep, these lenses gently reshape the cornea, providing clear vision during the day without glasses or contact lenses.

How to Treat Myopia

We can’t “cure” myopia, but we can prevent it from worsening by using myopia control therapies. The sooner we start, the better, as children’s eyes tend to be more responsive to these treatments.

Correcting Myopia

Comfortable and easy to maintain, glasses are a tried and true option for managing myopia in children (and people of all ages).

Contacts can be a great option for older children who are ready to take on the responsibility of contact lens care. Daily lenses are a great option for first-time wearers.

Myopia Control Strategies

Whereas standard glasses and contacts focus on correcting the refractive error, myopia control therapies focus on slowing its progression. Here’s a closer look at the therapies our clinic offers:

  • Low-dose atropine eye drops 
  • Orthokeratology lenses 
  • Multifocal contact lenses 

A consultation with our team helps us tailor the right treatment plan for your child.

Support Strong, Healthy Vision

If you notice your child squinting or rubbing their eyes, it might be time for an eye exam. Thankfully, we can correct refractive errors, including astigmatism and myopia, with the right prescription and strategies.

Creating a supportive environment for your child’s eye health involves more than making sure they wear their glasses or contacts. It also means working closely with their eye doctor. Connect with our Eye Lab Doctors of Optometry team to book an appointment for your child’s routine eye exam today.