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标签： doctors of optometry

发表于 通过 Dr. Melody Tong

Is it true that eating carrots can improve my vision?

拍摄者 Nick Fewings 在 不飞溅

It is often said that eating carrots will help you see better due to the high amounts of vitamin A. Although vitamin A plays an important role in our vision, it is unable to improve the quality of our vision. Vitamin A is able to prevent diseases such as macular degeneration which can result in severe vision loss if left untreated.

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is derived from beta-carotene which acts as an antioxidant. This is essential in protecting our cells against heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. Deficiency in vitamin A is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children across the world. Due to this, it is important to have some type of source for vitamin A such as carrots, eggs, spinach, or broccoli.

What does Vitamin A do for our eyes?

Vitamin A allows us to produce pigments needed in-order for the retina to function properly. Without these pigments, it would become much more difficult to see in the dark leading to eventual night blindness. Lack of vitamin A can also lead to a lack of nourishment to the cornea resulting in the eyes not producing enough moisture to keep the cornea lubricated. This can lead to our eyes becoming dry which can result in severe complications such as ulceration of the cornea and eventual blindness if not appropriately treated.

发表于 通过 Dr. Elisa Xiao

Are Cosmetic (Color) Contact Lenses Safe?

photo credit: drtavel.com

Cosmetic contact lenses or colored contact lenses may seem harmless but can lead to severe eye problems or loss of vision if not fit by an eye specialist. You need to have a prescription for contact lenses as they are deemed medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Non- prescription contacts can create problems due to issues such as poor fitting or unclean packing/creation.

When contact lenses not specifically fitted and sized for your eyes are worn, the cornea may be scratched, potentially leading to the following:

  • Painful corneal abrasion
  • Decreased vision
  • Redness, soreness, itching
  • 对光敏感
  • Allergic reactions
  • Corneal ulcers

Eye infections are also very common in non-prescribed contact lenses and may lead to the following:

  • Persistent eye pain
  • Decreased vision
  • 对光敏感
  • Discharge from the eye (this could be green/yellowish mucus like or more watery)

Discussing your options and proper contact lenses hygiene with an eye care professional, having the
proper measurements of your eyes taken, and getting a valid prescription is an easy way to avoid these
potentially life changing complications.

发表于 通过 Dr. Sherman Tung

Interested in Refractive Eye Surgery?

Photo credit: iris.ca

In the case of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia refractive surgery can help either reduce or eliminate the need for glasses/contacts and improve vision. Good candidates include:

  • Patients with stable unchanging refractive errors
  • Patients with thick healthy corneas and good overall ocular health
  • Patients whose lifestyle/expectations match the surgery they choose

Candidates may have limited options or should avoid refractive surgery if they have:

  • thin corneas
  • severe dry eye
  • extreme levels of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism
  • corneal scars
  • cataracts
  • history of eye infections or an active eye infection
  • diabetes
  • glaucoma

What to expect with refractive eye surgery

Before your surgery, your optometrist will:

  • Discuss options and expectations associated with the different types of refractive eye surgery
  • Test your vision
  • Measure the surface and thickness of your cornea
  • Double check if any other existing conditions may complicate or prevent a successful outcome

During your surgery, your doctor will:

  • Instill numbing eye drops
  • Instill devices around your eyelids to prevent blinking
  • Have the patient will stare at a target light to prevent from moving
  • Clicking sounds, duration, other details may vary between different types of surgeries

After your surgery, you will:

  • Use a see through shield to protect your eye while it heals for a few days
  • Apply eye drops to reduce dryness and promote healing
  • Experience varying amounts of scratchy/burning sensations temporarily

Be sure to discuss with your eye care provider about the varying types of refractive surgery options and if they are right for you. Some of these include: LASIK, PRK, ICL, LRI, SMILE etc.

发表于 通过 Dr. Elisa Xiao

Is it Blepharitis?

Blepharitis is when you have inflammation of your eyelids. Sometimes the cause is from skin conditions
such as dandruff or rosacea while other times the cause could be from overpopulation of bacteria or
even parasitic mites called demodex.

Image from: https://www.allaboutvision.com

Some signs or symptoms you may be experiencing include:

  • Red, swollen eyes
  • A gritty or burning sensation in your eyes
  • Excessive tearing or itching
  • Dry eyes or crusted eyelashes
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Dandruff-like scales on the eyelashes
  • Blocked eyelid glands
  • Eyelashes may fall out of be misdirected inwards causing damage to the cornea
  • Increased risk of infection

So what can you do?

With so many varying signs and possible causes it is important to have a comprehensive eye exam in
order to determine the type of blepharitis you may have. Once determined a specified treatment plan
can be made to manage the condition. Luckily, in many cases taking care of your eyelid hygiene,
whether in office or at home, is a simple enough method in keeping the symptoms of blepharitis at bay
and from affecting your daily life. It is important to remember that this will likely be a long term plan.
Treatments in office or at home may help jump start your recovery, but proper hygiene must be
maintained overtime, or the symptoms of blepharitis may return.

At-home ocular hygiene tips:

  • Frequently wash your the scalp and face
  • Warm compresses to help soften crust and help unclog oil glands present in eyelids
  • Use artificial tears (often helpful when placed in the fridge to bring down inflammation)
  • Limit or stop using eye makeup during treatment, as it makes lid hygiene more difficult.
  • Nutrition changes/supplements such as omega-3s

More severe cases may warrant in-office treatments:

Photo credit: Eye Health Shop, 2023

  • Intense Pulsed Light therapy, involving the application of bright red light pulses to your eyelids
  • BlephEx®, which involves cleaning your eyelid margins with microblepharoexfoliation.
  • Lipiflow or other dry eye focused treatments may be used concurrently
  • Depending on your case antibiotics or steroids or tea tree oil products may be prescribed
  • Products may be available in office to complement treatment, such as BIHOCL or eyelid scrubs
发表于 通过 Dr. Sherman Tung

我需要验配隐形眼镜吗？

图片来自 rawpixel.com 在 Freepik 上

为什么我需要验配隐形眼镜？您知道眼镜处方和隐形眼镜处方是不一样的吗？验光师为您验配隐形眼镜时，会确保以下几点：

  • 您的眼睛健康状况良好，可以佩戴隐形眼镜。但如果您患有干眼症或过敏性结膜炎等眼部疾病，则需要先进行治疗才能佩戴隐形眼镜。角膜瘢痕、营养不良和/或角膜表面不规则等眼部疾病可能需要配戴特制隐形眼镜。.
  • 我们会根据您的生活方式，为您推荐合适的隐形眼镜类型。我们会根据您的职业、课外活动和其他需求，帮助您确定日抛型、双周抛型或月抛型隐形眼镜哪种更适合您。.
  • 找到舒适贴合、视力良好的隐形眼镜。我们会测量您的眼睛，为您挑选合适的镜片。许多公司生产隐形眼镜，每家公司都有自己的一套参数。我们会检查镜片是否过紧或过松，眨眼时镜片的移动情况，以及镜片是否位于眼球中心。我们还会确保您的双眼远近视力都良好。.

此外，我们首先会对新佩戴隐形眼镜的人士进行培训，指导他们如何安全地佩戴和摘取隐形眼镜。我们会详细讲解清洁流程，确保镜片得到安全处理，因为镜片上任何蛋白质和碎屑的积聚都可能损伤角膜。.