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Tag: eye doctor

Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

How can I have Dry Eye if my eyes feel watery?

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Tearing

Tears are needed to keep the eye’s front surface healthy and to maintain clear vision. It is
common to temporarily produce excess tears when you are emotional, laughing, coughing,
vomiting, experiencing strong taste sensations, or yawning.

Types of Tears

photo credit: allaboutvision.com

Different types of tearing consist of basal tears, emotional tears, and reflex tears. Basal tears are your basic functional tears. They are released in tiny amounts to lubricate your ocular surface and keep it clear of any dust. These are vital for good vision and comfort. Emotional tears are triggered by strong feelings such as joy or sadness. Reflex tears result from irritation in the eye by foreign bodies, or from the presence of irritant substances in the environment. They can also occur with bright lights hot or peppery stimuli to the tongue and mouth, when we yawn, cough or even vomit. These types of tears are released in larger amounts than basal tears. Their goal is to protect one’s eye.

How can I have Dry Eyes if my eyes are so watery?

The two common causes of watery eyes are blocked tears ducts and excessive production of tears. The common cause of excessive production of tears is dry eye syndrome. This occurs due to the glands around our lid margins not producing enough oil resulting the tears drying up very quick. This lack of lubrication results in our eyes producing an abundance of tears to compensate.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Is it okay to buy glasses online? Do I really need an optometrist/ optician?

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When considering whether to buy your glasses online, at first it may seem more convenient and likely less costly. But the prescription given to you by your optometrist is only one piece of information that will determine how effective your glasses will be in improving your vision. Let’s consider the pros and cons:

Pros of buying online:

  • Wider selection of styles and colors
  • Many choices between different websites
  • Often can save on cost (but more on that later)

Cons of buying online:

  • You miss out on having a trained professional aid you in ensuring your glasses are the right fit in
    terms of comfort and effectiveness
  • Quality control of frames may often be sacrificed to maintain that low price you see online
  • Specific measurements such as PD, finding the best optical center, and measurements for
    progressives will either often be wrong or not available for online retailers
  • Prescription issues in general occur much more commonly when ordered online as opposed to
    in person

What could initially be seen as a way to save time and money in the first place may end up more costly for both in the long run if any of the above issues occur. In addition, common complaints with improperly selected glasses may include: headaches, fatigue, nausea/dizziness, eyestrain, glasses slipping off the nose, and pain/pressure marks on your nose/around the ears. Those with high prescriptions, children, complicated prescriptions, and multifocal prescriptions should especially consider in person options as opposed to online.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Can I Wear my Contact Lenses for Longer than I’m Suppose to?

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If I’m careful with cleaning, can I wear my dailies for more than 1 day?

Daily disposables are thinner and are made of a material that is not made to resist bacteria and buildup. So, if you try to clean or disinfect these thin lenses you may actually create breaks instead, further increasing infection risk. Using a compatible brand of soft contact lens rewetting drops to hydrate your daily disposables for comfort is acceptable.

What happens if I wear dailies for more than 1 day?

Wearing daily disposable contact lenses more than once puts you at risk for discomfort, dryness, corneal ulceration/scarring, and eye infections.

Differences between Dailies, Bi-weeklies, and Monthlies

Dailies are worn only for one day and discarded when you remove them, these are typically very thin and have a high water content. Natural deposits from your eyes build up easily on their surface, and they cannot be reused. This could mean more convenience but also, depending on how often you replace them, more costly.

Monthly or bi-weekly contact lenses are thicker than daily disposables. The thicker composition makes them more durable and long-lasting, and they are usually more resistant to drying out. However, they must be disinfected regularly in order to ensure healthy wearing.

Posted on by Dr. Melody Tong

What does my eye prescription mean?

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Eyeglass and contact lenses prescriptions can contain components and abbreviations that may be harder to decipher. Here are some of the common abbreviations and what they mean:

  • OD: or oculus dexter refers to your right eye
  • OS: or oculus sinister refers to your left eye
  • SPH: is the sphere and refers to the lens power required to help correct your vision. A (-) negative
    indicates nearsightedness and (+) positive indicates farsightedness
  • CYL: is the cylinder and refers to how much astigmatism you have if any. Astigmatism is caused
    by a cornea or lens that has a different shape than normal and multiple focal points.
    Astigmatism is very common.
  • AXIS: a number between 1 and 180, indicates exactly where the astigmatism appears on your
    eye
  • ADD: stands for the additional lens power needed to make it easier for you to read. This is seen
    on prescriptions for reading glasses or the lower portion of bifocal/progressive lenses
  • BO, BI, BU, BD stand for base out, base in, base up, and base down. These refer to the position
    of the prism on eyeglasses that correct double vision

For contact lenses you may see additional information such as the brand, mode of wear, and BC +
DIA.

  • BC: The base curve is the measurement that indicates the curvature and shape of your contact
    lenses. This is taken when the steepness or flatness of your cornea is measured.
  • DIA: The diameter is the measurement of the length that your contacts need to be to
    completely cover your cornea.
Posted on by Dr. Melody Tong

Are You Ready For Your Eye Exam?

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Having an annual eye exam is a great way to not only take care of your eyes but your overall health as well. Eye exams can detect early signs of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your next visit!

What to think about:

  • Have I noticed any eye problems such as blurry vision, flashes of light, floaters, redness, or double vision?
  • Are my daily activities being affected by my vision?
  • How do I take care of my contact lenses or glasses
  • Have I had any surgeries or injuries in my eyes that I could let the doctor know about?
  • Any family history of eye conditions such as glaucoma?

What to bring:

  • Your current glasses or contact lenses even if you have multiple pairs for different tasks
  • A list of your medications/supplements you are taking
  • Have someone who can drive you home or a method of transportation ready for if you have your eyes dilated. This happens often in yearly eye exams and can make you sensitive to light and have blurry near vision (~4-6 hours)
  • Vision and health insurance information

Questions to ask:

  • Differences between contacts and glasses for you and how this compares to surgery options as well?
  • If anything has changed in my ocular health since the last visit?
  • What any symptoms you may have mean and what you can do to prevent them from getting worse or resolve?
  • When should I return for my next visit?

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Ever Heard of Computer Vision Syndrome?

Photo credit: healthjade.net

Almost everyone is guilty of spending an excessive amount of time on a screen and it is very common to feel symptoms of eyestrain and fatigue associated with digital use; this is known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or digital eye strain. As the name implies, excessive screen use causes stress on your eyes after reading or staring at a digital device for hours at a time. Some common symptoms of computer vision syndrome include eyestrain, headaches, dryness of the eyes, neck pain, and blurred vision over time.

Since it is unrealistic for us as optometrists to expect patients to avoid computers or excessive screen time, what are some ways to alleviate symptoms and avoid exacerbation of CVS? It is helpful to assess your desk or workstation for proper lighting and working distances. It is also important to be mindful of one’s posture throughout the day and ensure you are wearing proper visual correction such as glasses or contacts to avoid further eyestrain.

Photo credit: Ergomaker.com

Tips for avoiding eye strain

  1. Decrease the brightness of your screen
  2. Avoid letting yourself get closer to the screen throughout the day
  3. Take breaks (every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds)
  4. Wear an office or anti-fatigue lens while working
  5. Remember to blink consistently
  6. Stay hydrated

Following these simple tips will not only improve the way your eyes feel, but will naturally improve productivity, efficiency, and well-being throughout the day.

Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

Why Do I Need To Get My Eyes Dilated?

It’s not the most comfortable experience, but…

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Dilation is a crucial component of your eye exam. Dilating drops enlarge your pupils to allow more light to enter the eye, giving the doctor a better view of the interior and back of your eye. Think of it as looking through a keyhole – the larger and wider the keyhole, the more you can see into the room behind the door.

Why is dilation important?

  1. It enables your optometrist to more accurately determine your prescription by unmasking the effect of accommodation.
  2. It helps to identify eye conditions in children, such as amblyopia (lazy eye).
  3. It helps detect retinal conditions, glaucoma, and other neurological conditions
Photo by v2osk on Unsplash

If it’s so important, why isn’t it done in every eye exam?

Although it is recommended for everyone, dilation is not absolutely necessary for all patients and situations. Dilation can cause blurry near vision and light sensitivity for several hours after the drops are applied. To determine if dilation is needed and appropriate, your optometrist considers several factors:

  1. Age. The risk of eye diseases increases with age, so dilation is highly recommended for adults/seniors. In children, it helps to determine a more accurate prescription that is not masked by their accommodation system.
  2. Ocular history/ Family history. Having a history of eye diseases can predict your risk for developing certain conditions. Genetics plays a role in many ocular diseases.
  3. Overall health. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and other systemic conditions increase the likelihood of developing eye problems.
  4. Presenting symptoms. Symptoms that draw patients into the exam room may warrant a dilated exam. Flashes, floaters, or curtain veil over vision warrant immediate dilation, as they can be a sign of a serious condition.
Posted on by Dr. Melody Tong

What is Uveitis?

Photo credit: allaboutvision.com

Uveitis is inflammation inside your eye that usually occurs when your immune system fights an infection. It can also happen when your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your eye. Uveitis affects the middle layer of the eye, called the Uvea, resulting in white blood cells and proteins leaking. It can affect one eye or both eyes. Uveitis can affect anyone, but it is most common in people aged 20 to 60.

What are the symptoms of uveitis?

  • Blurry vision
  • Decreased vision
  • Eye pain
  • Red eyes
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Floaters

There are different types of uveitis.

  1. Anterior Uveitis: affects the iris (colored part of the eye) and is the most common type that affects the front of the eye
  2. Intermediate Uveitis: affects the middle of the eye
  3. Posterior Uveitis: affects the back of the eye
  4. Panuveitis: affects all parts of the eye

What causes uveitis?

The cause of uveitis is not always known. Infections, systemic inflammatory diseases, or an eye injury can all cause uveitis. Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of uveitis.

How is uveitis treated?

Your optometrist will most likely prescribe two eye drops: a steroid to reduce inflammation, and an eye drop to dilate the pupil to help with the pain and swelling. Uveitis can lead to permanent vision loss; therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications and preserve vision.

Posted on by Dr. Sherman Tung

Do I Need a Contact Lens Fitting?

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Why do I need to be fitted for contact lenses? Did you know your glasses prescription is different from your contact lens prescription? When an optometrist fits you for contact lenses, they are ensuring several things:

  • Your eye is healthy enough to be wearing contact lenses. Conditions such as dry eyes and allergic conjunctivitis need to be treated before you can wear contact lenses. Eye conditions such as corneal scars, dystrophies, and/or irregular surfaces may require a fitting with specialty lenses.
  • The contact lens is the right type for your life style. Based on your occupation, extracurricular activities, and other needs, we can help you determine whether dailies, bi-weekly, or monthly contact lenses will meet your needs.
  • Finding a comfortable fit with good vision. We take measurements of your eyes to fit you in a comfortable lens. Many companies make contact lenses, and each have a set of parameters they work with. We can check if a lens is too tight or too loose on your eyes, how the contact lens moves when you blink, and whether it is centered on your eye. We also ensure each eye sees well both at a distance and near.

In addition, we first train new contact lens wearers on how to safety insert and remove contact lenses. We will go over the cleaning process, to ensure that lenses are handled safely because any buildup of proteins and debris on the lenses can cause damage to the cornea.

Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

Eye Spy a Stye

Many people have experienced styes or have at least heard of it. But what really is a stye? How can we prevent or treat them?

Photo credit: Cleveland Clinic

A stye is a bacterial infection which involves one or a few of the glands at the base of your eyelashes. Often, it resembles a boil or a pimple, it may have a white head and be tender to the touch. Styes can be caused by buildup of Meibomian gland secretions or be idiopathic in nature (unknown cause). In rare worst-case scenarios, recurrent styes in the same spot can be a sign of sebaceous gland carcinomas.

It’s important to maintain good eyelid hygiene by using eyelid cleansers and warm compresses daily. This not only helps to prevent styes, but also alleviates symptoms related to dry eye and eyelash mites.

With styes, patients typically notice pain and discomfort that disappears within a few days. However, more serious cases can develop into pre-septal cellulitis with progressively worsening symptoms and require antibiotics.

Warm compresses help to speed up recovery and relieve discomfort, but if you don’t see improvements after 48 hours, you’ll want to contact your optometrist.