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Tag: kerrisdale

Posted on by 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
  • Sensitivity to light
  • 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
  • Sensitivity to light
  • 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.

Posted on by 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.

Posted on by Dr. Melody Tong

What is my Visual Field?

photo credit: Unsplash/pawelskor

Your visual field refers to the area in which you can see objects in all directions as you focus on a single central point. This test of your peripheral vision is simple, painless, and vital in diagnosing and tracking the progress of health conditions.

Are there different types of Visual Fields?

Confrontational Visual Field Test: The patient looks at an object in front of them with one eye covered. While looking at this object the patient will be asked how many fingers they see the doctor holding up in the patient’s periphery.

photo credit: morancore.utah.edu

Automated static perimetry test: The patient looks in the center of a bowl-shaped instrument called a perimeter. Lenses are placed in front of the patient’s tested eye while the other is covered with an eye patch. While looking at the center target, several flashes of light will appear in the patient’s periphery at which point they will use a clicker to indicate when they see them.

photo credit: healthjade.net

Kinetic visual field test: Similar to above but now moving light targets are used instead of blinking lights.

Who needs a Visual Field Test?

Visual fields can be helpful in diagnosing, treatment plans for, and monitoring various conditions such
as:

  • Glaucoma
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Thyroid eye disease
  • Strokes
  • Finding blind spots (scotomas)
  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension

Depending on your situation you may be recommended to take a visual field test again in a few weeks, a
few months, or a year.

Posted on by 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
Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

Why Do I Need To Get My Eyes Dilated?

It’s not the most comfortable experience, but…

Photo by Mārtiņš Zemlickis on Unsplash

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?

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

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.

Posted on by Dr. Elisa Xiao

Recognize the Signs of Macular Degeneration

Photo by FORMAT arw on Unsplash

Macular degeneration is a condition that affects our macula – the spot on our retina responsible for crisp central vision and color vision. As we age, debris can build up in the macula and create deposits known as ‘drusen’. The drusen are the first signs that macular degeneration are present and can cause blurry vision and distortion to one’s vision.

Symptoms to look out for:

  • Visual distortion (straight lines seem bent)
  • Trouble adapting to low light (eg. when entering a dark room)
  • Reduced intensity/ brightness of colors
  • Need for brighter light when reading/working
  • Blurriness of printed words
  • Difficulty recognizing faces
Adapted from: Photo by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash

Who gets macular degeneration?

This condition is most common in patients over 60 years old. Some other risk factors are those with high blood pressure, family history, smokers, Caucasian patients, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

How can I prevent macular degeneration?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise is the best way to ensure your eyes stay healthy for as long as possible. The AREDS 2 study has shown that certain vitamins are beneficial in preventing the progression of macular degeneration, however, these vitamins have the best effect in patients who have already began to show signs of macular degeneration.

It is important for everyone to get their eyes examined yearly in order to be able to see as clearly as possible, as well as check for any signs of eye disease or conditions that can affect one’s overall health in addition to the eyes.

Posted on by Dr. Melody Tong

Cataracts or Cadillac?

Photo by Vlad Sargu on Unsplash

What is a cataract?

If we are lucky to live long enough, we will develop cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in our eye. Think about the process of cooking an egg, instead of being clear, the egg becomes white and cloudy.

Similarly, our lens becomes white and cloudy due to damage from the sun and UV rays. This is why it is important to wear sunglasses, hats, and UV protection when we are outside. These preventative measures can slow or delay the process of developing cataracts.

Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Unsplash

How will I know when it’s time to remove a cataract?

When vision is substantially affected, usually 20/40 or worse, or when it becomes difficult to drive at night due to glare from headlights, along with the appearance of the cataract itself, is when your optometrist will recommend surgical removal of the cataract.

Can cataracts be prevented?

Unfortunately, there is no way to predict who will get cataracts at what age, and how fast they will progress, but the best way to delay the development of cataracts is to wear sunglasses, and use UV protection when outdoors. Fortunately, cataract surgery is an elective surgery that is not urgent. Overall, cataracts are very common diagnoses and are not a big cause for concern.