My 4 Eyes

Why Do My Glasses Make My Eyes Look Bigger

2012-02-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

There can be many annoying factors that come along with having a large amount of prescription in your eyes. The need for glasses, the need for thick, heavy lenses, and the way these lenses can affect your appearance.

Depending on your prescription (nearsighted or farsighted), your glasses can make your eyes look larger or smaller than they actually are. Or in other words, the lenses in your glasses can magnify the look of your eyes or minify the look. Why?

Hyperopia or farsighted prescriptions are made of a plus power lens or a convex lens. This type of lens brings the image one is looking at closer to focus in the eye properly. This type of refraction leads to a magnification affect of the image as well as the appearance of who is wearing them.

On the other hand, myopia or nearsighted prescriptions are made of a concave lens that causes the image to be displaced away from the lens or farther away. These negative power lenses make the eyes appear smaller than normal.

Appearance differences are most noticeable with larger prescription powers. Today we can reduce this significantly with higher quality materials and thinner lighter lenses.

Lenses such as hi-index lenses are made with a much thinner and lighter material. Utilizing this lens technology will significantly help reduce the amount of magnification or minification that appears. This technology will also provide better comfort and higher quality optics than traditional materials.

Gahanna Vision Center utilizes on the highest quality of lens technology. That is why Gahanna Vision Center was the first eye care facility in Central Ohio to offer their patients i.Scription Wavefront lenses by Zeiss. Learn more about Seeing Better at GahannaVision.com

Next Stop Sunshine

2012-02-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

Spring is right around the corner. Warm days and much need sunshine. The spring season's sunglasses collection is now available at Gahanna Vision Center.

Stop by and choose your new Sunglass Style today!

www.GahannaVision.com

How to Prevent Macular Degeneration

2012-02-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is one of the most serious ocular conditions that one may face in their lifetime. It carries a strong family and ethnicity linkage, and may present itself in a visually devastating fashion.

But for most, macular degeneration is a normal process of the aging eye. In fact it isn't far fetched to say that we all may develop some form of AMD if we are fortunate to live long enough. If that's the case, then why do some retain good vision and others do not?

The answer may lie in the risk factors for developing AMD. These risk factors are:

Family History / Race - Patients with fair skin and blue eyes are of a greater risk for developing AMD. Of course this is a genetic trait that we cannot prevent. AMD causes pigment cells to die or change, and patients with less of these pigmented cells in their macula will be affected much more.
Age - as the name suggest macular degeneration frequency increases with age. People age 66 to 74 have a 10% chance of showing signs of AMD and this number increases to 30% for patients 75 to 85 years old.
Oxidation - One of the most under-addressed preventable risk factors is oxidation damage that we create in our body. One of the most damaging oxidation process to our retina, and our body in general, is smoking. Smoking increases the risk of age related macular degeneration by 2-3 times. Another common oxidation stress is UV exposure. Proper sun protection with sunglasses reduce the amount of ultra-violet light that reaches the retina.
Diet - A diet with a high fat intake is associated with a higher risk of developing AMD.

Preventing age related macular degeneration may be a monumental, but not impossible task. Many risk factors such as Age, Family History, and Genetics we cannot control. However once can significantly reduce the risk of progression and severity by simple lifestyle changes.

Smoking - Smoking is one of the most preventable risk factors associated with macular degeneration. In fact is has been noted that white women that smoke are at the greatest risk for AMD.
Diet - Reducing our intake of fat to just 20-25% of our diet will greatly reduce the risk of AMD. Other positive diet changes is increasing our consumption of cold-water fish, at a minimum of twice weekly, increasing our diet of green leafy vegetables, fruits, and nuts, and decreasing our red meat consumption.
Anti-oxidants - As noted above, a diet loaded with antioxidants (Vitamin A, E, D, K) with combat much of the oxidation changes that occur in our body.
Annual Lifestyle Eye Exams - Preventative medicine begins with proper examination and care. At Gahanna Vision Center, Dr. Miller performs a dilated Macular Degeneration Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.
Retinal Photography - Patients are also strongly encouraged to choose elective Retinal Photography every year. Digital Retinal Photography is an important tool in preventive eye care. Using digital filters, your optometrist can identify many early signs of age related macular degeneration on a deeper level than traditional techniques alone. Other retinal photos, such as those taken by the Optos, do not offer the high-resolution technology necessary for such precise assessments.

New studies are currently under investigation (AREDS 2) that is expected to shed more precise light on the preventable measures of AMD. Until then it is important to follow these simple Lifestyle changes to ensure the best retinal health possible.

Gahanna Vision Center is a multi-specialty eye care facility in Columbus, Ohio. As a firm believer in the medical-model of Optometry, Dr. Miller performs an extensive Retinal Health Examination including Macular Degeneration Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.

Cataract Surgery for The Active Lifestyle

2012-01-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Cataract surgery can be one of the most eye opening experiences one has in their lifetime... literally. It can also be a very stressful experience when not knowing the full facts about ones options, and course.

The goal of cataract surgery is simple. Remove the cloudy lens (Cataract) that is difficult to see through, and replace it with a clear lens.

The added bonus that has been developed over the years is; why don't we put your glasses prescription in that implanted lens (Intraocular lens). This provides clear distance vision after surgery with the only need for glasses is at the computer or reading distances.

This is a great benefit to patients post cataracts. The only problem is, it is not good enough. The boomers are booming, their children are booming, and they expect better. They are leading very active, visually demanding, lifestyles, and need to be able to continue to achieve that vision in all fields of focus after surgery.

Today, at Gahanna Vision Center, we can offer these patients multi-focal implants for cataract surgery.

Over the last ten years there has been a technological revolution in the world of intraocular lenses used for cataract surgery. Today we can utilize multi-focal intraocular lenses. These lenses allow patients to achieve multiple fields of focus at distance, intermediate (computer), and near. The need for glasses after surgery is reduces significantly.

This technology does come at a cost. While most medical insurance carriers cover cataract surgery, as long as they deem it medically necessary, they do not cover the cost of these multi-focal implants. This can carry a cost for the patient on average of $2000 per eye. And, to achieve the highest quality of vision, both eyes should be implanted with the same brand of implants.

It is important to understand these cost so one can plan ahead and be prepared when the time comes for their cataracts to be removed.

To learn more about multi-focal intraocular lenses for cataract surgery schedule a Lifestyle Eye Exam at Gahanna Vision Center. Dr. Miller performs a complete Cataract Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.

*New* - You can now ask Dr. Miller any questions you may have about your eyes or your vision on Quora. Click here to view Dr. Miller's page and see many of the questions he has answered so far.

Are Bookworms More Nearsighted?

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years many breakthrough studies suggest, not that bookworms are more nearsighted, but that kids that participate in outdoor activities are less nearsighted.

Studies suggest that increased outdoor activity may contribute to slowed eye growth in both nearsighted (myopic) and farsighted (hyperopic) children. Additionally, non-myopic children participate in more hours of sports and outdoor activities during the school year. This extra time spent may help protect the eye against developing myopia or increasing the severity of myopia.

It is not completely understood if reading or watching television is directly related to the amount of myopia a child develops, but it appears that new research results will make a compelling case for it.

Other factors contribute heavily on whether a child is going to be nearsighted or not. Genetics and other environmental factors play crucial roles. If a child is determined to be myopic due to genetics that is the cards that are dealt. With this new evidence however, parents can take a proactive approach in helping reduce the risk of myopic progression.

-CM

Schedule a GVC Kid's Eye Exam today at Gahanna Vision Center

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid

2011-12-31T09:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!

Every New Years emergency rooms are filled with party goers, and innocent bystanders, with traumatic eye injuries from champagne corks.

According to the AAO, a champagne cork can pop at speeds up to 50 mph. A direct ocular hit can not only cause painful corneal abrasions and blinding retinal detachments, but could also cause the eye to rupture.

Orbital rupture is a true ocular emergency that if not properly treated can lead to loss of the eye.

So to help celebrate safely this New Years Eve follow these simple tips:

1. Chill the Champagne. A warm bottle's cork can pop unexpectedly.

2. Don't use a corkscrew to open a champagne bottle.

3. Play waiter. Use a towel to hold the chilled bottle while opening the cork with the palm of your hand just like a waiter would.

4. Don't shake the bottle.

5. Using the palm of your hand, open the bottle at 45 degrees facing away from you and everyone else in the room.

Use common sense and these simple tips and have a Happy New Years!

- CM

Gahanna Vision Center is a multi-specialty eye care facility in Columbus Ohio.

2011-12-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Gahanna Vision Center just received the latest in Ray-Ban Technology. No more worry about scratching up your sunglasses because you left your case at home, these Wayfarers transform to fit neatly into a small pocket sized sunglass case.

Watch the video below to see these amazing sunglasses in action:

Visit Gahanna Vision Center today to pick up your pair of these Transforming Ray-Bans and simplify your eyewear style.

Gahanna Vision Center is a multi-specialty eyecare facility in Columbus, Ohio.

Hitting a "Bull's Eye" with Plaquenil

2011-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

Plaquenil, or hydroxychloroquine, is a very common medication used for the treatment/management of Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions. If you take Plaquenil your rheumatologist will constantly remind you to make sure you go get your eyes checked to rule out rare ocular side-effects.

Although less common today, patients taking Plaquenil can develop a vision threatening condition called maculopathy, or retinal toxicity. Maculopathy occurs when the pigment in the macula, the eye's central vision, becomes altered. This alteration can create a bull's eye appearance in the patient's macula.

Bull's Eye Maculopathy

This side-effect can cause deterioration of visual function, decreased night vision, and decreased color.

Maculopathy caused by Plaquenil is very rare. The risk is directly related to the dosage of the drug and the patients bodily weight. Typically, patients will take between 200-400mg a day. The risk of a patient developing retinal toxicity taking 400mg is highest if the patient is under 135lbs. Duration of taking Plaquenil can also affect the risk. Patients taking Plaquenil for five years are more "high-risk" for developing retinal toxicity.

Once Plaquenil treatment is initiated it is very important to establish a baseline comprehensive eye exam including dilated fundus exam with retinal photography, and amsler grid monitoring. Monitoring the retinal health every six months is commonplace, and discontinuation of Plaquenil is necessary if any retinal findings are diagnosed.

Dr. Miller provides Plaquenil - Maculopathy monitoring including retinal photography at Gahanna Vision Center. Contact Gahanna Vision Center to determine if you qualify for high-risk medication monitoring.

-CM
www.GahannaVision.com

John Lennon's Optometrist Shares his Story

2011-11-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Dr. Gary Tracy recently took a step back in time to remember his most famous patient, John Lennon. In last months Review of Optometry, Dr. Tracy talks about his time spent with the former Beatle, and his visit from Yoko and family after Lennon's death.

The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes

I was John Lennon’s optometrist for the last four years of his life, when he and Yoko lived on the Upper West Side of New York City. Thirty years later, patients are still asking what he was like. Here are some of my memories.
A Day In the Life
I first met John and Yoko in 1975. I had opened my practice a year earlier, at 284 Columbus Avenue. Back then, the neighborhood was still kind of “iffy.”
One winter night near closing, I noticed a couple gazing into the store, their faces pressed against the window. Minutes later, my friend Neil, owner of the flower shop next door, stopped in to tell me “That was John Lennon and Yoko Ono!”
I was excited, but not shocked. John and Yoko had moved into the Dakota apartment building on West 72nd Street in 1973, and sightings of the famous couple on the Upper West Side were common.
The next night, again near closing, I was finishing up with a patient when I heard an unmistakable British-accented voice inquiring about an eye exam. My receptionist—a middle-aged woman from Guyana who didn’t recognize our new walk-in—replied that she would be glad to set up an appointment.
Immediately, I bolted from the examination to explain that I was nearly done. Could I examine him momentarily? John agreed.
I remember my heart pounding while thinking, “I’d better get this prescription right!” I imagined headlines: “John Lennon Trips During Concert, Blames Optometrist for Poor Prescription,” or “Ex-Beatle Now Blind—Optometrist Charged with Misdiagnosis.”
Despite my nervousness, I managed to get through the exam. John picked out some new frames. He always knew exactly what he wanted, staying true to the round or slightly off-round (P3) shapes he had made famous as a Beatle. He also insisted on cable temples (wraparounds), explaining they kept his frames on while jumping around on stage.
At the end of the visit, I asked John for his telephone number to let him know when his glasses were ready. He appeared hesitant. But he seemed pleased, even amused, when I offered to write it on the back of his file in code, and gave me the number.
The Ballad of John and Yoko
John was a regular for the next four years. Between 1975 and 1979, John had two complete eye exams, purchased more than a dozen pairs of glasses, and dropped in frequently for adjustments and repairs.
John and Yoko almost always arrived around closing time. After taking care of business, they would sit and chat for a while. Just small talk, usually about things going on in the neighborhood.

During those four years, Yoko never availed herself of my services. She mostly stayed in the background, always quiet, polite and non-assuming. Although John often came in alone, I felt that when Yoko was present, she had a calming, soothing effect on him.
One day, John came with his son Julian, who was visiting from England. In a fatherly manner, he recommended that Julian should make sure that his frames had wraparound temples, similar to John’s preference. Julian selected an aviator shape that was popular at the time, and I managed to find one with the wraparound temples, so he could fulfill his father’s recommendation.
One day John and Yoko dropped by to pick up new eyeglasses. John was toting a tiny baby in a papoose carrier on his back. They told me that this was the first time they’d ventured out of the Dakota in public with their newly born son Sean.
Working Class Hero
I never asked John about The Beatles or being a celebrity. From what I learned later, he had an ordinary, blue-collar upbringing. I really think he enjoyed being in an environment where he was treated like an ordinary person.
Still, I remained somewhat in awe. One day, knowing John was coming in, I brought in a beat up copy of “A Spaniard in the Works,” an obscure book of John’s sketches and poems I’d purchased for 25 cents in one of the neighborhood antique stores. I was secretly hoping he would offer to sign it. He seemed pleased to see the book, but did not offer to autograph it—and I didn’t feel comfortable asking.
Another time, John and I were chatting in my office when he suddenly paused in mid-sentence: “Is that Paul?” I was taken aback, because there was no one else in the office or visible on the sidewalk outside the window. I asked John whom he meant. He had heard Paul McCartney’s voice singing from my radio upstairs. I wasn’t even aware the radio was on. I realized then how finely attuned John was to the music of his former band mate.
Several long-time patients fondly remember encountering John in my office, offering advice on the frames they were trying on. One patient recalls trying on contact lenses when John’s voice surprised him from behind: “I tried to wear them, but the only way I could keep them in my bloody eyes was to get bloody stoned first.”
Help!
One afternoon, walking back from lunch to my office on Columbus Avenue, I spotted John coming toward me. He seemed shaken. He told me that someone had been following him all morning, and asked me to accompany him. He thought that if we drew attention to this person, then he would leave. Pointing to a disheveled person with a trench coat, John started yelling, “That’s the person who’s been following me.” I joined John, pointing and yelling, “That’s the person!”
It worked. He sped up and disappeared around the corner. John and I walked to my office, where I locked the door. John stayed until he was sure the person was completely gone.
On one of his last visits to my office, John finally strayed from his usual metal round frame. Wanting something different for his new sunglasses, he selected a rectangular, clear plastic frame with dark gray lenses. I believe these are the glasses that appear in photographs with bloodstains on them, on the tragic night he was killed on December 8, 1980.
A couple of years after John’s death, Yoko came in for an exam. Seated in the examination chair, tears welled in her eyes as she reminisced about John, and expressed concern that Sean was now old enough to recognize and hear negative publicity about his father. She asked if I would meet with Sean to share my experience with the “real” John. I agreed, but a meeting was never arranged. I never saw or heard from Yoko again.
Years later, Sean did come in, with a prescription in hand. I made many pairs of glasses for him over the years.

Much thanks to Dr. Tracy for taking the time sharing this fantastic story.

- CM

Gahanna Vision Center

A Vampire's Treatment for Dry Eyes

2011-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

The emerging trend in the treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome appears that it could have been taken directly out of the Twilight handbook for medical treatments. Research has continually shown that dry eye patients experience improvement after undergoing installation of autologous serum drops.

What is autologous serum eye drops? Essentially, they are eye drops made with the patients own blood!

We have known that blood serum contains many essential components found in the eyes own tear film, including Vitamin A, and the first documented application of autologous serum eye drops was documented in 1984.

Autologous serum tears are created by drawing a patient's own blood and extracting the blood serum via centrifuge. The patients blood serum is combined with artificial tears to create the final mixture. The use of the patient's own blood is important, though not necessary, to optimally achieve success in treating the Dry Eye Syndrome.

Patients will receive 10-12 vials per draw, which can be frozen and stored until needed.

Another alternative for patients that may not be able to undergo blood draws is the use of platelet-rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma has shown positive outcomes because blood that contains high platelets have a higher concentration of the essential components necessary for improving a patients Dry Eye Syndrome.

- CM

Dr. Miller performs a Dry Eye Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam, only at Gahanna Vision Center

Sjogren's Syndrome's Dry Humor

2011-11-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Dry Eye Syndrome (Ocular Surface Disorder) can be a challenging and very annoying condition that affects millions each year. For many of these patients there can be a common autoimmune disorder called Sjogren's Syndrome being the underlying cause.

Sjogren's Syndrome affects 3-4 million in the US alone, majority of being women. Immune cells in Sjogren's patients attack the body's exocrine glands and prevent these glands from producing tears and saliva. This loss of aqueous tear production creates a break down in the eyes tear film layer, and over time the patient becomes very symptomatic.

Our natural tear film layer is comprised of three parts; an aqueous, watery, component, an oily component and a mucus component. All three components must be in perfect harmony/balance to ensure a healthy tear film and healthy corneal health.

Diagnosing Sjogren's Syndrome in the dry eye patient can be very challenging for the Optometrist, and a diagnosis or suspect of diagnosis usually comes after multiple treatment attempts only provide minimal results. Artificial tears alone are not usually sufficient for patients with Sjogren's Syndrome. These patients usually respond to a couple different paths of treatment or both.

The goal in treating Dry Eye Syndrome in Sjogrens's syndrome is to either a) promote the eye's tear production or b) keep the tears the patient has in their eye longer.

Restasis (cyclosporine), a prescription eye drop used twice a day, does a great job in accomplishing the first goal. Restasis controls the inflammation in the eye's cornea, and thus allows for increase tear production.

Keeping the patient's natural tears in the eye longer is accomplished with the use of punctal plugs or punctal occlusion. Tears in our eyes are drained at the inferior punctum and superior punctum. Using very small (0.3mm x 2mm in size) punctal plugs an Optometrist will close the punctum in a very simple and reversible procedure.

Typically a combination of Restasis treatment and punctal occlusion, as well as the continued use of artificial tears, will maintain the Sjogren's Syndrome patient's dry eyes sufficiently.

There is no cure for Sjogren's Syndrome. Visiting one's Optometrist at the time of diagnosis can decrease dry eye related complications, and improve the patient's vision, as well as overall ocular health.

-CM

Dr. Miller performs an extensive Dry Eye Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam at Gahanna Vision Center - Columbus, OH

Why My Glasses Take More Than an Hour

2011-10-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

20 years ago most lenses that we put in glasses were pretty basic. Even archaic to today's standards. Most were made out of a basic plastic, and many were still made out of glass. Anti-glare lens treatments were around, but were not very commonplace. Thus it made sense that many factories could turn out very simple glasses in about an hour.

Not the case today.

High quality anti-glare lenses, UV treatments, transitions, and super thin hi-index plastics, once a staple of private practices, are even very common in the chains that promoted this "glasses in an hour" mentality.

Then came the revolution, the free form lens revolution. Private practice optometrist, such as Gahanna Vision Center were on the forefront of this new technology that allows us to correct more of a patients vision versus just the traditional prescription.

This technology in the lens is created by such a precise customization process that glasses in an hour is a thing of the past.

This is how things are done in the 21st century:

To learn more about this revolution. Visit GahannaVision.com to schedule your families Lifestyle Eye Exam today.

- CM

Serious Stress = Serous Vision Loss

2011-10-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

We have all known for some time know that by reducing our stress level can have a positive result on our heart health. But what about our eyes?

Many patients, especially those that exhibit a "Type A" personality, are unaware that their type A actually could cause them to lose vision.

Central Serous Retinopathy (CSR) is an eye condition that can cause serious central vision loss. Causing this vision loss is a leakage of fluid from the blood vessels under the retina. This accumulation of fluid causes little mini retinal detachments or pigment epithelial detachments (PED) leading to blurred or cloudy areas in your vision.

Who Gets It

20 - 50 year olds are at the highest risk of developing CSR mainly due to the high stress working age. Although it is most commonly noted in "Type A" personalities, many studies feel that this information may be misleading because many cases of CSR are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Type A personalities typically have a more astute sense of their vision, noticing the most minute changes in function. This awareness leads to their optometrist much more frequently. As due patients with very visually demanding jobs or hobbies.

Other factors have been found to increase the risk of CSR such as patients with Cushing's Syndrome, MPGN Type II kidney disease, as well as most cases being diagnosed as idiopathic, or unknown cause.

What to See, What to Do

Patients that develop CSR usually notice a mild blur or cloud in a certain part of their vision. It typically develops in only one eye. Many patients sometimes feel that "something is just not right" with it. In any case, patients should call and schedule to see their optometrist as soon as any visual symptoms present.

My.Sight: Easy test to check your macula. Click here to view an Amsler Grid. Just follow the instructions on the PDF.

Can You Go Blind

CSR actually carries a very good prognosis relative to the location that it presents. The closer to the fovea, or central part of your vision, the more vision loss a patient may experience. Studies have shown that over 90% of patients return to 20/30 or better vision within six months. Other factors can limit improvement such as PED's, and neovascularization.

Central Serous Retinopathy can be very visually significant to patients. If someone feels that they are a Type A personality, or carries a high level of stress at home or the office it is important that they have their eyes examined annually by an experience optometrist.

- CM

Dr. Craig Miller is an optometrist at Gahanna Vision Center - A multi- specialty eye care center serving Columbus Ohio communities since 1967. visit www.GahannaVision.com to schedule your families Lifestyle Eye Exam today.

More Eye Art - Graffiti

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Eye Artist take to the streets.... enjoy

The Eyes Inspire Art

2011-10-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Amazing "Eye" Art

Check out the entire "iris" portfolio here

Many Parents Not Motivated To Have Kids Eye's Examined

2011-10-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

80% of children begin school without a comprehensive eye exam, yet vision problems have been identified as one of the major factors in limiting a child’s ability to learn and succeed. For the first 12 years of a child’s life, 80% of a child’s learning is visual – good grades go hand in hand with good vision! It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 children begin Grade One with an uncorrected or undiagnosed eye health or vision problem. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like.

If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning disability, be sure to have his eyes examined by an eye doctor.

Early eye exams are important because children need the following basic skills related to good eyesight for learning:

Near vision
Distance vision
Binocular (two eyes) coordination
Eye movement skills
Focusing skills
Peripheral awareness eye/hand coordination

Sunglasses

Don’t Forget Sun Protection For Your Child!

Just as parents want to protect their children from skin cancer by having them use sunscreen, they should protect children’s eyes by getting them in the habit of wearing sunglasses outdoors. Children’s eyes do not yet have a mature capacity for ocular protection; it takes about 25 years to develop. In the meantime, UV rays are permanently breaking down the eye’s capacity to absorb sunlight. Exposure without protection is dangerous for the surface of the eye, as well as for the crystalline lens and retina.

Follow these tips to make sure you are protecting your children’s eyes from the sun:

Anytime you have to worry about them getting sunburned, you need to worry about their eyes.
It’s never too early to have them wear sunglasses (even infants can wear them).
Make sure the sunglasses have at least 99% UV protection (check the labels before you purchase them).
Allow older children to pick out their own sunglasses so they are more likely to wear them.
Children with prescription eyeglasses should also have prescription sunglasses. 0ther options include Transition lenses and sunglass clips.
Make sure they fit properly (don’t buy them so they can “grow into them”).

Visit GahannaVision.com or call 614 471.7177 to schedule a GVC Kid's Eye Exam today

Eye Care in the 1800's

2011-09-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

CBS News compiled these great photos showing the extent of ocular and medical conditions in the 1800's. These images are not for the faint... enjoy!

Click here to view Eye Care in the 1800s

Silence is Golden

2011-08-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Patients that don't like it when their doctor doesn't spend enough time talking to them may have a blessing in silence. A new study shows that infection rates drop during ocular injections when doctors, staff, and patients do not talk.

As told on chicagotribune.com below:

Genevra Pittman Reuters
4:21 p.m. CDT, August 11, 2011

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you're getting a drug injection for macular degeneration or another eye condition, a new study suggests you might want to make sure your doctor doesn't talk while doing the procedure.

Researchers found that in just a few minutes of talking over an imaginary patient, unmasked volunteers spewed out bacteria which could potentially land on eyes or injection needles and cause infection.

One in every few thousand injections for vision loss results in a serious eye infection called endophthalmitis, which at its worst can cause patients to go blind completely. But because patients typically need frequent injections, as many as 1 in 200 eventually get the infection.

Some of those infections are caused by a type of bacterium, Streptococcus, that's common in the mouth and also leads to bad breath and cavities.

The new finding "doesn't prove anything conclusively," said study author Dr. Colin McCannel, from the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Still, he said, "My advice to patients would be, until the injection is complete ... minimize conversation or talking with the physician."

McCannel and his colleagues simulated a typical eye injection appointment in an ophthalmologist's office. Volunteers stood in front of an exam chair, which had a plate for culturing bacteria placed where a patient's head would be.

There, they read from a script for five minutes under different conditions -- facing directly at the imaginary patient, with or without a mask, or facing sideways mask-free. Then, they stood in silence for five minutes. In a role reversal, the volunteers also took a go lying in the exam chair, reading the script with a bacteria plate mounted to their own foreheads.

When the 15 volunteers talked while wearing a mask or stood in silence, hardly any bacteria grew on the plates. But when they didn't wear a face mask, either while facing the patient or turned away, most plates sprouted bacteria colonies. And when "patients" talked themselves, about half of the plates grew bacteria.

That shows that even though the eye injections aren't major procedures and don't happen in an operating room, patients and their doctors should still take the possibility of eye or injection needle contamination seriously, researchers said.

"This is really a surgical procedure," said Dr. Charles Wykoff, an ophthalmologist from Retina Consultants of Houston who wasn't involved in the new study.

"You're putting a hole in someone's eye. It's a teeny tiny hole, but nonetheless, that's probably where an infection's coming from," he told Reuters Health.

Germs from a chatty doctor or assistant could be a concern in some other instances as well, the researchers wrote in Archives of Ophthalmology. McCannel pointed to a few cases where bacteria in a doctor's mouth were linked to meningitis cases in patients who had recently gotten spinal taps.

Both Wykoff and McCannel didn't go so far as to say that doctors should always wear face masks during the eye injections -- but they did say that if possible, both doctors and patients should try to keep talking to a minimum.

At the very least, "physicians should minimize conversation," McCannel told Reuters Health. "I've started using a face mask, because that way I can talk to the patient and have less concern of contamination."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/qSk9yg Archives of Ophthalmology, online August 8, 2011.

Gahanna Vision Center
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Clean Contact Lens Cases Essential to Healthy Eyes

2011-03-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Proper contact lens care is one of the most crucial aspects to retaining healthy eyes. For patients wearing 2-week, monthly, or longer disposable contact lenses, contact cases are one area of care that is mostly overlooked.

If not cared for properly, a contact lens can essentially become a petri dish for bacteria. The case which we store our contacts, can easily become the bacteria warehouse.

Nicole Olboeter, BSc (Rodenstock, Germany) and Sibylle Scholtz, PhD (Abbott Medical Optics, Germany) conducted a review of scientific literature regarding contact lens-related eye infections and lens care recommendations published by contact lens manufacturers, eye care organizations and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Their findings included:

In developed countries, contact lens wear is deemed the highest-ranking risk factor for infections on the surface of the eye (microbial keratitis).
Poor contact lens case hygiene raises the probability of eye infection by a factor of 3.7.
Numerous studies show that a significant percentage of wearers’ contact lens cases are contaminated with bacteria, fungi, viruses and/or Acanthamoeba.
Recommendations for lens case care remain inconsistent among the contact lens industry, eye care professionals and the FDA.

Based on their study, the researchers advocate that all contact lens wearers follow recommendations issued by the FDA regarding the cleaning and care of contact lens cases. These recommendations include:

Store your contact lenses in an appropriate lens case.
Clean and rinse your lens storage case with sterile contact lens solution after each use. Never use tap water.
Leave the open case to air-dry after each use. Leave the container to dry “face down” to allow any excess solution to drain off.
Replace your contact lens case at least after every three months of use*.

At Gahanna Vision Center, our doctors recommend changing your contact lens case every time you change your contacts. This ensures that your new pair of contacts will not get contaminated by any residual bacteria remaining.

To ensure an even healthier contact lens care, our doctors always recommend 1-day disposable contact lenses when applicable. 1-day contacts reduce the risk of bacteria growth, and there is no risk of case contamination because they are to be discarded with each wear.

To learn more, visit GahannaVision.com or call 614.471.7177 to schedule your Contact Lens Exam today

Most Parents Not Motivated To Have Kid's Eyes Tested

2011-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

This week I visited one local Daycare in Gahanna to provide free visual health screenings as part of Gahanna Vision Center's community outreach program. The motivation comes as most parents are still unaware of the importance of kid's eye exams beginning at the age of 3.

I was shocked that, when given the opportunity to have a free eye health assessment, at the child's school, by a doctor, that only 6 parents signed up. This is a very difficult thing to swallow, especially when many common conditions such as Amblyopia (lazy eye) and learning disorders can easily be prevented with a simple vision test.

So if you are a parent of a pre-K child, or grandparent, or just a good friend, please read the statistics below, and schedule your kid's eye exam today:

80% of children begin school without a comprehensive eye exam, yet vision problems have been identified as one of the major factors in limiting a child’s ability to learn and succeed. For the first 12 years of a child’s life, 80% of a child’s learning is visual – good grades go hand in hand with good vision! It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 children begin first grade with an uncorrected or undiagnosed eye health or vision problem. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like.

If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning disability, be sure to have his eyes examined by an eye doctor.

Early eye exams are important because children need the following basic skills related to good eyesight for learning:

Near vision
Distance vision
Binocular (two eyes) coordination
Eye movement skills
Focusing skills
Peripheral awareness eye/hand coordination

Sunglasses

Don’t Forget Sun Protection For Your Child!

Follow these tips to make sure you are protecting your children’s eyes from the sun:

Anytime you have to worry about them getting sunburned, you need to worry about their eyes.
It’s never too early to have them wear sunglasses (even infants can wear them).
Make sure the sunglasses have at least 99% UV protection (check the labels before you purchase them).
Allow older children to pick out their own sunglasses so they are more likely to wear them.
Children with prescription eyeglasses should also have prescription sunglasses. 0ther options include Transition lenses and sunglass clips.
Make sure they fit properly (don’t buy them so they can “grow into them”).

- CM

GahannaVision.com

Simple Vision Test May Help Detect Concussions on the Sidelines

2011-02-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

A vision test that can be administered in a minute on the sidelines could be an effective tool to detect concussions, researchers say.

How to prevent players from going back into action after suffering a concussion is a hot-button topic in sports. Coaches don't always recognize the signs and players eager to get back into a game try to hide symptoms. Returning to a game too soon can slow healing and cause "repeat" concussions with long-term consequences.

"This rapid screening test provides an effective way to detect early signs of concussion, which can improve outcomes and hopefully prevent repetitive concussions," says lead author Laura Balcer, professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The test, called the King-Devick (K-D) test, involves the athlete reading single digit numbers displayed on index-sized cards. A baseline test is given at the start of the season. Any increase (worsening) in the time needed to complete the test suggests a concussion has occurred, particularly if the delay is greater than five seconds compared to the individual's baseline test time.

While other sideline exams test cognitive or memory skills and rely on the administrator to make subjective decisions, the K-D test is objective, researchers say. It reveals impairments of eye movement, attention, language and other symptoms of impaired brain function. It looks at rapid eye movements and other signs that are frequently abnormal following a concussion.

The initial research was a small study limited to 39 boxers and MMA fighters, whose post-fight times were significantly higher (worse) for those who had head trauma during their matches. Researchers are extending the research to include football, basketball and other college sports, adding this could be a valid sideline test that would help coaches to decide to remove players from games.

More than 40% of high school athletes return to action too soon following a concussion, according to a 2009 study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Rest is the only way to heal brain injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In its guidelines for student athletes, experts recommend coaches prevent students from returning to action if they've been dealt a serious blow to the head and exhibit any change in behavior, thinking or physical function.

More professional athletes with lingering problems from concussions have stepped forward in the past several years. Former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon says he knows he had five concussions and has trouble remembering things. He spoke Thursday in Dallas at a pre-Super Bowl press conference held by the Sports Legacy Institute, which is hoping cities pass ordinances mandating strict concussion response and management for youth sports.

The K-D test research was published online in Neurology and funded by the National Eye Institute. One of the researchers is Steve Devick, co-developer of the test, which sells for $50. It has been used for more than 25 years to track eye movement and detect reading difficulties.

source: usatoday.com

If you or a family member are involved in any injury, especially sports related, that involves trauma or a blow to the head, please call Gahanna Vision Center to rule out any neuro-ophthalmic or retinal conditions.

1 in 4 Have Trouble Viewing 3D

2011-01-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

3D is back in the news again. This time it's published that one in four viewers have trouble viewing 3D movies / television. As reported by AP

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson, Ap Technology Writer – Thu Jan 20, 9:09 am ET

NEW YORK – From Hollywood studios to Japanese TV makers, powerful business interests are betting 3-D will be the future of entertainment, despite a major drawback: It makes millions of people uncomfortable or sick.

Optometrists say as many as one in four viewers have problems watching 3-D movies and TV, either because 3-D causes tiresome eyestrain or because the viewer has problems perceiving depth in real life. In the worst cases, 3-D makes people queasy, leaves them dizzy or gives them headaches.
Researchers have begun developing more lifelike 3-D displays that might address the problems, but they're years or even decades from being available to the masses.

A study of 115 South Koreans watching 3-D screens close up found that 3-D caused more eyestrain than 2-D. The research prompted the Korean government to recommend that viewers take a break of up to 15 minutes after an hour of 3-D viewing. But that study was based on glasses with red and green lenses rather than the ones used in theaters and with TVs.
Based on an unscientific, online survey, the American Optometric Association estimates that 25 percent of Americans have experienced headaches, blurred vision, nausea or similar problems when viewing 3-D.

TV makers do their own testing, but don't publish results. Samsung warns on its Australian website that its 3-D TVs can cause "motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain, and decreased postural stability." The last part means viewers risk losing balance and falling.
"We do not recommend watching 3-D if you are in bad physical condition, need sleep or have been drinking alcohol," the site continues.

Nintendo Co. says children aged 6 or younger shouldn't play with its upcoming 3DS handheld gaming system with 3-D technology, because it might affect vision development.
3-D screens and glasses create the illusion of depth by showing different images to each eye. That simulates the way objects that are at different distances in real life appear in slightly different places in each eye's field of view.

That's enough for most of us to perceive a scene as having depth. But our eyes also look for another depth cue in a scene: They expect to need to focus at different distances to see sharply.
More specifically, our eyes track an approaching object by turning inward, toward our noses. Bring something close enough, and we look cross-eyed. 3-D screens also elicit this response when they show something approaching the viewer.

The problem is that as the eyes turn inward, they also expect to focus closer. But a screen isn't moving closer, so the eyes have to curb their hard-wired inclination and focus back out. This mismatch between where the eyes think the focus should be and where the screen actually is forces them to work extra hard.

"That causes at least part of the discomfort and fatigue that people are experiencing," says Martin Banks, an optometry professor at University of California, Berkeley.

The problem is magnified if the screen moves close to the viewer — exactly what's happening if 3-D viewing moves from the movie theater to living rooms to game gadgets like the 3DS.

There is at least anecdotal evidence of a growing problem. David Hays, an optometrist in University Place, Wash., says patients came in after seeing "Avatar," complaining of eyestrain or the inability to see the 3-D effect. He expects to see more as the technology spreads.

Roger Phelps, an optometrist in Ojai, Calif., says viewers who suffer the most with 3-D are those who have trouble getting their eyes to converge properly in normal life.

"If you tend to get carsick easily, you might be one of those," Phelps says.

Yevgeny Koltunov, a 39-year-old New Yorker, has gone out of his way to find theaters showing 2-D versions of such movies as "Iron Man 2" and "Alice in Wonderland." His daughter, 13, also refuses to see 3-D movies.

"It doesn't look all that spectacular to me," Koltunov says. "For the most part, they give me a headache and make me dizzy, by the end."

Moviemakers do hold back on 3-D effects to minimize eyestrain. "Avatar" avoided gimmicks such as objects suddenly appearing to jut out of the screen. Filmmakers also try to make sure that the most significant part of a scene, such as the lead actor's face, appear to be at the same distance as the screen. That way, the eyes are less confused.

But this approach also limits moviemakers' creative freedom, and it doesn't solve the eyestrain problem entirely.

Banks is working on a longer-term solution. He and his team at Berkeley's Visual Space Perception Laboratory have put together 3-D "glasses" — really, a desk-bound contraption — with lenses that accomodate the eyes' natural inclination to focus at different distances. He says the setup reduces eyestrain and mental fatigue from 3-D images, though it may not eliminate them entirely.
A reporter who tried the device found it provided a very lifelike illusion of a box coming toward him on a track.

At the University of Arizona, optical sciences professor Hong Hua is working on wearable, helmet-like displays that also allow the eyes to focus at different distances.
Commercial versions of these setups are at least several years away, and even then, are more likely to be professional tools for remote surgery or industrial design rather than consumer items.
Even further away is the prospect of live holograms, which could create 3-D images that could be viewed without glasses, from all angles.

Until then, Phelps recommends sufferers sit as far back as they can in 3-D theaters. Another solution: close one eye, or put a Post-It note over it like an eye patch. That way, 3-D goes back to being 2-D.
___
AP Technology Writer Jordan Robertson contributed to this report from Berkeley, Calif.

Are your eyes healthy enough for the 3D experience? Ask Dr. Miller about GVC's 3D assessment at your next Lifestyle Eye Exam.

Angies List Becomes Eye Care Experts

2011-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Angie Hicks of Angie's List recently gave her advice on eye care to NBC news affiliate KJRH. Below is some of the great advice that came from the interview.

As reported on kjrh.com:

Angie Hicks, of Angie's List, says "The first thing you want to do to keep your eye care costs low is regular checkups, because then you could potentially find problems early and prevent bigger problems down the road. Also, investigate into your insurance and find out what kind of insurance you have. Sometimes eye exams are covered under your medical insurance. Also, put aside money in your health savings account or flex spending account. That way you are paying for your eye care with pre-tax dollars."

Angie's List tips on how to save money:
· Understand your benefits: Take advantage of any vision benefits that are offered to you through your employer. Also set aside flex spending dollars for out of pocket expenses. Many rebates are available to patients when they order a year supply of contact lenses at one time and not spreading the purchases out over the year.
· Don't put off regular checkups: The best way to save money on eye care is to prevent problems that lead to blindness, eye damage or eye injury. A timely and correct diagnosis typically leads to a faster resolution to the problem, less prolonged treatment with medicines, and less doctor visits.
· Don't be shy: Patients should not be afraid to ask questions about the eye tests that are being performed and if there is an additional cost. If you do not understand anything that the doctor or technicians tell you, ask for clarification.
· Don't cut corners on contacts: The improper care and wearing of contact lenses can cause severe problems, infections and potential disasters. You'll save money if you follow the proper wearing schedule, hygiene, and exam schedule.
· Shop around: It doesn't hurt to comparison shop glasses and contacts. Some doctors may even price match. Designer frames are not necessarily higher quality. Look for hints of quality or ask the optician to explain why this is a better frame. High quality frames hold adjustment longer, are more comfortable, and more resistant to breakage. Children tend to be very hard on their frames.
· Know the risks of ordering online: The disadvantages of ordering glasses or contacts online: if a patient has a problem with the prescription or frame once it is received, they do not have an actual person they can consult to discuss options. When a patient purchases their glasses from a local business, they have a live person to work with them & troubleshoot any concerns. Most local businesses also offer warranties on their products.

Although I don't completely agree with many points of the interview that was not posted here, I feel that Ms. Hicks did shed some light on the importance as well as long term cost saving of having annual eye exams.

At Gahanna Vision Center we strive to focus on preventative eye care, assuring that you have the best eye health for years to come. To schedule your Lifestyle Eye Exam call 614.471.7177.

-CM

Nintendo Issues Warning About 3D Gaming

2011-01-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

When the Nintendo 3DS is released in early 2011, parents with kids younger than six should keep the devices set at 2D mode, the company has warned. The 3DS is a portable game system capable of displaying 3D graphics without the aid of special glasses, but for some people, viewing 3D content of any kind can be highly problematic. Nintendo 3DS Nintendo has issued a warning for parents of children under age 6: If you're planning on giving the kid a Nintendo 3DS when the device is released early next year, keep it in 2D mode.

The 3DS is a portable video game system capable of displaying 3D games without the use of special glasses. However, the warning (originally posted on Nintendo's Japanese site and translated to English here) urges parents to use the 2D feature of the device instead if their kids are less than six years old.Nintendo isn't the first company to issue a health warning about 3D-related technologies. For example, Sony and Samsung issued similar warnings related to their own products earlier this year.All three indicate certain symptoms -- including convulsions, altered visions, eye or muscle twitches, involuntary movements, loss of awareness and disorientation -- might manifest among some users.

Sore Thumbs, Tired EyesFor some time, Nintendo has maintained a warning page on its website directed at parents. It focuses on several potential product dangers, from battery leakage to repetitive motion injuries.The page, which is in English, warns that about one in 4,000 people may suffer seizures or blackouts, and it suggests parents monitor their kids when the latter are playing video games.Anyone who suffers from convulsions, disorientation or other symptoms should stop playing video games and seek medical attention, Nintendo says.The maker also recommends that video game players reduce the likelihood of a seizure by staying as far from the screen as possible when playing, using the smallest available TV screen for their games, playing in a well-lit room, taking a break hourly, and not playing if they are tired or short on sleep.

Multidimensional GriefIn warning its users about potential dangers inherent in viewing 3D content, Nintendo joins other companies that have issued similar warnings.In July, Sony updated the PlayStation's terms and conditions of use with warnings about potential risks. In April, Samsung issued its own warning on 3D TV viewing.Both of them issued warnings that are fairly similar to that from Nintendo.

Why People Get AffectedApparently, a significant percentage of people can't properly see 3D images rendered on a TV or movie screen, and that can lead to headaches and other problems, according to the American Optometric Association.Such people have vision misalignments or don't have equal vision in both eyes. There are anywhere from 1 million to 9 million such people in the United States, the Association claims.Symptoms experienced by those unable to comfortably see 3D images vary from person to person. A survey by the Association showed 13 percent of those who can't see 3D images suffer from headaches, 12 percent from blurred vision, and 11 percent from dizziness.Here's why 3D images cause headaches and other problems in people with vision flaws: Humans have binocular vision, in which we see things from a slightly different perspective with each eye. The resulting images are correlated in the brain to create one view. It helps us to calculate distance, among other things.This mechanism is thrown askew when we view 3D images rendered on a screen. There are two basic methods of creating 3D images: with glasses and without glasses. In either case, each eye gets fed a different image. That throws off our depth perception, fooling the brain, as it were, into believing what we see is right in front of us.The eyes of people who have problems with 3D can't cope with or correlate these separate images properly, which leads to their suffering various problems when viewing 3D content."Whether with or without glasses, the technology provides separate images to both eyes, and some people aren't wired for this, so they get sick or suffer seizures," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.Still, 3D images aren't wholly a curse -- they can help unmask vision problems such as lazy eye, convergence insufficiency and poor focusing skills, the AOA said.The American Optometric Association did not respond to requests for comment by press time.Calls to Nintendo USA weren't answered, as the company's offices are closed for the holidays.

Saw It ComingPerhaps Nintendo acted after getting user complaints, Laura DiDio, principal at ITIC, speculated."3D hasn't been around long enough for us to really assess its impact, so people are just beginning to find out the problems it might cause," DiDio told TechNewsWorld.Nintendo unveiled the 3DS at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles this past June. It's set to go on sale in early 2011.However, consumers are also responsible for the health problems they experience, DiDio suggested."You get kids playing games for hours without interruption," DiDio said. "That's a scary thing."
source: technewsworld.com

The debate is still out whether 3D gaming or TV is safe for the eyes. I feel that when used properly and with the proper prescription it can be. We have be utilizing 3D gaming as part of Vision Therapy for years, but under well controlled conditions. The best steps one could take is to make sure you have yours, and your kids, eyes examined.

Call Gahanna Vision Center today to schedule your Lifestyle Eye Exam. Don't forget to ask if your eyes are healthy enough for 3D television or gaming.

-CM

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

2010-12-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Early detection means vision protection
A silent disease is taking away the sight of millions of Americans. It’s called glaucoma and it can slowly reduce eyesight and may cause blindness.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the optic nerve. The most common form is primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). An estimated 2.2 million Americans have been diagnosed with POAG and an additional 2 million have glaucoma and don’t know it.

There are often no symptoms or pain associated with the onset of glaucoma. As it progresses, a person may notice his or her side vision decreasing. As the glaucoma worsens, the field of vision narrows and blindness may result.

Dr. Paul A. Sieving, director of vision research at the National Institutes of Health, said, “Vision lost because of glaucoma cannot be restored, which is why early detection is so important. If glaucoma is detected early, there is treatment available to slow or stop vision loss and reduce the risk of blindness.”

Glaucoma can be detected through a dilated eye exam. A dilated eye exam allows an eye care professional to see inside the eye to check for signs of glaucoma and other vision problems. Treatment options for glaucoma include medicines, laser surgery, conventional surgery, or a combination of any of these.

While anyone can get glaucoma, the National Eye Institute (NEI) encourages those at higher risk to get a dilated eye exam every one to two years. Individuals at higher risk include African Americans over age 40; everyone over age 60, especially Mexican Americans; and people with a family history of glaucoma. NEI, one of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health, conducts and supports research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment.

Glaucoma is caused by slow fluid drainage that builds up on the eye and damages the optic nerve.

To help spread the message about glaucoma in January, NEI has developed a series of e-cards that people can send as reminders about the importance of dilated eye exams in reducing the risk of vision loss. For more information about glaucoma or to send an e-card to family members or friends at risk for glaucoma, visit the NEI Website at www.nei.nih.gov/glaucoma.

“If you are at higher risk for glaucoma, a dilated eye exam is key to protecting your vision. Contact your local eye care professional and make an appointment for a dilated eye exam today,” Dr. Sieving urged. “Encourage friends and loved ones to do the same.”

source: The Washington Informer

Dr. Miller performs a comprehensive Glaucoma evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam. To learn more about Glaucoma and early detection visit www.GahannaVision.com

Is Acupuncture a Treatment for Lazy Eye?

2010-12-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

3,000 year old Chinese medicine practice may have given us another tool in the treatment of lazy eye (amblyopia). In an article reported by Reuters, from the Archives of Ophthalmology, doctors are discussing how patients with amblyopia have shown favorable results after undergoing acupuncture treatment:

Children who received needling from a certified acupuncturist saw similar improvement in their affected eyes as those who underwent the standard treatment of wearing a patch over the strong eye for a couple hours a day in order to strengthen the weak eye: Most participants in both groups advanced two lines or more on an eye chart over the course of the study.

Researchers and doctors both warn that patients and parents should not discard those patches and eye drops (the conventional treatment of amblyopia) just yet.

They agree that the reason for acupuncture's success is unclear, but suggests that needles placed at points on the body might work by increasing blood flow to both the eye and brain.

Regardless the reason, acupuncture could create an alternative means to a visually challenging condition.

-CM

Learn more about Amblyopia and treatment options at GahannaVision.com

Tips to Keep Eyes Safe This Holiday Season

2010-12-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

ROCHESTER, NY--(Marketwire - December 8, 2010) - In the midst of the excitement and chaos the holiday season brings, children's eye care will undoubtedly be one of the furthest things from parents' minds. However, it is important for parents to keep the health of their youngsters' vision top of mind and to make children aware of potential dangers.

Dr. Sean Donahue, noted pediatric ophthalmologist and a member of the advisory council for Bausch + Lomb's Early Vision Institute, a global initiative that aims to protect children's eyes from long-term vision problems and prevent childhood blindness, suggests parents be aware of the following potential holiday eye hazards:

Be cautious of holiday decorations that may poke or scratch children's eyes. Christmas trees are often at eye level for young children -- especially infants and toddlers -- and pine needles, branches, ornament hooks, lights and breakable bulbs pose a risk. He encourages parents to keep breakable ornaments and lights toward the top of the tree and out of children's reach. He also suggests that parents consider using ribbon to hang any soft, low-hanging decorations on the tree to avoid the risk of sharp ornament hooks.

Dr. Donahue also reminds parents of the importance of protecting their children's eyes when playing outside during winter months. Children learning to ski or snowboard should always wear goggles to protect their eyes from trauma. Sledding, snowmobiling and even snowball fights also pose risks, and parents should keep a close eye on children while they're playing outside. He also points out that severe trauma to children's eyes could lead to long-term vision problems, pediatric cataract or permanent blindness.

Toys may be a danger to children's eyes. Parents should be especially cautious of sharp pieces and be sure they are age appropriate. Projectile toys, such as guns, rockets and slingshots, may harm children's eyes and should only be used under adult supervision. Packaging may also pose a risk, especially for young children. Dr. Donahue warns parents of stiff cardboard packaging and heavy-duty twist ties that are often used to secure toys in the packaging, as both may poke or scratch children's eyes.

Parents should use extra caution with children around fireplaces or other open flames. Candles should be kept out of the reach of curious children, as they can drip or splatter hot wax and burn children's eyes if they get too close. He encourages parents to keep a screen in front of the fireplace and says that children should always be supervised while the fireplace is in use. All fireplace tools should always be kept out of the reach of children to prevent injury.

Source: Bausch & Lomb

Warning To All Contact Lens Wearers

2010-11-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Over the last 2-3 weeks I have been witnessing a high volume of Keratitis (infection / inflammation of the cornea) in contact lens wearers. The exact root for this change is unknown to me at this time, but I believe it has to do with the change of season, unusually warm temperatures, and increased bacteria count.

If you are a contact lens wearer, especially a daily wear (2 week or 1 month lens, I have not yet witnessed this infection in patients who wear 1-day contacts), be sure to follow strict care and compliance regarding your contacts.

Common signs of this keratitis are:

Redness
Discomfort with contact lenses
Blurry vision with or without contacts
Increased light sensitivity
any eye pain

If you experience any of the mentioned signs or symptoms please call and visit your optometrist immediately. Many of these signs with improve with discontinuation of contact lens wear, but will immediately return once you put a new pair of contact lenses in.

If you feel like you are experiencing any of these signs you should:

Remove your contacts immediately
Call your optometrist and be seen as soon as possible.
Wear your glasses until your optometrist gives you the O.K. to wear your contacts again.

To reduce your chances of getting this keratitis you should always follow strict contact lens compliance set by your optometrist. Reducing your wear time during the day, and using the recommended contact lens solution by your optometrist is also beneficial.

- CM

Please call your optometrist asap if you feel you may be developing a keratitis due to contact lenses, or call Gahanna Vision Center at (614) 471.7177.

Diabetics Must Be Vigilant About Their Vision

2010-11-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy have been the battle more most physicians for years. So much so that one of the first clinical eye studies performed was to study the affect diabetes has on the eye. I came across the following article from TheRecord.com , and I thought it highlighted the importance of annual diabetic eye exams by your optometrist in a very simple, down-to-earth manner.

Retinopathy in a Diabetic Right Eye

November 11, 2010
Diabetes most common cause of new blindness in North AmericaWith the disease on the rise, risks of eye problems are greater than ever

According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, upwards of two million Canadians are afflicted by diabetes and the incidence appears to be on the rise. Damage to the eye caused by diabetes is the most common cause of blindness in people under 65 and the most common cause of new blindness in North America.

Diabetes is a condition in which the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood goes abnormally high because the body no longer produces adequate insulin, or it has become insensitive to the normal glucose-regulating action of insulin. High blood glucose can cause the lens inside the eye to swell and change its shape, which leads to blurry vision and a change in the eyeglass prescription.

Long-term diabetes, especially when poorly controlled, can take its toll on the eyes in serious ways. People with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts (a clouding of the lens within the eye) at a younger age than others. Diabetics are also more prone to the development of glaucoma, which is a gradual and generally asymptomatic deterioration of the optic nerve.

However, the most common threat to diabetics arises in the retina, which is the thin, delicate membrane of blood vessels and nerve endings that line the back of the eyeball. The retina is where light images formed on the back of the eye are transformed into incredibly complex nerve signals. The signals are delivered to the brain via the optic nerve and are then decoded and interpreted as visual information.

The retina contains a dense network of tiny blood vessels and unfortunately, when diabetes has been present for several years, the walls of these blood vessels seem to develop tiny, microscopic weak spots which tend to leak. This causes very small, dotlike hemorrhages to form within the retina. Fortunately, these spots generally have no effect on vision, but can be easily seen when the back of the eye is examined by an eye doctor.

About 80 per cent of people who have had diabetes for 20 years or more develop background retinopathy and true to its name, in most cases, it literally stays innocuously in the background and requires no immediate treatment. However, it does serve as a warning sign that a more threatening type of retinal damage is at risk of occurring.

About one in every four or five patients with background diabetic retinopathy eventually go on to develop a more serious problem known as proliferative retinopathy. In this condition, the small blood vessels that supply the retina become so leaky and inefficient at providing adequate circulation that some areas of the retina begin to degenerate from lack of oxygen. In a well-meaning effort to combat this, the body attempts to grow new blood vessels to supplement the failing older ones.
Unfortunately, these new vessels inevitably seem to be hastily constructed and their fragile nature allows them to easily rupture and bleed into the eyeball. Scar tissue can begin to form within the eye and this can lead to ruptures and detachments of the retina as well as a host of other secondary problems following in a downward spiral. The bad news is that any of these complications can rapidly lead to a devastating loss of vision which may or may not be permanent once it develops.

Luckily, highly precise and sophisticated laser treatments have been particularly beneficial to those with diabetic eye disease. Laser procedures can, in many cases, seal off or shrink the abnormal blood vessels and discourage them from proliferating and causing trouble. Of course, like many medical procedures, treatment is most promising if it is undertaken early on, before the fragile new vessels start to bleed within the eye.

Most doctors advise their diabetic patients to have their eyes thoroughly examined at least once a year. This is clearly recognized by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) since it will cover the cost of yearly routine eye exams for patients of all ages that have been diagnosed with diabetes.

A thorough examination conducted by your trusted eye care professional on a regular basis is encouraged. It’s so easy to do — and if diabetes is a part of your health care picture, it’s almost guaranteed to pay off down the road, sooner or later!

If you are diabetic, be sure to see your optometrist yearly. More so if your HbA1c runs above normal.

-CM

Dr. Miller performs a thorough diabetic retinal examination on every patient as part of the Lifestyle Eye Exam at Gahanna Vision Center.

Latisse - The Chia-Pet for Eyelashes

2010-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Over the last two years I have had more and more patients coming through the door wanting to know about this new miracle drug that creates these lush, full, thick eyelashes called Latisse. What I have found out is many patients are getting this drug without knowing anything about the risks and/or benefits. I have also seen a big run of what I call “Cosmetic Trunk Shows” handing out Latisse like left-over trick or treat candy.

Latisse is actually a medicine that we have been using for years in treating glaucoma (Lumigan, manufacturer Allergan, Inc.). In some patients using Lumigan we have noticed that an interesting side effect is eyelash thickening, darkening, and growth... as well as red eyes, and raccoon eyes, but we’ll get to that shortly.

According to studies, Latisse lengthens, thickens and darkens eyelashes. The drug is thought to extend the growth phase of eyelashes as well as increase the number of eyelash formation. Latisse is applied to the upper lash line each night using the sterile applicators supplied (applicators must be discarded after one use). After a few blinks, the drug will spread across your lower lash line covering all your lashes. Please note, Latisse is not to be applied directly to your eye or lower lid. Also, you should always wash your face, remove any makeup, and remove your contacts before applying Latisse.

Studies suggest you can expect to see results after two months of nightly use. After three or four months your doctor may suggest cutting your use time in half. If you stop using Latisse, your eyelashes will gradually return to their natural length.

After 16 weeks of use, participants in the study experienced:

Eyelash length increased by 25%
Thickness and fullness increased by 106%
Eyelash darkness increased by 18%

Before using Latisse you should see your optometrist to know if Latisse is safe for use. As mentioned before, Latisse is essentially the glaucoma drop Lumigan. Glaucoma drops work by lowering the pressure in your eye (read more about glaucoma risk factors). In some patients, especially those already using other glaucoma drops, this could result in too low of pressure in the eye. Another risk is the risk of increased inflammation outside (conjunctivitis, or allergic dermatitis) or inside (uveitis or iritis) the eye. Latisse and Lumigan, as well as some other glaucoma drops, are known as prostiglandin analogs. In other words, they work by creating inflammation in the eye. This inflammation can have side-effects ranging from annoying to threatening.

Other common side effect of long term use include, darkening of the eyelid margin or raccoon eyes (though use of the Latisse applicator can limit this, we will have to wait to see what long-term effect this may have), chronic red, irritated eyes, and in some patients a darkening of iris color.
Important facts to remember. Latisse is not a cosmetic, it is a drug, and should only be prescribed by a doctor. Once prescribed, you should visit your optometrist to make sure that your eyes are healthy enough for Latisse.

Since 2008 I have had the opportunity to prescribe Latisse to many patients. I have seen some great results, and I have seen some of these side-affects. I have also had to tell some patients that Latisse may not be in the best interest for their eyes. The only way to fully know if you are a good candidate for Latisse use is to visit you optometrist, know the facts, and then make an informed, educated decision.

-CM

*note: Dr. Miller will perform a Latisse consult if requested with any Lifestyle Eye Exam. Call Gahanna Vision Center at (614) 471.7177 to schedule yours today.

Help Facebook Is Causing My Eyestrain!

2010-11-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Forget about privacy issues or the fact you were tagged in a not-so-flattering photo, the pain most facebook users are feeling is behind the eyes.

Cnet news released the following article regarding Facebook and the eyestrain it has created:

Facebook's frequent home page design changes are known to get momentary griping from users who say it's ugly, difficult to use, or hides their favorite features, but this is a new one: scores of ticked-off members go so far as to claim it's detrimental to their health.

That's what happened after Facebook on Wednesday made an unannounced tweak to its home page design, shrinking the font size that appears on users' "news feeds" of their friends' activity across the site. Facebook, in a statement, said it's "constantly testing new ways to make the site more efficient for people."
But reactions across the social Web ranged from "I feel like I'll go blind from reading its updates" to "What kind of bionic carrot-flavored crack rock are the Facebook developers smoking to make the font this small?" There were even accusations of ageism, considering that the over-55 demographic is one of the fastest-growing on Facebook and that older eyes could have trouble reading smaller print.

Not so fast. If your eyes are hurting from the text on Facebook's home page, they were probably already subject to eye strain--the term for the discomfort, dryness, redness, and other unpleasant symptoms that can result from focusing on a computer screen or other object for too long--long before you loaded up the social network to check up on your FrontierVille homestead or to remove some unflattering photo tags. Eye care professionals say the smaller font size is unlikely to affect users' vision or eye health any more than its larger-type brethren. Eye strain, too, is temporary and very preventable.
"Making the font smaller doesn't necessarily increase eye strain for most people, especially with newer monitors that have better contrast," said Dr. Jody May, an ophthalmologist at the York, Penn.-based May Eye Care. "The fonts are much better than they used to be, and refresh rates on the LCD monitors are now adequate on anything you can buy."

And the activity that causes eye strain--looking at something like a computer screen for a long time without taking time to give your eyes a rest--will happen whether the font on the screen is big or small.

"If you concentrate and spend a long time looking at something like a Facebook page, whether the font is big or little, you can run into the same symptoms," explained Dr. Richard Bensinger, a clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "When you're trying to focus, you're blinking a lot less. "If you look at somebody, and you just talk with them casually, they're blinking about 16 blinks a minute, and if they concentrate looking at a computer or reading, the blink rate drops to 5 or 6 times a minute. And then the eyes dry out."
So what happens then? May said the best strategy is to consciously avoid behaviors that will cause and prolong eye strain.
"Any time you're using a computer for a long period of time, especially if you're not looking away, you put yourself at risk for eye strain," he said. "Eye strain doesn't cause any permanent vision damage or permanent eye damage. What it does is give you a headache, dry eyes, red eyes. [It will] make your eyes feel fatigued, make you sensitive to light. But the way around that is not to keep staring at the screen for more than 20 minutes at a time. The rule is the 20-20 rule. You use your computer for 20 minutes, and then you spend 20 seconds staring away from the screen."
That said, while eye care professionals seem to be in agreement that small font sizes won't cause eye strain, some believe that it can make it worse for eyes that are already strained. "The issue with smaller font sizes is that people have to look more intently and more closely at what is written on the screen, and that requires them to stare a little bit more, and the blink rate will go down even more," said Dr. William Trattler, a Miami-based ophthalmologist who says he's recently seen heightened numbers of hard-core video gamers showing up and complaining of irritated eyes.

As for the critics accusing Facebook of ageism by putting a smaller font onscreen, May said that, yes, older computer users are going to experience worse eye strain than younger ones. This is due more to the fact that it's significantly harder for their eyes to focus.
"The biggest problem comes when people start to develop presbyopia, that is, the inability to focus to read," May explained. "Once you've passed age 50, and you're looking at smaller text on a monitor, you're going to have eye strain. The way around it is to wear reading glasses for that distance, or get a larger monitor where the font is bigger just because the monitor's bigger."
So should Facebook be obliged to offer a large-print option? Probably not: Unlike a book, a Web page is not static. Unless you're using a browser dating back to the golden age of AOL dial-up, it undoubtedly has a function that lets you alter font sizes or zoom in.

Full article

So Facebook user's, you don't give up your beloved News Feeds and Wall Post, utilize the high-definition optics in many new lenses and contact lenses at Gahanna Vision Center.

-CM
gahannavision.com

OTC Readers Don't Make the Grade

2010-11-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you are like most, for lack of a better word, very wise, maturing adults, you have a few or many more pairs of over-the-counter reading glasses stashed around the house, purse, and car. Although they are fine for a quick glance at your watch or a cookbook, most "readers" can cause a serious amount of eyestrain if used for extended periods.

Over-the-counter reading glasses are typically made of a very poor quality of plastic that can create a significant amount of abberations resulting in increased eyestrain. Furthermore, these lenses are not held to any standards the way prescription lenses are.

The good folks at Which? magazine took it upon themselves to test out these five and dime specs and see how they measure up. Below you will find an excerpt of their findings as told by Optometry Today.

Ready-made reading glasses bought ‘off the shelf' have been exposed as having ‘serious flaws’ by this month’s Which? magazine.

The consumer title examined 14 pairs of 'ready readers' bought from High Street stores and found problems in half of those purchased, emphasising to readers that the glasses “could cause eye strain, blurred vision, headaches or double vision.”

Glasses tested with prescriptions +3.5 to +4 were found to have the most serious problems. One pair from Poundland contained the wrong prescription and frames from branches of Sight Station and Tiger were found to have optical centres at different heights.

Which? advises readers to “buy a spring-loaded pair – they’ll fit better and be more durable” and: “If your prescription is above +2.00, read with the glasses for a few minutes. Comfortable, clear reading suggests the lens are centred.”

Director of operations at the AOP, David Craig, released a statement to the national press about the story: “The article points out the risks associated with their use. The other danger is that buying ready readers may mean that the wearer feels that they do not need to have a proper sight test.

“Regular sight tests, especially for the population who wear ready readers (who tend to be over 45 – when nature leads most of us down the path of presbyopia and when more serious eye conditions start to become more frequent), are very important – not just for the issuing of a correct prescription, but also because it provides a good health check of our eyes and can even detect other, sometimes fatal, conditions, such as brain tumours.

“It is very important that these people understand that as they get older they need to have regular sight tests, at least every two years, in order to detect any potentially serious conditions early.”

So next time your at Target or the Dollar Store be sure to think twice before shelling out for those tempting OTC Readers.

-CM

To learn more about eyestrain visit GahanaVision.com to schedule your families Lifestyle Eye Exam today.

The Good, Bad, and Fuzzy of Cataracts

2010-10-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

What Is A Cataract?

A cataract is the clouding of the eyes natural crystalline lens. The lens, which lies just behind the iris, works just like a camera lens. It changes shape to allow us to focus clearly on things both up close and far away.

As we age, proteins in our eye's lens begin to oxidize and clump together slowly forming a cataract. This is a completely normal process that slowly develops over time. Although there are many different forms of cataracts, our "normal" cataracts typically begin forming in our 30's or 40's. They usually do not begin to affect our vision until well into our 60's.

Although there are many kinds of cataracts, most of ours begin as a very light yellow haze in our lens. In time our cataracts will grow in size, density, and become darker in color. As this process occurs we will slowly begin to notice some changes in our vision. These vision changes typically begin as a "just not perfect" change in vision. As the cataract progresses we may notice that we may need more light to read things, or that our new glasses don't help. We may also notice more glare and difficulty with our nighttime driving and our low-lighting visual tasks.

It is important to tell one of our optometrists if you notice any of these changes in your vision. When you and/or your optometrist feel that your vision is significantly affected, he/she will refer you to a cataract surgeon that they trust with removing the cataracts. Many doctors use the term "ripen" to refer to the time when a cataract is ready for removal. Essentially, the cataract is ready to be removed when it is significantly affecting your vision.

Dr. Miller performs an comprehensive Cataract Evaluation as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.

Call or e-mail Gahanna Vision Center today to schedule your Lifestyle Eye Exam

614-471-7177
home@gahannavision.com

Fast Food Healthcare Could Save Billions

2010-10-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

More Americans Turning To Retail Or Urgent-Care Clinics.

NBC Nightly News (10/24, story 7, 2:35, Holt) reported, "It is the healthcare equivalent of fast food -- the growing business of walk-in medical clinics where you can be treated quickly and efficiently for minor ailments. ... But, 'is this kind of treatment the best medicine?'" NBC (Costello) added, "It's happening nationwide. The growing demands on primary-care doctors and overcrowded emergency" departments "have more Americans with minor ailments turning to nurse practitioners at the local pharmacy or doctors at storefront urgent care clinics." He noted, "An average ED visit is $550 while urgent care visits charge $125 to $140 on average. A recent study by the Rand Corporation found 17% of all patients treated in hospital ERs could instead be treated at retail medical clinics or urgent care centers, generating savings of $4.4 billion each year."

source: AOA First Look

Give your Kids Eyes some exercise... Don't be a "Lazy Eye"

2010-10-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

What is Amblyopia?

Commonly referred to "Lazy Eye", amblyopia is a condition in which the vision in one or both eyes cannot be corrected to 20/20 even with glasses or contact lenses. Approximately 3% of children and young adults have amblyopia. In a child with normal visual development, the brain uses the information received from both eyes to create a clear picture. This "combining" of vision is referred to "fusing or fusion".

Amblyopia occurs when the brain is unable to fuse the two images, or one image is far too out of focus compared to the other. When the brain is unable to do this, it learns to ignore the fuzzy image, or "suppress" the information from one eye. This leads to a lack of normal development. In other words, without proper treatment, that part of the brain that is being suppressed will never learn what 20/20 vision looks like.

The term "lazy eye" to describe amblyopia is often a misnomer. It is not necessarily the eye that is lazy, but a part of the brain that must be trained. Generally, amblyopia develops while a child's brain is learning and developing. Most of this process occurs before the age of 6. Therefore it is crucial to diagnose and treat amblyopia as soon as possible.

Types of Amblyopia

Refractive Amblyopia - This can be due to a big difference in the prescription between the two eyes (anisometric amblyopia), or due to a high prescription in both eyes (isometric amblyopia). In anisometric amblyopia the brain may see one clear image, and one fuzzy image. This leads to a lack of "fusion" of the image, therefore the brain will typically choose the ignore the fuzzy, out of focus image. If not treated properly, this will become an amblyopic eye.

Strabismic Amblyopia (Eyeturn) - This form of amblyopia is when the eyes are misaligned and not looking at the same target. This causes double vision in the brain, and causes the brain to suppress one of the images. Not all forms of strabismus lead to amblyopia, but it is important to take the proper steps to assure that this doesn't happen.

Signs and Symptoms of Amblyopia

The main issue associated with amblyopia is poor vision in one or both eyes. A child usually does not complain because 1.) They don't know any differently than what they see and 2.) The brain may suppress the bad eye giving the child "normal" vision. Most kids easily pass simple pediatric and early school eye screenings, therefore this condition goes untreated. Only your optometrist can fully test and quantify if your child has amblyopia, and to what severity. That is why it is important to have your child's eyes tested by an optometrist by 1 year of age, and at 3 years of age.

Other signs that may suggest your child has amblyopia:

. Closing one eye to read

. Turning or tilted head to see

. Gets upset if one eye is covered up

. Continuously misjudges depth of where an object is.

Treatment for Amblyopia

The main goal of treating amblyopia is not necessarily treating the eyes, but to "teach" the brain how to see. Depending on the type of amblyopia and the severity, this can be accomplished through many different methods.

Glasses - The first step is to have the child fully corrected with glasses. If the image is not focused onto the back of the eye (retina), the brain will never learn. Depending on a child's prescription this may take some time to become fully corrected. You may hear your optometrist using words like "accepting" the prescription. Many times an optometrist will have to slowly build up a child's prescription a little bit at a home to achieve the best results.

Patching - This method of treatment has withstood the test of time. The treatment is straightforward, but not always simple. The child wears a patch over the good eye, with glasses on, to make the bad eye see. The duration of patching varies from case to case, but what stays the same is the need for the child to be involved in visual activities while patched.

Eye Drops - Many optometrists today are using this as a primary form of amblyopia treatment. Your optometrist may prescribe Atropine eye drops to use twice a day in the good eye. Atropine is a dilating eye drop. It will make the pupil very large, but more importantly will not allow the good eye to focus on things up close. This loss of focus will force the bad eye to carry the work load of near tasks such as reading, writing, and playing on the iPod or DS. This will also allow for a more compliant all day treatment method. A child will be very light sensitive during this treatment so your doctor may prescribe Transition lenses for their glasses or even prescription sun glasses. Again, this treatment is only successful if the child wears the prescribed glasses as directed.

Vision Therapy - If conventional treatment does not yield the expected results your optometrist may feel that vision therapy may be necessary. Vision therapy uses eye and learning exercises to "teach" the eyes and brain how to properly work together.

The most challenging component in Amblyopia treatment is the responsibility of the parent. Amblyopia does not occur overnight, nor will it be resolved overnight. Treatment can take many years, but is most successful in the first 3-6 months. Parents must be proactive in requiring their kids to wear the glasses as directed, use the eye drops as directed, and to patch as directed. Regardless of the acceptance of the child.

There is only a small window of opportunity to resolved Amblyopia. Usually by the age of 7 the window is closed, but new studies are showing improvement into the early teens. Regardless, the first step is to get a child's eyes examined by an optometrist within their first year, and again at age 3. If Amblyopia is present, always follow your optometrist directions and stand by them regardless of the "battle" that it may take. These steps are crucial because if your optometrist cannot teach your child's brain to see 20/20 by the time the window closes, it never will.

www.GahannaVision.com

Dry Eyes and You

2010-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) is a common condition that affects millions of people each year. These patients' tears (tear film), for many different reasons, lack the proper balance and/or stability to maintain a healthy eye. Our eyes depends on a healthy tear film to protect it, as well as provide vital nutrients in order to feed it. To understand why we get dry eyes, we must first understand what are tears are made of.

Our tear film is composed of 3 parts. An oily layer, a mucous layer, and a water layer. All three parts must maintain perfect harmony to keep our eyes healthy. Because of this tear film composition, there are many different types of DES, as well as many different treatment options.

What Causes Dry Eyes

There are many factors that can cause or affect DES.

Age - the strength and stability of the tear film slowly diminishes as we get older.

Gender - Women are more likely to experience DES, and the condition typically worsens for women going through hormonal changes such as pregnancy and menopause.

Environment - DES appears to be worse in arid and/or cold environments. For many, winter is a brutal time for DES. The cold, windy, dry air outside, coupled by the dry heat inside makes for a nasty one-two punch.

Activities - Increased computer use and or reading can cause DES. When we read or stare at a computer we do not blink normally. This allows the tear film to evaporate more quickly leaving an exposed, sensitive cornea.

Medication- many medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes have been linked to DES. Also, there are numerous medications that treat many common conditions have been proven in trials to cause or worsen patients DES. Allergy medications such as antihistamines are a very common cause for dry eyes. If you suffer from DES, you should always tell your doctor before taking a new medication. Though, in most cases, the benefits of systemic medication outweigh the risks of dry eyes.

Contact Lenses/ LASIK - Contact lens patients typically have some form of dry eye irritation. This is not always the same as DES. Specifically because most of the symptoms resolve once the contact, or in most cases, the contact-lens solution is removed. For many, switching to a Daily Disposable contact reduces these symptoms. DES is a common complaint post-LASIK. The cutting of the corneal epithelium causes an inflammatory response that can lead to chronic dry eyes post-op. This is becoming less frequent with the use of pre-op treatment such as Restasis, and new LASIK procedures such as Intralase.

Vitamin Deficiency – for many patients the lack of essential vitamins and fatty-acids worsen their DES.

Poor Eye Lid Closure - many patients do not fully close their eyes with each blink or while sleeping. This can result in corneal exposure and can significantly damage the health of the eye.

Dry Eye Symptoms / Diagnosis

At Gahanna Vision Center, we can easily diagnose DES by either simply looking at the health of your eyes, or using very simple test to examine your tear film more closely. This is performed as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.

Knowing you have DES can be a bit more difficult to tell. Symptoms of DES can be mild to severe. Most patients are unaware that their tear film is not as healthy as it should be.

Common symptoms for DES are:

Burning / Itchy eyes - many patients blame this common symptom on their allergies. This results in mis-treatment by unnecessary use of OTC allergy eye drops.

Watery eyes / Excessive tearing - This is caused by the body's reaction to an unhealthy tear film. To put it simply, the eyes tell the brain to turn on the faucet and help it out. Because of the over-production of the "watery" component of tears this does not make for a balanced, and therefore stable tear film.

Something in your eyes / Under your eye lid - In many cases the tear film breaks down so much that it leaves an exposed, sandpaper-rough cornea. This exposes corneal nerves that are very sensitive. (note: there are more nerves per square millimeter in your cornea than anywhere else on your body) Upon blinking, the exposed nerves are stimulated giving the feeling that something is in the eye, or under the eye lid.

Blurred Vision - Your eye is a camera. If one part of the camera is not 100%, the picture doesn't turn out. Since your tear film is the first component of your eye that light must pass through it must be 100% healthy and stable to produce a perfect 20/20 image.

Decreased reading duration/ computer use - Patients with DES may notice that they cannot comfortably read or use the computer as long as they would like. This can cause some eyestrain (asthenopia) under these conditions.

Light Sensitivity (photophobia) - Just like frost on a windshield, a non-stable tear film can distort the light creating glare and sensitivity to light. In many patients this is noticeable while watching TV.

Treatment Options

Only your optometrist can decide which form of dry eye syndrome you have, and which treatment option(s) may be best for you.

Artificial Tears - typically the most important foundation in treating any form of DES. However, not all artificial tears are the same.

Warm Compresses - Applying heat to your eyes will open the oil glands along your eye lid margin to provide a stable tear film.

Lid Scrubs - In most all of us, we get a build up of dead skin cells at the base of our eye lashes. This can create flaky, dandruff like, debris that can get into our eyes and irritate it. By performing simple lid scrubs, we can remove this debris and eliminate the problematic source.

Punctal Plugs - Your optometrist may feel that punctal plugs are a good option in treating your DES. Punctal plugs close the major tear duct, holding your eyes natural tears in your eyes for a longer period of time.

Vitamin Supplements - Many vitamins such as vitamin E, fish oils, and omega-3 have been proven to help the tear film.

Medication - Your optometrist may prescribe medication such as a mild anti-inflammatory drop or antibiotic ointment for short-term treatment, or a long-term treatment such as Restasis.

Nighttime masks - Masks are a great option for DES suffers who need protection while sleeping. Your optometrist may prescribe a mask such as Tranquileyes mask if you suffer from incomplete eye closure, wear a c-pap or bi-pap at night, or just like to sleep with a fan in the room.

What to Do

If you work in front of a computer or like to read a lot, make sure you take time to blink regularly. Also, be sure to relax your eyes by looking away for a minute or two after 20 minutes of near activities.

Eat a proper diet including the essential fatty acids.

Use an indoor humidifier if your home is very dry.

Stay hydrated. Be sure to drink the recommended 8-10 glasses of water a day.

Be sure to call or contact Gahanna Vision Center if you feel like you have Dry Eye Syndrome.

Video Games May Improve "Lazy Eye" in Adults

2010-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

In September 2010, Bill Hendrick of WebMD Health News reported on a study that may show promise for adults with amblyopia.

Most scientific studies on video games have focused on the harmful effects of playing the fast-moving action games on computer or TV screens. But new research indicates that video game therapy can improve the vision of adults with lazy eye.

A study published in the Sept. 21 issue of PLoS Biology shows that people with lazy eye, or amblyopia, had marked improvement in visual acuity and 3-D depth perception after spending 40 hours playing video games.

Study researcher Roger Li, PhD, of the School of Optometry and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, says the study is the first to show that playing video games can improve blurred vision in adults with lazy eye.

I was very surprised by this finding, Li says in a news release. I didn't expect to see this type of improvement.

No studies have shown similar benefits for people with normal vision, so no one should use the new findings to justify spending more time behind screens playing video games, the researchers say.

Amblyopia is a brain disorder in which the vision in one eye does not develop properly and is the most frequent cause of permanent visual impairment in childhood, affecting two to three of every 100 children, according to the National Eye Institute. Amblyopia is also the most common cause of one-eye visual impairment among young adults or people in middle age.

Although lazy eye in children can be treated by putting a patch over the good eye to force the brain to use the lazy one, few options have been available for adults with the disorder, the researchers say.

These new findings are very encouraging because there are currently no accepted treatments for adults with amblyopia, says Dennis Levi, of University of California, Berkeley and dean of optometry at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.

He says that conventional wisdom has held that unless the disorder is corrected in childhood, damage was thought to be irreversible, but that apparently is not the case.

Li and Levi say they've found that intensive training on a perceptual task, such as getting two horizontal lines to align, can lead to an improvement of 30% to 40% in visual acuity.

Researchers used an action video game that required subjects to shoot at targets, or a non-action game where users construct things on screen. Twenty subjects participated, between the ages of 20 and 60.

In one experiment, 10 patients played the action video game for 40 hours, two hours at a time, over the course of a month. In another, three people played the non-action video game for the same amount of time, while wearing a patch over their good eyes.

The researchers say both experiments produced a 30% increase in visual acuity, or an average of 1.5 lines on the standard letter charges used by optometrists.

It can take 120 hours of occlusion therapy to see the same improvement in children with lazy eye. The researchers measured performance after every 10 hours of game playing, and some subjects began to show improvement earlier than 40 hours.

Li says that people who began by playing a non-action video game continued to improve after playing the action video game for an additional 40 hours. He says it's not clear yet when visual improvement might reach a plateau.

He cautions that research is in its early stages and that patients shouldn't try to self-treat their lazy eye condition, but instead, work with eye doctors on their problem.

SOURCES: News release, University of California, Berkeley.Li, R. PLoS Biology, vol 8: pp 1-9, September 2010.

Kids that Play outside may be less Nearsighted!

2010-10-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

The following article was posted in Primary Care Optometry News this month. It discusses the theory that is gaining evidence support that the more kids spend doing outdoor activities, the less likely their myopia, or nearsightedness, will progress. It is really a basic principle based on "Hunters and Gathers".

-----------------------

PRIMARY CARE OPTOMETRY NEWS 10/1/2010
Study: Outdoor activity may help control myopic progression in children
Myopic and non-myopic children were found to spend more time outside in the summer.

Increased outdoor activity during the summer months may contribute to slowed eye growth in both myopic and non-myopic children, according to results from a longitudinal study of refraction and visual function.
In addition, the study found that non-myopes participated in more hours of sports and outdoor activities during the school year, which may protect against myopia development. This finding agreed with previous studies.
Li Deng, PhD, and her associates at the New England College of Optometry (NECO) Department of Vision Science examined the results from a visual activity survey conducted by the Children’s Vision Laboratory at NECO in 1999. Parents of 147 children 6 to 18 years old completed the questionnaire.
The survey results showed that myopes, or subjects with a spherical equivalent worse than -0.5 D, were found to spend fewer weekly hours outdoors during the school year than non-myopes, or subjects with a spherical equivalent of -0.5 D or better. However, both refractive groups were found to spend more time on outdoor activities in June, July and August, with less myopic progression reported during these months.
Parents of the subjects listed the number of weekly hours outside school the children spent reading for pleasure, studying, watching TV, using the computer or playing video games and engaging in sports or outdoor activities. Dr. Deng noted, however, that the survey did not ask specifically about time spent indoors.
“While our data show that myopes spent less time on outdoor activity than non-myopes during the school year, we do not know if this activity pattern occurred before the onset of myopia, which is important for determining causation,” she told Primary Care Optometry News in an interview.

Cause, prevention of myopia disputed

Near work is most often cited as an environmental risk factor for myopia, but no direct evidence supports this claim, the authors said. In fact, the study found myopes and non-myopes spent a similar amount of time studying during the school year (10.8 ± 5.58 hours/week and 9.14 ± 7.29 hours/week), as well as reading for pleasure (5.60 ± 4.37 hours/week and 4.95 ± 3.63 hours/week).
Conversely, myopes were found to watch significantly more hours of TV during the school year (12.78 ± 9.28 hours/week) than non-myopes (8.91 ± 5.95 hours/week). According to the authors, however, more research is needed on TV watching-induced myopia to confirm this association.
Despite the conflicting opinions on the cause of myopia in children, most research agrees on the “protective role” of outdoor activity in myopia progression, the authors said. While myopes in this study spent fewer hours (8.25 ± 6.24 hours/week) than non-myopes (10.95 ± 5.95 hours/week) on outdoor activity during the school year, both groups reported a high number of sports and outdoor activity time during the summer (19.41 ± 14.57 hours/week and 22.44 ± 13.56 hours/week).
According to the authors, it is not clear which aspects of outdoor activity slow myopic progression. Theories include pupillary constriction, increased dopamine levels and distance viewing.
“Current research findings suggest outdoor activity is protective against myopia development,” Dr. Deng told PCON. “Limited evidence shows this positive effect is due to being outdoors and not physical activity. However, more studies with substantial evidence are needed to better understand the exact mechanism.”

Ongoing studies

The subjects in this study were a subset of participants from a longitudinal study of refractive error that started in 1974 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and continued at NECO until 2006, according to the report. Of the 147 subjects, 33 were myopic and 114 were non-myopic, which may have limited the study conclusions.
However, an ongoing study from another research group is investigating the association of outdoor activity hours and myopia with a larger sample size, a narrower age range and a more detailed activity time survey, Dr. Deng said.
“The definite roles of lifestyle on myopia development have not been proven yet. However, in general, we recommend that children spend moderate amounts of time on outdoor play throughout the year and take breaks between long hours of near work,” she said. — by Courtney Preston

Reference:

Deng L, Gwiazda J, Thorn F. Children’s refractions and visual activities in the school year and summer. Optom Vis Sci. 2010;87(6):406-413.

Li Deng, PhD, is an associate professor of biostatistics at the New England College of Optometry and can be reached at 424 Beacon St., Boston MA 02115; (617) 266-2030; DengL@neco.edu.

The Truth About Your Floaters

2010-10-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Though many of us feel we are loosing our minds “swatting flys” that aren’t even there, we are actually among the majority who have to deal with seeing these Floaters in our vision.

Floaters are tiny specks or what appears to be bugs or gnats moving in your field of vision. You may notice them more on a bright day, while looking at a plain light colored background, or while reading the paper.

Reason being is that although Floaters are the tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye, what you are actually seeing is the shadow that these floaters cast on the retina. Floaters can have different shapes, such as little dots, circles, lines clouds or cobwebs.

When we reach middle age, the vitreous gel may start to thicken or shrink, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. Floaters often occur when the vitreous gel pulls away from the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. In some cases the retina can tear if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall of the eye. A torn retina is always a serious problem, since it can lead to a vision threatening retinal detachment. Though less common, floaters can occur in younger age patients as well. Athletes, more notably, soccer and football players that suffer from multiple blows to the head are more likely to have their vitreous tug loose.

The appearance of floaters may be alarming, especially if they develop suddenly. You should see your optometrist right away if you suddenly develop a new onset of floaters, regardless of any age.

Flashes: When the vitreous gel inside your eye tugs or pulls on the retina, you may see what look like flashing lights or lightning bolts in your vision.

The flashes of light can appear off and on for several weeks or months. As we grow older, it is more common to experience flashes. Contact your optometrist immediately if you discover an onset of flashes of light in your eyes.

Symptoms
You should contact your optometrist as soon as possible if:

· One new, large floater or "showers" of floaters appear suddenly

· You see sudden flashes of light

· You notice other symptoms, such as the loss of side vision

Floaters and flashes of light become more common as we grow older. While not all floaters and flashes are serious, you should always have a medical eye examination by your optometrist to make sure there has been no damage to your retina.

Treatment

Once your optometrist determines that your retina is healthy, i.e. no tears or breaks, there is no further treatment necessary other than close observation. Depending on each case, I generally re-evaluate the retina at onset of these symptoms, then again within 6 weeks of onset, and if everything appears healthy, I re-examine the retina 6 months later. I also ask my patients to return with any new symptoms such as an increase in floaters, increase of flashes, if they ever notice a "curtain" coming over their vision, or any other abnormal visual disturbance.

While some floaters may remain in your vision, many of them will fade over time and become less bothersome. Even if you have had some floaters for years, you should have an eye examination immediately if you notice new ones.

Blind Novelist Becomes Blind Activist

2010-10-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Legally Blind Novelist Calls Upon Public Officials To Do More For Those With Vision Loss.

In an essay in the Washington Post (10/5), novelist Sheila Solomon Klass, now in her eighties, describes her struggles with glaucoma and being legally blind due to macular degeneration. She writes, "Modern medicine has done the best that it can to repair me, and I'm truly grateful." Now, however, "I want my city -- all cities -- to do the best they can for me and other citizens" who are struggling with fading vision. She calls for "candidates and policymakers who are willing to look at the world through legally blind eyes and see what needs to be fixed." She would like to see better outdoor lighting, bigger address numbers, clearer signage, and safer, more accessible public transportation.

This headline was released by the AOA. It's a terrific outcry, and a necessary one. Follow the Washington Post link to read the full article. Read more about glaucoma on my previous posts.

-Miller

Look At My "Glaucoma Puzzle"

2010-10-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

Do I have Glaucoma? For most people, the very mention of the word "glaucoma" tends to have an automatic correlation to "going blind". In fact, most patients that are watched or even treated for glaucoma do not lose their central vision.

As an optometrist we look at the overall "glaucoma puzzle", i.e. we measure the risk factors. We analyze them, and weigh them out to determine just how "at-risk" a patient may be. Just because your optometrist may find one or more glaucoma risk factors does not necessarily mean you have glaucoma. Nor does it mean you will get glaucoma. It simply means that you are more "at risk" for developing glaucoma than the next person. I like to explain it to my patients like this, "It's as if you throw me out there on the football field during an Ohio State game (of course my patients see that I'm a skinny guy, no football player), it doesn't mean that I will break, but there's a better chance that I will than the linebacker." At-risk patients or Glaucoma Suspects must be monitored closely to assure that these risk factors do not damage the optic nerve, i.e. develop into glaucoma.

So when your optometrist is analyzing your "glaucoma puzzle", this is the key pieces they are watching:

Intra-ocular Pressure (IOP) - the most common risk factor is an elevated IOP (Ocular Hypertension). It is statistically proven that patients with an IOP greater than 21mmHg are seven to 22 times more likely to develop glaucoma. Many patients with ocular hypertension do not develop glaucoma. Recent studies, however, state that even in the absence of glaucoma, patients with an IOP greater than 24mmHg should be treated with IOP lowering medication to reduce their risk of developing glaucoma.

Your IOP is very succeptable to changes. Many medication and systemic factors can cause fluctuation in a patients IOP. Even taking measurements at different times of the day may result in different IOP measurements. That is why many times your optometrist may ask that you return for an IOP check in the morning. Our IOP tends to run higher during the morning hours.

Age - Every study has shown an increase prevalence with increase age. In fact, you are six times more likely to develop glaucoma if you are over the age of 60.

Family History - Your IOP and cup-to-disc ratio are both basically genetically determined. Some studies suggest that 13-25% of glaucoma patients have a family history. In fact, recent chromosomal mapping have revealed the presence of a "glaucoma gene".

Race - One study suggest that African-Americans are four times more likely to develop glaucoma.

Optic Nerve / Nerve Fiber Layer - Optometrist evaluate the optic nerve and measure what is called the cup-to-disc ratio. If you imagine your optic nerve like a cantelope, and the more seeds that are scooped out, the less catelope there is. The same applies to the optic nerve. The larger the cupping in the center of the nerve (the seeds removed), the less healthy nerve fibers are left (the cateloupe), thus the more fragile the optic nerve may be.

Normal cup-to-disc ratio is 20-40%. Anything greater than that poses an increased risk for glaucoma. So does any cup-to-disc asymmetry between the eyes. Any asymmetry greater than 20% may raise a caution flag by your optometrist.

Myopia (Nearsightedness) - Some studies suggest that the higher the myopia, the greater the risk factor.

Diabetes - the association between glaucoma and diabetes is still unclear. However, because diabetes is a disease of the small blood vessels, it is important to have annual dilated eye exams, including glaucoma testing, by your optometrist.

Hypertension and Hypotension - Patients with either High or Low blood pressure must understand that their optic nerve may not be receiving the proper perfusion that is vital to its health.

B12 Deficiency - It is argued that B12 deficiency does not actually cause glaucoma. It is known, in fact to produce an optic atrophy, which is essentially the same as a non-progressive form of glaucoma. Regardless, it is important to follow with your optometrist if you have a B12 deficiency.

Anemia - Patients with anemia present the same risk as hypertension patients. The health of the optic nerve and nerve fiber layer may be compromised in an anemic patient due to the lack of proper oxygen delivery.

Sleep Apnea - One sleep apnea study concluded that one-third of their sleep apnea patients had glaucoma. These patients pose a high risk for Normal Tension Glaucoma (NTG) because of the lack of oxygen that is delivered to the optic nerve.

Again, just because you may have one or multiple of these risk factors, it is not certain that you will get glaucoma. But, it is important that you let your optometrist know about these systemic conditions so they can properly analyze your "glaucoma puzzle"

Dr. Miller performs an extensive Glaucoma Examination as part of every Lifestyle Eye Exam.

www.GahannaVision.com

Glaucoma and You

2010-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Glaucoma is a very serious disease of the eye that can slowly and silently take away one's vision. It is thought to be the second leading cause of blindness in the world, with approximately 67 million people affected. Although there are many risk factors that can contribute, glaucoma's most basic definition is damage of the optic nerve. More appropriately, damage or cell death of the individual nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve.

The optic nerve, the hard wire that takes what you see back to your brain, is made up of millions of small nerve fibers that collect the information that you see. In glaucoma, just as in natural selection, the weakest of these nerve fibers are destroyed first. The weakest being those that control your more peripheral vision. Due to our brains ability to fill in micro-gaps in our vision, these small nerve fiber deaths may go unnoticed. In fact, approximately 50% of nerve fibers must be dead in a specific region to show any visual field loss.

Types of Glaucoma - There are two main types of glaucoma, Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and Angle Closure Glaucoma. These are marked by an increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye. When optic nerve damage has occurred despite a normal IOP, this is called normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Secondary glaucoma refers to any case in which another disease causes or contributes to increased eye pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and vision loss.

More about glaucoma coming soon.....

My 4 Eyes is here!

2010-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Historically, I'm sure these "first blog posts" are typically pointless and a message of ambition that slowly dwindles over the course of the first few months.... this first blog post is no exception!

My 4 Eyes has been some time in the making (6+ months actually), but along with the change in career (see next post) comes the motivation to actually explore these avenues. And, hopefully just do what it is I do... fix eyes. I hope that through Gahanna Vision Center, I can provide some great insight and funny stories that come along with life in the Eye World. Thanks for reading

Cheers!