eye doctor

Treatment Options For Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

In previous years, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction or MGD was treated with an application of warm compresses to the eyelids, which was followed by eyelid massaging. This treatment was supposed to get rid of any wax or thickened oil blocking the meibomian glands’ opening. However, it was discovered that massage and warm compresses are unable to treat the problem adequately and cannot effectively restore the normal functioning of meibomian glands. Thankfully, several new and more effective treatments are available these days.

Modern Treatments for MGD

Antibacterial Eye Drops

Some research studies have shown anti-bacterial eye drops to be highly effective in providing relief from the symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction. Your eye doctor should be able to advise during the eye exam whether such eye drops are the right option for you.

Meibomian Gland Probing

This simple technique unclogs the main duct and opening of the meibomian glands. The doctor uses a hand-held instrument for probing and dilating the meibomian gland openings that are near the base of eyelashes. This procedure is done after an application of an anesthetic eye drops. One research study has reported that more than 96% of patients experience immediate relief from symptoms after this procedure. Within one month, 100% of patients experienced relief after this procedure.

Another research study has also confirmed that around 76% of patients treated with this procedure experienced relief from symptoms within 24 hours after the procedure. The study also reported that patients who received a combination of corticosteroid eye drops and probing had much more complete and faster relief from symptoms as compared to patients treated only with corticosteroid eye drops.

Cyclosporine Eye Drops

Cyclosporine is an agent that is capable of modifying the immune response of the body in a particular manner. The prescription eye drops Restasis (Allergan), which is used for managing dry eye symptoms, contains cyclosporine.

Omega-3 Supplements

Some eye doctors also recommend omega-3 fatty acids dietary supplements as an adjunct treatment to other MGD treatments. Omega-3 fatty acids may also decrease the risk of meibomian gland dysfunction in the future. Omega-3 may help in suppressing inflammation and may also help in decreasing the risk of buildup of wax within the meibomian glands.

Lipiflow

This thermal pulsation system (TearScience) is an in-office procedure. In this procedure, sufficient heat is applied to the eyelids to melt away the waxy deposits in these glands. At the same time, pulse pressure is also applied to eyelids to open and thoroughly expose the contents of the glands. In a typical treatment session of 12 minutes, the device is attached to the eyelids to get rid of the waxy deposits.

The system is designed in a manner to keep the eyeballs safe and no pressure or heat is transferred from the eyelids. Some recent research studies have shown that this process is highly effective in reducing the symptoms and signs of MGD.

Be sure to ask Dr. Bassiri what specialty contact lens options there are as well.

What Can a Sports Vision Doctor Do For You?

Having 20/20 vision is important, but distance vision and focus is just one metric, and there are other skills and elements of the quality of your vision that matter too, including peripheral vision and depth perception. Vision skills are an important part of sporting performance – whether you are playing golf, baseball, soccer, racket sports or even certain martial arts. Most of what we do when it comes to processing our environment involves sight, rather than, say smell or touch.

Your regular eye exam will give you an idea of whether your eyes are healthy, but you will still benefit from visiting an eye-care practitioner that has experience in the field of sports vision because your standard eye exam will not test all vision skills, just the ability to focus on objects at a distance and perhaps color perception. Sports vision testing is far more extensive and will evaluate how you make use of your vision when moving and interacting with other objects. It can also deal with your concentration, quickness, and hand-eye coordination.

Professional athletes will work on their sports vision, and it is useful for college athletes and recreational players to work on it too. Vision training can be helpful for people in many fields – even pilots can benefit from it. A sports vision specialist will perform a lot of tests that you may not have done in a standard eye exam, including:

– Holographic protection to determine how you react when you see 3-D objects

– Computerized reaction time tests

– Tests that use slide viewers

– Depth perception and other sport-specific tests, including some done in sport-specific circumstances.

Sports vision specialists will help you to find appropriate eyewear for the sport that you play and may do special contact-lens fittings, as well as work with you to help you cope with eye injuries, if appropriate. It may be that one visit to a sports vision specialist will be enough to help you get your sports-related vision skills up to par, but in some circumstances, you may need to undergo a period of training and have several visits in order to bring your vision skills up to where they should be. If you have been practicing with an impairment – perhaps to your depth perception, for example – then you might find that you need to spend some time re-learning how to play once your vision has been corrected, but you should find that it gets even better with practice.

How To Find A Sports Vision Specialist

The easiest way to find a sports vision specialist is to ask your eye doctor for help. Although the majority of eye vision specialists are actually optometrists, some of them are ophthalmologists.

Many of the ophthalmologists that specialize in LASIK surgery for athletes also provide sport vision services.

The internet is a great place to start your search for sports vision doctors, as most of them would surely have a professional website advertising their services to potential clients.

All you need to do to find such specialists is to use your favorite search engine. For more focused results, you may also want to include your geographic location in your search string. If, for instance, you live in Durham, you should search for “sports vision doctors in Durham NC.”

The American Optometric Association

If the above-described method didn’t offer you the expected results, you might want to take a closer look at the website of the American Optometry Association. This website offers a feature that enables you to search for an optometrist in your area who is also a member of the Sports Vision Section of this association. As this is one of the biggest sports vision specialists organization in the US, you have great chances to find the doctor you need to take care of your vision.

According to the AOA, the members of the Sports Vision Section are on a mission to deliver high-quality optometric sports vision care by focusing on injury prevention methods, education, and improvement of the visual performance of athletes.

The College Of Optometrists In Vision Development

The College Of Optometrists In Vision Development is another great source of information you can use to find your therapist. This association focuses mainly on children, its members being devoted to correcting childhood vision problems.

Nonetheless, some of the COVD members have also adult patients. Use the “Locate a Doctor” feature on their website to find these specialists.

Local Coaching Staff

Chances are that local high school or college sports team coaches have good knowledge of sports vision specialists that have worked with their athletes.

If you can find such a coach, you may want to ask for details about the effectiveness and the duration of such treatments, as well as about the costs they involve.

What To Ask Before Choosing A Sports Vision Specialist

Any eye doctor in Raleigh NC can be a sports vision specialist, as there’s no training required to qualify for using this title.

All these being said, you may want to do some in-depth research before enrolling in a sports vision program. Your goal should be to find out more details about the experience and the skills of the sports vision doctor or therapist, as well as about the tests they would conduct in order to assess your needs. You should also try to find out whether the specialist performs contact lens fitting for athletes, should you be interested in this type of services.

Sports Sunglasses: Enhance Performance, Control Light

Sports sunglasses can provide athletes at every level with an edge, including those “weekend warrior” amateurs who are constantly searching for ways to make improvements to their performance while playing the sports that they love.

However, in their big rush to try out the latest and best gear, like new shoes or tennis racquets, there are many sports enthusiasts who have a tendency to forget about one of the key factors in making sure that their sports performance is optimized – which is their vision.

Light Is Managed By Sports Sunglasses To Enhance Performance

Of course, vision is all about the way we process light in order to make the images that we see.

Light, which includes outdoor sunlight, is all comprised of an array of electromagnetic rays in various colors, which are determined by the specific wavelengths. Rays of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet light all have their specific wavelengths, depending on what color they are. When these color rays are combined, white light is created.

When certain wavelengths are transmitted to the eyes and selectively reduced, the sunglasses tinted performance may enhance contrast sensitivity and diminish glare.

This capability to see with greater comfort, clarity, accuracy, and speed, gives the athlete a potentially key advantage over the competition.

Sports sunglasses provide an extra edge of improved vision may be manifested in various ways, depending on the specific sport that is involved. For example, in golf, tinted lenses may enhance the contrasts between dark and light patterns of grass on the putting green, which can help you “read the greens much better to result in more accurate putting.

More examples:

– In baseball, softball, and tennis, tinted lenses may help you with seeing ball rotation more clearly to make much better contact with a bat or racquet.

– For biking, sunglasses that have the right lenses can help you see down a trail or road better that results in a safer ride, particularly when traveling at high speeds downhill.

How To Select A Sunglass Tint

Choosing a tint mostly comes down to your personal preference. However, there are certain tints that do provide advantages for specific environments and visual tasks.

If it is key to have 100 percent accurate color perception, then the best choice is a neutral gray tint.

Contrast enhancement for a majority of athletes is the feature that is most desired for activities like seeing moguls coming up on a ski slope, fish underneath the water, a ball in the sky, or various other sports-specific activities. In order for contrast to be enhanced, often the best tints are copper-colored and brown ones.

Depending on what the specific lighting conditions are, other good contrast enhancement options include red, orange, amber and yellow (for overcast and low-light conditions).

UV Protection And Lens Tints

If you like sports, then most likely you spend a lot more time out in the sun compared to the average individual. So make sure that 100 percent UV protection is offered by your sunglasses. Developing cataracts later on in life has been linked to lifelong ultraviolet (UV) ray overexposure.

How much UV protection is provided by sunglass lenses depends on what lens material they are made out of along with the additives or coating that are applied to their lenses.

Therefore, a sunglass tint’s darkness and color are not reliable indicators of how well they protect your eyes against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A light yellow lens can potentially provide 100 percent UV protection while a dark gray lens might offer no or little protection, depending on the quality of the lens.

Polycarbonate lenses are a good option for sports sunglasses. The lenses are shatter-resistant and lightweight. They block out 100 percent of the harmful UV rays of the sun without any extra coatings or additives.

It is also suggested by recent research that wearing sunglasses that are able to block the sun’s high energy visible (HEV) radiation – or “blue light” as it is sometimes called – is a good idea. It is believed by some researchers that being exposed to HEV light over the long term might contribute to eye problems such as macular degeneration.

Many “blue-blocker” sunglasses brands are available in the market. There is one highly effective version in particular that includes a synthetic type of melanin, which is a kind of natural light-absorbing pigment that is contained in the retinas of the eyes and the skin.

Ask your eye doctor for help in choosing sports sunglasses that are able to block both HEV and 100 percent UV light.

Are Contacts Hard To Put In?

Typically, it’s easy to put fitted contacts into your eye and of course remove them when you need to. It just takes patience and practice.

If Kids Can Use Them, So Can Adults

Many parents are concerned about allowing their kids to wear contacts when their children show an interest in wearing contacts. However, according to research, most kids do well once they learn how to properly care for and handle their contacts and they find it easy to put them in and take them out.

In recent studies, 84 children aged 8 to 12, and 85 teens who were 13 to 17, were all fitted with contact lenses for the very first time. The majority of these younger children were able to master the art of putting them in and removing them. Also, the 83 percent of the pre-teens and 90 percent of the teens stated that they were easy to use and take care of.

All the parents in the study were in agreement. By the end of the study, 96 percent of the parents in the pre-teen group, and 89 percent of the parents in the teen group were in agreement with the statement that their children were able to demonstrate the responsibility that it takes to wear contact lenses and to properly care for them.

Good fitting will ensure that the contacts aren’t hard to put into the eye. Regardless of whether you’re a parent of a child wearing contacts, or an adult who is trying them for the first time, a comprehensive eye exam will help the doctor to make sure that they’re going to fit well by the measurements that they’re going to take. They will then choose the best fitting contact for your specific needs or for your child’s specific needs.

The doctor will measure the amount of space between the upper and lower lids when the eyes are open normally.

If there is limited space (many Asians or those who have deep set eyes struggle with this), the doctor may select a soft lens that has a small diameter to make it easy to insert and remove the contacts.

If there is trouble in handling the contacts, it’s because the person is likely blinking before the lenses touch the eye. Your eye doctor or the optician will give suggestions to help you become more comfortable in placing the contacts into your eyes and removing them from your eyes.

Wash your hands well.

Always look into the mirror and open the eyes widely. Touch the whites of your eyes with your pad of your finger and don’t blink.

Use the same technique applying the contacts and put it on the tip of your finger as you place it into your eye. Allow your finger to remain in your eye for a second or two before you remove it.

It will take some practice; however, you’ll master the skill in time. Once you master the skill, it becomes easier and easier.

If you’re still struggling, the eye doctor may suggest gas permeable lenses instead. Rigid lenses take more getting used to; however, they’re smaller than soft contacts, and many find them far easier to place in the eye.

Regardless of which you select, the gas permeable lenses or the rigid gas lenses don’t give up. If you’re struggling, walk away for a few minutes and try again later.

Each successful attempt will make it easier the next time. Be patient and practice and soon you’ll be doing it easily every time. It will quickly become second nature to you, and you’ll have mastered the technique.

Why Your Eye Doctor Cannot Be Replaced By An Online Eye Test

For many individuals, having the ability to purchase glasses and get their eyeglass prescription without having to visit an eye doctor sounds like an appealing concept. However, is it a good idea?

The following is all the information you need about online vision tests and eye exams before you decide to tell your eye doctor goodbye.

Online Eye Tests

The first thing that is important for you to understand is that online eye tests – even when they are referred to as “online eye exams” – do not evaluate your eyes’ health.

Normally, online eye tests (which are more accurately described as “online vision tests”) just measure your refractive error and visual acuity. In some cases, it might include other vision tests, like color blindness and contrast sensitivity.

However, those measures do not tell you much about your eyes’ health or whether or not you have any conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or cataracts.

Even if you decide to try an online vision test out, make sure you understand that you should still get routine eye exams done as frequently as are recommended by your eye doctor at Fusion Eye Care. The only way of ensuring that your eyes are free of sight-threatening conditions and are healthy is to have a comprehensive eye exam.

However, online eye tests do have some value.

For example, taking an online vision test allows you to get a valid eyeglass prescription quickly in order to replace your glasses that you might have misplaced or accidentally broken. That can be very handy if you lose or break your eyewear while you are on vacation or are unable to schedule an appointment for some other reason with your eye doctor.

In some situation, an online vision test can also help you monitor your refractive error and eyesight in between your regular eye exams. However, you need to be aware that although some limited studies have validated some online eye test results, it is a fairly new technology still.

More research is necessary to guarantee the accuracy of a contact lens or eyeglass prescription that are generated by online vision tests are comparable with prescriptions that are determined by your eye doctor in person.

Opternative

Opternative is an online eye company that was first established in 2012. It is currently in the middle of this controversy surrounding online vision tests.

To get an Opternative online eye exam started, you measure a credit card to get the test calibrated on your computer screen.

Then you are shown several tests in order to determine your astigmatism, farsightedness and/or nearsightedness.

The Opternative online eye exam only takes about 25 minutes and you are provided with a prescription for a contact lens or glasses prescription for $40 (or for $60 both prescriptions). The company reports that your prescription is delivered within 24 hours via e-mail.

Although Opternative doesn’t sell contact lenses or eyeglasses, the prescription(s) will allow you to purchase new contact lenses or glasses online.

It is also claimed by Opternative that a clinical study showed that its online eye exam was just as accurate as the traditional refraction exam that an ophthalmologist or optometrist performs using a phoropter.

There are certain limitations that apply when it comes to an acceptable candidate to take the Opternative online eye test. As an example, the company states that its technology is well-suited and intended only for individuals in good health who are between 18 and 40 years old.

Here at Fusion Eye Care, our Raleigh eye doctors don’t recommend online eye exams as the risks just don’t outweigh the benefits. Instead, we recommend you schedule an eye exam with Dr. Bassiri by calling us at (919) 977-7480.