Category: Eye Health

Risks of blue light exposure have become a topic of discussion in recent years. More eyecare professionals and scientists are studying the effects of blue light to assess the effects of relying on blue light for so much of our lighting.

It’s hard to say for sure how much added blue light exposure may lead to additional cases of degenerative eye health problems like macular degeneration. Plus, there is some evidence that overexposure to high-energy blue light can cause side effects such as sleep disturbances, eye strain, and headaches. With this in mind, how can you reduce your exposure, inside and out?

Inside
• Lower the brightness of your electronic screens, especially at night, but make sure you are not straining to see the words if you’re reading.
• Take frequent breaks while working at a computer. Regardless of blue light exposure, Computer Vision Syndrome is another problem you may face, and taking breaks to relax your eyes will help.
• Stop using your devices at least a couple hours before bed. Unplug and read a book instead, which will give your eyes something easy to focus on and help you wind down for good sleep.
• Adjust your distance. Viewing a bright screen up close is fatiguing. Make sure to set your computer monitor and television at a comfortable distance, and don’t hold handheld devices too close to your eyes. You can adjust text size if reading a device at arm’s length is difficult.
• Opt for non-glare lenses. Non-glare or anti-reflective treatments on your lenses will help reduce bright lights affecting your eyes.

Outside
• Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses that are an appropriate darkness and block 99-100% of UVA-UVB rays are the best protection for your eyes.
• Consider polarized lenses, too. Polarization cuts harsh glares that bounce off of water and other surfaces.
• Don’t forget a hat! In especially bright outdoor settings a hat will help block bright light from above, even if your eyes are protected from the front.

Ask us about what blue light-blocking options are available for your eyewear. We can help with your everyday lenses, reading glasses, and especially with sunglasses!

Colorblindness is an interesting thing to most people because we wonder what it must be like to not distinguish some colors—a function of vision that we take for granted. Most people can live with colorblindness because it is present as soon as they are born and many go years without realizing that they do not see a full array of colors.

Certain tasks may be difficult or impossible, but even without seeing as many distinct colors as possible, these people function fine in everyday life. Colorblind tests exist to diagnose people who have color vision deficiency, and new advancements have even created eyewear to help people see more of the colors they are missing depending on their deficiency.

The cause of color blindness usually involves faulty cones. Cones are cells in your eyes that distinguish the three wavelengths of light that we see. Light can be split into red, green, and blue for the spectrum visible to humans. Color blindness can happen because the cone cells are faulty in some way and do not show distinct colors. A person may see shades of yellow and blue, for example, but have problems distinguishing red and green. Many people believe that color blindness means seeing only in black and white, but that is far more rare than typical color blindness.

Also, color deficiency is much more common in men than women. Only up to 1% of the female population has trouble seeing various colors, where somewhere between 8-12% of the male population is color blind.

Color blindness is usually an inherited genetic deficiency with the cones, but symptoms of color blindness may also occur due to stroke, old age, or a problem with pathways from the cones to the brain where the brain can determine colors.

More and more people are able to afford relatively new technology that helps us see more distinct colors. People who are not color blind can use special glasses to see a more saturated and distinct view of colors, but those with color deficiencies are seeing some colors that they have never seen before. These special color vision glasses are a favorite subject of YouTube videos where people give their friends the gift of color and film the shocking experience.

Curious about your own color perception? Learn more about it here, and test your color vision!

Parents are always curious about their developing children, and what they can expect for various stages of infancy. We’re happy to explain infant eye development, and to let parents know not only what to expect, but when they should bring their child in for an exam, and why this is important.

Birth to 4 Months
After being born, babies are suddenly able to see all kinds of new things! We know that babies don’t see very clearly for some time, so high-contrast books, toys, and images may get their attention better than others. After the first few months, eyes get better working together to focus on objects and aid hand-eye coordination. At about two months, most babies can focus on a parent’s face or nearby object. It’s common for children to appear to have wandering or crossing eyes. It doesn’t become a concern unless this happens frequently, or seems to get worse. By three months, your child can probably watch an object move through a room and keep their focus on it.

5–8 Months
As babies this age move more, interact with the world, and start to judge distance, their eyesight improves. It’s not until about five months that children are able to see and comprehend three dimensions, so they won’t begin to see depth until around now. Most babies crawl around eight months or so, but don’t worry if your baby isn’t crawling well right away. Children should be encouraged to take their time developing skills. Babies who crawl a lot usually learn to use their eyes together better than babies who were early walkers.

9–12 Months
Around this time, most babies are experimenting with pulling themselves up on furniture, or using someone’s fingers to keep themselves steady and talk a few aided steps. Don’t rush crawling, however. Babies who master crawling before learning to walk tend to have been hand-eye coordination. Additionally, babies at this stage are better able to judge distance and begin to throw and place items.

1–2 Years
Children between one and two years of age are usually highly interested in exploring their surroundings, interacting with objects, and occasionally making some pretty impressive messes! Motor skills will excel along with depth perception and their improving eyesight.

How Do I Help My Child’s Vision Development?
First, be sure to get your child an eye exam at about six months of age. Qualified pediatric optometrists are trained in using lights and lenses to understand what is going on inside your child’s eyes. Even without having the ability to relay information about how well they’re seeing, your baby’s eyes give clues about their development. If they show signs of an eye turn, focusing problem, or other issue that could impede development, it’s very important to seek treatment as soon as possible. An optometrist can diagnose these conditions and make sure your child is aided in visual development so that they can keep moving and learning freely!

Beyond getting an infant eye exam, children need another exam before starting school. In the meantime, look for any signs of vision trouble like bumping into things, not recognizing you from a distance, or eyes that seem not to focus in unison. If you have any questions, speak to an eye care professional. Otherwise, play with your baby and enjoy this time as they learn and grow.

Everyone wants to know how eating can affect the ways our bodies function. Maybe it’s because we want even more reasons to eat healthy, or because more of us want natural ways to lower our risk for diseases and deficiencies, but the good news is that you can easily eat right for your vision!

Antioxidants
Many foods contain antioxidants. Antioxidants literally remove oxidizing agents in living organisms. These oxidizing agents may be potentially damaging to our various systems, so many people believe that foods rich in antioxidants could help lower our risk for certain illnesses.

There are many delicious foods that can help promote overall health and may be part of a plan to lower your risk for eye disease.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) helps with building and maintaining connective tissues in the human body. It also helps maintain collagen found in the cornea. By promoting healthy skin, bones, and circulation, you retina may be aided by vitamin C. People who have healthy levels of vitamin C in their diet are also at a lower risk of forming a cataract and vision loss from macular degeneration.

Red peppers are especially high in vitamin C, as are green peppers, strawberries, broccoli, and some citrus fruits.

Flavonoids
Many of the foods that contain vitamin C also contain flavonoids. Unlike vitamins, these substances are not necessarily required for life and crucial functions of the body, but they are generally linked with health benefits as part of an overall healthy diet.

Anthocyanins are a type of pigment and antioxidant that are considered good for your eyes because they may reduce risk of cataracts or macular degeneration. These substances are found in many berries like blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can also get anthocyanins from grapes, red cabbage, and red apples.

Fatty Acids
Many people falsely believe all fat is bad, but there are lots of healthy fats that we need in our diets. Our brains demand various kinds of fats to function properly, and healthy fats help our circulation, digestion, and even things like our outward appearance. Diets with proper omega-3 fatty acids are also very good for your eyes, and are especially important for eye development in children.

You can get these essential nutrients from foods like flaxseed, walnuts, fish, soy, and veggies like brussel sprouts and cauliflower.

Though we can’t be totally sure how much these foods help lower our risk for illnesses, there’s no doubt that a balanced diet and healthful lifestyle are important for a strong body and healthy eyes!

Many medical professionals are aware of the benefits of adding healthy oils to our diets. Most of the fats that are essential for a healthy heart, skin, brain, and other systems come from things like fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Doctors will sometimes prescribe fish oil or flaxseed oil to help improve someone’s health, but we are learning more and more about how these beneficial oils can help more than previously thought. In the case of your eyes, certain oils may aid in treatment of dry eyes.

Vision Benefits of Flaxseed and Fish Oil
Fish oil and flaxseed oil are beneficial because of the omega-3 fatty acids they include. These materials are needed to support optimal health. Flaxseed oil contains high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. ALA is converted into two different omega-3 fatty acids during digestion. These acids are called EPA and DHA and they protect cell membranes all over the body.

By adding flaxseed oil or fish oil to your diet, you may be protecting against dry eyes. These items appear to reduce dry eye symptoms, and can be used with or without eye drops to alleviate some aspects of dry eyes. Many eye doctors are recommending fish oil or flaxseed oil as part of an overall plan to treat dry eyes, or to prevent the onset or progression of symptoms.

Symptoms of dry eyes include:

• Chronic dryness
• Burning
• Stinging
• Redness
• Eye fatigue
• Sore eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Blurred vision

How to Start Taking Flaxseed and Fish Oil
If you’re looking for how to get these substances into your diet, keep in mind that many kinds of fish are high in these oils. Look for things like salmon, sardines, tilapia, and shrimp. For people who don’t like fish, or want other options, fish oil supplements are usually pretty inexpensive and easy to come by. You may ask a pharmacist for suggestions on which over the counter versions are best.

The downside of fish oil is that sometimes people will get a fishy aftertaste from the supplements. A great alternative is flaxseed oil. These supplements are readily available as well, and will provide similar benefits. Just be sure to find a brand that is cold pressed and remember to keep it refrigerated for freshness and optimal nutrient content (benefits of flaxseed oil are reduced by exposure to oxygen, light, and higher temperatures).

Flaxseed oil can get a little pricy, but you can buy flaxseeds and grind them in a coffee grinder before adding them to your diet. Use them immediately to get the full benefits!

Other Benefits
These fatty acids may help reduce your risk for several other health problems. The benefits include:
• Reduced risk of macular degeneration
• Reduced risk of cataracts
• Increased cardiovascular function
• Lower risk of heart disease
• Help maintain healthy weight

Eye doctors often get asked about small specs that appear to float through someone’s field of vision. Even very young people may notice on occasion a spot that appears when they look at a light, plain surface. The good news is that there is no reason to be alarmed!

Eye floaters are simply how we see differences in the gel or liquid in the back of our eyes. Typically these spots appear as specks, circles, or stringy webs that drift through our field of vision. The reason that we see them is that the human brain works with the eyes to interpret light that enters through the front of the eye. In between the light entering the front of the eye and the structures inside the eye that create visual images there is a gel-like substance called vitreous or vitreous humor.

Vitreous is generally a thicker gel in young people and begins to change as we age. Through our youth, the gel generally remains consistent. With age, vitreous dissolves and starts to turn into a thinner liquid. Because some of the gel does not thin and remains in a gel state, you may be able to see small discrepancies in the consistency of the material. These are floaters.

Floaters like this are not anything to worry about, but other types of visual anomalies have different causes and may be something more serious. If you see an occasional floater, there’s no need to see the doctor. If you suddenly see lots of floaters, or if you are seeing flashes of light, contact your eye doctor right away. Sudden appearance of many floaters could mean that the vitreous is beginning to separate from your retina. This is a type of detachment and can lead to damage to the delicate retina which may cause permanent loss of vision.

Always keep in mind that any sudden changes to your vision could be serious and should be addressed with a medical professional right away.

It’s generally assumed that “20/20” is perfect vision, but what does this mean?

Visual acuity is the term used to describe the sharpness of your vision. When doctors do a visual acuity test, they have you view something (usually the Snellen eye chart of letters) from a standard distance and tell them what you see.

One of the lines on the typical eye chart has letters that are a size which has been deemed “20/20 visual acuity,” meaning that at 20 feet, most people can accurately read those characters. This is the standard, so at 20 feet, you read them as well as someone at 20 feet should be able to. It is possible for some people to read smaller letters that fall on lines below. This would be 20/15 or 20/10 visual acuity, meaning at 20 feet, you read letters that most people can only read at 10 or 15 feet. Great!

For people who have less visual acuity, they may be 20/40 or 20/60. The largest letter on the chart (an E on most Snellen charts) corresponds to 20/200 vision. If someone cannot distinguish that letter without assistance, they are considered legally blind.

Did you know the 20-foot measurement isn’t used everywhere? In some countries they use 6 meters as the standard viewing distance.

Visual acuity of 20/20 is considered “perfect vision” because no aids are required to see better, but people can have better than 20/20 vision. Many young people are able to see letters smaller than the general “20/20” size. Even people who know that they see 20/20 or better, but feel that other aspects of their vision are lacking have options for improvement.

Some people who can pass a visual acuity test sufficiently may still have what we refer to as “high-order aberrations.” Low-order aberrations are familiar to most people as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, but high-order aberrations are less well-known. The eye doctor may find that you have coma, spherical aberration, or trefoil. These can produce symptoms including bad night vision, double vision, starbursts or halos, glare, or blurring.

Options exist for people with high-order aberrations who would like sharper vision. Gas permeable (GP) contact lenses are rigid lenses that may improve your vision better than glasses or soft contacts can. There are also laser vision correction surgeries that can address some eye irregularities leading to various types of eyesight problems.

Of course, if you want to know your visual acuity, a comprehensive eye exam is the best way to assess your vision. You can speak to the doctor about how well you’re seeing now, and what options are available to help you get 20/20 vision!

Cataracts occur when the lens in one or both of your eyes becomes cloudy. Usually this happens with age, and the condition is very common in older people. More than half of all Americans will experience symptoms of cataracts by the time they reach 80.

Why Does it Happen?
The lenses in our eyes are made mostly of water and protein. The protein in our lenses is arranged in a way that makes the lens clear. Our lenses have to be transparent for the structures in our eyes to focus properly and display crisp images. When cataracts form, it is because clumps of protein build up and reduce the light that reaches inside our eyes. Also, as lenses age, they can become discolored and take on a yellow or brownish tint. Gradually vision is affected by this shading along with the cloudiness that can cause vision to blur.

What are the Risks?
Other than normal wear and tear of aging, there are several factors that increase your risk of cataracts. Those include:

• Diseases including diabetes
• Smoking and alcohol use
• Environmental factors including high exposure to sunlight and UV rays

What are the Symptoms?
Most people will notice the cloudy or slightly blurry vision as cataracts start to form. Additionally, people may realize that colors seem faded. Your prescription may change frequently. One major symptom that can pose a threat to your safety is poor night vision and difficulty seeing at night. The cloudiness can cause headlights and other bright lights at night to glare or appear with distracting halos.

What is the Treatment?
Thankfully, there are options for people living with cataracts to see clearly again. In early stages, new glasses, larger print or magnification, and changing environmental surroundings like lighting can help. If these are not sufficient, or if the cataracts get worse, surgery may be an option. Surgery can remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial one that is crisp and clear.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, an eye doctor can detect cataracts with an eye exam. Generally, a visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, and tonometry can aid the doctor in making this diagnosis. Contact us if you have questions about this or any other eye condition!

People are always touting the benefits and the risks of social media, videogames, television, and other screen activities. It’s common to hear about someone giving up social media for a period of time just to see if they are able to kick what they consider an ‘addiction.’ New Year’s resolutions are often to read more and spend less time at a computer or on a smartphone. These may seem like grown-up problems, but adults and teens aren’t the only demographics spending a large part of their daily routine behind a screen. Children barely old enough to move a mouse are using computers and devices for recreation and learning every day.

In 2009, kids in grades 7–12 reported spending an average of more than 90 minutes a day just sending or receiving texts on cell phones. In 2011, 50% of children under eight-years-old reported having access to a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. Children under two watch 53 minutes a day of television.

Should all screen time and computer usage be cause for concern? Not quite. Consider this: studies have found that children who use a computer at school and at home perform better on tests of school readiness, visual motor skills, gross motor, and cognitive development. This positive effect seems to diminish if you look at children’s screen time beyond physician-recommended daily limits, however. Excessive screen time does not help children learn, and overuse has been shown to put children at risk for vision problems.

Children aged 8–18 reported in 2009 that they spent more than seven hours a day devoted to “entertainment media” including computers and videogames. That makes screen time a full-time job! Pediatric eye doctors are warning parents that this sort of heavy screen time is putting children at risk for early nearsightedness, among other possible issues.

According to the National Eye Institute, over the past 30 years the prevalence of nearsightedness has increased from 25 percent to over 41 percent. This is an increase of more than 66 percent. No one can be certain if this increase is caused by screen time, but many professionals are concerned that there may be a connection.

The longer children are exposed to a computer screen, the greater their risk is for developing computer vision syndrome. Computer vision syndrome is the term used to describe problems associated with focusing on an electronic display for excessive, uninterrupted amounts of time. The risk is increased because children’s eyes are not as well-developed as adults. It’s easier for children to experience these problems because they often lose track of time, are assigned lots of homework to do on the computer, or may not realize that they should be taking frequent breaks. Additionally, children are notorious for sitting very close to screens even if they have perfect vision—a position that strains the eyes and the rest of the body.

Parents should pay careful attention to how long a child spends with electronics. Set limits and help them develop good habits for how to use their devices. Talk to your eye care professional to discuss your child’s media habits and determine if you should change how they interact with electronics for optimal eye health.

When it comes to pediatric care, parents are usually concerned with finding the best pediatrician and following their medical advice exactly, but what about pediatric eye care? Eye care for kids is sometimes an area parents overlook because they aren’t always aware of the importance of eye health for children. Many don’t seek eye exams for their children until either the child reports having difficulty seeing at school, or the child’s grades begin to slip and parents take a closer look at why their child isn’t developing academically.

Experts recommend that children receive several eye exams before starting school. Infants should receive their first comprehensive eye exam around six months of age. Children should have an eye exam around age three, and again when they reach age five or six. Before reaching first grade, parents are strongly encouraged to have their children receive a full eye exam to make sure the child has no visual problems as they start elementary school.

Eye exams for young children are important because vision problems can negatively affect a child’s performance in school long before you are aware of the issue. The American Optometric Association reports that 5 to 10 percent of preschoolers and 25 percent of school-age children are diagnosed with vision problems once they receive proper eye care. Experts are always stressing the significance of appropriate early education and full participation from youngsters in programs and learning that will become a foundation for critical skills. Children risk not being able to fully participate if they are experiencing undiagnosed visual impairments. An early eye exam and regular eye care for children can alleviate this potential problem.

Identifying eye problems early is crucial to the child’s learning and development in school. A child with poor vision may have difficulty with seeing text and comprehending words causing difficulty in reading. No parent wants their child to be frustrated with reading, especially when most vision problems are easily fixed with glasses. Unable to explain problems in a group, children may choose not to volunteer for reading in class out of embarrassment, or opt out of picking a library book because it’s hard to see. This will negatively affect academic achievement and the enjoyment that comes with reading for many children.

Other symptoms of learning-related vision problems include headaches or eyestrain, short attention span for visual tasks, difficulty identifying or reproducing shapes, poor hand-eye coordination, and developmental delay. Talk to your family eye care professional about scheduling eye care visits for your children. They will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about your child’s eye health, and let you know when is a good time to start doing regular check-ups.