LASIK and Cataract Surgery Co-Management Explained

Posted on May 23, 2011 by admin

Refractive operations like LASIK and cataract eye surgery are some of the true medical miracles of our time. They restore sight. They restore confidence and freedom. They make life livable again. And Dallas-Ft. Worth boasts some of the best eye surgeons anywhere in America.

But the key to a successful LASIK operation or cataract surgery isn’t just the procedure itself. Pre- and post-operative care matters as well — care that is sometimes more difficult to get from surgery centers, due to time and geographical restrictions.

Here, LASIK co-management and cataract surgery co-management can make life easier and get patients the care they need.

Here’s why:

Surgeons excel at surgery. Optometrists excel at eyesight evaluations and diagnoses, counseling and education, and post-operative care. Co-management can combine the best of both worlds, and boost the overall level of care you experience before, during, and after a refractive surgical procedure.

Often patients will have a long-term preexisting relationship with their optometrist, and prefer to include them in the process. Patients will also often be geographically closer to their local optometrist, and which therefore makes it easier to access care than from a surgeon.

Basically, co-management is the coordination of care between a surgery center and an optometrist like 1st Eye Care Arlington. The surgeon will handle the procedure itself. But before and after the surgery, additional care is required. This is where we come in. While working hand-in-hand with your surgeon, we’ll provide a full range of optometry services, including:

  • Pre-screening and evaluation to determine if laser vision correction is the right course for you.
  • Counseling and education to make sure you know exactly what to expect.
  • Any necessary pre-op and post-op procedures.

In other words, co-management gives patients more options and access, and ensures that they’ll get the best level of care possible. In fact, at 1st Eye Care Arlington, we’ve provided such comprehensive care for thousands of pre- and post-operative refractive surgery cases.

The keys to successful co-management, however, are communication and collaboration. We’ve worked extensively with some of the Dallas-Ft. Worth’s top eye surgeons in order to develop a thorough understanding of the current technology used in the refractive surgery field, and the relationship needed to effectively coordinate care.

If you’re considering refractive surgery, go ahead and schedule a free consultation with us today. We’ll walk you through the process step-by-step, answer any questions and ease any fears.

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Diabetic Retinopathy Explained

Posted on May 6, 2011 by admin

How big is this problem?

According to EyeCare America, nearly 24,000 folks with diabetes lose their vision each year. Currently, around 57 million Americans are at risk of getting diabetes. But by 2050, based on widespread dietary and lifestyle problems, studies show that nearly one-third of all Americans could be afflicted with diabetes (nearly 100 million people). That means the number of folks losing their eyesight due to diabetes could also skyrocket. This is an equally big problem in Texas, where approximately 2.1 million adults (more than ten percent) are believed to have diabetes. Many of these folks, of course, live in the Dallas area.

Approximately 95 percent of folks with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus), which is the type most likely to cause vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.

How does diabetes affect eye health?

Basically, diabetic retinopathy is the result of changes in the retina’s blood vessels. Sometimes, blood vessels can start swelling, and even start leaking fluids (usually just a few specks of blood) that clouds vision. Other times, the retina can get plagued by abnormal blood vessels growing on its surfaces.

Unfortunately, this sort of vision loss cannot usually be regained — and if, left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to complete blindness. But with early, assertive treatment, the worst effects of diabetic retinopathy can be avoided. This, of course speaks to the importance of regular eye exams for those with Diabetes. At 1st Eye Care Arlington we take digital photos of your retina and compare them each year to identify any changes related to Diabetes.

What are some early signs?

Like many vision problems, it happens slowly over time. Vision blurs. Reading becomes a little bit tougher. You find yourself squinting. But there aren’t really any telltale early warning signs specific to diabetic retinopathy, so it’s important to schedule an appointment for an annual eye exam in our Arlington eye doctor’s office in order to find out exactly what’s going on.

How can 1st Eye Care Arlington Help?

The most important thing to do in order to prevent diabetic vision-loss, of course, is to treat the diabetes itself through your regular physician. But here at 1st Eye Care Arlington, we too can help reduce vision loss through a variety of treatments — when it’s detected early enough.

According to EyecareAmerica:

“What people don’t know is that early detection, timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care can reduce their risk of blindness by 95 percent even for people with established and significant diabetic retinopathy.”

Furthermore, we can make life with the vision-loss you do experience as easy and pain-free as possible. And that’s the key — eyesight problems shouldn’t keep you from living a full, robust life.

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Common Eyesight Quirks, Curiosities, and Questions

Posted on May 3, 2011 by admin

What does 20/20 vision mean, anyway?

You know the test — stand 20 feet away from the eye chart, put one hand over one eye, and tell the optometrist which way that clumsy “E” is stumbling or what comes after “EFPTOZ” (on what’s actually called a Snellen chart). 20/20 vision technically means that a person can see at 20 feet what is normally expected to be seen at that distance. If you had, say, 20/40 vision, it’d mean you can see at 20 what should normally be seen at 40. 20/200 vision (if you can only see the first “E”) would qualify you as legally blind.

Fighter pilots, for example, normally must have minimum 20/20 vision, which means that many have even better than 20/20. Baseball great Ted Williams benefited from 20/10 vision. And most hawks are said to have 20/2 vision. Therefore, 20/20 vision would be better described as “perfectly adequate vision,” which doesn’t feel nearly as good as the implication that—if you don’t yet need corrective lenses—you have tip-top health. Don’t worry — we still love you just the way you are.

Is “Old Man Eyes” a Real Condition?

Yes — eyesight does naturally deteriorate with age, as the eye’s crystalline lens loses flexibility or the muscles needed to bend the lens lose their strength. And the scientific term for “old eyes” or “tired eyes” — “presbyopia” — does, in fact, translate to “old man eyes.” Never doubt the ancient Greeks.

Read our recent post about presbyopia for more information.

What Causes Colorblindness?

Lots of things can, actually, but it’s usually genetic (and therefore unpreventable). Still, brain damage, nerve damage, and eye damage can all lead to colorblindness after birth, including exposure to certain chemicals or overexposure to ultraviolet light. There is a broad array of both severity and the kinds of colors that become imperceptible to people.

Colorblindness can actually provide certain benefits for some people, including the ability to see through certain camouflages. In other words, sorry hawk-eyed seer with (colorblind) 20/10 vision — you can’t be colorblind and fly fighter jets… but you might just make a great Rambo.

Pills, Potions, and Chinese Parsley — Do Home Eyesight Remedies Actually Work?

Overall eye health matters, and there are few proven vitamins and practices that you need to maintain good health. For example, lutien (found in green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale) improves eyesight in several different ways, and vitamin D might just help prevent eyesight loss for women later in life. And there’s a mental aspect to improving eyesight, as well.

But what’s the effect of those more “homey,” kitchen-fresh home remedies — ideas like a juice blend of celery, peppermint, and Chinese parsley?

Well…. it depends. Some of them are good ways to get the vitamins you need. Some of them are less effective. We highly recommend scheduling an appointment with us if you ever have these sorts of questions about your eyesight — we obsessively follow all the latest developments in eyesight treatments and diagnoses, and are happy to share what’s new in the optometry community with you.

And, of course, we highly, highly recommend seeking medical attention and an Eye Exam if there’s ever a real problem with your eyesight — there’s just no reason to try fixing an eye problem by rummaging through your fridge.

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Contact for Kids? What You Should Know

Posted on April 4, 2011 by admin

It’s unfortunate, but that cute-kid-from-Jerry Maguire look just isn’t going to last forever (no matter how much he wants to be Harry Potter).

Contact lenses are desirable for kids for most of the same reasons adults love them. They’re less cumbersome, and many kids and teens just never get used to the way they look while wearing glasses (even if we can offer a full line of attractive kids’ eyeglass options)—especially in the high-pressure social environments kids must navigate each day at school.

When fitted and worn carefully, contact lenses can provide a safe, welcome boost of self-esteem and self-confidence for kids. So one of the most common questions we get from parents is when, exactly, is it safe for their child to give contacts a try?

Here’s what you need to know:

When is my child old enough to start wearing contacts?

Think of it like any other development issue — it’s not the number on the birthday cake that matters most, but instead the level of both physical and mental maturity. In fact, here at 1st Eye Care Arlington, we’ve fitted children as young as seven or eight with contact lenses (although most kids are at least ten years-old before trying out contacts).

It’s best to approach contacts on a case-by-case basis. Consider scheduling a consultation with us—we can help you decide if your child is ready.

What are the risks?

Kids face many of the same risks as adults who wear contact lenses: increased irritation and discomfort, eye pain, and occasional cases of bacterial infection. And young people also face the problem that their eyes are still growing and developing — meaning regular checkups are necessary to ensure their lenses still fit properly and are addressing the underlying problems.

But the most common risks aren’t really health-related. In fact, kids are actually less likely to suffer from dry eyes than adults.

Rather, wearing and caring for contact lenses is a big responsibility—one many kids simply aren’t ready to bear. The lenses must be properly cleaned and stored, and can be expensive to replace on regular basis if your child has a tendency to lose, neglect, or ruin such things. Hands must be thoroughly washed to remove bacteria, and poorly maintained lenses can cause severe eye irritation. Daily disposable lenses might be a good option for training.

At 1st Eye Care Arlington, we provide a full range of options that can match our patients’ special visual needs and prescriptions, including cosmetic contact lenses, disposable lenses, bifocal contact lenses, and lenses for astigmatism.

Contact one of our Arlington contact lens specialists for more information, or schedule a an American Optometric Association-recommended eye exam for your child to get a better understanding of their unique needs and vision limitations.

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Presbyopia Explained

Posted on March 9, 2011 by admin

Suddenly, you’re poring over old recipes with a magnifying glass, nothing annoys you more than inadequate lighting, and lugging around large-print editions of books seems much more worthwhile.

It’s commonly known as “tired eyes” or “old eyes,” but the problem is actually called presbyopia (Greek for, well, “old man eyes”). Unfortunately, regardless of what you call it, it’s a common condition that usually begins to set in when folks reach their early forties, where focusing on objects—words, details, etc.—close to you gets progressively difficult. Don’t be alarmed—it’s normal and not necessarily indicative of something worse, but you should go ahead and make an appointment with us as soon as you notice the first signs of deterioration.

Why does it happen?

Basically, presbyopia is result of the loss of flexibility of the crystalline lens in the eye. In other words, think of the eye as a video camera. Light—full of color and detail—pours in through the lens, and the retina (basically, the film of the camera) focuses in on the details, and sends the whole picture to the brain (the TV screen).

When we’re young, the lens is healthy, pliable, and clear, and will adapt depending on whether it’s looking at an object at a distance or an object that is up close. The lens will essentially change its shape for each task.  But over time, the protein composition of lenses will harden and lose some or much of that flexibility, which means the eye will basically be fixed in the long-distance position. Presbyopia can also be caused by loss of power from the muscles that bend and straighten the lens—resulting in the same, rigid limitation.

If you catch yourself holding a newspaper three feet from your face and reading it while leaning as far back in your chair as you can, you’re probably beginning to deal with presbyopia.

What can be done to treat it?

Maintaining general eye health is a great idea, and we’ll help you do exactly that. But, unfortunately, like many parts of aging, presbyopia just isn’t totally preventable. While LASIK surgery can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, it can’t restore the lost flexibility to your crystalline lenses or strengthen the loss of muscle power.

Still, we can make vision deterioration as painless and easy as possible. From corrective eyeglasses to contact lenses, effective presbyopia management can keep your quality of life at the same level you’ve previously enjoyed.

Give one of our Dallas presbyopia management specialists a call for more information.

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Common Contact Lens Problems

Posted on March 3, 2011 by admin

There’s nothing quite like that first time you pop in corrective contact lenses, freed from the eyeglasses you just never could feel like yourself while wearing—it’s almost like getting your old face (and eyesight) back. And contact lens technology has developed by leaps and bounds since they were first introduced on a wide-scale in the 1970s, making life better and better for folks afflicted with nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and keratoconus.

But—especially if they’re poorly prescribed or fitted—contact lenses aren’t problem-free. Irritation, pain, blurred vision, redness, or light sensitivity can all be symptoms of larger problems.

Here are just three common issues contact lens wearers face:

1. Irritation

Take protein buildup, for example. Tears actually contain a little bit of protein, which can build up over time if eyes aren’t properly irrigated, creating barnacle-like deposits that can scratch both the contact lens and the eye. Similarly, people with high amounts of dairy products in their diets sometimes see calcium deposits develop. In these cases, doctors will often encourage wearers to switch to disposable, daily-wear contacts (scratched contact lenses won’t bother anyone when they’re in the trash).

Contacts should generally match your eye-moisture levels—if you have moist eyes or live in a deeply humid environment, contact lenses designed for dry eyes might trap in moisture and cause infection. In the inverse situation—high-moisture contacts for folks with generally drier eyes or who live in a dry climate like North Texas, can ease feelings of overly dry eyes. In these cases, a simple switch in contact type—specifically to silicone hydrogel or disposable lenses—will sometimes do the trick.

But perhaps the most common problem is plain old Bible-like speck-in-the-eye irritation. Contact lenses can act as a trap, after all, and even a tiny speck can cause outsized irritation. To remove it, take out your contact lens, and flush your eyes out with water or eyedrops until the pesky little speck gets washed away (it’s important to keep a pair of regular eyeglasses handy for these sorts of occasions)

Muster up all the willpower you have to avoid rubbing your eyes. Use contact solution to rinse the lens, and reapply.

2. Infection

It might seem too obvious, but infection can come from improper handling of contact lenses before putting them on. Imagine all the germs and bacteria your hands pick up throughout the day—now imagine how many might be eager to make themselves right at home in your eyes.

If your eyes develop an infection, contact us right away before it spreads.

3. Eye pain

Eye pain for people wearing contact lenses can indicate corneal oxygen deficiency. Corneas need copious amounts of oxygen to work well, and when they don’t get it, eye-stress-inducing hypoxia can happen. The easiest fix is a switch to more breathable lenses like soft lenses, rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Furthermore, if lenses fit poorly—say, as result of a poorly performed eye test or diagnosis, or simply because your eyes have evolved over time—your eyes will be forced to strain to see properly, leading to eye pain. Seek out a prescription adjustment as soon as possible.

These are just a few of the basic problems (we’ll discuss more advanced, problematic issues in the future). In the end, living comfortably with contact lenses is a matter of proper diagnosis, professional fitting, disciplined at-home maintenance regimens, and regular checkups to make sure the prescription is fits.

Contact us to schedule an appointment right away if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms. And even if you’re not, make sure to come see us once a year anyway to prevent the problems before they start.

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Can Winter Worsen Your Glaucoma?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by admin

From gridlocked, icy streets to day after day of freezing temperatures to an avalanche off the roof of the Super Bowl, we’ve never seen a winter quite as strange as this one here in Dallas.

So for those suffering from eyesight problems like blindness, deteriorating vision, and eye pain, it begs the question—can winter make glaucoma worse as well?

The answer: kind of. In a way. Somewhat.

To explain this ambiguity, let’s take a look at some common factors that could be effected by the weather:

Eye Pressure

Some evidence shows that eye pressure can increase from extreme temperatures (both hot and cold). During winter, oxygen particles in the air can condense when it gets cold, which causes a slight increase in pressure (and can also thwart glaucoma treatments). There’s no evidence, however, suggesting that eye pressure can increase by significant or dangerous amounts from cold weather alone.

Fitness failings

But in many ways cases, while winter itself doesn’t directly affect glaucoma, the secondary effects of changes in behaviors or seasonal ailments during wintertime can have a noticeable impact on your glaucoma symptoms.

For example, some evidence indicates that regular aerobic exercise can help reduce eye pressure, and is critical for dealing with glaucoma risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes. In wintertime and during the holiday season, when many people are exercising less and eating a lot more, this behavioral change can cause big problems.

Season ailments

Similarly, what you take to treat seasonal ailments—like cold medicine—might also have adverse effects on your glaucoma symptoms. Antihistamines and decongestants, for example, both cause dilation of the pupil, which, evidence shows can (albeit very, very rarely) worsen acute glaucoma. The vast majority of glaucoma patients use antihistamines without incident.

Or, connecting the dots one step further, since seasonal allergies can often cause itching eyes, they can actually make people who are unaware of a developing glaucoma condition slow to seek preventative treatment, and therefore suffer from worse glaucoma than they would otherwise with early detection and treatment.

Regardless, it’s a good idea when winter raises its weary head to schedule an appointment with us. It’s occasionally necessary to make small adjustments to medications and treatments in response to the changing weather. And it’s a good idea to get itching, painful eyes that you assume come with seasonal allergies tested by a professional.

Contact one of our Dallas glaucoma management specialists to schedule an appointment.

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Glaucoma Awareness Month: Three Ways to Help

Posted on January 17, 2011 by admin

Glaucoma Awareness MonthJanuary is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and at 1st Eye Care Arlington, we’re eager to join in the efforts to spread awareness and build understanding about the disease.

As we’ve been talking about over the past couple months here on the 1st Eye Care blog, glaucoma  can be a devastating condition for many people in Dallas-Ft. Worth—it’s nicknamed the “silent thief of sight” because of its slow, gradual progression. In fact, nearly 120,000 people in the United States are blind from glaucoma today.

Glaucoma Awareness Month is simply an annual nationwide effort to address such a problem.

So what can you do to help?

Learn about it:

Knowledge is power, and without it, the slow deterioration of vision and gradual onset of some forms of glaucoma can be a terribly frightening thing. So the first way to help is to learn—about the symptoms, the benefits of early detection, and the emerging forms of treatment.  A thorough understanding of glaucoma will put you in the position to spot it early in yourself or your loved ones, and give you the ability to ease the fears of others who are fighting it.

We’ll keep you updated about the latest advancements in treatment and detection here on the 1st Eye blog, but for more information, check out the Glaucoma Foundation, the Glaucoma Research Foundation, or the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Raise awareness:

One of the frustrating aspects about glaucoma is just how preventable some of its symptoms are in many cases. At 1st Eye Care, for example, early detection and treatment makes it much, much easier for us to make life with glaucoma a robust, pain-free life for many of our patients.

So the key is raising awareness—if more people understood what could happen and how to prevent it, fewer people would suffer. There are a couple ways to do this:

The Glaucoma Research Foundation is encouraging people to order free education booklets, and to share them with friends. And the Glaucoma Foundation is helping people plan Eyevents—basically gatherings of friends and loved ones to educate them about eye health and glaucoma prevention.

Raise funds:

Thankfully, there are multiple innovative researchers out there devoted to curing glaucoma or making life easier for those afflicted with the condition. If advancing glaucoma research is a cause you’d like to support, visit the Glaucoma Research Foundation or the Glaucoma Foundation to learn more about their needs.

Contact our Arlington, TX certified glaucoma specialists for more information, or to schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam. The earlier we can detect vision problems, the easier they will be to treat.

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Glaucoma Early Detection: The Symptoms

Posted on January 5, 2011 by admin

One of the tricky things about glaucoma is how slowly it develops for most people, especially those afflicted with open-angle glaucoma (marked by gradual, painless erosion of peripheral vision in both eyes). More often than not, sadly, significant, irreversible damage to the optic nerve can take place before the patient even realizes that anything is wrong.

But there are several symptoms you can (forgive the pun) look for in order to detect both open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma (which sets in much more rapidly and painfully) before the damage becomes debilitating.

Some symptoms are pretty serious. If you experience any of these, schedule an emergency Eye Exam with us right away:

  • Rapid loss of vision in a single eye
  • Unusual flashes of light
  • Rapid onset of blurred or fuzzy vision in one or both eyes
  • Black spots
  • Rainbows and halos when looking at normal light

Other symptoms are more common, and can be indicative of several easily-treatable conditions, but still might be a sign of serious glaucoma. Come see us if you experience any of these symptoms to prevent them from getting worse:

  • Constant itching and burning around the eyes
  • Double vision
  • Excessive tearing
  • Gradual deterioration of vision
  • Unusual inability to see in the dark
  • Difficulty with focus
  • Difficulty with reading
  • Difficulty focusing on objects in the distance
  • Pain around the eyes
  • Increased pressure around the eyes
  • Noticeable change of iris color
  • Swollen or encrusted eyelids

If you notice any of these, schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. The only way to accurately know exactly what’s going wrong with your eyes is to do a series of careful tests. And at 1st Eye Care Arlington, we employ a full arsenal of detection and treatment options—both via surgery or via pharmaceuticals—that can make sure your glaucoma management is quickly started and expertly maintained.

Contact our Arlington glaucoma experts for more information. We help our patients live comfortable, robust, pain-free lives, despite their eye afflictions.

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Glaucoma Management: What to Expect

Posted on December 22, 2010 by admin

GlaucomaLife with glaucoma isn’t easy. Nicknamed the “silent thief of sight” because of its slow, gradual progression, glaucoma is, in fact, the second-leading cause of blindness in the world. But even before that level of total vision deterioration, those inflicted with the disease suffer from loss of peripheral vision and the loss of everyday life capabilities.

But with early detection and diligent, regular treatment and prevention, we can help glaucoma patients in Dallas live full, unhindered lives.

So let’s take a look at just a bit of what glaucoma management entails at 1st Eye Care Arlington:

Understanding

First things first, it’s our goal to help all of our patients suffering from glaucoma to understand exactly what is happening to their eyes and vision.

Basically, glaucoma is actually a group of diseases, where vision deterioration is caused by fluid pressure, which wreaks significant damage to the optic nerve. There’s two primary types: open-angle glaucoma (marked by gradual, painless erosion of peripheral vision in both eyes) and angle-closure glaucoma (marked by sudden, painful blurred vision in one eye).  Both feature frightening vision deterioration, but understanding the science behind it, and what future symptoms the condition can create, can make it much less of a specter. Education is step one.

Early Detection

At 1st Eye Care, we employ multiple cutting-edge, early detection methods, including dilated exams, measurements of intraocular pressure, and close looks for damage to the optic nerve.

But several non-medical indicators exist as well. For example, did you know that certain ethnic groups are far more likely to develop glaucoma than others? Diabetics and African-Americans are nearly three times as likely to develop open-angle glaucoma, while Asians and Inuits face a nearly 30 percent increased risk of angle-closure glaucoma. Women face triple the risk of men, and nearly ten percent of people over the age of 80 develop the disease. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans.

We recommend annual dilated eye exams, even for people who haven’t previously needed to wear corrective lenses. Because if you notice even a slight loss of vision, especially if you fit into one of these at-risk demographics, early detection can help prevent further development of the condition.

Traditional and Cutting-Edge Relief

The key to easing and preventing glaucoma is pressure-relief. Ease that strain, and the optic nerve is less likely to face significant damage, slowing vision loss.

But the ways to do this vary. For angle-closure glaucoma, treatment usually involves a laser opening the drainage channels of the eye.  Surgical treatments include laser trabeculoplasty (SLT),  trabeculectomy, laser peripheral iridotomy, and glaucoma drainage implants. Several pharmaceuticals—usually in eye-drop form—can sometimes work as well, preventing the need for surgery. We’ll work closely with you to develop the best plan suited to your problems and needs.

Contact our Dallas glaucoma management experts for more information.

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