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La Jolla Lasik Tips: How Electronics Affect Your Vision

Technology is an amazing thing, but even with all of the things it offers, it also has its drawbacks. It has made our lives easier in so many ways. In some ways, those benefits have become very costly, especially when we look at health concerns like heart problems, obesity, hearing loss and muscle problems.

Have you ever wondered how technology has affected your eyes and how you see things? Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS is just one way technology has made an impact on our eyes, and not always in a good way. CVS affects people of all ages. Anyone who uses laptops, tablets and smartphones has a much higher risk of developing CVS than ever before.

Technology in the Classroom

In decades past, schools across the country would check each student’s vision to ensure good eye health. The State of California requires all school districts to perform vision and hearing screenings on all students, but not every state has such requirements.  A vision screening helps determine whether or not a person is seeing “normally”. Without regular screenings, most children don’t even realize they have a problem. Common signs like squinting or losing their place while reading are easily missed but may indicate vision problems. If a child must hold something close to their face to sufficiently read or describe what they are looking at, it is quite possible they are having a problem with their vision.

CVS occurs when general eyestrain begins to become chronic. It is caused by extensive use of computer screens and other electronic devices, including iPads, desktop computers, laptops, tablets and cell phones. Common symptoms of CVS include blurred vision, neck/shoulder pain and headaches around and behind the eyes.

For all of the benefits digital tools offer students in the classroom, they also dramatically increase the number of vision and eye problems children must deal with. It is extremely important for children to be able to take frequent breaks from digital learning to ensure good vision and eye health.

Prevention Techniques

Volunteer organizations, such as Prevent Blindness America, offer parents and teachers tips on how to ensure their children’s good vision and eye health. The following five tips are ways adults and children can use electronics without creating excessive eyestrain.

  • Make sure your screen or monitor is approximately 24 to 26 inches away from your face and slightly below your normal level of vision
  • Place a glare filter over your computer screen or alter your lighting to prevent harsh reflections
  • Adjustable screens and keyboards can also be extremely useful
  • Use a chair that can be adjusted to do different heights
  • Place a document holder next to your screen so that you spend less time moving your head from side to side

Spending 4 or more hours a day at a computer screen or looking at an electronic device can put you at a much greater risk for CVS than ever before. It is important to remember to step or look away as often as you need to in order to relieve some eyestrain. Following the 20-20-20 rule is a good habit to get into: When reading, watching TV or looking at electronic devices, every 20 minutes look at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Blinking frequently can also help to relieve some of the stress placed on the eyes.

Interested in learning about LASIK? Schedule a free consultation today by calling the staff at La Jolla at 858-551-4100.

 

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White Gold or Blue Black

Is the dress below white and gold or is it blue and black? Why do different people see it as different colors? One reason is that individual color perception results from the brain translating the different wavelengths of light entering the eye, and people may translate this information slightly differently. When viewing complicated images as we do in our day to day life, such as the dress, there additional levels processing that our brains do to make sense of what we’re seeing. “Color constancy” is one result of this processing. A white shirt technically appears a different color depending on the lighting it’s viewed in (yellowish in outdoor illumination, greyish in a dim room, bluish in fluorescent lighting, etc.), but color constancy allows us to “know” the shirt is white in any lighting.

With that in mind, if you consider the dress to be in shadow you probably see it as white/gold (with the white/gold appearing dimmer due to being in dimmer lighting). On the other hand if you don’t consider the dress to be in shadow and assume the greyish/bluish color of the lighter portions of the dress to be the inherent color, you probably see it as blue/black (with the blue/black appearing a little washed-out due to the diffuse lighting).

Now that you know, can you see the dress both ways?

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Can Kids Get Cataracts?

When people normally think of cataracts, they think of their grandparents or their elderly next door neighbor. Most people associate cataracts with older individuals, as they commonly occur as people age. The thought of children getting cataracts is practically unheard of. The professional staff at La Jolla LASIK has begun to look into the question of whether or not children can too get cataracts.

 

What Is a Cataract?

The crystalline lens of the eye, which is normally clear, functions to focus images on the inner portion of the eye, the retina. Cataracts occur when the lens becomes cloudy. This cloudy lens begins to obscure the vision, and if left untreated has potential to severely impair vision and function. Cataracts can occur in one or both eyes and do not spread from eye to eye. If the cataract has progressed beyond a refractive correction point (i.e glasses and contact lenses no longer help), the lens must surgically be removed. Treatment consists of removing the cloudy lens and inserting a clear Intraocular Lens (IOL) instead, which results in restoring the vision.

 

Cataracts and Kids

It is estimated that more than half of Americans who are over the age of 65 have cataracts in one or both eyes. The fact is, that children too can be affected with cataracts. Although the number is minimal, some babies are born with cataracts due to metabolic or systemic abnormalities, thus the name congenital cataract. Cataracts due to penetrating or blunt ocular trauma are called traumatic cataracts and tend to affect older children. Ocular inflammation related to inflammatory conditions like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can also cause cataracts. Cataracts in children may be one of the earliest signs of many other visually impairing ocular conditions. Prompt surgical treatment is considered in many cases to prevent an interruption in the visual development of the child.

 

What to Do If You Think Your Child Has Cataracts

The friendly staff at La Jolla LASIK Institute can help make appropriate referrals if you have reason to believe that your child may have cataracts. Some signs include but are not limited to the following:

  • If your child is having difficulty focusing on objects

  • The eye seems to have a white reflex instead of a red reflex (especially in a photograph)

  • The child tends to close one eye more than the other especially in bright sunlight

Our staff will help you uncover the cause. An examination by our highly trained ophthalmologist will help to identify the problem and provide you with the necessary treatment options.
Call La Jolla LASIK at 858.551.4100today and make an appointment to be seen by one of our knowledgeable ophthalmologists.

 

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Glare and Halos Worse with Glasses and Contacts than LASIK

A recent large (3,800 patient) multicenter survey, the Needs, Symptoms, Incidence, Global Eye Health Trends (NSIGHT) study, found that about 50% of glasses- and contact lens-wearers  experience glare and halos more than three times a week.

About 40% of glasses and contact lens-wearers found the glare and halos unsatisfactory and had not been able to find a solution.   Add on top of that the dissatisfaction with frames, contact lens solutions, infections, and the dissatisfaction rate becomes, well, way too high.

In contrast, 97% of LASIK and PRK patients are satisfied and would recommend the procedure to a friend.  In large studies,  3% of LASIK and PRK patients are unsatisfied for any reason — and the reasons provided are only sometimes things like glare and halos after LASIK; some of the time, the complaints are minor quibbles such as a doctor’s office without wifi reception, bad coffee, or no beverages at all.

Link to Bausch & Lomb press release: https://www.bausch.com/our-company/newsroom/2011-archive/glare-and-halos-are-significant-problems-for-people-wearing-glasses-or-contact-lenses#.VCJLe_ldUpk

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Why Pirates Wear Patches

Is it possible that a couple of pirates on every ship in the era of the Spanish Armada had lost an eye in battle or is there another reason for pirates wearing patches?

According to Dr. Alfredo Sadun, Professor of Ophthalmology at USC and eye trivia buff, it turns out that just two pirates wore patches on each ship.  While the rest of the pirates were doing battle to overwhelm the target ship, it was the job of the two patch-wearing pirates to run straight to the ship’s hold where the treasure was kept.  Upon entering the pitch-black hold, (this is before electricity on ships) the pirates would throw off their patches and be able to see to find the treasure with their one dark-adapted eye and seize the treasure of the target ship.

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Bug Eyes

I was browsing online yesterday and came across a stunning collection of eye macros.  Sort of scary and wonderful at the same time.

Most of the featured eyes are insect eyes – from flies to grasshoppers to bees.  Most insects have what are called “compound eyes” – they have anywhere from a handful to thousands of identical units called ommatidia, consisting of photoreceptors, support cells, pigment cells, and a clear cornea.  The combined messages from each of these structures results in an overall picture that appears almost like a mosaic.  You’ll notice that insect eyes bulge out, which gives them a far broader angle of view than most other eyes.

The spider eye and caterpillar eyes shown are comprised of “simple eyes” which are the opposite of compound eyes.  “Simple eyes” have a cornea – the jumping spider pictured here has two larger “simple eyes” that can only see a narrow field of view, surrounded by smaller “simple eyes” for its peripheral vision.

The caterpillar has a specific type of “simple eye” known as “stemmata” which produces a rough image – it is more sensitive to light and dark.  You’ll also notice that the caterpillar’s eyes are actually much smaller than they seem to be.  The the large “eye spots” surround its actual eyes, making the eyes seem bigger to predators.

And, of course, my personal favorite, the human eye!  One cornea, two eyes.  Don’t forget to take care of them.  At La Jolla LASIK Institute, I’m now doing yearly eye exams as well as LASIK for all of San Diego.

Pretty neat, huh?

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Fire Season Risky to Eye Health

With the temperature just outside my office at 109 degrees Farenheit today, it’s time to review eye health in fire season.  Hopefully, we won’t see any more Southern California wildfires this year, and hopefully if we do the response will be coordinated and rapid.  But it’s better to be prepared and not have the disaster than to be unprepared, so here goes.  The high temperatures and low humidity we are facing puts San Diego at risk for fires.  Smoke in the air in fire season causes ocular burning and irritation, and toxic chemicals can seep into contact lenses.  To nurse your eyes through fire season, avoid contact lenes, and use lubricating artificial tear drops without preservatives to wash out the offending toxins and soothe the eyes.  One of my favorites is Thera Tears https://www.theratears.com/, but there are many excellent formulations on the market.  Every fire season, LASIK San Diego inquiries go up at our office because people’s eyes are burning from the smoke, and wearing contact lenses becomes too uncomfortable.  Not wanting to suffer another year with contact lenses and smoke in the air, people come in for LASIK as soon as the smoke has cleared.  I feel good about doing their LASIK, knowing that I have sent them out better and safer than before.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s website has information on fire prevention and fire maps in case of fire:  https://www.fire.ca.gov/index.php

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Tanning Bed Users: Watch Out for Your Eyes

Recently the British College of Optometrists have come out with an updated warning: people are putting their eyes at serious risk by skipping out on wearing protective goggles or shades when they hop into their local tanning bed.

Tanning bed users, be warned!  Any means of seeking the perfect tan, including tanning beds, can cause malignant melanoma, an aggressive and potentially fatal form of cancer that metastasizes to the brain.  Melanoma is a lethal possible outcome of sun- and fake sun-worshipping, but your eyes are at risk, as well.  Closing your eyes while lying down is not enough protection – your eyelids are extremely thin and therefore some of the sun’s rays pass right through them.  If you’ve read my previous article on Healthy Eyesight, I talked about how UVA and UVB rays from the sun are extremely damaging to eyes and therefore make wearing sunglasses necessary.  Tanning beds pose even more of a risk to eyes, since the ultraviolet light used in these beds produce concentrated UVA and UVB rays directly upon your face.  So, leaving out the protective goggles before climbing in is a major no-no.  You should be treating your eyes in a tanning bed the same way you would when heading out to the beach – protect them with sunglasses!  Standard UVA- and UVB-protected shades are readily available at your local drugstore.

Repeatedly exposing your eyes to the UVA and UVB rays in a tanning bed without protective goggles can lead to growths on the eye, cataracts, ocular melanoma and potentially cause long-term damage to your eyesight.  Even if you’re a contact lens-wearer and have UV protection built into your lenses, they do not cover the entire eye and therefore you are still exposed to dangerous UV rays.  Take my advice and goggle up!  Risking your skin is already scary enough; you don’t want to harm your eyes.

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Sources:

https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gPqkxbjWsuW8otNRWYFbH4eSedaQ

https://www.medindia.net/news/Sunbeds-Could-Cause-Eye-Damage-72803-1.html

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Tap Water Poses Threat to Contact Lens Wearers

Swimming, hot tubbing, and showering – what do all three of these activities have in common?  If you wear contacts, the answer to this question is not necessarily Happy Fun Water Time.  Tap water, hot tub water, and the ocean can all harbor a little culprit known as Acanthamoeba, an amoeba (a microscopic, single celled animal) that is commonly found in sources of tap water. These amoebas are generally rare in humans, but they can make their home in the space between the eye and the contact lens where they form severe infections in the eye known as acanthamoeba keratitis.

Acanthamoeba keratitis is the disease from an Acanthamoeba infection that can lead to severe pain and eventually blindness. Some of the symptoms reported are red irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, cloudy vision, and that niggling sense that there’s a foreign object in the eye. In the beginning stages of Acanthamoeba Keratitis it can commonly mistaken for other diseases such as conjunctivitis (see our post on pink eye).  However, one of the primary differences is a white ring on the cornea in advanced stages of the infection.

Here’s an  Animal Planet clip that shows a little of what it’s like to have the infection:

As scary as it seems, don’t be alarmed – acanthamoeba keratitis is easily preventable. Just follow these simple guidelines that help prevent eye infection:

  • Always wash your hands prior to handling your contact lenses.
  • Never expose your contact lenses to tap water – this means no swimming or showering with them on, and of course no cleaning them or soaking them in tap water!
  • Be sure to use the disinfecting solutions recommended by your doctor to properly clean the lenses daily.  Heat disinfection systems and hydrogen peroxide systems with at least two hours contact time are effective, but common chemical disinfectants are ineffective against acanthamoeba.  Also, don’t forget to clean and/or replace your lens case at least once a month.
  • Be sure to follow directions when using your contacts. If it says dispose daily, do not reuse them!

Prevention is the best weapon against acanthamoeba keratitis, because once you’ve become infected, the ameoba is extremely resistant to antibiotics.  In fact, patients are commonly treated with FOUR anti-amoebic agents, one of which is ophthalmic-grade swimming pool cleaner, as disgusting as it may sound.  I know I don’t want to have to take pool-cleaner drops every hour, do you?   One of the best ways I can think of preventing such issues with contacts is to eliminate them altogether – why not come in for a free consultation for LASIK?  You’d be amazed at how many contact lens-wearing patients have come in for LASIK after experiencing a corneal ulcer – the pain was so unbearable that they never wanted to risk wearing contacts again.

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Short Arm Syndrome, or Why Can’t I See Anymore?

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a condition of the eye where a progressive loss of magnification ability results in the inability to see near objects.

What causes it?

Presbyopia is caused by the hardening of the crystalline lens of your eye and occurs in a predictable fashion as a result of the natural process of aging.  The first symptoms of presbyopia normally occur between ages of 40-50 and the ability to focus on near objects continues to decrease.  In fact, if your eyes have a distance prescription of zero (“plano” in ophthalmology terms), you will first need reading glasses very predictably at 42 or 43 years old.

What happens if I have…

Myopia (nearsightedness) and Presbyopia?

If you’re myopic, as you age, you lose the magnification power of your lens just like any other person.

If you’re over 42 and wearing single vision distance contact lenses, you’ll notice that you have to hold things farther away when you’re wearing contact lenses for distance and trying to read, or that you need reading glasses on top of your contact lenses to see well up close.  You’ll also notice your presbyopia symptoms when you’re wearing glasses and have an irresistible urge to take them off to read.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) and Presbyopia?

If you’re a latent hyperope (person with farsightedness who doesn’t need glasses for distance until they get older), at a young age you probably had the best distance vision out of all of your friends.  However, as you get older, you need reading glasses far earlier than most people in your age group (even by your late 30s).

Here’s how it works:  hyperopes who don’t wear glasses in the distance are using their magnification power just to see far.  As you age, the lens in your eye becomes less flexible, decreasing its ability to magnify.   So, you’re a latent hyperope in your late 30’s  sitting in a chair, looking at the beautiful view, using most of your magnification power just to see far.  Now, you pick up something to read, and whammo!  It’s blurry.  This scenario happens earlier to untreated hyperopes than myopes (nearsighted people) or emmetropes (people who have no need for prescription in the distance) because their accomodation (ability to magnify) is already used up from looking far, and there’s not as much left to magnify to read.   Eventually, when the hyperopia is high enough or you get old enough, combining hyperopia and presbyopia blurs both your near vision and your distance vision.


What are the possible treatments for my eyes?

Bifocal spectacles – The most common type of bifocal spectacle is the Flat Top Bifocal and is comprised of two segments: one for far vision and one for near.  The segments are available in different sizes according to the field of vision you need to see.  The other bifocal “with line” spectacle style is the Executive Bifocal.  The lenses are also split into two segments, with a dividing line across the width of the lens.  They do not allow for a continuous range of vision and sometimes cause blurriness.  A third type of bifocal is the progressive or “no line” bifocal.  This is the type people are wearing when you see them bobbing their heads and looking for the sweet spot in their spectacles for focusing at that exact distance.

Monovision contact lenses – With monovision contact lenses for presbyopia, each eye is treated differently.  One eye (most commonly the dominant eye) is corrected for distance vision and the other eye is corrected for near vision.  Ideally, your brain will choose the magnified image and provide your eyes with what appears to be continuous, smooth vision.  However, Monovision contacts can sometimes cause a loss of depth perception which patients find difficult to adapt to.

Monovision LASIK or PRK – LASIK or PRK surgery is used to permanently correct one eye for near vision and the other eye for distance vision.  Monovision after LASIK or PRK tends to be better accepted by patients than contact lens monovision because the patient’s visual experience is the same all the time.  During LASIK surgery, a flap is created on the surface of the cornea (the front layer of the eye).  A laser is then used to re-shape the cornea back into a natural shape so that it focuses light more efficiently, and then the corneal flap is put back in place.

During PRK surgery, the surgeon removes the epithelium of the cornea altogether, and after the procedure, bandage contact lenses are worn to help in healing the epithelium.

About 10% of presbyopic patients prefer single vision distance correction over monovision.  I spend a great deal of time and care getting your prescription right (this includes whether to go with Monovision or not) and if so, the right amount.  I spend a significant amount of time learning about your daily activities and do my best to simulate your results so that you will be thrilled with the end product.

Most people find that they can adjust to Monovision LASIK or PRK far easier than contacts because the correction is 24/7, without the hassle of taking out and putting in contact lenses.  For the remaining 10%, single distance vision after LASIK or PRK with “drugstore readers” is an excellent choice.

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Sources:

https://www.seewithlasik.com/docs/presbyopia/presbyopia.html

https://www.pendletoneye.com/errors.htm

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tc/farsightedness-hyperopia-what-happens

https://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/monovision/