Sept 2017

Ah... I'll have the burger

Just a funny story to hopefully trigger a reminder that we offer many options to help everyone's 40+ reading struggles... Patient walks in and reports  "I'm getting sick of always eating burgers."   Now that is a chief complaint that I have not heard before.  He goes on to say that he can not read menus anymore and is too embarrassed to ask for help... so ... always orders a burger because it's on every menu.

We talked about options [1] reading glasses [2] progressive lenses and [3] contact lenses so that he has more variety than just 'a burger'  :)    Happy Tuesday  Dr.j

Dec 2017

Treating Dry Eyes without drops?!

There are two strategies that I use to treat dry eyes... #1 Add a drop to effect change to the surface of the eye and/or #2 Try and get the body to produce healthier tears.   This blog post lists methods used to get your own body to produce better tears.

1] Heat - Using warm compresses for 5min twice a day will help move natural oils onto your ocular surface.  However, most people do not do compresses long enough or consistent enough to create change.  A warming mask like - Bruder - and lid massage is very useful for this.  There are in-office treatments also available.

2] Omega3 - A good quality Omega3 ~2000mg per day will help provide the building blocks that your body needs for well-balanced tears.

3] Water - Drink plenty of water!

4] Humidity - Consider a humidifier for dry environments and when sleeping

dr.j

Feb 2018

'Cell Phone Bifocals'

I have been an Optometrist for over 20 years and I have noticed an interesting sign-of-the-times (maybe only to other Optometrists! LOL) Even 10 years ago, I always used a reading distance of ~40cm to calculate the power required on bifocal glasses. Only if my patient liked to sew or fly fishing would I venture to hike up the reading power and reduce working distance.

These days cell phone have completely changed the distance at which we read. Over the last few years my patients' bifocal lenses are universally stronger... driven by the need to see phones at a close reading distance. There has been some new innovative lenses to help deal with this problem so that things 'in-between' like dashboards and shelves and old-school computer screens are still clear.

We are problem solvers at Studioeyecare.com See you soon, Dr.j

Nov 2017

Why do I need an OCT?

(optical coherence tomography)

An OCT is a special image of the back of the eye.  Unlike a typical photo, an OCT gives a cross-section of retina and detailed measurements which are extremely helpful in detecting retinal pathology.  Patients with conditions such as diabetes, macular degeneration, glaucoma and more will benefit from this quick, non-invasive image.

There are two main uses for OCT – detecting Retinal Defects and detecting Nerve Loss.

Retinal Defects – Wrinkles, breaks, holes, fluid, blood, leaky vessels, deposits, medication side effects can all be detected though OCT imaging.  This can be critical in planning the best course of treatment or frequency or follow-up.  Many specialists expect an OCT image be done prior to them accepting new patients.

Nerve Loss – In optic neuropathies such as glaucoma, change generally happens very slowly.  Repeated OCT imaging gives an extremely accurate view of progression and risk of vision loss.  In the past monitoring nerve loss was monitored with visual field analysis.  However, ~58% of the nerve fibres’ from your eye can be lost before you have significant visual field loss.  An OCT detects loss much earlier and helps us create a plan to prevent vision loss.  (note - Visual fields still have a significant role in the ongoing management/monitoring of glaucoma)

Studio Eye Care now offers OCT

OCT images are invaluable in detecting and monitoring ocular pathology and we are now please to offer in-office without referral.  Basic OHIP coverage does not pay for OCT imaging however many private insurance plans will reimburse you for this advanced imaging.

Dr.j

Jan 2018

The terms nearsightedness and farsightedness cause endless confusion.

Nearsightedness (myopia) is the easier of the two... near vision is great without glasses. Significant nearsightedness almost always requires correction. Farsightedness (hyperopia) is however not the opposite.

For a child, farsightedness means that they have to work harder to focus on near tasks - whether this requires glasses is an individual decision with an Optometrist. For someone in their 20's and 30's, farsightedness means that closer tasks may be tiring or unclear some of the time.

For the 40+ crowd, farsightedness means close tasks are typically blurry most of the time. Talk to your Optometrist about your best options to correct! Dr. j Studioeyecare.com

Good links! http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/myopia.htm http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/hyperopia.htm

May 2018

Poor Vision with correct prescription?

What are some reasons that your could have poor vision even if your eyeglass/contact lens prescription is 100% correct?

#1  There could be an imbalance in the muscles of your eyes... imbalance can result in poor vision, fatigue, fluctuating vision.  The can be corrected with appropriate prism lenses. 
#2 Tear film - Although a very thin layer, having a tear film of the correct chemistry and consistency is critical to great, stable vision. 
#3 Pathology - Something wrong with the eye (e.g. cataract, retina issue) or behind-the-eye in the visual system (e.g. inflammation, concussion) can result in poor vision. 
#4 Lenses - Scratches, poor coatings can lead to poor vision like night glare even with the correct power! 
#5 Fatigue - Vision fluctuation increases with fatigue 
#6 Working distance - Age can make it more challenging to make all distance clear with one prescription.  Often multiple prescriptions are required for different working distances!   Dr. j