Year: 2016

Are you an avid athlete and it seems your timing is getting a bit off? This is a common problem when it comes to vision and it may be an easy fix for those with a desire to keep playing. Getting regular exams can help diagnose vision problems before they get out of hand. Improving something as small as a slight nearsightedness can improve your game immensely. Injury to the eye is one of the most common sports-related accidents in the US.

Why? It’s simple! When playing hockey for example, you need to see the puck coming before it gets too close. If you have even a slight problem with nearsightedness you may not see it until it’s too late. There are several treatment options that can give you sharper vision without keeping you off the ice for too long.

Below are 3 more reasons you should visit your eye care professional before your next game:

Keratoconus:

One of the more commonly under- and mis-diagnosed eye conditions is Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that causes blurry vision, worsening night vision, and even glares/halos. It is important to have your eyes examined if you have a family history are seeing symptoms of Keratoconus. Due to the progressive nature of this disease, early diagnosis and treatment is key!

Farsightedness:

This is a common condition that can cause difficulty because you can’t see the ball, puck, or player quickly enough for you to react. This can put you at major risk for trauma to the eyes or other parts of the body. Imagine you are playing soccer and your teammate tries to pass you the ball – if you can’t react quickly enough, there is a large chance you will miss the play.

As the vision worsens, so does the danger of being injured. It can be treated easily now with advanced technology and improved treatments for vision correction.

Astigmatism:

When playing sports it is important to have good reflexes and excellent peripheral vision. When you have astigmatism your peripheral vision is impaired and can cause you to have unnecessary injury.

These accidents can cause damage to the cornea, detached retinas, and even immediate loss of vision after impact. It is important to get treated for any vision correction especially if you are an athlete before you next game! Watch Matthew’s story by clicking the image below – his dreams of transitioning from an amateur Mixed Martial Arts fighter to a professional came one step closer after his PRK vision correction surgery with Dr. Brian.

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Vitamins are important to your vision just as much as they are to your overall health. There are several types of vitamins available but not all contribute specifically to your vision health. Things like fish oil, and antioxidants can be very beneficial to your overall eye health, but other vitamins may not have an effect on your eyes. It is important to understand which vitamins may benefit you and why they work.

Antioxidants:

Antioxidants are free radicals that help improve the entire immune system. They help our bodies fight off colds, flu, and infections that make us sick.

Below are more overall benefits of antioxidants:

• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces risk of heart attacks/strokes
• Hydrates skin
• Repairs skin tissues

When it comes to our vision and overall eye health antioxidants support critical functions of the eye, and help to increase our resistance to diseases. Antioxidants also help your body when it comes to age-related eye conditions and reduce your overall risk by 25%. Antioxidant supplements can also help reduce overall vision loss by 19% according to the Nation Eye Institute.

Optimal Eye is a supplemental vitamin that can help you reduce risk of developing cataracts and improve your overall eye function.

Other Supplements: Fish Oil/Flaxseed Oil

Other supplements like Fish and Flaxseed Oils help with conditions like coronary artery disease, reducing chances of cardiac disease, and is a great source of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. These omega-3 fatty acids can also help protect adults from developing Macular Degeneration, Dry Eye, and even Glaucoma. These supplements when taken daily can protect your overall vision and improve your chances of reduced vision loss.

For those of you who want more information on the Optimal Health products such as Optimal Eye, and Optimal Flax, visit www.ioptimalhealth.com

There are many reasons we fail to see vision problems in our children. With toddlers it is extremely difficult because they are just learning to communicate and don’t always realize that they are having issues. Older children are sometimes embarrassed, or merely think if they sit closer they will be fine. The good news is there are some things that can help you identify when they have problems.

If you or your family members have vision problems the likelihood that your children will is greater. It is wise to get them routine eye exams to be safe and for early detection of eye conditions. Our children can get eye exams as early as 18 months. These eye exams will help your children have a better chance at treatment and ensure that they have a healthy visual experience. Below are a few signs to help detect problems with your child’s vision.

• They squint when watching TV
• They have to sit more than 4 feet from the TV to see
• They get frequent headaches during or after reading
• Their eyes water frequently
• They frequently rub their eyes
• They blink frequently or not enough

For children who are suffering academically, vision issues could be a big part of it. Ensuring that your children are getting correct vision care will help them be confident when answering questions, reading the board, and doing their school work. Education is more important than ever and we want to give children the best advantages possible.

Vision correction can change both your life and the life of your children whether it’s by getting new glasses/contacts or vision correction surgery. Watch how ICL, a vision correction procedure, changed Remy’s life.

Top 4 Benefits of LipiFlow®

Is your Dry Eye effecting your everyday life? Getting tired of using the “No more tears?” or the “Get the red out” drops? LipiFlow® is a great new procedure that can help relieve your dry, itchy, irritated eyes. LipiFlow® helps you improve your Dry Eye by treating the root cause of this issue instead of providing temporary relief like over-the-counter products do. If your Dry Eye is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) or Blepharitis, you need to look into this amazing treatment.

Benefits of the LipiFlow® Treatment:

• Proven Effectiveness: LipiFlow® has been proven to work. More than 70% of patients who received the LipiFlow® treatment have experienced improvements within 4 weeks.
• Easy procedure designed by Experts: The LipiFlow® treatment can be done right in your doctor’s office. This treatment is so quick and easy that is can even be performed the same day as your evaluation in some cases. The LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System is used to add heat to the Meibomian gland of the eye which becomes unblocked and allows the glands to start producing oils that lubricate the eye again.
• The Experience of TearScience®, the makers of LipiFlow®: The TearScience® Technology is on top in the research of Dry Eye, it has over 10 years of research experience and understands the science behind Dry Eye The company has studied the effects of dry eye on its patients and how it impacts their lives giving them the relief they need with their new LipiFlow® system. This was no easy development – one of the Co-Founders of TearScience® has been researching Dry Eye for over 30 years!

Dry Eye Symptoms:

For those of you who have dealt with Dry Eye, you understand how devastating the symptoms are and how they impact your everyday life. For those who have not been diagnosed with Dry Eye Syndrome, below are a few symptoms to help you identify if Dry Eye is causing your discomfort.

• Itching
• Watering
• Burning
• Scratching
• Redness
• Swelling
• Blurred Vision

If you are like Susan, who was seeking relief in traditional methods such as hot compresses, medications, etc. with no relief, you owe it to yourself to look into other options – which may include LipiFlow ®. To hear about her almost 40-year struggle with Dry Eye Blepharitis, click on the image below.

During the change of seasons, many struggle with dry eyes. This can dramatically hinder our everyday activities which can affect us considerably, for some even to the point of avoiding going outside. Dryness is one of the most common complaints reported when talking about the eyes, but most people don’t realize that Dry Eye is a serious condition. There are several different types of treatments for Dry Eye depending on what symptoms you have.

• Blurred vision
• Irritation
• Red Eyes
• Excessive tearing
• Itchy eyes
• Scratchy sensations
• Excessive rubbing

Dry Eye causes irritation, redness, and sometimes excessive rubbing of the eyes. In more serious cases it can cause pain for the patient. Dry Eye is caused by either a reduction of the production of tears by your eyes or reduced production of lipids from the glands lining the eyelids. There are several reasons one can develop dry eyes such as:

• Medication changes
• Other Medical Conditions – Like Keratoconus, Diabetes, Cataracts, etc…
• Reduction in the blinking of the eyes (for instance in writers)
• Certain medical procedures
• Environmental irritants (pollen, dust, UV exposure)

Treatments:
There are many treatments for dry eyes, with the most common being over the counter drops, such as artificial tears, and ‘Get The Red Out’ drops. *It is important to remember that ‘Get The Red Out’ drops contain vasoconstrictors which can be harmful to the eyes with long-term use. In more severe cases of dry eyes, prescribed medications -and- artificial tears may e directed by your eye doctor to give the eyes the moisture they need or promote new tear production within the eyes. In cases which the glands are not producing enough lipids, more advanced treatments such LipiFlow and/or topical testosterone cream may be required to ‘clean out’ and ‘jumpstart’ the production of lipids in the glands. A combination of all the above may be required to get relief in extreme cases.

If you are having continued problems with Dry Eye symptoms it is beneficial to contact your eye care professional for a thorough evaluation to determine the best treatment option for your specific case.

Tips To Help Relieve Your Dry Eye:

• Increase the amount of breaks you take when staring at the computer screen or TV.
• Use artificial tears when working on the computer or spending time outside
• Avoid excessive eye rubbing
• Get regular eye examinations
• Wear protective lenses when going out to reduce UV exposure
• Use drops and other medications as prescribed

If you have been suffering from Dry Eye, I urge you to click on the image below to hear how Moniqua found relief from her itchy, dry eyes after 3 years of suffering.

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With the New Year just beginning, we often feel the need to change and do something different. Resolutions are the focal point of our thoughts but we seldom add our vision care as something we focus on.

Most people think of losing weight, quitting smoking, and other health-related changes for their resolutions but thinking of your eyes early can prevent many conditions from arising in your future and improve the quality of your life now.

Below are 3 reasons to include your eyes in your New Year’s resolution:

• Discover the Benefits of an Annual Checkup: When considering a New Year’s resolution maybe it should be something as simple as getting your annual eye exam. This resolution is a simple appointment that is often overlooked or pushed back. This one day commitment can help you prevent future problems and identify additional health issues you may have that have not been discovered yet such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and even some types of cancer.  If you have other underlying health conditions they can affect your vision quickly. You may not even realize it until it is too late. Getting an annual or bi-annual eye exam can lead to early detection of these problems and prevent them from getting worse.
• Improving Your Quality of Vision:  There are several new treatments for various eye conditions that can improve your overall quality of vision. Treatments like Fortified LASIK, PRK, Visian ICL, CK and RejuvaVision can improve your quality of vision, and reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses.
• Common Symptoms of Eye Conditions:
  • Frequent Changes in Prescriptions
  • Blurred Vision
  • Frequent rubbing of the eye
  • Halos/Glares around lights
  • Poor or decreasing night vision
  • Eye Pain
  • Dry Eye

To hear Dr. Brian talk with Dr. Drew about these and more conditions on his daytime T.V. show Lifechangers click below.