Author: cmg-wd

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.

You be wondering, what are the signs or symptoms of Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a progressive condition that causes vision to decline over time. The key to slowing its progression comes from early detection and treatment of the condition.

It is important that you have annual eye exams and report all changes in vision.

If Keratoconus is left untreated it can have a great impact on overall vision. Keratoconus can decreases the ability to see well with contacts or glasses and causes great difficulty when driving at night.

Keratoconus leads to distorted vision due to the change in the cornea, the clear window over the eye.

Typically the cornea is spherical shaped. When properly shaped light enters the cornea and provides clear distinct images. Keratoconus causes the cornea to become misshaped and distorted, this leads to distorted images may not be able to be improved with glasses or contacts.

Signs and symptoms of Keratoconus:

• Frequent blurred vision
• Increased blurred vision
• Glasses or Contacts do not improve the vision
• Frequent rubbing of the eyes
• Frequent changes in prescription
• Seeing halos or glare around lights
• Decreased night vision

One of the most important things about treating this condition is understanding the early signs. Paying attention to the eyes is not something most of us do until our vision is compromised. Knowing what signs to look for and asking your eye care professional questions is top priority.

While these are just a few of the signs and symptoms of Keratoconus, be sure to speak to your eye care professionals when you have difficulty with your vision.

Learn how early treatment change the life of 12 year old Jake:

Have you been suffering from chronic Dry Eye? Maybe you spend a lot of time behind a computer at work, school, or even at home. If your dry eyes have been causing a problem, you’re probably wondering how you can treat them on your own. In some cases you can get temporary relief from Dry Eye symptoms over the counter, but in other cases a prescribed drop or procedure maybe needed.

Below are a few types of treatments for your chronic Dry Eye:

When you are first diagnosed with Dry Eye, your eye care professional will have you try different treatments, depending on the severity of your Dry Eye. Below are a few treatments you may encounter after diagnosis.

Over the counter drops:

These types of drops are found in your pharmacy and provide temporary relief for your dry eyes. They are helpful if you experience an occasional episode or two. If you have chronic Dry Eye it is likely you will have to continue using these drops multiple times a day, while also using other methods.

Prescribed Eye Drops or topical treatments:

If you continue to have difficulties with Dry Eye, your doctor may prescribe some drops for you to use regularly. These drops are often prescribed for those who have continued Dry Eye or have difficulty producing tears. If you have an issue with the lipid glands, topical creams or ointments may be suggested (such as testosterone cream). Prescribed eye drops and creams can often provide better relief than over the counter eye drops.

Lipiflow® Procedure:

For those who have difficulty with chronic Dry Eye related to a lipid deficiency, Lipiflow® may be a great treatment option for you. Lipiflow® is a painless 12-minute outpatient treatment that heats and massages the eye lids and glands that create the lipids. This action loosens and unclogs the glands, allowing lipid to be produced and excreted more effectively. While the procedure is relatively new, it has been extremely effective in providing relief for those who suffer from chronic Dry Eye that previously had no great treatment options.

Watch Jennifer, a Dry Eye sufferer for over 30 years, discuss how she finally found relief:

Keratoconus is an eye condition that affects about one in every 2,000 people. While the disease is not very common, it is important to learn about the condition and treatment options available in case you or a family member is diagnosed with Keratoconus. The cause of Keratoconus is unknown, but many experts believe that genetics plays a large role.

The condition is mistaken for causing complete blindness. Although it can impair your vision, it is not something that will make you go blind, and the progression of Keratoconus varies from one patient to the next. Keratoconus is usually first diagnosed during a person’s teenage years, but it can be unpredictable in how fast it progresses.

It is important to remember to avoid rubbing your eyes as this can contribute to the progression of the disease. Specialized contact lenses can help with your vision, but be sure to see your eye doctor every six months to keep track of the progression of the condition. Learn more about Keratoconus and talk with your doctor about symptoms and treatment options.

Contact lenses and eye glasses are usually the first treatment option recommended for Keratoconus. However, as Keratoconus progress contacts become very, especially RGP contact lenses (Rigid Gas Permeable lenses).

Increasingly doctors are now recommended Holcomb C3-R® (cornea collagen crosslinking) as the first treatment and contacts as a secondary treatment. Holcomb C3-R® helps to stabilize Keratoconus and will help keep you comfortable in lenses longer.

But, what do you do if your Keratoconus has progressed to the point that even after Holcomb C3-R®, RGP lenses are uncomfortable. There are several other specialty Keratoconus contact lens options.

These options include:

Hybrid Contact Lenses (SynergEyes)

What are Hybrid Lenses? They are a mixture of soft lenses and RGP lenses. They provide you with the comfort of a soft lens but the crisper vision of an RGP. Many report these provide a great edge to contact for all day wear without the harsh edge of the RGP lenses.

Scleral Lenses

What are Scleral Lenses? These are similar to RGP lenses only they are larger in diameter. They almost look like a bowl that you fit over your eye. The advantage is they do not rest on the cornea, so they provide increased comfort. In addition, prior to insertion the lenses are filled with saline, so basically all day your eye is bathed in saline, which can help keep your eyes moist and lessen the concerns about dry/irritated eyes.

RGP, Hybrid lenses, or Scleral contact lenses can provide the best option for improved clarity, comfort, and stability. However, the most important benefit to Keratoconus treatment today is the Holcomb C3-R® which will preserve your vision and stop the deterioration of your vision so you can maintain good vision and comfort in contacts and avoid the painful cornea transplant.

There are many benefits of using specialty Keratoconus contact lenses for the treatment of your Keratoconus. Take the time and get the facts. Ask your eye care professional about contact lenses for your Keratoconus Treatments today!

Watch Michael explain how he is now living life all over again thanks to specialty Keratoconus contact lenses.

Diabetes can wreak havoc on your vision alone. However when you are diagnosed with both diabetes and Keratoconus it can cause many more problems. The truth is that Keratoconus changes the shape of your cornea and diabetes damages the blood vessels throughout your eyes. With so much damage these conditions cause the risk of severe vision loss is possible. Ensuring that you are being monitored and seeing your doctors regularly is extremely important.

When having more than one chronic condition it is important to have proper treatment management. Checking with your doctor regularly about what treatment options are best, and what tests need to be done is important. Visiting your eye doctor every 6 months can help prevent further damage and catch things early.

Below are some signs & Symptoms of Diabetes & Keratoconus:

Symptoms of Diabetes:

Increased Thirst

Frequent Urination

Increased irritability

Frequent Infections

Blurred Vision

Tingling & Numbness in Feet & hands

Unusual Weight Loss

Symptoms of Keratoconus

Blurred Vision

Frequent Prescription Changes

Frequent Headaches

Seeing Halos & Glares

Decreased Night Vision

For more information regarding diabetes visit WebMD.com.

Knowing your family history is an important step in early detection, and early treatment of Keratoconus. Understanding that knowing how progressed your condition is will help determine how aggressive your treatment needs to be. Finding the symptoms, signs, and your family history can help keep a better quality of vision throughout your life.

Taking care of your vision is not just important to you but it is important to your family as well. Making sure that you are comfortable and can talk with your eye care professional should be at the top of your list when locating the right doctor. Below are a few tips that can help you with developing a sound treatment plan for your Keratoconus and your life.

It is also important that you report all your symptoms, and family history to your eye care professionals. They can help you with the diagnosis of several conditions before they compromise the quality of your vision.

Below are a few reasons to get early treatment for Keratoconus:

Early Detection can improve your chances of treatment

Early Detection can slow the progression of Keratoconus by getting treatment early

Early Detection can save/preserve your vision

Early Detection can give you more treatment options for Keratoconus

The doctors are a very important part of your treatment but so are you! Ensuring that you assist in your own treatment plan will improve your chances of a successful recovery.

Learn more about treatment options for Keratoconus visit the American Academy of Opthamology.

Keratoconus is a frustrating disease. It effects the lives of the patients significantly and understanding the cause can often help us understand the disease. Here are a few under laying causes of Keratoconus that can help you get started.

Genetics: Though genetics plays a part in keratoconus so does the environment. Keratoconus in a family typically effects more then one family member. The chances of keratoconus is higher in first degree relatives however it is unlikely that one will pass keratoconus to their children. There is only a 6% chance that the disease can be passed from parent to children. However there are precautions you can take to catch keratoconus in your children early. Treatments are available to help stop the progression of early keratoconus.

Generally at the ages of 8-10 a baseline mapping of the eyes or a Topography can be taken. Additional topography’s can be taken each year after to compare results. If changes are found steps to stop the progression can be made before the problem increases.

Free Radicals: Free radicals are the byproducts of the cell metabolism. Unfortunately most of our bodies tissues create byproducts and our bodies defend against them daily. There is a barrier or wall that protects against damage to your corneal fibers by the byproducts called anti-oxidants. Keratoconus develops because the anti-oxidants are not working properly to protect the cornea against the byproducts. The collagen fibers in the cornea are attacked by the byproducts breaking down the fibers like a hammer on a brick wall. As the fibers weaken you develop a bulge in the cornea that creates vision changes, and other complications.

Keratoconus generally develops slowly over time and if you are evaluated properly the damage can be minimal. It is important to find a doctor who is familiar with early stage keratoconus and obtain treatment before it gets too bad. With the new technologies and mapping you can keep ahead of the disease.

For more information about keratoconus visit Wikipedia