Do you use eye drops several times a day? Did you know that even over-the-counter eye drops can be harmful if used too often? Nearly all multi-dose eye drop bottles contain preservatives (such as benzalkonium chloride), and those preservatives come with potential problems. What is benzalkonium chloride? Benzalkonium chloride (aka BAK or BAC), a quaternary …
Spring has sprung here in North Carolina, and, as you can see in the photo, we’re in the thick of Pollenpocalypse. This is around the time of year that I start to see a large influx of patients with red, watery, itchy allergy eyes. The tree and grass pollen that come with spring can often …
How do drops for red eyes work? Short answer: Drops for red eyes (aka “redness relief” or “get the red out” drops) contain an ingredient that causes the superficial blood vessels of the eye to constrict, or narrow. Long answer: Brace yourself- it’s about to get real nerdy up in here. Our blood vessel walls are made up …
As an optometrist, I get up close and personal with a lot of eyes. I see a fair amount of complications related to not-so-great eye makeup habits, so I wanted to share my top 10 eye makeup safety tips (from an eye health standpoint). Avoid applying eyeliner on the waterline, as demonstrated on the left …
According to the Vision Council, over 80 percent of Americans report using digital devices for more than two hours per day, and more than 70 percent of American adults report their children receive more than two hours of screen time per day (1). With the increasing prevalence of LED-backlit digital devices and the increasing time …
What is an epiretinal membrane? An epiretinal membrane (ERM), also known as a macular pucker or cellophane maculopathy, is a thin layer of tissue that forms on the inner surface of the retina (the tissue that lines the back of the eye). **Look out, jargon ahead.** Specifically, an ERM forms when glial cells proliferate in a …
You may have seen the videos floating around the internet of colorblind people trying on EnChroma sunglasses for the first time. This month’s blog post is about Enchroma and color vision deficiency- let’s talk about how it all works! How do we see color? The retina (the tissue that lines the back of the eye) contains specialized …
What is a “lazy eye?” The term “lazy eye” is most often used to refer to a condition called amblyopia. Amblyopia is reduced vision in one eye, or less frequently both eyes, due to abnormal vision development in childhood (1). What causes amblyopia? In simple terms, functional amblyopia occurs when something prevents the eye from focusing clearly. …
February is Low Vision Awareness Month. Low vision is a term used to describe significant, permanent visual impairment that cannot be fully corrected with regular glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. This can be due to eye diseases (like macular degeneration), injury, or genetic conditions. Most people with low vision are not totally blind, but have …
Glaucoma can be hard to describe, because there are no symptoms early on and nothing to “look out for.” So visuals like the one below are very helpful! A visual comparison of a healthy optic nerve (right) vs a glaucomatous optic nerve (left) The round structure there is the optic nerve (aka cranial nerve II). The optic …
What is a macular hole? To describe a macular hole and how it forms, we need to first discuss the anatomy of the eye. Check out this video for a concise overview of the structures of the eye (it’s less than a minute long). The anatomy of the eye Image: ASRS The inside of the eye is basically …
Corneal topography of someone with regular astigmatism. The cooler tones indicate the flatter parts of the cornea while the warmer tones indicate the steeper parts. As you can see, this cornea is more curved along the vertical plane. Uh-stig-muh-tizum. It sounds like a terrible disease, but it’s not. It is a type of refractive error- it affects …