woman rubbing temples to relieve migraine

Could Your Migraines Be Related to a Retinal Disease?

What is an ocular migraine? Learn about ocular migraines and the best route for ocular migraine treatment.

Could Your Migraines Be Related to a Retinal Disease?

Migraines are not only frustrating and terribly inconvenient, but they can also be incredibly debilitating.

As an individual who suffers from occasional or frequent migraines – or someone who has only experienced one or two migraines recently – you know all too well that they can knock you out of your entire daily routine and force you to lay low until your symptoms pass.

The root cause of any given migraine can vary from individual to individual. When a migraine includes repeated, short bouts of weakened vision or blindness in one eye, there may be a more serious, underlying condition present.

If you or a loved one have experienced repeated visual disturbances in one eye before a migraine attack, you could be suffering from an ocular migraine – also referred to as a retinal migraine.

Keep reading to learn what an ocular migraine is and the best route for ocular migraine treatment.

What is an Ocular Migraine?

An ocular migraine (retinal migraine) is considered a rare condition that can cause short-term vision loss or blindness before the migraine pain sets in, or during the migraine period. Ocular migraines only affect one eye and can include the following monocular (in one eye) visual symptoms:

Seeing twinkling lights (Scintillations)
Areas of decreased or lost vision (Scotoma)
Temporary blindness

Symptoms of an Ocular Migraine

In many ways, ocular migraine symptoms mirror those of a regular migraine. Ocular migraines, however, include one defining symptom that helps distinguish them from traditional migraines: a temporary change of vision in one eye.

Learn more about the telltale symptoms of an ocular migraine:

Vision Loss

As stated earlier, the main symptom of an ocular migraine is vision loss in one eye. While this alarming experience is temporary, the duration can vary. Some individuals can experience vision loss for 10 to 20 minutes, while others may contend with this vision impairment for close to an hour.

Vision loss associated with ocular migraines can be accompanied by a pattern of black spots, or scotomas. As scotomas slowly get larger, an individual can experience complete vision loss in one eye for a brief period of time.

Partial Vision Loss

Vision loss with ocular migraines doesn’t always result in complete, short-term blindness in one eye. Individuals suffering from an ocular migraine may only partially lose vision in one eye.

Partial vision loss is often caused by scintillations, which can be described as twinkling lights or even blurry, dim vision. On average, partial vision loss from an ocular migraine can last 60 minutes.

Strong, Debilitating Headaches

Ocular migraines are often worse than regular migraines. Even after the vision issues, an individual can still contend with a full-blown migraine that can last anywhere from several hours to several days.

These intense headaches can include feelings of nausea, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, and throbbing in the head. It’s common, too, for this pain to only affect one side of the head.

Causes of an Ocular Migraine

During an ocular migraine, the blood vessels within the eye constrict and begin to narrow, causing blood flow to that eye to significantly reduce. This results in vision impairment or temporary blindness.

When the migraine begins to cease, the constricted blood vessels will slowly start to reopen and allow the eye’s normal blood flow to begin again. When all systems are functioning as needed, vision is restored.

Certain activities, conditions, and foods can trigger ocular migraines, such as intense exercise, dehydration, low blood sugar, smoking, etc. But these triggers vary greatly from person to person.

Some eye experts believe that the loss of vision in one eye is a sign of a more serious medical condition, like a retinal disease.

Brief Overview of Retinal Disease

Your retina is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of the eye and contains millions of light-sensitive cells. These nerve cells receive and organize visual information before sending the data through the optic nerve to the brain. Once the brain processes the information, you see the images.

When the retina undergoes a disorder of structure or function, a retinal disease can form. It’s important to note that retinal disease is not singular. There are, in fact, multiple types of retinal diseases that can vary widely. Almost all of them affect a part(s) of the retina and lead to some form of vision issue.

Ocular Migraine Treatment

Depending on the medical specialist you talk to, ocular migraines can be treated with various types of medications. But because the migraine(s) you’re experiencing are affecting your vision, it’s vital that you consult an eye doctor immediately.

Through an in-depth eye exam, an optometrist will be able to fully assess your eye health and identify any vision issues you may be contending with. Upon completion of the exam, you will receive a definitive treatment plan to address your specific eye condition that will aim to prevent future migraine episodes.

Even if what you’re experiencing is not associated with your retina, you will gain peace of mind in ruling out any vision-threatening conditions.

Come see the eye experts at iCare Vision for a comprehensive healthy eye exam today.

Categories:

Eye Conditions

26Jul 2018

Posted bydrwineland
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Could your Child’s Disinterest in Reading be Linked to Problems with Vision?

Is your child displaying an apathy toward reading and learning activities? The reason could stem from undetected vision issues. Read more.

Could your Child’s Disinterest in Reading be Linked to Problems with Vision?

You child is bright, intelligent, and embodies endless potential. Lately, though, you’ve noticed your child’s apathy toward reading and overall disregard for learning activities – even the fun ones. Understandably, your child’s behavior is worrisome and has sent you searching for an explanation.

Did you know that approximately one in four children have a vision disorder that interferes with their ability to learn?

In fact, there is a 75% chance that a child’s poor learning skills or learning difficulties are caused by vision issues, such as eye focusing problems, eye tracking problems, and much more.

Additionally, the vision exams that are conducted at your child’s school or by your child’s pediatrician only catch about 15-20% of vision problems, leaving the door wide open for undetected vision issues that can also cause a child to experience eye strain, tiredness, headaches, and, worst of all, learning difficulties.

Why School Screenings are Ineffective

It’s incredibly common for parents to review the results of their child’s school or pediatrician eye exam and not think twice about the validity of it. Unfortunately, these exams usually only focus on inspecting a child’s distance vision and completely neglect to assess a child’s:

Near vision (critical for reading)
Binocular coordination
Eye movement skills
Focusing skills
Peripheral awareness

Without a comprehensive pediatric eye exam by a children’s eye doctor, eye focusing problems, eye tracking problems and other vision issues can be the underlying reasons your child is displaying a disinterest in reading.

It’s a common misconception that a child who can see well doesn’t have any vision issues. It’s actually the other way around. Children can have good vision and still have vision problems that affect coordination and learning skills – such as reading,
comprehension, recognition, and recollection.

Because children grow and develop rapidly, their vision changes quickly. Often times, children don’t even realize that their eyesight has shifted.

When vision issues go untreated, learning problems and confidence issues can emerge and cause unnecessary frustration, poor academic performance, and an evident disinterest in learning activities.

Aside from your child’s indifference toward reading, are they displaying any of the following signs of vision problems?

Squinting
Frequent eye rubbing
Eye focusing problems
Eye tracking problems (the ability to follow an object with the eyes)
Extreme light sensitivity
Abnormal eye alignment or movement
Chronic eye redness or tearing
Inability to see objects at a distance
Sitting too close to the TV

It’s important to observe your child and note any unusual head positions or actions they take in order to see something. Typically, children with vision issues will stand a certain way or tilt their head in an advantageous direction to enable them to see better.

When it comes to reading, have you noticed your child holding the book abnormally close to their face or angling their head in an odd position to simply view a page?

The Importance of Annual Eye Exam by a Children’s Eye Doctor

The educational and optometric ophthalmic communities both recognize that children who contend with reading and learning problems due to vision issues are less likely to:

Go to college
Obtain high level jobs and careers, and
Achieve their full potential as an adult

Several studies also show high correlations between children who read for pleasure
and adult achievements such as:

advanced degrees
job growth or advancement
higher incomes

If your child’s vision is hindering their development, advancement, or confidence in any way, an eye exam by a children’s eye doctor is imperative.

At iCare Vision, we make sure your child’s vision is healthy and supporting his or her learning and living needs. As a team of licensed optometrists who specialize in pediatric eye exams, we thoroughly assess your child’s vision and see to it that they find the experience fun and engaging.

If your child needs a prescription, they can find the precise frames that fit their personality within our collection of children’s frames.

Don’t wait for school to start. Help your child get on track today.

Questions for Kids: Tell Us How You Feel About Reading

Do you like to read?
If not, why don’t you like to read?
Do you feel like you squint your eyes when you read?
Do you feel like you rub your eyes a lot when reading?
Is it easy to read words or see pictures from your books?
Do you feel like you can see clearly? Or do your eyes feel burry?
Do you have to hold the book close to your face to see the words better?
Do you ever get a headache after reading?

Tell a parent or teacher what your eyes feel like, or what you’re experiencing, when you read.

Understanding what is going on with your eyes is very important to help you see clearly and comfortably when reading.

Categories:

11Jul 2018

Posted bydrwineland
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Vision Therapy Exercises You Can Try at Home

Looking for eye exercises to improve vision naturally? Find six effective eye exercises for better vision from the eye experts at iCare Vision.

Vision Therapy Exercises You Can Try at Home

When you hear the phrase optimal vision, it means more than 20/20 vision. We depend on our eyes for almost everything we do. Optimal vision requires eyesight, visual pathways, and the brain to work in tandem.

For some individuals, this process is disrupted and, as a result, a vision issue or reading and learning difficulty can emerge.

Vision therapy can prove to be effective at treating several visual problems and improving visual skills for adults and children.

For vision issues that glasses, contacts or surgery can’t treat alone, many turn to vision therapy exercises.

Do you think you or your child would benefit from this type of physical therapy for the eyes and brain?

Keep reading to learn more about vision therapy and specific exercises to improve vision.

What You Need to Know About Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free therapeutic program of vision procedures that are strictly supervised by an optometrist.

The goal of vision therapy is to help individuals achieve clear, comfortable vision, improve fundamental visual skills (especially those that are critical to the reading and learning process), and alter how visual information is processed or interpreted.

Here’s what else you need to know:

Vision therapy is:

Tailored to meet a patient’s specific visual needs
Typically conducted in-office once or twice a week
Engaging, where doctor and patient work through visual activities designed to strengthen the visual system
Often supplemented with at-home exercises to be completed in between vision therapy appointments

Before we discuss eye exercises to improve vision, it’s important to note that a comprehensive eye exam must come before a vision therapy program begins and at-home eye exercises for better vision can take place.

During the examination, your doctor will thoroughly assess your eye health and will be able to tell you if you’re a good candidate for vision therapy. This initial step is vital as to ensure you or your child are not contending with an undiagnosed vision problem that needs more specialized treatment and attention.

Who Benefits the Most from Vision Therapy Exercises?

Vision therapy has helped individuals who live with certain visual challenges, neurological disorders, or have experienced vision-threatening trauma to the nervous system.

Specific visual conditions that can improve with consistent vision therapy exercises include:

Crossed Eye (Strabismus)
Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)
Double Vision
Depth Perception
Convergence Insufficiency
Eyestrain/Stress-Induced Vision Issues
Neurological Ailments, such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, whiplash and developmental delays

Unfortunately, only about 5% of eye doctors conduct the specialized tests indicating that you may make a good candidate for vision therapy. Therefore, about 25% of the population are not aware they have a fixable vision problem. If you or your child are having trouble reading, driving or engaging in your favorite hobby, consider having a conversation with your eye doctor to learn more about vision therapy.

Additionally, athletes have been known to utilize vision therapy exercises to improve essential vision skills, such as peripheral awareness, eye-hand coordination, eye teaming, visual reaction time, and more.

6 Effective Eye Exercises for Better Vision

Once your doctor has examined your eyes and vision health and has determined you to be a good candidate for vision therapy, you or your child may be eager to get started with exercises to improve vision.

Your optometrist will undoubtedly have several effective at-home exercises to give you. You can also review and practice the following exercises for more variety or to get a head start:

1. Sunning.
This exercise can lead to improved vision in low and high light environments by gently and safely allowing the pupillary capacity to adjust to light through this exercise.

How to do the exercise:

Choose a sunny to partially sunny day. If it’s winter time, find a window in your home that allows the light to spill in.
Sit in a chair or on the ground and close your eyes.
Allow your face to become completely engulfed in sunlight.
If you are outside, tilt your face upward, as to face the sun directly.
Take several deep breaths and ensure you’re in a calm state before you begin the exercise.
When you’re ready to begin, gently move your head from side to side, so your chin is over your shoulder on each turn.
Do this seven to ten times and then rest for 15 seconds with your eyes remaining softly closed, facing the sun. Repeat this pattern three times and complete this activity three times a week.

As you move your head from side to side, your pupils will expand and contract. This is what will allow the pupillary capacity to better adjust to light and, thus, improve vision.

*It is crucial that you or your child keep the eyes closed during the entire exercise. Looking directly into the sun can damage vision.

2. Palming.
Tension is uncomfortable and unhealthy. When it comes to our vision, it is the number one cause of vision loss or vision issues. Palming is a highly effective way to reduce undesired pressure and strain in our eyes and entire body.

How to do the exercise:

Find some uninterrupted time and sit in a quiet, peaceful room with a table.
Take several deep breaths to relax and softly close your eyes.
With your eyes closed, rub your palms together until they become warm.
Rest your elbows softly on the table in front of you as a support and gently place each palm over each eye lid so you cannot see anything but complete darkness.
Allow yourself to soak in the warmth of your palms through your eyes; feel your eye muscles relaxing.
Remain in this position until the warmth of your palms have subsided.
Keep your eyes closed and rub your palms together until they become warm again.
Repeat this process at least three times.

Tension in our eyes creates a plethora of issues. Tension puts a substantial amount of strain on the optic nerve, leads to the degradation of our corneas and maculae, increases eye pressure, and can be responsible for headaches and migraines.

Without even realizing it, you could be causing tension and strain within your eyes. Through palming, you’re giving your eyes the relaxation and rest they need, and with consistent practice of palming, almost all eye issues can be improved.

Directional Eye Exercises to Improve Vision
Eye exercises that ask you to move your eyes in several different directions is one of the most basic ways to improve focusing skills, develop better eye movements, and stimulate the vision center in the brain. Here are two different directional eye exercises:

3. Sideways Viewing.

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
With your fists closed, lift your arms so they are straight out in front of you, in line with your shoulders. Keep your thumbs pointing upward.
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths and focus on relaxing your eyes and entire body.
Open your eyes when you are ready to begin.
Pick an object or a spot on the wall that’s straight in front of you, level with your eyes.
Keep your head in this fixed position and your spine straight.
Focus on each of the following, one right after the other, by shifting only your vision (not your head):
- The space in between the eyebrows
- Your left thumb
- The space in between the eyebrows
- Your right thumb
- The space in between the eyebrows
- Your left thumb
- The space in between the eyebrows
- Your right thumb
Repeat this eye exercise approximately 10 to 20 times.
When you are done, close your eyes and allow them to rest.

4. Up and Down Viewing.

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
Place both fists on your knees.
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths and focus on relaxing your eyes and entire body.
Open your eyes when you are ready to begin.
Pick an object or a spot on the wall that’s straight in front of you, level with your eyes.
Keep your head in this fixed position and your spine straight.
Position your thumbs upward.
Look at your right thumb.
Slowly raise the right arm from the knee until it is out of your eyesight.
Follow the motion of the right thumb upwards with your eyes while keeping your head completely still in a fixed position.
When the thumb is out of eyesight, slowly bring it back down to the knee (starting position) while keeping the eyes focused on it.
Repeat this same process with the left thumb.
Complete this exercise five times with each thumb.
When you are done, close your eyes and allow them to rest.

5. Rotational Viewing.

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths and focus on relaxing your eyes and entire body.
Open your eyes when you are ready to begin.
Pick an object or a spot on the wall that’s straight in front of you, level with your eyes.
Keep your head in this fixed position and your spine straight.
Place the left hand on the left knee.
Hold the right fist above the right knee, in line with the right shoulder. Keep the thumb pointing upwards and elbow straight.
Focus your eyes on the right thumb while keeping your head still.
Make a circle with the thumb, keeping the elbow straight.
Repeat this exercise five times on the right side, each in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.
Repeat the process five times with the left thumb.
When you are done, close your eyes and allow them to rest.

6. Near and Distant Viewing.
This eye exercise will help improve or maintain far and near vision. You can do this exercise inside or outside, sitting or standing.

Place an object about 10 inches from your eyes and try to focus on it for 10-15 seconds.
Next, place the object about 10 feet away and focus on it for 10-15 seconds.
Finally, place the object about 10 inches from your eyes again and try to focus on it for 10-15 seconds.
Alternate your near and far object focus five times.
Complete one entire cycle three time.

Let’s See If You’d Benefit from Visual Therapy

When the entire visual system works in harmony – moves, aligns, fixates, and focuses together – an individual begins to see the world in a whole new way.

Let the eye experts at iCare Vision assess your eyes and work with you to determine the best therapy or treatment for your unique eye concerns.

An eye examination is a quick and painless process.

Categories:

Vision Therapy

woman wearing prescription sports eyewear while biking

11Jul 2018

Posted bydrwineland
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Glasses for All Occasions

Do you wear glasses but need different ones for different occasions? Learn about glasses for all occasions, like computer glasses, reading glasses & more.

Glasses for All Occasions

Your life is multifaceted. You don’t just dabble in one activity or task every day, all day. You drive, travel, work, exercise or play a sport, work in the yard or with power tools, or spend time on your favorite hobby.

Your eyes are one of that main reasons you’re able to do and enjoy everything. But, in order for your eyes to keep pace with your busy and constant flow, they must receive the support and protection they deserve – and this means your standard eyeglasses may not be the best option for every occasion.

With specialty eyewear – eyeglasses designed for specific tasks – you can see clearly no matter what you’re doing.

Let’s discuss the different occasions you may need to switch up your eyeglasses:

Computer Glasses

For the modern individual, it can be near impossible to avoid glowing screens – such as phones, computers, tablets, TVs, and so on. This is especially true when it comes to employment.

Computer vision syndrome and digital eye strain are two of the major hindrances to our 21st-century lifestyles.

Staring at a light-emitting display for hours on end all week can really begin to wear your eyes down. They must work hard to focus and align for long periods of time, all while growing increasingly tired from the glowing screen; digital devices tire your eyes more quickly that reading from paper or partaking in another activity devoid of a light-emitting display.

If you spend a lot of your time working from a computer or reading from a screen, computer glasses would help offer your eyes significant support.

Computer glasses:

Reduce screen glare (be sure the pair you choose include anti-reflective coating)
Help you avoid digital eye strain, eye fatigue, and general eye discomfort from using digital devices
Are specifically designed for intermediate and close-up distances from digital screens and deliver the best correction for these distances

There are a few different types of computer glasses, such as single vision lenses, trifocal lenses and photochromic lenses.

Work and Hobby Eyewear

Work-related tasks and certain hobbies require you to either look up, look down, or look really close up – such as reading tiny print, sewing, and so on.

If you wear standard prescription eye glasses and you find yourself having to tilt your head back and forth to use the reading area in the bottom of the lenses, or you’re needing stronger lenses for a more magnified view, you should consider specialty eyewear that are created for work-related tasks. Often called occupational lenses, these glasses are designed with the reading segment higher up in the lenses.

If you need a pair of glasses that can help you focus at a very close distance, consider another pair of reading glasses that have stronger lenses than you’re used to.

Prescription Safety Glasses

Certain work environments or hobbies are ridden with dust, hazardous particles or flying objects – items that standard eyeglass could never protect the eyes against. Because of this, safety glasses are crucial. Of course, for individuals with prescription lenses, prescription safety glasses are necessary.

Standard and prescription safety glasses are made from incredibly durable materials and essentially wrap around the eye area with top and bottom shields.

If your job or hobbies poses risks to your eyes, consider a high-quality pair of prescription safety glasses. Almost all safety glasses are lightweight and made with impact-resistant lenses for first-rate eye protection.

Driving Glasses

If you commute or travel on the road a lot, you know first-hand that road glare or the sun in your eyes can be very intense. So intense, in fact, that you can hardly see what’s in front of you – including other cars, people, stop lights, etc.

There are specialty glasses designed just for these dangerous conditions. Driving glasses can either be:

Sunglasses made specifically for driving conditions.
Driving sunglasses have specialized, polarized lenses that allow you to see when the sun is shining in your eyes because they significantly reduce glare. They are also tinted which increases contrast and helps you achieve sharper vision.

Driving prescription eyeglasses.
Prescription driving glasses have an anti-reflective coating which helps reduce glare and helps additional light enter your eyes for better night-time driving vision.

Sports Eyewear

Physical activity and sports are high-impact, which can be no place for your standard, fragile, won’t-stay-on-your-face-with-a-lot-of-movement eyeglasses. And, of course, there is specialty eyewear to help athletes of all kinds continue playing their sport and seeing clearly.

Specialty glasses for sport activities can defend against eye injuries while simultaneously helping performance by improving visual clarity. Just like safety glasses, sport-specific eyewear are made with impact-resistant lenses.

Find the Right Specialty Eyeglasses for the Different Occasion(s) In Your Life

If you feel your eyes would benefit from one or more of the above specialty glasses, be sure to come see us. The eye experts at iCare Vision can help determine the type of glasses you should get based on your specific vision needs.

We offer eyeglasses for a wide array of lifestyles, such as daily wear, reading, sports, driving, and more. We’ll help match you and your vision needs to the right pair of specialty glasses.

Give your eyes the protection they need for every occasion and task.

Categories:

Eyewear

Could Your Migraines Be Related to a Retinal Disease?

Could Your Migraines Be Related to a Retinal Disease?

What is an Ocular Migraine?