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vision therapy eye exercises
11Jul 2018

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:
woman wearing prescription sports eyewear while biking
11Jul 2018

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:
woman holding prescription sunglasses
08Jun 2018

How to Choose the Right Pair of Sunglasses

Need a pair of prescription sunglasses? Discover 6 things you need to consider as you select the right pair of sunglasses for you & your family.

How to Choose the Right Pair of Sunglasses

Sunglasses are essential year-around, regardless of where you live. Even on overcast days, your eyes need protected. That’s why effective sunglasses are so much more than style, color, and brand. To get the most out of a pair of sunglasses, they must provide an excellent barrier between your eyes and harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

So, if you’re in the market for new shades this summer, be sure to consider these six things before making your final decision. We suggest narrowing your selection starting with eye safety features, and then working your way through more fashionable features (because, we agree, those matter, too).

6 Things to Consider When Searching for the Right Pair of Shades for You

1. Can you get these as prescription sunglasses?

If you only wear eye glasses, or you don’t consistently wear contact lenses, it’s worth considering a pair of prescription sunglasses.

Shifting from artificial light to sunlight requires your eyes to readjust, and throwing on a pair of sunglasses that are not tailored to your precise vision needs can make everything seem out of focus.

Perhaps you forego sunglasses altogether, requiring excessive squinting. Or, maybe you’ve tried the old trick of putting on a pair of sunglasses over your standard eyeglasses.

Why put yourself through all of this? First on your list of sunglass must-haves should be to find a pair that can accommodate your exact prescription.

2. What’s the UV rating on those shades?

Next up in critical sunglass eye care is UV protection. The sun delivers some beautiful days, but never skimps on the amount of harmful UV rays it sends our way to make that beauty happen.

Not all sunglasses protect against UV rays, so it’s crucial you ensure the pair you want blocks 100 percent of UV rays.

UV rays can cause:

  • Macular Degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in individuals over age 60. The disease occurs when a small portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates.
  • Cataracts, a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye.
  • Pterygium, a growth on the white of the eye, involving the cornea, causing vision loss.
  • Skin Cancer around the eyelids.
  • Corneal Sunburn caused by high short-term exposure to UV-B rays that is very painful and can lead to temporary blindness.
  • Wrinkles around the eyes, as a result of constant squinting.

3. What’s your ideal sunglass shape?

Are you trying to find the best pair of sunglasses that suit your face shape? We get it. Keep in mind, though, that bigger sunglasses offer the most protection for your eyes and surrounding skin.

Wraparound-style and oversized sunglasses block more harmful sun rays and help keep out light and rays that could enter from the side of your face.

4. How dark of a lens do you prefer?

The shade of lens is absolute personal preference. You may like a lighter shade or need a darker tone. You may even be in search for pink or green hued lenses. Several sources say brown, orange and yellow tints provide the best UV protection. But, it’s important to know that darker lenses don’t necessarily block more UV rays, and one color of lens isn’t always better than another.

Different colors and shades of lenses simply offer different light contrasts. Just be sure the lenses offer 100 percent UV ray protection.

5. Are you being realistic with comfort and durability?

Some sunglasses can be very stylish but lack in comfort and performance. It’s important to try on sunglasses before you commit them as your eye protection. Some may be too tight around your face. Others may be too loose, giving you a constant battle of keeping them from slipping down your nose or falling off your face.

Understand where you’ll be wearing your sunglasses and how sturdy you need them to be. Will you be very active while wearing them? Will you use them for walks or commuting?

Your optometrist can help fit you to the pair of sunglasses that will match your level of activity.

6. How much are you willing to spend?

While you may be in search for the perfect pair of Ray Ban prescription glasses, Oakley prescription glasses, or any other coveted brand-name shade, you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to offer your eyes the protection they need.

Of course, Ray Ban, Wiley X and Oakley offer fashionable options, but you can always find other stylish options that fit your face shape and genuinely make you feel confident and protected for less money.

7. Can’t find the right color and darkness that feels good?

With summer knocking at the door, let the eye experts at iCare Vision help you find your perfect pair of sunglasses. Come see our in-house collection consisting of high-end brand names, like Ray Ban prescription glasses and Oakley prescription glasses, and other stylish and durable options that allow you to save.

We’ll help match you, your vision and your personality to the right pair of sunglasses. You can also have our licensed opticians modify the tint in prescription lenses to get more darkening or less darkening effect.

We can also help you select a pair of transitions or photochromic lenses – lenses that change depending on brightness.

iCare Vision offers shades for the entire family and for a wide array of lifestyles, such as daily wear, reading, sports, driving, and more.

Give your eyes the protection they need this summer and year-round.

Categories:
stye on lower lid
07Jun 2018

All About Styes: What Are They & How to Treat Them

What causes a stye, sty or hordeolum? Learn all about styes & stye treatment – including a stye inside the eyelid – from the eye experts at iCare Vision.

All About Styes: What Are They & How to Treat Them

They’re a little painful, often tender, appear red and swollen, and are contagious. Yes, by all accounts, styes are not a sight for sore eyes.

The good news is they usually don’t cause vision issues and they typically heal on their own.

If you, a loved one, or your child is contending with a stye inside or outside the eyelid, keep reading to find everything you need to know about the causes, prevention, and treatment of styes.

What is a stye, exactly?

A stye, also known as a hordeolum, looks like a pimple – a small, red, swollen lump – that forms at the base of (outside) or under (inside) the eyelid.

They are a localized infection caused by bacteria that builds around an eyelash or within a small oil gland inside the eyelid.

The signs and symptoms of styes can sometimes mirror those of pink eye.

It’s a stye if:

  • The eye has a red, swollen, tender, pimple-like lump on or inside the eyelid.
  • The eye sometimes feels like there is grit inside and is sensitive to light.

It’s pink eye if:

  • The eye has a gooey green or yellow discharge expelling from it and the eye is red, itchy, and crusted shut in the morning. [Bacterial]
  • The eye is watery, swollen, and sensitive to light and is sometimes accompanied by a fever, sore throat and/or cough. [Viral]

What Causes a Stye?

Billions of beneficial bacteria call our bodies home. Our skin hosts a wide array of harmless bacteria, but once in a while, when the environment is right, this bacterium (typically staphylococcal bacteria) gets caught with dead skin cells in the oil glands of the eyelids. The result is a painful bump that often appears red and swollen.

Staphylococcal bacteria live in abundance on the nose. A very common way this bacterium finds its way to the eyelids in the first place is from rubbing the nose and then rubbing the eyes. Transferring mucus from the nose to the eyes via rubbing can also create the perfect storm, allowing styes to form.

Styes can also form when excess dust from construction, dirt piles, or even pollen becomes “plugged” within a lid gland.
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Stye Treatment

While styes are not endearing, they are low risk and usually don’t require medical attention. With a little patience and following the right steps, styes usually resolve on their own within a few days (on average, between 3-7 days).

To help alleviate any pain associated with a stye, and to help promote the healing process, apply a warm compress to the infected area.

  • Take a clean, soft washcloth and soak it in hot water for one minute.
  • Ring out excess water and apply the warm washcloth to the infected eye for 10-15 minutes at a time, for a total of 3-5 times a day.
  • Apply a gentle massage upward for lower lid styes and down for upper lid styes.
  • As the washcloth chills, resoak it in hot water before reapplying.

It is imperative that you do NOT squeeze or pop a stye!!

Squeezing, popping or touching the stye can significantly increase the chance of the infection spreading into the eyelid. Additionally, as the stye heals, it’s helpful to not wear makeup or contact lenses.

Multiple styes over several years may eventually lead to severe dry eye since the glands that are getting infected are damaged and may stop producing valuable tears for your eyes.

You Should See Your Eye Doctor About Your Stye If…

While it’s not common, a stye can occasionally call for medical attention. As your stye is healing, be mindful of how your eye is looking and feeling. If you experience any of the following issues, it’s important to see your eye doctor right away:

  • Severe or atypical pain in the infected eye
  • Vision impairment, flashes of light, or floaters in the infected eye
  • Increased swelling of the infected eyelid
  • The stye begins to bleed
  • The stye grows in size
  • Redness that extends onto the cheek
  • Recurrent styes
  • A stye’s appearance hasn’t improved in a few days or lasts for longer than a few weeks
  • Your child’s stye is pushing on their eye

* A child’s vision continues to develop until they’re about eight to ten years old. If the stye is pushing on their eye, it’s important an eye doctor examines their eye to ensure the necessary steps are taken.

Depending on your unique situation, an optometrist may prescribe oral antibiotics or antibiotic drops. In rare, severe cases where the stye affects vision and does not subside, the stye may need to be drained. This can be done with a local anesthesia in the doctor’s office.

How to Prevent Styes in the Future

Stye prevention revolves around keeping the eye area clean, and only exposing eyes to clean, safe products. If you have a stye and want to prevent a future one from occurring, or you simply want to adopt a better eye care routine, utilize these tips:

  • Try to avoid unnecessary rubbing of your eye.
  • While it’s impossible to not rub your eyes once in a while (especially during allergy season), regularly wash your hands to ensure clean contact.
  • Remove all makeup before bedtime so eye follicles do not clog overnight.
  • Replace eye makeup every six months to avoid bacterial growth.
  • Wash your hands before placing or removing contact lenses.

When It’s Time to Seek Medical Advice, Contact iCare Vision

If you feel your stye is not healing properly, don’t hesitate to contact the eye experts at iCare Vision. A stye examination is a quick and painless process, and we’ll help your eyes get back to feeling free and clear again.

Categories:
dry eye symptoms
25Apr 2018

Your Dry Eye Symptoms Explained

What causes dry eyes? Learn about chronic dry eyes –including dry eye symptoms – from the eye experts at I Care Vision.

Your Dry Eye Symptoms Explained

Your bustling days rely heavily on your vision. When your eyes are irritated, however, your attention tends to shift inward, as you try to alleviate the discomfort. This can slow you down and throw off your flow, attitude, and appearance.

But you’re not just experiencing random, intermittent eye discomfort; your eyes feel dry, itchy, gritty, and can be sensitive to light more often than not.

Why is this, you wonder? You could have chronic dry eye – a common condition that can be managed and treated by an optometrist to prevent your vision from being affected.

Keep reading to learn about chronic dry eye symptoms and to understand what causes dry eyes:

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is a condition that results from poor eye lubrication and nourishment by a low tear production.

With each blink, the cornea – the surface of the eye – is covered with lubricating, nourishing tears. Tears are essential to the functionality and health of your eyes because they disintegrate foreign matter, reduce the risk of infection, and keep the eye’s surface smooth.

Excess tears leave the eye via small drainage ducts located on the inner corners of the eyelids and flow to the back of the nose. Dry eyes develop when there’s a disconnect between tear production and drainage.

Your dry eyes are the result of your eyes either not producing enough tears or not making the right quality of tears, which causes you to experience uncomfortable symptoms.

Chronic Dry Eye Symptoms

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, an estimated 4.88 million Americans age 50 and older have dry eyes.

Common dry eye symptoms include:

  • Eye redness
  • Burning, stinging, or itchy sensations
  • Irritation when watching TV or looking at the computer screen
  • Grittiness, or feeling like there’s something in the eyes
  • Stringy mucus in or around the eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Light sensitivity
  • Trouble with nighttime driving
  • Trouble wearing contact lenses
  • Blurry vision
  • Eye fatigue

While the development of dry eyes usually emerges with age, people younger than 50 can live with dry eyes, too. But what causes dry eyes?

What Causes Dry Eyes?

Dry eyes can originate from a variety of conditions. Identifying and treating the primary cause with the help of an optometrist can lead to a long-lasting solution and soothed eyes.

Dry eyes can develop because of:

  • Diabetes
  • Contact lenses
  • Eye surgeries, such as laser surgery
  • High blood pressure medication, such as beta-blockers or diuretics
  • Antihistamines
  • Sleeping pills
  • Anxiety medications
  • Dry or smoky environments (long-term exposure to)
  • Shingles
  • Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome

These conditions compromise the eye’s oil glands, tear ducts, or corneas in some way, resulting in dry eyes.

Give Your Eyes the Relief They Need

You don’t have to suffer through your dry eye symptoms anymore. If your eyes are constantly dry, red, itchy, or irritated in countless other ways, start by talking with an optometrist.

Chronic dry eyes are very common and the exam to diagnose and treated is quick and painless. Your doctor can identify the cause and triggers of your dry eyes and help ensure your vision is healthy.

At I Care Vision, we know that your eye health is crucial to your overall health. Let us help you take the best care of your eyes.

Give your eyes a refresh.

Categories:
woman wiping eye from spring allergy symptoms
20Apr 2018

How to Prepare Your Eyes for Spring Allergies

Suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms? Would you benefit from different allergy eye drops? Prepare your eyes for spring with six eye allergy relief tips.

How to Prepare Your Eyes for Spring Allergies

After a long, Ohio winter, nothing is more celebrated than the day the weather finally breaks and consistently radiates spring-like weather. For allergy sufferers, however, spring can also spell misery in the form of sneezing, a runny nose, and red, itchy, watery eyes.

With more than 50 million Americans suffering from various types of allergies each year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, it’s no wonder that allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S.

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Seasonal allergy symptoms rival those of a cold, with common symptoms including:

  • Coughing
  • Itchy, red, watery eyes
  • Puffy eyes
  • Congestion
  • Sneezing
  • Runny nose
  • Stuffy nose
  • Throat irritation
  • Wheezing
  • Fatigue

Spring is meant to be enjoyed and with the right preparation, you can lessen the impact of seasonal allergies.

Here are six things you can do to prepare your eyes for spring:

6 Tips for Eye Allergy Relief

 
1. Avoid Problematic Allergens.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for seasonal allergies, but there are ways to manage and treat your allergy symptoms. One of the most effective ways to minimize eye discomfort is to avoid or limit your exposure to troublesome allergens altogether.

To start, check the day’s pollen levels before heading out the door. If the pollen level is high and you don’t necessarily need to go outside, stay inside until after midday – this is when pollen levels begin to fall.

Planning your spring and summer around pollen levels is pretty unrealistic, though. You’ve got things to do and weather to enjoy. When you’re determined to get outside, be sure to:

  • Take your allergy medicine before you head out the door.
  • Wear a mask, such as a painter’s mask, as an air filter if you’re doing yard work or similar tasks.
  • Steer clear of pollutants, such as car exhaust, as these tend to exacerbate allergy symptoms.
  • Keep your home allergen-free by finishing spring cleaning chores before pollen levels kick up, keep windows closed on high pollen days, and change your HVAC filters routinely and before starting your A/C unit for the first time this season.

 
2. Start Allergy Medications Early.
As previously noted, it’s wise to remember to take your allergy medication before you go outside for the day, or – for people who suffer from severe seasonal allergies – take it before allergy season even arrives. Being proactive with your allergy treatment will help ensure symptoms don’t get out of control when the pollen starts to fly.


 
3. Drink Green Tea.
Adding a cup of green tea to your daily diet is not only a healthy habit, but it could also be a powerful way to fight allergies.

According to the American Chemical Society, researchers in Japan conducted laboratory tests and identified a compound in green tea that blocks a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic reaction.

Green tea also possesses several other compounds that have shown to be anti-allergenic, but laboratory research done on the compound methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) reveals that there is a more potent anti-allergenic component to the healthy drink.


 
4. Start Cold Therapy.
Delivering immediate relief and improved appearance around the eyes, cold therapy is an easy way to soothe allergy symptoms, like eye redness, itchiness, tenderness, and swelling.

While many retailers sell cold therapy eye compresses, you can easily make one at home using a soft, clean cloth or towel.

  • Simply soak the cloth in cold water
  • Wring out the excess water
  • Gently place the cloth over the eyes
  • Repeat the process when the towel loses its chill

For severe allergy symptoms, place the wet cloth in the refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes. A colder compress may provide more relief.


 
5. Wear Your Glasses.
The surface of your contact lenses can act as magnets to airborne allergens, quickly collecting tiny particles of dust and pollen.

Along with trying to avoid allergens completely, swapping your contact lenses for glasses on days when your allergies are or may be more severe is a guaranteed way to reduce eye discomfort from allergies.


 
6. Get Ahead of the Irritation: Schedule an Eye Checkup.
Eye allergies are one of our nation’s most prevailing, but overlooked, diseases. If you suffer from allergies, the benefits of visiting your eye doctor for regular eye-health checkups cannot be overemphasized.

Your optometrist will give your eyes a full evaluation to determine:

  • Your overall eye health
  • Exactly how your eyes react to allergens
  • Specific treatment options that will work best for you

If you need prescription strength allergy eye drops or a different treatment, your eye doctor can prescribe you medicated relief in the form of artificial tears, eye drops, or decongestants.

Take the right steps this allergy season to ensure your eyes don’t cause you discomfort. Let the eye experts at I Care Vision help you take the best care of your eyes this and every allergy season.

Eye allergy relief is possible.

Scheduling an appointment not only can you provide you relief from your discomfort, but also prevent other illnesses. We often see patients with eye allergies that have become upper respiratory or eye infection.

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floaters and flashes eye diagram
13Mar 2018

What Causes Eye Floaters?

Wonder why you’re seeing black or grey specks, or “cobwebs” in your vision? Let’s talk about eye floaters

What Causes Eye Floaters?

In order to discuss what causes eye floaters, let’s first define them.

An eye floater is a spot in your vision that may appear as:

  • black or grey specks
  • black or grey strings
  • cobwebs

The spots in your vision may drift when you move your eyes, and dart away when you try to look at them directly.

Who is Most at Risk of Experiencing Eye Floaters?

Individuals most at risk for eye floaters are typically over 50 years of age. A few additional risk factors include:

  • nearsighted
  • recent head or eye trauma
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • eye inflammation

What Causes Eye Floaters?

Age-Related Changes
As you age, the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80% of your eye, slowly shrinks. The vitreous’ main purpose is to help your eye maintain its round shape. As it shrinks, it becomes stringy, and the strands can clump and cast tiny shadows on your retina. These shadows are floaters.

In most cases, floaters are a natural part of your eye’s aging process. While distracting at first, they will eventually settle below your line of sight.

Other common causes of eye floaters are more serious than age related changes. If you’re experiencing a floater every now and again there is no cause for concern, but if you see a whole slew of floaters accompanied by flashes of light, you should seek immediate medical attention. A small handful of these emergency situations are listed below.

Inflammation
Inflammation in the back of the eye causes the release of inflammatory debris into the vitreous, which are seen as floaters.

Bleeding
Blood cells in the eye caused by diabetes, hypertension, blocked blood vessels and injury are seen as floaters.

Posterior Vitreous Detachment
A study published in Opthamology showed that of individuals experiencing sudden eye floaters and flashes of light, 39.7% of them had posterior vitreous detachment – a condition in which your vitreous pulls away from your retina.

Retinal Detachment
If left untreated, a posterior vitreous detachment can quickly become a retinal detachment. As the vitreous tugs on the retina, it causes a small tear or hole. Vitreous enters the tear and pushes the retina further away from the inner lining of the back of eye. Research has shown that up to 50% of people with a retinal tear will develop a retinal detachment, leading to significant vision loss.

During a detachment, the patient has approximately 24 -48 hours to fix it or risk permanent loss of vision and possibly the entire eye. Most offices, like ours, have a 24/7 emergency phone number allowing you to speak with a doctor regarding conditions such as retinal detachment. Call your doctor as soon as you start experiencing a retinal emergency – do not wait until a weekend or holiday is over!

How Should I Treat Eye Floaters?

If you’re unsure of the severity of your eye floater, it’s best to schedule an exam and consult with a doctor. As mentioned above, in most cases the doctor will be able to provide you with peace of mind that your floater is just a symptom of age. In other cases; however, your doctor may recommend treatment.

One of the most common eye floater treatments is laser vitreolysis. During this procedure, a laser is projected into the eye through the pupil to target the floaters and break them apart.

Some common factors that determine whether laser treatment is right for you include your age, when your symptoms started, what your floaters look like and where they are located in your eye.

Categories:
child with pinkeye
13Mar 2018

How to Tell if Your Child Has Pink Eye

Learn more about pink eye symptoms and how you can help to treat it and prevent the spread.

How to Tell if Your Child Has Pink Eye

As with most firsts in young children, pink eye can seem scary. Rest assured; however, that pink eye is usually easy to treat.

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is an irritation of the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and part of your eyeball.

How Do You Get Pink Eye?

Children attending day care, preschool or elementary are most at risk for pink eye because of how closely they work with other children in the classroom.

There are three main types of pink eye that your child may contract. Only two – viral and bacterial – are contagious. Viral and bacterial pink eye can spread very quickly either through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluid – from the eye, mouth or nose – or from indirect contact with something the infected person’s fluid touched. For example, if a child with pink eye sneezes on a book he’s reading, the next few children to interact with that book could contract pink eye.

Let’s look at each of the three types of pink eye a little more closely.

Viral Pink Eye
Viral pink eye is very contagious. Like the common cold, it usually clears up on its own, without medical treatment, within several days. Slightly more watery discharge similar to allergic pink eye

Bacterial Pink Eye
Bacterial pink eye is also contagious. If left untreated with an antibiotic, this type of pink eye can cause serious eye damage. This type produces more thick mucus with purulent (lot of material) discharge

Allergic Pink Eye
Allergic pink eye can be seasonal or year-round. Some common causes of allergic pink eye include pollen, dust and animal dander. Often this allergic type sets up conditions for viral and bacterial to occur because of unclean hands touching the eyes frequently.

What Are Pink Eye Symptoms?

If you notice any of the following symptoms in your child’s eyes, we recommend you schedule an appointment with your eye doctor right away.

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Green, yellow or white discharge that crusts on eyelashes
  • Increased tears
  • Itching, irritation or burning
  • Blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to light

How Do You Get Rid of Pink Eye?

The treatment for your child’s pink eye will depends on the type, which is why it’s important to schedule a complete eye exam before beginning treatment.

Viral Pink Eye
Pink Eye caused by viruses usually lasts four to seven days along with other common cold symptoms. Just as your child must wait out other common cold symptoms such as runny nose and cough, he or she will wait out the symptoms of viral pink eye. There are several actions you can take; however, to make your child more comfortable during this time, such as applying a cold, wet washcloth to the eye several times a day.

Bacterial Pink Eye
Pink Eye caused by bacteria is typically treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics can be in the form of eye drops or ointments that need to be applied several times a day. Antibiotics can also be taken as pills. Regardless of the type of antibiotic, your child’s infection should improve within one week.

Allergic Pink Eye
Pink Eye caused by allergies can typically be prevented or treated with allergy medications before or after the allergy season begins.

If you’re worried about the spread of pink eye in your child’s school or in your own home, here are a few things you can do:

  • Keep your child home from school or daycare until they are no longer contagious.
  • Distract your child whenever he or she wants to touch or rub the infected eye.
  • Wash any discharge from your child’s eye several times a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel.
  • Wash your child’s sheets, pillowcases and towels more frequently.
  • Wash your child’s hands frequently and keep disinfectant on hand when washing is not an option.
  • Apply a cold, wet washcloth to the eye several times a day.

There are several other conditions associated with pink eye – such as dry eyes and blepharitis – so it’s extremely important that you schedule an appointment with your eye doctor to determine if your child does in fact have pink eye, what type of pink eye it is, and how it should best be treated.

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