Archive for the ‘Children’s Vision’ Category

Your Eyes Age as You Grow Older so Don’t Take Yours For Granted!

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011


Your eyes change as you age, and there are things that you can do at every age to help your eyes gracefully, and see your best. Don’t wait until you can’t see before you visit your optometrist. By then, the problem is probably advanced, and may be irreversible. Most eye diseases have no warning signs because you don’t have pain receptors in the retina in the back of your eyes.

First of all, mommies & daddies: start checking your baby’s vision at 6 months old, since vision guides development, and prevents vision loss from a lazy eye. Have your children’s eyes checked every year since there is a strong relationship between learning and vision. If your child isn’t seeing correctly, or they have a tracking or eye teaming problem, this will interfere with their academic and athletic performance. Please do not avoid bringing your children in for an exam at an early age because you are worried about them wearing glasses. You can do a lot more harm by allowing a vision problem to go uncorrected, and we can fit children as young as 8 years old with contact lenses. Check out the CLIP and ACHIEVE studies which show how contact lenses in young children can improve their quality of life. Regarding infants, we can fit them with special contact lenses and teach you how to care for your child’s eyes.

In your 20’s and 30’s many of us feel like we are invincible, but we aren’t. Now is a good time to make sure you are doing the right things for your eyes and your overall health. Be sure to eat healthy foods, stop smoking, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from sun damage, and find out if a prescription can help you see better at the computer, driving, or playing ball. I know this for a fact since I was the Team OD for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The better you see, the better you’ll be!

In your 40’s you start losing the ability to see close up: this is called presbyopia. See your Optometrist about doing eye exercises to keep your eyes flexible so they can zoom in and out between close and near objects. There are even homeopathic remedies you can use to slow down aging in your eyes. And then of course, keep getting your eyes checked EVERY YEAR! 1 of 4 over 40 have some level of vision loss so don’t just sit there – do something about it.

60+ years old: Your eyeballs have been around for a long time, and they start degenerating, just like the skin on your face is aging. Health problems like hypertension and diabetes affects your eyes. Half of us will develop cataracts, and the risk for glaucoma and macular degeneration increases significantly. But you don’t have to take it lying down: eat healthy, have your eyes checked yearly, BEFORE you start to lose vision. There are so many ways your OD can help you keep your eyes healthy, so you can keep enjoying life, and watch your grandchildren, and grandpets (!) grow up.

Let me tell you what to look for:
• Gradual loss of central or peripheral vision
• Distorted vision or loss of color vision
• Dim, blurry, cloudy or foggy vision

Most people spend more time buying shoes or watches than they do caring for their eyes. People look at your EYES when they talk to you, and your shoes don’t help you see how beautiful life is! Your eyes are your most important sense: RESPECT your eyes, and have your eyes checked every year!

I’m a firm believer in wellness and preventive care. Like going to the dentist: don’t wait until a tooth falls out, or like eating right, and exercising keeps your body healthy. It keeps your eyes healthy also, as well as annual eye exams to catch and treat problems before they harm your vision. Your eyes are one part of your body where it’s important to have them checked before you notice vision changes because by then, it may be impossible to reverse any loss.

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Posted in 90048 Optometrist, Aging Eyes, Beautiful Eyes, Children's Vision, Contact Lenses, Holistic Vision Care, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Eye Doctor, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Presbyopia, UV400 and sun protection for eyes, Wellness Care | No Comments »

Lady Gaga Eyes: Circle Contact Lenses

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Pop culture trends are creating some dangerous vision problems.

Lady Gaga’s fans are putting their vision at risk by attempting to copy her huge, anime-style eyes as seen in the Bad Romance video. Although Gaga’s gigantic peepers were computer generated, fans are copying the look with illegal Circle contact lenses obtained without a prescription on foreign websites.

These contacts are larger than normal lenses and cover more of the sclera or white part of the eye to create an exaggerated appearance of the eyes. They can cause significant, permanent damage to the eye if they do not fit your eyes properly. This requires a contact lens evaluation by an Optometrist. Potential problems include impaired vision, conjunctivitis (pink eye), swelling, redness, corneal abrasion, scarring, and insufficient oxygen due to the larger, tighter contact lenses that allow less tear exchange and oxygen to the eye. No beauty fad is worth damaging your eyes or causing an infection.

There are safe and legal soft contact lenses with the dark limbal ring, but these lenses are going to be discontinued by the manufacturer as of 10/31/10. You do need a prescription for these lenses, and yes, they look fabulous on your eyes!

This You Tube video describing how to create the “big eyes” from Lady Gaga’s video has received more than 9 million views. Many girls who obtain these Illegal Contact lenses do not care for them properly, and use them for longer than they should be worn for which can also hurt your eyes. Remember, contact lenses are medical devices, not make up.

Here’s a recent interview on the KTLA Morning News about this and other related topics.

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Posted in Beautiful Eyes, Children's Vision, Contact Lenses, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Pink Eyes, Wellness Care | No Comments »

The Many Causes of Red or Pink Eye

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Conjunctivitis

Pink Eye

A red or pink eye — although usually painless — is visually disturbing. When people look at you, they look mainly at your eyes. People judge your health and well being by how your eyes look.
Eyes look red when blood vessels near the surface of the eye become enlarged and dilated. If you have red eyes, it is important to find out why. Red eyes have several primary causes including: irritation, infection, allergies, or underlying health problems.

There are many possible causes of red eyes; therefore, it is important to have an Optometrist examine your eyes to determine the cause and best treatment. Here are some of the most common causes:

• Allergies: Dust, pollen, mold, environmental (smog, pollution, etc.)
• Infections: bacterial (may have mucopurulent discharge and crusting), viral (may have runny nose, sinus congestion, swollen eyelids). Both are very contagious.
• Sexually transmitted: Herpes Simplex, Chlamydia
• Dry Eye: insufficient tear production, hormonal, age, systemic health problems
• Excessive UV/sun exposure: tanning beds, sports: skiing, surfing, etc.
• Environmental: smog, chemicals, wind, blowing dust
• Eye strain: prolonged computer work or visual tasks decreases blink rate
• Lack of sleep
• Contact Lens wear: wearing contact lenses too long, or not replacing lenses as prescribed
• Uveitis: is an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye where most of the blood vessels are. Symptoms include redness, pain, blurry vision, floaters and light sensitivity. Uveitis can be caused by health problems such as autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. Uveitis can also be associated with AIDS, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, herpes zoster, and syphilis. Uveitis should be treated quickly because other complications, such as glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal and choroidal scarring, may occur if it left untreated.
• Blepharitis: a chronic infection and inflammation of the eyelids
• Lid Lice (Pthiriasis Palpebrarum)
• Smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol
• Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma: Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a serious medical emergency and must be treated immediately.
• Subconjunctival Hemmorage: It can be caused by a Valsalva maneuver such as hard sneezing, coughing, intense straining, vomiting, trauma, high blood pressure, diabetes and sometimes from certain blood disorder problems
• Injury:Corneal abrasion, ocular trauma, sports injury
• Corneal Ulcer or Infection: The cornea has no blood vessels of its own. When the cornea becomes infected, surrounding blood vessels enlarge to bring immune system-related cells to help fight the infection.
• Frequent Use of Eye Drops: Constant use of one of the “get the red out” eye drops can cause over dilation of the eyes’ blood vessels. A rebound hyperemia effect can occur when you stop using the drops because the body becomes accustomed to being chemical constricted by the eye drops. After the effect of the eye drop wears off, the blood vessels sometimes dilate larger, causing the eyes to appear even more bloodshot

If you have a red or pink eye, see your Optometrist immediately. In case your red eye is contagious, be careful not to spread the infection. Wash your hands often, do not share linens, do not share make up, and do not go swimming. Discard any liquid make up that you are using, and soft contact lenses.

Do not use medications prescribed for someone else, or leftover from an old infection. The medication may not be appropriate for your current condition, and the bottle may be infected from touching the eye during previous use.

If you, or your child, are experiencing other symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, earache, the symptoms may be caused by the same bacteria, and you may need an oral antibiotic in addition to the treatment for your eyes.

The bottom line is that pink or red eyes can be caused by many reasons. Make an appointment immediately with your Optometrist to determine the cause and best treatment for you or your child.

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Posted in Beautiful Eyes, Children's Vision, Computer Vision, Dry Eyes, Glaucoma, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Children and Dry Eyes

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Dry eyes are often overlooked in children because it occurs less frequently than in adults, but it should be taken seriously because it can be related to an underlying problem. Dry eyes or keratoconjunctivitis sicca is one of the most common diagnoses made by Optometrists and Ophthalmologists.

When the cornea, the transparent and sensitive outside window to the eye, is not adequately lubricated, corneal cells are damaged which exposes its nerve endings. This causes the typical dry eye symptoms of pain and reflex tearing.  If the nerves become severely damaged, they may get to the point where you unable to feel or transmit pain which means there will be few, or no symptoms. This is dangerous because without a warning system,  it is like your hand not being able to feel pain if you put it into a fire, which would alert you to avoid the dangerous situation.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Symptoms of dry eyes include:

  • burning, scratchy sensation
  • eyes feel tired
  • red or bloodshot eyes
  • rubs eyes frequently
  • sensitive to light
  • teary eyes (reflex tearing)

Health problems associated with dry eyes include inflammatory, nutritional and endocrinological causes.

Inflammatory Causes

Inflammatory causes such as Sjogren’s syndrome, juvenile arthritis, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD, i.e. after bone marrow transplantation) can decrease tear production which causes dry eyes.

Sjogren’s is an autoimmune  disease characterized by excessive antibodies directed against various tissues in the body. The dry eye condition, called keratoconjunctivitis is also usually accompanied by dry mouth (xerostomia). Other symptoms include: chapped lips, arthralgia, morning stiffness, nonerosive arthritis, myalgia, muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, dry cough, and achalasia (difficulty swallowing, chest pain, regurgitation).

Juvenile arthritis (JRA) is another autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, the white blood cells (WBC) lose the ability to differentiate between the body’s own healthy cells, and harmful invaders such as bacteria or viruses. The WBCs start attacking healthy tissues which causes inflammation and pain. JRA first manifests between 6  months and 16 years of age. Symptoms include swelling and pain in the joints, high fever, and enlarged lymph nodes or spleen.

Congenital Disorders

Riley Day Syndrome or Family Dysautonomia is a condition that occurs almost exclusively among people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Roughly 1 in 3,600 people in this population have this disease. The hallmark of this disease is alacrimia which is deficiency or absence of tear production. Other symptoms include hypoesthesia (decreased sensitivity of the cornea to trauma or pain), and corneal erosions. Systemic effects include progressive impairment of motor sensory and peripheral functions.

Cystic Fibrosis affects all secretory epithelia and can lead to dry eyes also.

Diabetes can lead to insufficient tear production due to autonomic neuropathy. This is the same process that causes peripheral neuropathy in diabetes which causes tingling and burning in the hands and feet. It also impairs the mechanism that allows the nerves on the cornea to sense dryness on the eyes, which triggers a message to the brain to produce moisture to moisturize and lubricate the eyes moist and lubricated.

Poor Nutrition

Undernutrition, diets low in iron or animal sources providing vitamin A, cystic fibrosis and other causes that interfere with nutrient absorption, can lead to Vitamin A deficiency which can cause dry eyes and even blindness. Approximately 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children worldwide become blind each year.

Miscellaneous Factors

Medications such as antihistamines for allergies and retinoids taken for acne vulgaris can decrease tear production.

Blink rate is reduced during computer use and video game play due to intense visual concentration. Blinking interferes with concentration by breaking up the image, so the brain slows down the blink rate to nearly one-quarter of a normal resting blink rate. This dries out the eyes.

Borderline dry eye symptoms can be exacerbated with contact lens wear, although newer generation contact lenses have moisture release agents embedded within the lens that help moisturize the eyes during contact lens wear, rather than wick away moisture from the eye’s surface.

Treating Dry Eyes

In my practice, we measure  tear quality and production, and consider your health history to customize the best dry eye management program for you or your child.

If the cause is a health problem, this should be treated first. If it is related to a medication, an alternative can be explored.

Temporary relief can be achieved with over-the-counter drops and ointments, but these last only a short while, and  flush away the body’s own tears, which are more effective than artificial tears (AT). If AT are necessary for short-term relief, I prefer non-preserved artificial tears because repeated use of artificial tears with preservatives can be chemically toxic to the eyes. There are also more effective prescription strength artificial tears, such as Fresh Kote, which mimic all three layers of tears and can promote corneal surface healing.

Other treatment options include nutritional supplementation with Omega 3 fatty acids to promote natural tear production, eating more moisture-promoting foods, anti-inflammatory prescription drops such as Restasis or prednisone, and moisture chamber glasses. Since I practice holistically, I use more natural treatment options first, then medications second.

A dry eye problem in children and adults is uncomfortable, and ultimately unhealthy for the eyes. Finding the root of the problem, and the best treatment options are important to keep your child’s eyes healthy, comfortable, and looking their best.

Elise Brisco, OD, FAAO, FCOVD

www.HollywoodVision.com


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Posted in Children's Vision, Dry Eyes, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision | 6 Comments »

Do I Have a Vision Problem if I Can’t See 3D Movies?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

3D Movie Audience

Research has shown that up to 56% of those 18 to 38 years of age have one or more problems with binocular vision and therefore could have difficulty seeing 3-D.[i] In addition, about five percent of the population have amblyopia (lazy eye) and/or strabismus (eye turn) which makes 3-D viewing impossible. See my interviews nationally on NBC  and on KTLA:

http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/?watchId=801f6ab5-cbfe-401e-9608-6bc4bddeb8c3

http://www.ktla.com/health/3d-movies-health-vision,0,4561218.story

http://www.youtube.com/user/pkandapr#p/u/6/YIvK5gHw9sc

Unfortunately, not all people are able to see 3 dimensional images (stereovision, stereopsis), or 3D. Many people see a 2 dimensional, or flat world, and don’t know it because they have never experienced the pleasure of seeing in 3D. Vision problems such as strabismus (eye turn), amblyopia (lazy eye), or poor binocular skills (eyes drift apart) can interfere with the ability to see true 3D. In order to see in 3D, your eyes need to work together as a team to align the images from each eye, then the brain fuses the images into a 3 dimensional image. Fusion

For example, the 3-D version of the movie Avatar has two images projected on the screen, each image seen by one eye. The images are then merged into one by your brain. If your eyes don’t work together, it will be very difficult to merge or fuse the images into 3-D. The technology behind the Avatar 3-D effects is based on the premise that the viewer has the ability to see 3-D. If you have poor eye coordination, or a lazy eye, 3D television will also look flat to you (2 dimensional), and objects will not “pop off the screen”.

These vision problems affect more than just your ability to see 3D movies. They also impair depth perception, your ability to know where objects are located in space, eye hand and eye body coordination for driving and sports, and reading efficiency and comfort. Over time, if the eyes do not coordinate and work together, the brain ignores one image to avoid seeing double vision. This results in seeing a flat or 2D world.

But there is hope. Thanks to Optometric Vision Therapy, people who previously could not see 3-D are enjoying every special effect that 3-D movies such as Avatar, and 3-D TV have to offer. There are methods to teach people to see in 3D. Using Vision Therapy and physical aids (lenses and prisms) as “training wheels,” you can eventually learn how to point both eyes to focus on the same space. Visual skills are definitely trainable, so you can learn better eye control and coordination through special Vision Therapy techniques.

[i] Montes-Mico R. Prevalence of general dysfunctions in binocular vision. Annals of Ophthalmology. 2001; Volume 33, 3: 205-208.

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Posted in Children's Vision, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Strabismus/Amblyopia/Lazy Eye/3D Vision | 4 Comments »

What options besides surgery do I have for strabismus (esotropia or exotropia)?

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

This is the number one question I receive regarding strabismus. Most surgeons or ophthalmologists will recommend eye muscle surgery, but cannot guarantee their results.

Most optometrists will recommend Vision Therapy or a type of physical therapy to work on eye muscle coordination and control.

The truth is that there are several options depending on how much you, or your child’s eye is deviating, which direction, how often it drifts, and the age of onset. It’s also important to consider if there are any co-existing neurological factors such as a traumatic brain injury, or acquired brain injury (such as stroke or craniotomy) to determine the potential for improvement.

Surgery alone is never the best option. If you cut the eye muscle, but the brain doesn’t learn how to coordinate the eyes and use them together, the eyes will drift apart again, and another surgery will be necessary. The brain needs to be trained to function as a two eyed system and use the eyes as a team. This will minimize the likelihood of the eyes drifting apart after surgery, and will maximize cosmetic alignment as well as visual function (such as depth perception/stereopsis).

Doing nothing is also not a good option. A patient with strabismus has little to no depth perception which will affect their ability to judge depth and distances such as while driving a car or catching a ball. It will also diminish your reading skills because the brain must ignore or suppress the eye that is deviating to prevent from seeing double vision. This wastes energy and attention is drawn away from the task at hand. Also, when one visual pathway is not stimulated and developed, that side of the brain doesn’t develop, and amblyopia usually occurs where the eye is not correctable to 20/20 vision, even with glasses, contact lenses or LASIK.

Usually the best option is Vision Therapy if the amount of eye drift is small, or intermittent. A combination of surgery and Vision Therapy is best if the deviation is larger.

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Posted in Children's Vision, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Strabismus/Amblyopia/Lazy Eye/3D Vision | 4 Comments »

Does My Child Need to Have an Eye Exam?

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

This is the number one question that I receive from parents. The answer is YES, by 6 months old, and yearly thereafter. The reason is because 80% of the information taken in while reading and writing is through the visual system, so vision problems can interfere significantly with learning. Early vision problems can also delay development in areas such as eye hand and eye body coordination which affect walking, reaching, crawling, and balance for infants and toddlers.
The vision exam needs to evaluate more than the need for glasses and eye health. Developmental or Behavioral Optometrists, such as myself, evaluate for age-appropriate visual motor and visual perceptual skills that affect learning and sports. Visual motor skills that important to learning include eye tracking, teaming and focusing. Visual Perceptual skills include visual memory, visual sequential memory, visual closure, and visual motor integration.

I did a post-doctorate Fellowship in Developmental Optometry or Pediatric Optometry, and serve as a consultant to over 40 schools in Los Angeles. I evaluated my own son at 6 months old, and often play games with him to develop his visual motor and visual perceptual skills since vision is the dominant sense and extremely important to learning and sports.

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Posted in Children's Vision, Hollywood Vision Center, Los Angeles Optometrist, Los Angeles Vision, Strabismus/Amblyopia/Lazy Eye/3D Vision | 3 Comments »