More Dry Eyes in the House/NY Times Article

Dry-eye syndrome is growing, and doctors blame smartphones, office buildings.

Click on the link below to the interesting article from the New York Times.

Why Are We Having So Many With Dry Eye?

Dry Eye Disease Awareness Month

Learn more about Dry Eye

Skyvision Center is an accredited Tear Lab Dry Eye Center

   

In Partnership with the 

Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation 

  

TearLab®  is proud

to bring awareness to this often

undiagnosed disease.

Please visit 

www.tearlab.com

and

www.sjogrens.org

for more information.

For every LIKE in the month of July on allaboutdryeye's Facebook page, and Sjogren's Facebook Page, TearLab Corporation will donate $1 to the Sjogrens Syndrome Foundation.  Please participate and do your part to help raise awareness for this disease.

Restasis and Dry Eye

It's hard to believe, but if our math is correct the magnificent Dry Eye medicine Restasis is going to be 10 years old this year! It's hard to imagine any more how terribly difficult it was to treat severe forms of dry eye before the introduction of Restasis.

Dry Eye takes many forms, has multiple causes, and produces many different types of symptoms. Restasis has turned out to be a brilliant treatment for the inflammation that underlies a common cause of Dry Eye, not producing enough tears. Whether the inflammation comes first and causes the dryness or vice versa, a vicious cycle begins where one cause the other. Chronic Restasis use unwinds this vicious cycle and revs up a virtuous cycle.

Dr. White at the Dr. Whiteboard - Video

At Skyvision Centers we have taught our Cleveland patients for years that if Restasis is effective one must continue to take it in order to feel well. Thankfully, once it starts to work Restasis is a really easy eyedrop to use. Deciding what type of Dry Eye you might have and then determining what the best treatment will be is one of our strengths!

As an accredited Dry Eye center, SkyVision will help you to determine the best treatment for your Dry Eye symptoms.

The Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Epidemic

Our Meibomian glands are just inside our eyelashes. They produce the oil or lipid part of our tears. The oil in our tears stabilizes the surface or the tears and prevents rapid evaporation. An abnormality in this layer cause a type of Dry Eye.

A video about your meibomian glands Video Link Click Here

Most of the eye doctors, and especially our own Cleveland Dry Eye experts here at Skyvision Centers, believe that we are now having an epidemic of Dry Eye and especially Meibomian gland disease. This is due at least in part to major changes in the U.S. populations intake of Omega-3 fatty acids over the last 50 years. These changes came about from government subsidies of corn, which is now the feed of choice for everything from cows to fish! This change in the diet of livestock and fish from grass and algae to corn is contributing to the frequency and severity of Dry Eye.

What can we do to reverse this? Well, we probably can't change U.S. farm policy overnight, but the doctors at Skyvision are convinced that everyone, especially anyone with Dry Eye, should be taking a high quality Omega-3 fatty acid nutritional supplement. For example, Doctors Advantage brand names "Eye Relief" or "Omega Shield" have the right combination of ingredients to help. Our doctors can advise you of what may be best for you.

Our vision, comfort, and even quality of life starts on the surface of the eye with our tear film and we would like to help you enjoy and feel your very best!

Eye Health Tips for High School and College Students

Students face special challenges to the eyes when they are under academic performance pressure. 

Lack of sleep, prolonged computer use and long hours studying make for tired eyes that are dry, 
scratchy and achy. 


Prolonged computer use contributes to eye fatigue because you blink less frequently. Less
blinking significantly reduces lubrication in the eye making it feel tired, scratchy and “dry” as a
result. Also eyes are not designed for prolonged focus on a single object, such as the computer.
Remedy: place a note on the computer screen as a reminder to blink and to look away from the
screen and focus on objects in the distance. Looking out a window (20 – 20 – 20 rule: for every
20 minutes of computer work, look away for 20 seconds, and focus on a scene or object at least
20 feet away) is a good break for the eyes. The key is to give your eyes a rest.

“Dry eye” is a common feeling from not giving your eyes enough rest while some people just
naturally do not produce enough tears to keep their eyes healthy and comfortable. Some common
symptoms of dry eye are stinging and burning to the eyes, scratchiness, excessive eye irritation
from smoke or wind and excessive tearing. Remedy: If you have occasional symptoms of dry
eye, you should try eye drops called artificial tears. These are similar to your own tears and help
lubricate the eyes and maintain moisture. For persistent “dry eye,” see your SkyVision doctor.

Contact Lenses and Sleep Deprivation 

When a contact-lens wearer stays awake studying for 18-20 hours or more with their contacts in,
it’s almost the equivalent of sleeping with contacts in, something that Eye M.D.s warn against.
Prolonged wearing of your contact lenses is a problem for people who wear regular hydrogen
lenses, since traditional hydrogels are relatively less permeable to oxygen than newer alternatives
like silicone hydrogels. The eye needs oxygen to keep it healthy. Without regular exposure to
oxygen, the eye’s cornea can become inflamed and the vision blurry. Prolonged contact lens use
can even lead to infections or corneal ulcers that in the worst case can permanently damage
vision.

Sometimes students fall asleep without knowing it (with their contacts in), while studying.
Remedy: Alternate wearing contact lenses with use of eyeglasses during long study periods.
Also, students with irregular sleep patterns can wear contact lenses made of silicon hydrogen, a
new material with improved oxygen permeability, which may reduce risk of infection and
discomfort.

Make sure you have a current prescription for your spare eyeglasses! 

For more information about contact lenses and proper contact care guidelines ask one of the SkyVision doctors.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart 
Campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

How Do We Diagnose Dry Eye?

So you've come to Skyvision Centers with red, burning or tearing eyes. Your vision gets blurry when you look at a computer. You always feels like there's something in your eyes.   How do we know it's from Dry Eye? How do we make the diagnosis?

Well, the very first thing we do is LISTEN to you! We try very hard to hear what it is that's bothering you. After that there are several tests that the technicians and doctors do to evaluate your tears, like examining your tears themselves. Both the doctors and the technicians look at your tears. Do you have a normal amount present just on viewing? Are they clear? Is there any debris, stuff like mucous or clumps of white blood cells present?

Before we put anything into your eyes we will often use a special instrument called an osmometer to check your tear OSMOLARITY, how salty your tears are. This is a very new, fully FDA approved test to evaluate whether you have a normal amount of salt in your tears. Normal is below 300 and abnormal is above 308, with the 300-308 range being relatively non-diagnostic. This test is very helpful in determining whether or not you have the most common type of Dry Eye, especially when other signs are hard to see.

The doctor will then put a vegetable-base dye called FLUORESCEIN into your tears to evaluate their function. How long does it take before they "break up"? Tears should remain smooth over the front of the eye for at least 8-10 seconds. Does any part of the front of the eye become stained by the flourescein? Dye staining is a sign that your tears do not work well enough. Finally, tiny strips of filter paper may be placed just inside your eyelids for a test of your tear production called a SCHIRMER test. This helps us know the volume of tear production.

That's how we do it! Lots of work to make the diagnosis, but heck...you're worth it! Look for more information on how we TREAT Dry Eye.  

For even more information about Dry Eye,  visit our YouTube channel   Skyvisioncenters105   for many Dry Eye videos by our very own Dr. Darrell White at The Dr. Whiteboard.

Eyemaginations Video Education

Have you been to our Westlake  Skyvision Center's office? The first thing you see when you walk into the lobby is a great big 52 inch television screen. And on that screen is running one of the coolest things in all of eye care: Eyemaginations!  A continuous loop of animated videos to teach you all about the eye and how we take care of your eyes.         

Eyemaginations is a big part of how we interact with you at Skyvision. We always ask for your e-mail address when you call to make an appointment. One of the reasons we do so is because we want to send you an e-mail with some Eyemaginations videos about your eyes. Do you have a cataract? How about dry eyes? We can send a video right to your own home computer to start teaching you about whatever problem you might have.

Each of our examination rooms is equipped with a terminal for our electronic medical record. We have 19 inch monitors right next to your exam chair. We can show you an Eyemaginations  video right in the exam room. These animated videos have been scripted with the help of experienced eye doctors, including Dr. White who has consulted for Eyemaginations more than six years.

How about the end of your visit? After the doctors and technicians have explained your problem and given you detailed instructions, often in writing, we might ask you again if you have given us your e-mail address. If so we have the opportunity to send another batch of Eyemaginations videos to your home. 

Easy to use and easy to see, Eyemaginations Is just one more thing the doctors and staff at Skyvision Centers is bringing to you in order to provide the very best experience possible in eye care!

The Chronic Dry Eye Five

How do you know that you need to make a special visit to your Skyvision Centers eye doctor when you think you have dry eye, even if you are not due for an appointment? Here are 5 questions to ask yourself:

1) Are you using artificial tears multiple times a day?
2) Have you been using them on your own without an eye doctor's guidance for several months?
3) Have you tried 2 or more types?
4) Are dry eyes affecting your use of the computer? Reading? Driving? Wearing contacts?
5) Are you unsatisfied with the relief you're getting from the dry eye treament you've chosen?

Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) is incredibly common. In fact, people search the internet for information on DES rougly 5X as frequently as they search for information on LASIK! If you have not had a DES consultation at Skyvision Centers and you answered "Yes" to two or more of the above questions call us (or download our free Smarphone app and email) for a consultation.

You don't have to suffer from chronic DES!

Advanced Care for Pink Eye: An Update

We recently wrote about a new diagnostic tool to help determine if Pink Eye, or Conjunctivitis, is caused by a particular virus. The AdenoPlus test for adenovirus is now part of our acute red eye protocol at SkyVision Centers and has been for 6 weeks. Here's what we have found:

1) Approximately 50% of infection-caused Pink Eye is caused by the adenovirus.
2) Treating viral conjunctivitis with both and anti-inflammatory medicine AND an antiviral decreases the time it takes for patients to feel better.
3) We have been surprised to find positive test results in eyes that we would otherwise not have diagnosed as viral Pink Eye. This has increased our ability to accurately and promptly treat our patients.

4) Positive tests have occurred as long as 3 weeks after the beginning of symptoms; we wonder if the AdenoPlus test will also bring a new understanding about the length of time someone can remain contagious.

5) We have been able to decrease the amount of antibiotics we have been prescribing for Pink Eye.

New Test For Pink Eye at Skyvision

In combination with our cutting edge Dry Eye diagnostic protocols using the TearLab tear osmolarity test, SkyVision now has the most advanced protocols available to diagnose and treat a patient who comes to the office with a Red Eye. We are committed to seeking out any and all new discoveries in order to remain on the cutting edge of this, and all eye diseases!

Toric Soft Contact Lenses

Once upon a time, if you had any astigmatism at all you couldn't wear soft contact lenses. That's why Dr. White wore gas permeable rigid contact lenses before he had LASIK surgery. The early versions of soft contact lenses for astigmatism, called "TORIC"  soft lenses, were definitely better than nothing, but they suffered from poor stability on the eye and poor comfort.

There have been many very cool advances in contact lens technology, but one of the coolest has to be the new toric soft contact lenses for astigmatism. One of Dr. Kaye's favorites is the Air Optix Aqua Toric. It has a range of powers up to 2.25 of astigmatism, a pretty high amount. Dr. Kaye is also impressed by how well it fits and how stable it remains on the eye.

As you know, the doctors at Skyvision Centers are the leading experts in Dry Eye in Cleveland. All contact lenses can make your Dry Eye worse, but the Air Optix is made from a material that is particularly helpful for patients with Dry Eye.

Do you have astigmatism? Tired of wearing your glasses because your contacts don't work as well? Call us at Skyvision Centers and chat with Dr. Kaye about giving the Air Optix Aqua Toric a try!

Dry Eye And Blinking

Blinking is how we spread tears across the surface of our eyes. The eyelids function like little squeegees or windshield wipers. The tears that we make minute-to-minute to lubricate our eyes are spread from up and out to down and in on our eyes. In a perfect set-up the front of the eye remains moist with a smooth tear surface for the entire time between blinks.

A normal adult blinks about 12 times every minute. Regular tears stay on the eye for 10-12 seconds before they break up, so if you blink 12 times a minute you always have a smooth, complete tear layer covering your eyes.

Certain activities cause us to blink less. Reading, looking at a computer, or driving in the rain all require more concentration. During these activities the blink rate decreases, sometimes by as much as half! If your tears do not stay smooth between blinks you can then have all of the symptoms that we associate with Dry Eye. Burning, tearing, a foreign body sensation, and blurring all occur when we blink too infrequently. Reading doesn't cause your eye to become dry, but because we naturally blink less when we read (or use a computer) reading can cause the symptoms of dryness to be worse.

There are many solutions to this, and the one that is best for you depends on things that can only be seen during an eye exam. If you have these types of symptoms when reading you may have a type of Dry Eye that is made worse when you blink less.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Are you getting yours? Omega-3 fatty acids, that is. It turns out that almost everyone doesn't get enough of these essential fatty acids in their diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained most easily through dietary supplements. Fish oil capsule and Flax Seed oil capsules are probably the most accessible options. Omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent heart disease and stroke, especially in men. They have been shown to decrease joint and muscle pain in people who suffer from diseases like Fibromyalgia.

In the eye world Omega-3 fatty acids are important in the care of Dry Eye of all kinds, especially EVAPORATIVE Dry Eye caused by problems with the glands in your eyelids that produce the oil in your tears. Also, there is lots of research that suggests that increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids you take in can reduce the severity of Macular Degeneration. Taking Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil, or a specialty formulation like Doctor's Advantage products can do the trick!

Does it matter what kind you take? What brand or what form of Omega-3 fatty acids you use? Of course it does! Purity of the Omega-3 sources is important, and some forms simply work better than others. The Skyvision Centers doctors have done their homework and we offer the Doctor's Advantage forms of nutritional supplements right here in the office.  You can also opt to have your Omega-3's delivered right to your home!

There are some healthy things that are pretty easy, like making sure you are getting Omega-3 fatty acids every day!

Do You Have Dry Eye?

How do you know that you need to make a special visit to your Skyvision Centers eye doctor when you think you have dry eye, even if you are not due for an appointment? Here are 5 questions to ask yourself:



1) Are you using artificial tears multiple times a day?
2) Have you been using them on your own without an eye doctor's guidance for several months?
3) Have you tried 2 or more types?
4) Are dry eyes affecting your use of the computer? Reading? Driving? Wearing contacts?
5) Are you unsatisfied with the relief you're getting from the dry eye treament you've chosen?


Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) is incredibly common. In fact, people search the internet for information on DES roughly 5X as frequently as they search for information on LASIK! If you have not had a DES consultation at Skyvision Centers and you answered "Yes" to two or more of the above questions call us (or download our free Smartphone app and email) for a consultation.


You don't have to suffer from chronic DES!

Dry Eye 101

" My eyes hurt!"
 "My eyes feel like they're burning up!"
 "It seems like my eyes are always red."
 "When I'm reading at night or working on the computer my eyes get really tired. My vision starts to get blurry."
 "I tear all the time. My friends always want to know what's wrong."

 "It feels like there's something in my eye all the time."

 And of course, the obvious, "my eyes are dry!"

 These are the kinds of things that patients say when they come to the eye doctor and have a problem with dry eye. Sometimes it's hard for your eye doctor or the staff in the office to figure out that what you are really complaining about is that your eyes are dry. This really isn't as much of a problem Skyvision because we have become experts at treating dry!  In fact, Dr. White lectures all over the country, teaching other eye doctors how to diagnose and treat dry eye.

 Your tears are actually an emulsion, a complex mixture of three different parts: salt water, mucin, and oil. Tears are actually like the vinaigrette you put on your salad. Your tears work best when the three parts are mixed just right, just like salad dressing! You need just enough of the three parts, and the proportions of the ingredients have to be just right, too.

 In general there are two types of tear problems that can lead to the symptoms of dry eye. We call them "quantity" and "quality". If the microscopic glands in your eyes are not producing enough tears, if your tear "quantity" is too low, you can have any of the symptoms above caused by dryness. This is actually pretty easy to understand -- not enough tears equals a dry eye.

 The "quality" part of dry eye is a little more difficult to get a handle on. If you have too little of any of the components that make up your tears, your tears just may not work well enough. In addition, even if you have the right amount of each component, if any of the three parts (mucin, salt water, and oil) is not working well enough, the entire mix may be ineffective. In other words, you may have plenty of tears, but they may just do not work well enough. Kind of like trying to put out a fire with kerosene-- its wet, but it won't put out the fire. Sometimes it even makes the fire worse. You, too, have a dry eye.

 So if any of the statements at the top sound like you, perhaps it's time to come visit us at Skyvision Centers. We are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of all kinds of dry eye!