Read more about the article Tired Eyes At Work

Tired Eyes At Work

Do your eyes feel tired and uncomfortable after a long day at work or studying? Eye strain is very common if you spend long periods of time staring at a computer screen without taking proper breaks. Even people who have “perfect vision” and don’t normally need glasses can have symptoms with prolonged computer use.

Common symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome:

  • Eye strain
  • Headaches
  • Double vision
  • Red, irritated or dry eyes
  • Blurry vision, difficulty focusing
  • Neck, back, or shoulder pain

What causes Computer Vision Syndrome?

Eyestrain occurs with prolonged periods of high visual demands, especially when you are focusing up close and doing activities such as reading, writing, and using digital devices. This can be very tiring on your eyes if you don’t take the time to relax your focusing mechanism. Even a small uncorrected refractive error (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism) or eye teaming misalignment can affect how comfortably your eyes focus up close. Depending on your condition, you may be working extra hard to maintain a clear image, which causes strain over time.

Furthermore, staring at a computer screen or at a book all day causes people to blink about half as often as they usually do, which causes dryness because the eyelids are supposed to spread tears across your eyes to keep them moist and healthy. Dryness causes irritation and blurry vision when there isn’t a smooth surface for light to enter the eyes.

It’s hard to avoid digital screens these days, so here are some tips to prevent eye fatigue:

  • Position your screen at about arm’s length away and 20 degrees below eye level
  • Minimize glare on your screen by re-positioning yourself or using anti-glare filters
  • Keep your screen clean and free of dust/smudges
  • Remember to TAKE BREAKS! Use the 20-20-20 Rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds! This is so important for relaxing your eyes
  • Remember to BLINK! Everyone blinks less when staring at something, but try to be intentional about blinking. If your eyes are feeling dry, talk to Dr Lee about eyedrops to relieve discomfort.
  • Make sure your glasses prescription is up to date so that you’re not working extra hard to focus
  • During your eye exam, talk to Dr Lee about your computer usage. You may benefit from glasses to wear at work (even if you don’t need them usually), or if you already have glasses, ask for anti-reflective coatings which reduce glare from screens and overhead lights.

Computers are a big part of life now so it’s important to take the necessary steps to prevent eye problems and keep yourself comfortable at work!

Eye strain can also be a sign of more serious eye conditions. If it persists at any time of day (not just when you’ve been reading or using a computer), or is associated with headaches, double vision, nausea, or changes in your eyesight, please contact Dr. Lee immediately.

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Read more about the article Air Puff Test – What Is It For?

Air Puff Test – What Is It For?

What is the purpose of that awful air puff? If you hate doing that test, you’re definitely not alone!

The air puff test is called non-contact tonometry (NCT) and it measures the pressure inside your eyes. The machine shoots a small puff of air into your eye, and it calculates the pressure inside your eye based on how the air bounces back.

If you can’t handle that test, there are alternatives such as Goldmann tonometry (the blue light test). This involves a yellow drop which glows under blue light. The doctor will view your eyes very closely with a prism, and then the pressure can be calculated based on how the light is bent.  This method is also painless, and even more accurate than the NCT.

Your eyes are filled with fluid, and if there is something causing a fluid buildup, the increased pressure can cause damage to the structures of your eye, resulting in vision loss. High pressures can be the first sign of glaucoma, or the result of other things such as injury, infection, or a tumour around the eye. There is usually no pain or symptoms with high eye pressure. It is like having high blood pressure – you won’t feel it unless it is at an unsafe level. That is why it’s important for an optometrist to do this test and measure your pressure every year. It’s a little uncomfortable but it’s over faster than a pressure cuff squeezing your arm! 🙂

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Read more about the article When In Doubt, Take It Out!

When In Doubt, Take It Out!

Over the weekend, I encountered someone who was unwilling to stop wearing his contact lenses despite redness and irritation. This was at a social event, so I was unable to examine him properly, but I urged him to remove his lenses and visit his optometrist the next day. The rule of thumb is when in doubt, take it out! This is why it’s also important for contact lens wearers to have a good pair of glasses with a current prescription, in the event that you are unable to wear your contacts. He didn’t like wearing his glasses because the vision was not as good as with his contacts (perhaps an outdated prescription). For other people, it may be a vanity reason. In that case, it’s worth remembering that a big, red, drippy eye is not attractive either!

It is just not worth the risk. I was reminded of a recent news article where a student lost her eyesight as a result of over-wearing her contact lenses. She did not remove her limited-wear, disposable contact lenses for six months, and even wore them when swimming. Contact lenses decrease the amount of oxygen available to the cornea, especially when sleeping (even over one night!). This leaves them unhealthy and vulnerable to infection. Compounded with the bacteria from shower water and swimming pool water clinging onto the contacts, and you’ve got a recipe for an infection.

This girl was particularly unlucky, because Acanthamoeba infections are rare and extremely devastating for the cornea, but there are other bacteria in tap water and on the skin which are much more common and can also cause infections when the eyes are left vulnerable with contact lens over-wear. This case underscores the importance of using contact lenses as prescribed, taking them out every night, and disinfecting them with new solution every night. 

If your eyes look red, feel sore or painful, or have a gooey discharge, take your contacts out ASAP and go see your optometrist!

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Contact Lenses Are Like Underwear

This is a great message from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people wouldn’t put on dirty underwear, but they don’t think twice about putting in dirty contact lenses! Just because they look clear, the solution is clear, and the case looks clean, doesn’t mean everything is OK. There can be many invisible deposits or microorganisms which cause irritation and nasty eye infections. DON’T over-wear your lenses!

CLs are like underwear

Text:

Don’t over-wear. Avoid that sketchy pair. Carry a spare.

1. Don’t Over-Wear

  • Replace your contacts as often as your eye doctor tells you, and don’t sleep in them (unless your eye doctor says otherwise).

2. Avoid That Sketchy Pair

  • If a contact comes out and you can’t disinfect it with fresh solution (never water or spit) right away, throw it out. Don’t buy contacts from costume shops or anywhere that doesn’t require a prescription.

3. Carry a Spare Pair (of Glasses)

  • If you need to take out your contacts for an unexpected late night or trip to the pool, or if a contact somes out, have a pair of glasses as a backup.
Tips:
  • Clean your case with solution daily, and get a new case at least every three months.
  • Take out contacts before showering, swimming, or hot tubbing.

Cover your butt. Take care of your eyes.

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The Eyes are Windows to Your Health

Eye exams are not just for glasses! The back of the eye is the only place where blood vessels can be viewed directly without breaking skin, so there are diseases that can by caught by an eye doctor before you start noticing symptoms anywhere else. It is so important to have your eyes checked regularly, even if you think your vision is fine. “Regularly” means at least once every two years, or yearly if there are health problems that run in the family.

Follow the link below to see 14 health problems which your eye doctor can see first, including diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, and more!

What Eye Exams Can Tell You About Your Overall Health 

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