Connecticut Surgeon on Dry Eye after Cataract Surgery

FairfieldCounty Cataract Surgeon Leslie Doctor, M.D. shared insight into dry eye problems after cataract surgery. “As a corneal specialist I tend to listen carefully and take meticulous care to educate my cataract patients about dry eye after cataract surgery. Patients of cataract age and especially those having cataract surgery should know a little bit about dry eye as this is a somewhat common but temporary condition they may experience,” said Dr. Leslie Doctor.

According to the Prospective Health Assessment of Cataract Patients Ocular Surface (PHACO) Study some 60-75% of a cataract aged population had a meaningful deficiency in their tear film testing before cataract surgery! Further, although cataract surgery is quite friendly to the cornea, it does require an incision can temporarily interrupt corneal nerves responsible for reflex tearing and tear film integrity. This along with some of the solutions used during the cataract surgery procedure can result in a dry eye. The symptoms one might experience could include fluctuations of vision, dryness, grittiness, tearing, burning and a general tiredness as well as an overall sandy feeling. The good news is that for the vast majority of patients with dry eye there are potentially helpful treatment options that include specialized artificial tear lubricants and solutions, tiny punctal plugs to help you retain tears and prescription medication that stimulates production of your own tears. In addition there are more technological approaches such as lasers and other methods to treating underlying blepharitis, eyelid gland problems or eyelid inflammation that can contribute to dry eye as well.

If you or someone you know has questions or concerns about cataract surgery and dry eyes please feel free to call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Welcome Tineke Chan, M.D. to Doctor & Associates

Doctor & Associates welcomes Comprehensive & Pediatric Ophthalmologist Tineke Chan, M.D. Dr. Chan provides routine eye exams, consultation and treatment for complex eye conditions, problems and diseases including cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants as well as seeing pediatric patients in need of diagnosis and treatment of strabismus eye turning problems and amblyopia lazy eye problems, children’s tear duct problems and eyelid positioning problems. She brings an important set of experiences and expertise to Fairfield County in children’s eye problems.

Dr. Chan earned her Medical Degree at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and completed a Residency in Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine followed by a Fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Chan served as an Instructor in Ophthalmology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University where she taught ophthalmology residents in both general and pediatric ophthalmology clinics as well as serving as a preceptor for ophthalmology residents at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI.

Lower Your AMD Risk by Eating Fish

“It might seem a bit odd, but the research suggests that we can lower our risk of age related macular degeneration by eating more fish,” shared Leslie Doctor, M.D. “Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a very common cause of vision loss in seniors. Recently, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that age related macular degeneration (AMD) may be associated with a high dietary fat intake. The results of their study found that eating fish, such as tuna, four times a week, may reduce the risk of macular degeneration,” explained Dr. Leslie Doctor.

The subjects of the study were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who did not have AMD at when the study commenced. After 12 years of follow-up, 567 people with a visual loss of 20/30 or worse were identified. Fat intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. The study found:

• Those patients whose total dietary fat intake was in the highest quintile had over one and a half times the risk of AMD as those whose fat intake was in the lowest quintile,
• Linolenic acid consumption was directly associated with the risk of AMD,
• High intake of docosahexaenoic acid was associated with a modest reduction in the risk of AMD.
• Those who ate four or more servings of fish a week were at a 35% lower risk of AMD when compared to those who ate fewer than three servings of fish a week.

The researchers concluded that dietary fat intake was associated with an increased risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and that this may have been due to the presence of Linolenic acid in the fat. They added that a high intake of fish, a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid, may reduce this risk.

 

If you or someone you know has a family history of age related macular degeneration or wishes to learn more about their risk of AMD or how to lower their risk of AMD through diet, please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

 

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Advantages of Wearing Transitions® Lenses

It is easy to overlook your eyes. Wearing Transitions® Lenses, color changing lenses which adapt to changing light, will help you to protect your eyes. Most people agree that sight is the sense they rely on the most. Seeing 20/20 is great, but healthy eyes are even more important since that will keep your vision sharp and clear.  With ordinary clear lenses your eyes have to constantly adjust to changing light. Your pupils dilate and your eyes squint. It does not seem like much, but over the course of the day it can all add up to cause eyestrain and fatigue. Transition lenses filter the light for you so your eyes do not have to work as hard, allowing your eyes to stay relaxed and comfortable all day long. You cannot see or feel UV rays, but they are present all year long. And just like your skin, your eyes need protection. Damage from UV exposure is cumulative, building every time your eyes are exposed to the sun. Research shows that UVA and UVB rays may contribute to short-term vision impairment as well as to potentially serious age-related eye problems, like cataracts and macular degeneration. The good news is that wearing transition lenses will help protect your eyes by blocking 100% of invisible UVA and UVB rays.

 Everybody can agree that glare is distracting and annoying in some situations. The cause of glare is simple-too much light. Transition lenses are the perfect antiglare solution because they rapidly adjust to changing light. They block glare outdoors by providing your eyes with exactly the amount of shade they need for any situation.

If you have any questions or interest in Transitions® Lenses please call Eyewear at Willows at 203-227-9380 and speak to our Opticians.

Help for Macular Degeneration (AMD)

“I feel privileged to be able to offer patients help for age related macular degeneration,” shared Connecticut OphthalmologistClaudia Castiblanco, M.D. “We work diligently to let our Fairfield County seniors know about the risks and symptoms of age related macular degeneration because for most patients, with early detection, diagnosis and treatment with injections of Lucentis® and Eyelea®, at a minimum we can prevent further vision loss from the disease and in many cases we can actually help recover lost vision,” said Dr. Castiblanco. “The number of patients we see with macular degeneration is growing daily as the baby boomers age,” she further noted.

“We want to stress that once you are over 50, it becomes increasingly important to have a thorough, comprehensive dilated eye exam every one to two years-and even more often if you have any family history of AMD or at the recommendation of your eye doctor. The key to preventing vision loss from AMD is clearly early detection, quick diagnosis and then immediate access to treatment with vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGF) injections such as Lucentis® or Eylea®,” summarized Dr. Castiblanco.

If you or someone you know has questions or concerns about age related maculardegeneration (AMD) or treatment with therapeutic injections of Lucentis® or Eyelea® please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

iPad, Nooks and Kindle E-Readers May Help Glaucoma Patients

“Because of the visual field restrictions, relative blind spots and general slower vision processing due to the optic nerve damage, adults with glaucoma read slower when reading silently for long periods of time and are more likely to have their reading speed decrease over time, possibly as a result of reading fatigue,” noted Leslie Doctor, M.D. “I was really pleased to learn that patients with glaucoma may benefit from using e-readers such as iPads, Nooks and Kindle devices.”

According to a recent study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. the ability to adjust font size, contrast and other display screen characteristics suggest that technological solutions such as e-readers along with the apps that are developed for them may very well help glaucoma patients read more comfortably.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about iPad, Nooks and Kindle e-readers to help glaucoma patients read more comfortably please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851

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Increased Glaucoma Risk with Early Menopause

“There are a number of more common glaucoma risk factors we keep in mind all the time,” noted Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. “Based on some current research we believe it may be prudent to consider an early onset of menopause a glaucoma risk factor that we watch a bit more closely,” she further explained. According to a study at the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute in Amsterdam women who go through menopause early may be at greater risk of developing glaucoma. In a study of more than 3,000 women, those who went through a natural menopause before the age of 45 were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma as women who went through menopause at age 50 or older. The results indicate that female hormones may be protective against open-angle glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.  Of interest is that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is thought to reduce fluid pressure inside the eye. Similarly, as hormone levels rise during pregnancy, fluid pressure inside the eye decreases significantly, the researchers noted. This is the first study to examine the relationship between female sex hormones, as indicated by age of menopause, and open-angle glaucoma.

If you or someone you know is concerned about their risk of glaucoma please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851

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