CT Corneal Specialist on Eyelid Inflammation

Fairfield County Connecticut Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. commented on eyelid inflammation and infection such as blepharitis. “Blepharitis is a pretty common and often chronic eye condition where the eyelids become inflamed and swollen, typically with oily particles and bacteria coating the eyelid margin near the base of the eyelashes. Unfortunately this causes irritation, itchiness, redness, and stinging or burning of the eyes,” explained Dr. Leslie Doctor of Doctor & Associates with offices in Norwalk, Westport and Wilton, CT. “We don’t completely understand all of the causes but in general it seems to be associated with a bacterial eye infection, symptoms of dry eyes or certain types of skin conditions such as acne rosacea,” she further explained. “For the vast majority of patients, blepharitis is often a chronic, or ongoing, condition, but it can be controlled with one of more types of treatment that may include warm compresses, eyelid scrubs, antibiotic ointment, nutritional therapy and good overall eyebrow, scalp and hair hygiene.”

If you or someone you know suffers from eyelid inflammation, infection and blepharitis please feel free to call Doctor & Associates at 203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment so that we can help.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

CT Doctor on Children’s Eye Exams & Problems

Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. explained that that school eye exams are an important part of what we do for children this month. “Parents need to help children gearing up for the new school year by scheduling a thorough eye health and vision exam,” commented Dr. Leslie Doctor. “Often after having enjoyed the summer months, kids aren’t really attuned to changes in their vision until they have been back in the classroom for a while. By that time parents and teachers are wondering why their students are not off to a stronger start to the academic year.”

In addition, Doctor & Associates wishes to announce that Prevent Blindness America has designated September as Children’s Eye Health & Safety Awareness Month. Eye and vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school aged children. Parents should be aware that it is possible for their children to have a serious vision problem without even being aware of it. Infants should be screened for common eye problems during their regular pediatric appointments and vision testing should be conducted for all children starting at around three years of age. If there is a family history of eye problems or if an eye problem is apparent, it is important to bring it to the attention of and eye doctor so that they can advise the parents about when and how often their child’s eyes should be examined. Among the conditions an eye doctor will look for are amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), color deficiency (color blindness) and refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). "Aside from vision threatening conditions, eye screenings for children are important because vision changes can occur without you or your child noticing them," said Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates. “If your child is having trouble seeing the blackboard or the words in a book, learning, as well as participating in recreational activities can be impacted. While vision problems can interfere with school performance, it's important to distinguish them from learning disorders”, commented Dr. Leslie Doctor.

“You also have to protect your child’s eyes from the danger of eye injuries. Be sure that the toys your child plays with are appropriate for his or her age and maturity level. Avoid toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts. Participation in any type of sport also could endanger your child’s eyes, so make sure he or she wears appropriate protective eyewear,” said Dr. Doctor.

If you have any questions or concerns about children’s eye problems, health & safety and would like to schedule an eye exam please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Corneal Eye Infections from Shingles

Connecticut Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. commented on shingles eye infections from Herpes Zoster virus. “We know that Herpes Zoster virus or “Shingles” infection increases in incidence with increasing age. More important for patients to know is that somewhere between 10-25% of patients who get a systemic shingles infection also develop eye problems from shingles,” relayed Dr. Leslie Doctor of Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County CT. “It is entirely possible to get a cornel infection or keratitis from the this virus which is the same virus that causes chicken pox, called Varicella-Zoster virus. It is entirely possible that after having chicken pox as a child, the Varicella-Zoster virus remains in the nerve cells of your body in an inactive state and then reactivates later in life and travels through the nerves in your body causing a painful blistering rash. If the virus then travels to your head or neck it can affect the eye and thus cause a corneal infection or keratitis,” she further explained. 

“I want to impress upon patients that it is really critical to have a Herpes Zoster keratitis diagnosed and treated quickly as it can result in significant scarring, vision loss and even loss of corneal sensation which is not a good thing. We need to be pretty aggressive in treatment, often prescribing both oral medication as well as eye drops in order to avoid serious damage from occurring,” Dr. Doctor emphasized. 

If you or someone you know has had shingles or Chicken Pox and is experiencing any type of eye problem please call Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. at 203-227-4113 and request an immediate appointment, or visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Monovision Eye Surgery for Cataracts

“For patients who develop cataracts and have already been wearing monovision contact lenses successfully or who have had monovision LASIK and are pleased with the vision, taking the next step into monovision cataract eye surgery is a natural way to extend their range of near vision,” commented Connecticut Cataract Surgeon & Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, CT. “However, it is important for other patients having cataract surgery to also consider the possible benefits offered by near vision presbyopia correcting multifocal lens implants as some 30% of monovision patients fail to adapt adequately to the “blended” vision.” 

The monovision technique is simply adjusting the optical correction in each eye so that the dominant eye is corrected for clear distance vision and the non-dominant eye is corrected for improving near or intermediate range vision. Researchers reporting in the May 2011 Journal of Refractive Surgery studied the optimal monovision prescription that should be used in order to get the highest levels of patient acceptance and overall visual acuity and depth perception. They concluded that the prescription range of 1.00 D-2.00 D of monovision correction was the maximum range and that the optimal prescription for monovision Cataract Surgery was 1.5 D. While this is useful information, patients should understand that a 1.5 D near correction may very well be insufficient for them to perform their daily tasks comfortably without needing readers or bifocals. 

The best way for you or someone you know with a cataract to find out if you are candidates for monovision cataract Surgery or near vision presbyopia correcting lens implants after cataract surgery is to schedule a Cataract and Lens Implant evaluation at Doctor & Associates by calling 

203-227-4113, visiting Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Connecticut Corneal Specialist on Eye Health & Contact Lenses

Connecticut Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. reminded us to be sensitive to how swimming with contact lenses can affect your eyes, eye health and vision. “It is important to have some knowledge about how swimming with contact lenses can affect your eyes, eye health and vision,” commented Dr. Leslie Doctor of Doctor & Associates with Fairfield County offices in Westport, Norwalk and Wilton, CT. “Summer typically means lots of water, pool and beach activities for all of us”, she said. 

In general, unless you are wearing goggles it is best not to swim with your eyes open under water and, when possible, to avoid splashes of water into your eyes. Pool chemicals that keep the water clean and free of contamination may actually be irritating and even damaging to the surface of the eye. Maintaining the proper pH levels in swimming pools takes considerable monitoring and effort and as the pH varies so does the possibility of eye irritation. Your natural tears have a pH of 7.0, if the pH of the pool water is below or above that level that level, it will certainly cause your eyes to burn or sting. The proper pH level for swimming pools is in the range of 7.2 to 7.8. If the pH is maintained within this range, burning eyes shouldn't be a problem for swimmers. 

“We really recommend that if you plan on spending any lengthy period of time in the water you should protect your eyes by wearing goggles. Swimming with contact lenses is not a good idea and is very risky,” she further explained. 

The eye health risk of swimming with contacts depends on the body of water you are in. “Swimming in lakes and rivers while wearing contact lenses poses a significant risk of the microorganism Acanthamoeba to adhering to your contacts. As a corneal specialist I can tell you that Acanthamoeba Keratitis is a severe and potentially blinding infection and inflammation of the cornea-and one that is difficult to treat,” stated Dr. Leslie Doctor. This same risk is present when wearing contacts in hot tubs or spas. While the risk of sight threatening infection is lesser in properly chlorinated swimming pools and the ocean, other problems may be encountered. In the pool--eye irritation is possible when chlorine sticks on the surface of your lens and in the ocean--your contact lenses can be dislodged when you encounter large waves. You need to carefully consider whether to wear contact lenses while swimming. Keeping your head out of the water and wearing goggles will help to greatly reduce risk. 

If you are concerned or inconvenienced by not being able to see clearly without glasses or contacts and want to see clearly while in the pool or ocean, you may wish to consider LASIK as a vision correction method so as not to be dependent on eyeglasses or contacts for swimming. 

If you or someone you know has questions about swimming, swimming pools, eye health, vision and contact lenses please feel free to call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates. 

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut. M