Dry Eye Help with Punctal Plugs

Dry eye is a very common we hear about from patients almost each and every day. There are many causes of dry eye and we must first carefully examine patients to find the cause and type of tear film deficiency in order to offer help for dry eyes. The good news is that there are many helpful treatment options we can prescribe. One of the most helpful and convenient ways we can help dry eye is by inserting tiny microscopic “plugs” into the tear ducts where your tears would normally drain. These tear ducts are located in the nasal area of your eyelids and are easily visible to us during your eye exam and dry eye consultation using a slit lamp in the examination room. The opening to the tear ducts is called a “puncta” and the tiny plugs are called “punctal plugs.” Researchers reporting in the American Journal of Ophthalmology confirmed the benefits of punctal plus with little risk of complications. Punctal plugs are a convenient treatment we can prescribe when necessary to help you with the symptoms and problems of dry eyes.

If you or someone you know suffers from dry eye or wishes help for dry eyes please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, Google+ or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Undercorrection to Prevent Nearsighted Progression

Anyone who has a child or teenager who is becoming more and more nearsighted each year wants to know if there are ways we can prevent the progression of myopia. Over the years there has been discussion of trying to under correct the nearsightedness, rather than prescribing the full correction, in order to slow down nearsighted prescription changes. Researchers reporting in Grafe’s Archives for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology studied the effects of undercorrection of myopia on myopia progression and eye length elongation in a population of 12-year-olds. They followed more than 2,000 children for 1 year and used careful analysis to consider the effects of how much near work, how much outdoor activity and the amount of time glasses were actually used as well as the degree of nearsightedness. They tested them by measuring their cycloplegic auto refraction, axial length of the eye, visual acuity and near vision focusing lag. The results demonstrated that over a period of 1 year, prescribing an undercorrection or full correction of myopia by wearing spectacles did not show any differences in myopia progression. Whether this would be the same result for younger children, or if the correction was prescribed in contact lenses or over a longer period of time is not certain but initially suggests that it is not helpful to under correct nearsighted children with glasses to slow myopic progression.

If you or someone you know have questions about nearsightedness, types of correction for nearsightedness including glasses, contact lenses of even LASIK, please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, Google+ or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Blueberries Help Night Vision?

Everyone has heard that carrots are good for your eyes. Many folks are probably even aware that eating green leafy vegetables is helpful for those at risk for age related macular degeneration (AMD). But, have you ever heard that blueberries are good for your night vision? Blueberries are considered “super stars” among health food advocates, who tout the fruit for not only promoting heart health, better memory and digestion, but also for improving night vision. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at this and have found reason to doubt that the popular berry helps most healthy people see better in the dark. Their report appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry. Blueberries were thought to be possibly be helpful for your night vision because they contain anthocyanins, which are pigment molecules in blueberries and other plants, that promote the regeneration of key molecules in the eye involved in perceiving light. But reviews of the earlier clinical research that tested the effect of blueberries on night vision in human subjects revealed that the studies were poorly controlled. The researchers found that a blueberry-supplemented diet did not improve sight in the dark, but they did help subjects recover normal vision after exposure to a bright light. The enhancement, however, was small and not likely noticeable to most healthy people, the researchers concluded. So, if you like blueberries feel free to eat and enjoy them, but don’t wait for your night vision to improve.

If you or someone you know has problems with night vision, it is important to have a thorough eye exam to rule out the possibility of cataracts or other eye problem, condition or disease that may affect the retina or optic nerve. Please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, Google+ or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.