The doctors at Wells Branch Vision recommend a retinal exam as part of a yearly comprehensive eye exam. Traditionally, this meant that the patient would have to have their pupils dilated through the use of eye drops. And this is still true today. Dilation is the best method for the doctor to see into the eyes to view the internal structures.

However, a new technology has emerged that gives the doctor up to a 200 degree view of the retina without the use of dilating drops. This instrument is called an Optomap and Wells Branch Vision is pleased to offer it to our patients. In most cases, if a patient chooses to have the Optomap retinal image taken of their eye, they will not then need dilation.

Optomap imaging allows your doctor to diagnose many medical disorders including macular degeneration, high blood pressure, diabetes, retinal holes and detachments. It is painless, quick and thorough (documents up to 95% or your retina in ¼ second).

The optomap retinal image gives your eye doctor a much large view than conventional eye exam equipment. And your eye doctor will review your images at the time of your exam. These permanent digital images of your retinas can be referred to in the future, allowing your doctor to monitor changes in your health.

Ask about Optomap at this year’s visit!

During the past three to four years there has been an enormous shift in the optical market towards daily disposable contact lenses. Doctors and patients are choosing one-time use contacts over the traditional one-month and two-week disposables.

And why should you consider making this switch? Here are three good reasons.

First, daily disposable contact lens wearers tend to have less problems with infections and eye allergies. Every morning, these wearers open up a brand new pair of sterile lenses. There is no accumulated “crud” from previous wears.

Contact lenses are manufactured out of a sponge-like material called hydrogel. This material consist of many tiny pores that are filled with saline solution when the contact is new. With traditional disposable contact lenses, these pores accumulate residue from the patient’s tear film. Over time, the pores fill up with fats and proteins naturally found in tears.

In addition, environmental debris such as dust and allergens also build up on contact lenses. This accumulation often causes problems with allergies and infections. Daily disposable contact lenses completely eliminate these common problems associated with traditional contact lenses.

Second, it’s easy. There are no cleaners, no multipurpose solutions and no cases to worry about. When going away on a weekend trip, daily-disposable wearers only have to throw a few pairs of lenses into their toiletry bag. And it’s a breeze going through airport security without carrying solution.

Third, we have dramatically reduced your cost on these lenses at Wells Branch Vision. Along with manufacturer rebates, most people can get a year supply for about 82 cents/day.

Ask today about a sample of daily disposables!

Hard contact lenses have been around for a long time. Adult patients will often remark to me that back when they started wearing contacts, hard lenses were the only option. Most of them assume that hard contacts have gone the way of the dodo. But this technology is far from obsolete. Hard, or rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs for short), have made great improvements in the past twenty years. And they’ve remained a mainstay of the optical industry.

Today’s RGPs are more comfortable than ever. They last much longer than disposable soft contact lenses and they tend to be a healthier option. Compared to soft contact lenses, RGPs breathe better. They are less likely to cause corneal infections and seem to be better tolerated by those with dry eyes. But one of the best-kept secrets about RGPs is that they make fantastic bifocals.

For those over 40 years of age who don’t want to wear reading glasses, bifocal RGPs offer superior vision at all ranges. They significantly outperform their soft contact lens counterparts. When clear vision is important to a patient, hard lenses are the best option. Successful patients are able to see clearly to drive and watch TV — but they can also see their cell phone and read a book without using reading glasses.

Patients with astigmatism also do well in RGP bifocals.

These contact lenses are made-to-order. But at Wells Branch Vision, if a patient decides for any reason that they don’t like the lenses, they can be returned for a full refund! Call today if you’d like to try this option!

When it comes to corneal refractive surgery (i.e. LASIK) – my patients often report that they are going to wait until the procedure’s safety profile improves. I can understand this objection. I’m rather conservative myself when it comes to my own health.

For a long time now, may surgery centers have been making the claim that there are more cases of blindness every year from contact complications than from LASIK complications. I thought that the attached article was interesting.

-Derek Hamilton

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20061010/lasik-surgery-safer-than-contacts

Over the past twelve months we’ve been rocking at Wells Branch Vision Care. We finished the renovation of our office space in June. In July we added a number of designers to augment our collection. Among the new designers were bebe, Gucci and Nine West. We’ve expanded our glasses frame collection and now were pleased to do it again. WBVC is pleased to announce the arrival of Spy Optic.

The color orange is symbolic of much of life itself; bold, fiery, unique and sometimes blinding, a color that ignited a group of active friends in Southern California to re-invent eyewear. Their vision was orange and a single thought rang true: “it’s not seeing different things; it’s seeing the same things differently.”

Spy Optic was created by a group of action sports and motorsports enthusiasts who immersed themselves in the culture they knew best. The founders saw what was on the market for eyewear in 1994 and wanted to make sunglasses better. As authentic, well-connected action sports entrepreneurs, their unbridled enthusiasm for reinventing modern eyewear attracted the world’s best athletes from motorsports, surfing and snowboarding. Spy’s athletes became a huge and influential part of the Spy family and the team’s mojo combined with our designers’ innovative design sense helped fuel the brand’s rapid growth.

Spy’s design is not only aesthetically pleasing, but continues to push the technological limits in eyewear. Spy’s innovative patented Scoop® technology revolutionized its sport sunglass frames. The Spy Scoop® venting system combats lens fogging by promoting airflow between the lens and the wearer’s face. This system was such a success; its technology was seamlessly integrated and applied to its snow and motocross goggles. Spy’s polarization treatments superseded existing eyewear standards with its premium injected Trident polarized lenses. The lenses effectively eliminate more than 99% of blinding glare for precise, unobstructed vision.

What is dry eye syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome is a common condition that affects millions of Americans – women more often than men. In some instances, it is characterized by dry, irritated eyes due to a lack of lubricating tears. Surprisingly, it can also lead to excessively watery eyes due to tears lacking the proper balance of mucous, water, and oil to coat the eyes properly. Chronic dry eye can lead to damage of the eye’s surface, an increased risk of eye infections, and eventually, the inability to produce tears. Left untreated, severe forms of dry eye can even damage your vision.

How do I know if I have dry eye syndrome?

Symptoms of dry eyes may include burning and stinging. A foreign body sensation, like sand being in the eye, is often encountered. Vision can be blurred. Reflex tearing may be triggered causing excessively watery eyes. Sometimes, redness of the eye is experienced. When looking in a mirror, the eyes may seem to have lost their normal clearness and luster.

What causes dry eye syndrome?

Environment

Sunny, dry, or windy weather, heaters, air conditioners, and arid high altitudes increase the evaporation of tears from the surface of your eyes. You may experience dry eye symptoms while viewing television, computer screens, or while reading.

Tear Drainage

If you have too much tear drainage, you may experience dry eye symptoms and related congestion of the nose, throat, and sinuses.

Contact Lens Wear

Contact lens wear increases tear evaporation and related dry eye symptoms. Dryness may result in protein deposits on the lens, eye irritation, pain, infection, or sensitivity to contact lens solutions. Dry eye symptoms are the number one reason people stop wearing contact lenses.

Aging

Tear production gradually decreases with age. At age 65, the tear glands produce about 40 percent of the lubricating tears they produced at age 18. Decreased tear production may cause eye irritation and excess tearing or watery eyes.

Medications

Tear production may be reduced if you take certain medications, including decongestants, antihistamines, oral contraceptives, tranquilizers, and diuretics. If you are taking any medication, ask your doctor if it contributes to your dry eye condition.

Health Problems

Some special health problems can result in side effects of dry eye syndrome, such as arthritis, diabetes, thyroid abnormality, asthma, or an autoimmune condition known as Sjörgren’s Syndrome, which affects mostly middle-aged women. Also, women experiencing hormonal changes, such as pregnancy or menopause, may contract dry eye.

Can dry eye syndrome affect my ability to wear contact lenses?

Yes. Dry Eye Syndrome is the leading cause of contact lens intolerance or discomfort. Contacts can cause tears to evaporate from the eyes causing irritation, protein deposits, infection, and pain.

How is dry eye syndrome treated?

Common treatment of dry eye syndrome includes the use of artificial tears or artificial tear ointments. Prescription treatment options are available.

Other treatments for dry eye syndrome include the following:

-Wearing special eyewear, such as goggles or moisture chambers.

-Temporary plugs in the tear drain (punctum) to allow the eyes time to gain full use of the lubricating tears before they are drained away from the eye.

-Laser treatment or minor surgery to close the punctum permanently.

Dr. Hamilton will be leaving leaving in 2 days for a week long mission trip to Guyana, located in South America. Together with his team, he hopes to do over 1500 eye exams in a 5 day clinic, distributing glasses received from the Wisconsin Lion’s Club. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers over the next week. You can check out updates on the Facebook Page “Eyes for Guyana.”

If you haven’t been in lately — we’ve made a few changes at Wells Branch Vision Care. We just finished some major remodeling and the place looks great. Come by and see us!

Remodeling the office has allowed us to expand our glasses frame selection dramatically. We’ve added some new lines to fill in the gaps! So we are pleased to announce the addition of three new designers: bebe, Nine West and Gucci.

In addition to bebe, Nine West and Gucci — we are still carrying all of the great brands that you are used to including Ray Ban, BCBG, Sean Jean, Calvin Klein, CK, D&G, Carrera, Vogue, Cole Haan and Izod. We have something for everyone. Come by and check out the new selection!

Floaters appear as little “cobwebs” or specks that drift about in your field of vision. They are small, dark, shadowy shapes that can look like spots, thread-like strands, or squiggly lines. They move as your eyes move and seem to dart away when you try to look at them directly. They do not follow your eye movements precisely, and usually drift when your eyes stop moving.

In most cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process and simply an annoyance. They can be distracting at first, but eventually tend to “settle” at the bottom of the eye, becoming less bothersome. They usually settle below the line of sight and do not go away completely. Most people have floaters and learn to ignore them; they are usually not noticed until they become numerous or more prominent. Floaters can become apparent when looking at something bright, such as white paper or a blue sky.

Floaters occur when the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape, slowly shrinks. As the vitreous shrinks, it becomes somewhat stringy, and the strands can cast tiny shadows on the retina. These are floaters.

Floaters are more likely to develop as we age and are more common in people who are very nearsighted, have diabetes, or who have had a cataract operation. There are other, more serious causes of floaters, including infection, inflammation (uveitis), hemorrhaging, retinal tears, and injury to the
eye.

Sometimes a section of the vitreous pulls the fine fibers away from the retina all at once, rather than gradually, causing many new floaters to appear suddenly. This is called a vitreous detachment, which in most
cases is not sight threatening and requires no treatment. However, a sudden increase in floaters, possibly accompanied by light flashes or peripheral (side) vision loss, could indicate a retinal detachment.

A retinal detachment occurs when any part of the retina, the eye’s light-sensitive tissue, is lifted or pulled from its normal position at the back wall of the eye. A retinal detachment is a serious condition and should always be considered an emergency. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent visual impairment within two or three days or even blindness in the eye. Those who experience a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light in peripheral vision, or a loss of peripheral vision should have their eye doctor examine their eyes as soon as possible.

Contact lenses always feel the best when they first come out of the package. In recent history, the eye care industry has moved dramatically away from yearly disposable soft contact lenses to more frequent replacement lenses. Today, most patients wear contacts that are disposed of every two weeks to one month.

My patients often remark that their contacts feel better at the beginning of their lifespan then when they are ready to be thrown out. Many people even decide that it’s time to replace their contacts when they can’t tolerate the comfort anymore! There are several reasons for this decrease in comfort that occurs as contacts get older.

First of all, contact lens materials are porous like a sponge. This feature allows the contact to retain moisture and breath better. But these pores tend to accumulate protein and fat deposits from the tear film. Many patients will eventually develop allergies to this accumulation of biological materials leading to lens discomfort.

Secondly, many contact lenses today are made of materials that repel water. In order to make them stay wet, a coating is applied to the lens at the end of the manufacturing process. This coating makes the lens wet and slippery and thus comfortable to wear. But these coatings are not terribly stable and tend to break down with contact lens wear. As the coating wears off, the contact lens gets dry and irritating.

Finally, contact lenses accumulate other environmental debris during their lifespan. These include pollens and other particulate in the air, anything that gets into a patient’s eye and even microbial colonies. All of these things can lead to contact lens discomfort, intolerance and even infection.

Does a fresh contact every day sound like a good idea? It turns out that in other parts of the developed world, daily disposable contacts are the norm. Their popularity has soared in Europe, Japan and Australia. They’ve been available here in the US for a long time, but we’ve been slow as a country to adopt them.

But daily disposable soft contact lenses offer a number of advantages:

-They are ideal for patients who suffer with eye allergies. These lenses only ever accumulate one day’s worth of allergen particulate from the air. Every morning, the patient puts on a clean, sterile lens out of the package.

-They are ideal for patients who are sensitive to contact lens cleaning solutions because they never have to be cleaned.

-Daily wearers with dry eye also find that using a fresh lens every day tends to soothe the dryness.

-Daily wearers hardly ever have problems with infections related to contact lens wear. Every morning when you put on a daily disposable contact lens, you are starting with a sterile product.

-They are great for trips. If a person is going on a beach vacation for four days, he or she just needs to grab four or five pairs of the lenses for the trip and throw them into the suitcase. Forget remembering a contact lens case or finding a bottle of solution that is less than 2 oz. for the TSA.

As it turns out, daily disposables do cost a little more than traditional replacement lenses. But the increased cost is offset by the fact that wearers don’t have to buy solution (usually about $100/year) and all the major manufacturers are offering rebates on daily disposables. One company is even offering a $100 rebate on a year supply of their product. Contact us and we can give you more details. The added benefits are worth any increase in price.

This really is the best product on the market for people who wear contacts every day. I highly recommend it and wholeheartedly believe that daily disposables are worth the extra cost. Think about it for yourself. I’d be glad to give you a hearty free sample of them at your next appointment!