The Dreaded Air Puff Test

Almost everyone who has seen an Optometrist recently has had to endure the excruciating agony of a "gentle puff of air" to their eyes. But why?!

• Purpose:
• A screening test for glaucoma
• Measures the pressure inside your eyeball
• Increased pressure inside the eye can lead to glaucoma

• Technical term for the air puff is Non-Contact Tonometry

FAQ:
Q: Does it make a difference if I'm a fidgety Nancy? And is there an alternative test?
A: Yes and yes, Nancy! Movement can affect results. The alternative involves a drop of anesthetic and small plastic probe touching the front of your eye. This is actually the most accurate method.

Q: What is a normal pressure reading?
A: The normal range is 10 to 20

Q: What is Glaucoma?
A: Damage to the Optic Nerve often due to high pressure inside the eye compressing nerve fibers. Causes vision loss, usually starting with peripheral vision.

Q: How do I know if I have Glaucoma?
A: It is important to know the risk factors: age over 50, family history, and high intra-ocular pressure. But the only way to know is to visit your eye doctor.

Questions and comments are always welcome. Please feel free to forward this information to anyone who may find it useful.

Color Blindness

• Most people have heard of Rods and Cones in our eyes

• Cones are for color and Rods are for night vision
• There are 3 kinds of Cones: red, green, and blue
• Cones don't actually sense color, they sense wavelengths of light and these are translated by the brain in to colors

• Its actually very rare for a person to be color "blind" (unable to see colors)
• More commonly people have a color "deficiency"

• This means that one type of cones is not sensing the correct wavelength
• This result in confusion between colors

 

FAQ about Color Blindness:

Q: What is the most common color deficiency?

A: Green deficiency (medical term: Deuteranomoly) is most common. This results in difficulty with greens, reds, and mixtures of these colors.

 

Q: Is it more common in men or women?

A: Men! 8% of men have color deficiency compared to only 0.5% of women.

 

Q: How do I know if I have a color deficiency?
A: If you have difficulty distinguishing between greens, reds, or mixtures of these. Take a quick test by looking at the attached image one eye at a time. If you miss more than 2, you may have a color deficiency.

As usual, all questions and comments are greatly appreciated and feel free to pass this info on to anyone who may be interested.

 

 

 

Pink Eye

What is it?
- Pink eye (aka Viral Conjunctivitis) is a Viral infection of the thin outer covering of your eyeball
- Symptoms include: redness, burning, watering, puffy/swollen eyelids (all can last 1-2 weeks)

What causes Pink Eye?
- It is most common during cold/flu season, usually a result of people touching their eyes after coughing or sneezing

FAQ about Pink Eye:
Q: Can you get pink eye if someone farts on your pillow?
A: NO!

Q: Can you get pink eye if someone licks your face?
A: YES! (Actually had a patient with this!)

Q: What is the best way to prevent it?
A: Wash your hands. And make sure nobody licks your face.

As always, all questions and comments are welcome. And please feel free to forward this information on to anyone who may be interested.

Eye Floaters!

What are floaters?
- There is a gel that takes up most of the space inside the eye called the Vitreous
- The little dots or squiggly lines we see when looking at something bright (ex. a white wall) are areas of the vitreous that are slightly thicker thus casting shadows on the retina
- Mostly these are nothing to worry about

When are floaters significant?
- Floaters can be a sign of Vitreous Detachment or, more significantly, Retinal Detachment
- If you ever notice lots of new small floaters or a new large floater, this is something to be concerned about

 Click here to watch a funny video from The Family Guy about Floaters. Forward to the 35 sec mark.

Why Do My Eyes Itch?

Allergies

- most obvious answer, but not necessarily most common
- signs: swollen/puffy eyelids, watery eyes, bumps under eyelids (seen by your doctor), diffuse and more intense itch

Blepharitis (blepharo- = eyelids, -itis= inflammation)

- so, inflammation/irritation of eyelids, very common
- could be due to mild bacterial infection or blockage of glands at the base of eyelashes
- signs: redness along eyelid margin, itchiness usually concentrated at eyelid margin or at the corners of your eyes but not as intense as with allergies, also watery eyes

As always, your questions are welcomed and encouraged.