Common Refractive Errors

These conditions affect how the eye is shaped. Emmetropia is a normal shaped eye with correct refraction. 

Symptoms of refractive errors can be:

• Squinting
• Eyestrain
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Blurry or fuzzy vision
• Headaches

Common refractive errors can be corrected by eyeglasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery.

Annual eye exams are recommended every year before age 18, and after age 65, every two years in between. Unless a medical or eye problem occurs that requires more frequent attention.

To avoid these common disorders and injury to the eye:

•  Regular Eye Exams
• Wear protective eyewear
• Take breaks during screen time
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Limit alcohol intake

To schedule a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Wendel go online: Click here or call (412) 788-1288

Sources:

www.clevelandclinic.org

www.health.ny.gov

www.pearlevision.com

Photo source: www.eyedoctorophthalmologistnyc.com

 

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

 

 

Halloween Eye Safety Tips

With costumes appearing earlier this year, it's important to stay informed about Halloween eye safety before shopping.

• Take precautions with Halloween makeup around the eyes. Check the ingredients, as some products may irritate the skin or eyes. Avoid applying products inside the lash line or using glitter near the eyes—craft glitter, especially, may have harmful particles. Glitter can cause eye injuries, lead to infections, or trigger allergic reactions.

• Costume accessories such as wands or swords can be hazardous. Choose short, soft, flexible accessories made of foam to reduce risk.

• Halloween masks. These are always fun but be sure they are well-fitting, so they don’t block vision. Masks can become a hazard because they can cause blocked visual fields or loss of depth perception. trick-or-treaters. In addition to being able to see your best, it’s just as important to stay seen if you go out after dark, especially in costume. Bring a flashlight or glowsticks along to help you see where you are going and stay visible to cars. If possible, wear bright or reflective clothing. 

• Contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription from an eye doctor; in fact, it is illegal for retailers to sell them. Even for cosmetic use. If you do happen to get these contacts illegally. The damage that can be done is sometimes severe and irreversible. They are dangerous; everyone’s eye has a unique shape, and a professional ensures the lenses are the correct size and curvature for your eye.

• Bacterial contamination. Hygiene should be practiced with costume contact lenses, as you would with regular contact lenses. As germs can infect the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, it is often caused by poor contact lens hygiene, leading to serious eye infections. 

• Lack of oxygen- A lack of oxygen to the eye from contact lens wear, known as corneal hypoxia, is a common complication that can lead to corneal swelling, blurry vision, and potentially more serious issues like corneal ulcers.

• Inferior materials, plastic, and pigments have lead that can leach into the eyes.

Many of these possible consequences are a scary price to pay just for the best costume.

Sources:

www.thenewyorkeyedoctor.com

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

www.aao.org

Photo Sources:

www.riverdaleeyecare.com

www.amazon.com

www.creatingcreatives.com

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

 

Hydration for the Eyes

 

Dehydration is a condition that is caused by the loss of 

fluid from the body. It occurs when you’re losing more fluids than you're taking in, and your body doesn't have enough fluid to function properly.

Dehydration can be mild to life-threatening. Get to the ER at once if you experience: 

• Confusion
• Fainting
• Lack of urination
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Shock

It is well known that dehydration can cause dry skin and lips and can also harm the kidneys and other organs. What most people don’t know is that not drinking enough water can make the moist surfaces in your body dry out. This includes the surface of your eyes.

Dehydration causes a condition called tear hyperosmolarity, which is high levels of salt in tears.

The body’s response to a lack of hydration can be:

• Dry eye, cataracts, reflective changes, and retinal vascular disease
• Burning eyes, sensitivity to light, and the feeling of a foreign body in the eye.
• Certain medications can also cause dehydration.
• Dehydration can cause dark circles and sunken eyes.
• Dry, red, and irritated eyes.
• Blurred and double vision
• Eyesight is critically dependent on healthy blood flow; dehydration restricts blood flow.
• The cornea can become cloudy from too little water

Conditions that may cause the body to need more hydration:

• Diabetes
• Thyroid problems
• Sjogren's disease
• Addison’s disease

Dehydration can cause these problems with the eyes:

• Dark circles and sunken eyes.
• Dry, red and irritated eyes.
• Blurred and double vision.
• Eyesight is critically dependent on healthy blood flow dehydration can restrict blood flow to the eyes.
• Dry eye
• The cornea can become cloudy from too little hydration.

The body‘s other physical responses to loss of fluid includes:

• Thirst
• Dry mouth
• Decreased urine output
• Muscle cramps
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Sleepiness
• Lack of tear production, which leads to dry eye and eye strain.

To prevent dehydration stay hydrated:

• Drink plenty of water
• Drink a sports type of drink to help replenish electrolytes
• Reduce the intake of caffeine: alcohol, high protein, foods, and excess salt.

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

Eye Movement

Eye movement encompasses both voluntary and involuntary movements of the eyes.

There are four basic types of eye movement: 

• Saccades
• Smooth pursuit movements
• Vergence movements 
• Vestibulo-ocular movements

Saccades are rapid, jerky movements of the eyes that shift focus from one point to another, such as when reading or during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep. These movements can be performed voluntarily but mostly occur automatically to adjust for areas without vision receptors.

Smooth pursuit movement is the ability of the eyes to track a target that typically moves along smoothly. During these movements, the nervous system tries to maintain the velocity of the eye at the same level as the velocity of the target.

Vergence movements are slow, simultaneous movements of both eyes in opposite directions (toward or away from each other) to maintain focus on objects at different distances, helping with depth perception.

Vestibulo-ocular movements are automatic adjustments of the eyes that stabilize vision during head movements. Controlled by the inner ear, they help maintain clear vision and support coordination during activities that involve movement.

Sources:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.imotions.com

www.sciencedirect.com

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare

 

Iconic Eyewear in Movie History 4

1. Abigail Breslin as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine
2.  Robert Wagner as Number 2 in Austin Powers
3.  Jonathan Lipinicki in Stuart Little
4. Brendon Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody in Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
5.  Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York

 

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

#PittsburghEyeCare