July 23rd, 2010
Dr. Dennis Francis
Pterygium
The two terms “pterygium” and “pinguecula” describe similar changes to the eye. Both “”pterygium” and “pinguecula” are extremely common and most often affect patients who have frequent exposure to sunlight. Both changes are almost always located in the 3- and/or 9-o’clock position.
Most often, pinguecula and pterygium cause no symptoms, however, redness, tearing, eye-irritation, and decreased vision are possible.
The best way to avoid the development of either a pinguecula and pterygium is to avoid excessive sunlight exposure and wear good ultraviolet sunglasses when outdoors. Lubrication drops to prevent dry eyes will also help prevent irritation due to a pinguecula or pterygium.
A pingueclua is a slightly elevated, yellow-white spot on the white part of the eye. Pterygium are triangular “wing-shaped” sheets of white tissue that extend onto the cornea, obscuring the colored part of the eye.
Pinguecula
The doctors at Iowa EyeCare are experts at diagnosing pinguecula and pterygium. We can help you with selection of lubrication eyedrops and proper sunglass protection. All lubrication eyedrops and sunglasses are NOT created equal. Click here to schedule an appointment with the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare. You may also call 319-377-2222.
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July 20th, 2010
By Dr. David Christensen
When vision becomes significantly worse due to an opacity within the natural lens of the eye, it is called a cataract (Click here to learn more about cataracts). Once a cataract has been formed it does not get better on its own or with medications. The only solution is to remove the opacified lens from the affected eye. The removal of the intra-ocular lens is performed by a cataract surgeon.
Before surgery is performed the eye must be measured extensively. Only detailed measurements of the eye will produce a quality surgical result. The cataract surgeon will also review your medical history and any medications you may be taking, as these factors may influence the risk of complication.
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, most cataract surgeries are performed in out-patient clinics. Occasionally, high-risk patients are scheduled to have cataract surgery in a hospital.
During cataract surgery a small incision is made in the cornea (a clear window in front of the colored part of the eye). The opacified lens is then broken-down and swept away by a specialized surgical instrument. Finally, a new intra-ocular lens is implanted into the space where the old lens once existed.
After your surgery, frequent follow up visits with your eye doctor are required. Additionally, a regimen of eye-drop medications must be strictly followed.
The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are experts at the diagnosis of cataracts and can tell you when it is time to consider surgery. Click here to schedule an appointment at one of our Cedar Rapids, Marion, or Robins, Iowa eye clinic locations. You may also call 319-377-2222.
Tags: cataracts
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July 16th, 2010
By Dr. David Christensen
Just about everyone will get cataracts if they have enough birthdays. What most people don’t realize is that there is more than one type of cataract and that they can be caused by more than just getting older.
Nuclear Sclerosis Cataract
Cataracts are a clouding of the intra-ocular lens. The lens of the eye helps us adjust our focus from distance to near and is positioned just behind the colored part of the eye. The lens protects the eye from harmful UV sunlight and is a major component to the optical system of the eye. Without the intra-ocular lens, an individual with no glasses prescription would instead be about +20.00 dipoters farsighted.
Cataracts may be caused by age, genetics, trauma, drugs, metabolic disease (such as diabetes or hypothyroidism), eye-disease (such as uveitis), infections, or poor ocular development. The risk for developing a cataract is even higher for individuals who smoke, endure prolonged sun exposure (such as having an outdoor occupation), dehydration and chronic diarrhea.
The most common type of cataract is called nuclear sclerosis. This is just a general yellowing of the lens, usually due to aging. Another type of cataract is a cortical wedge-shaped or spoke-like cataract. Cortical cataracts are also common for the aging individual. Traumatic blunt-force injuries to the eye may cause star-shaped cataracts. Posterior subcapsular cataracts are located at the back, inside-surface of the intraocular lens. These cataracts can be the most devastating and often result in very poor vision.
Traumatic Cataract
The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are experts at the diagnosis of cataracts. Click here to schedule an appointment at one of our Cedar Rapids, Marion, or Robins locations. You may call 319-377-2222.
Tags: cataracts, sunglasses
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July 9th, 2010
By Dr. Ryan Nelson & Dr. Dennis Francis
Dr. Ryan Nelson
Take it from a couple of eye doctors who are avid bass fisherman: Your eyes are more important than any tackle or technique when bass fishing in Iowa.
A quality pair of polarized sunglasses are an angler’s most overlooked investment. A good pair of sunglasses will help you with better lure placement, detection of underwater cover and structure, underwater topography, and even the fish themselves. If you have not tried a quality pair of sunglasses on for yourself, you need to do so. The difference is incredible.
A quality pair of sunglasses from Iowa EyeCare can help you catch more fish. Iowa EyeCare can help you with both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses for fishing, driving, or other recreational (or occupational) activities. Don’t waste your money on sunglasses from a convenience store. Cheap sunglasses may even say “polarized” but they often just have components that imitate true polarization. In addition, convenience store sunglasses often have warped lenses that can cause distortion and eyestrain. A quality pair of sunglasses will hold up well to tough weather conditions like rain and heat.
Some of my favorite sun-glass brands are Bolle and Serengeti. Iowa EyeCare carries a huge stock of both brands, as well as sunglasses that can attach-to or fit over your current frame.
Dr. Dennis Francis
In open water, direct and indirect UV exposure is abundant, regardless of the weather. UV light has been linked to premature cataracts and macular degeneration among other ocular complications. Polarized sunglasses eliminate glare off the water and reduce the direct UV entering the eye, thus reducing your risk for advanced eye disease.
Eye protection is never taken seriously until something happens to you. Bass fishing involves sharp, weighted, fast-moving, flying objects… a true recipe for disaster. Don’t gamble with your eyes.
Read more about sunglasses in this article from bassresource.com:
The Shining Points of Sunglasses by Mike Iaconelli
Tags: fishing, sports vision, sunglasses
Posted in General Eye Care, glasses | No Comments »
June 25th, 2010
Iowa EyeCare is committed to giving our patients the very best services and products, including high quality eyeglasses and prescription lenses. This includes High Index options for lighter, thinner lenses that improve the comfort and function of your glasses.
Iowa EyeCare has new high-index materials that bend light more efficiently than the conventional plastic lenses. This means less material can be used in high-index lenses to correct the same amount of prescription.
What is index of refraction?
For Nerds Only
The index of refraction of a lens is a measure of ability to bend light. Index of refraction is determined by the material in which it is made. For the nerds reading this, you’ll be interested to know the refractive index equation: Refractive Index = velocity of light in a vacuum / velocity of light in medium… the bottom line… the higher the refractive index of a lens material, the thinner a corrective lens can be made.
High Index (left) verses Conventional Plastic (right)
The higher your prescription, the more important high-index material becomes. Iowa EyeCare also recommends this material for certain frame styles. Ask the expert frame stylists at Iowa EyeCare about high index lenses in your next pair of glasses.
Iowa EyeCare is located in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa. Click here to schedule an appointment with one of our talented eye doctors.
Tags: children's vision, glasses, high index, vision correction
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June 17th, 2010
MDD Test for Macular Degeneration
Iowa EyeCare is now using another new technology to help us better detect eye disease affecting central vision, including age-related macular degeneration. It’s called the MDD-2 Macular Adaptometer. MDD stands for Macular Degeneration Detection.
The MDD-2 differs measures the function of the macula, making it different from other equipment that take images of the tissue to determine presence of macular degeneration.
The MDD-2 Macular Adaptometer is a hand-held medical instrument that measures photostress recovery. This macular degeneration test takes less than 5 minutes to test both eyes, it is not invasive, and the results of the test are immediate.
The optometrists at Iowa EyeCare also endorse the use of MacuHealth dietary supplements that include lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin. Pigment located in the macula comes from plant compounds called carotenoids. Carotenoids help by filtering light and neutralizing harmful free radicals. These supplements are now available for purchase at either our Cedar Rapids, Robins, and Marion, Iowa, locations.
Protect your eyes from vision loss due to macular degeneration by scheduling an appointment with an eye doctor at Iowa EyeCare in Cedar Rapids, Marion, or Robins, Iowa.
Tags: eye protection, macular degeneration
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June 2nd, 2010
I was listening to Iowa Public Radio when this broadcast caught my attention. It is about a boy from Waterloo, Iowa, seeking care for Batten Disease at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
Nick’s Story
Nicholas Wellner
On February 11, 2008, at the age of six, Nicholas Wellner was diagnosed with Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis or easier said, Batten Disease. Batten Disease is an inherited, degenerative neurological disease that mostly affects young children. At this time there is no cure or treatment and the disease is always fatal.
Nicholas has always been our most energetic child! We always loved to watch him play football with his brother in our back yard. With his energy and strength we thought we had the next NFL star. Unfortunately, that has all changed.
Currently, Nicholas has lost most of his vision, he has daily behavioral challenges and has slight memory and learning difficulties. But what lies in Nick’s future is even more heart wrenching. He will eventually begin to have seizures, his memory loss will become greater and finally he will loose his mobility.
Nicholas’ life expectancy is late teens to early 20’s.
With continued awareness and fundraising efforts, we know we will find A Cure for Nick!
Click to listen to the newscast: Iowa researchers working on Batten Disease
Click to learn more about Batten Disease: Batten Disease Research Association
Tags: children's vision
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May 25th, 2010
Eye Allergies
What are Allergies?
Allergic reactions occur when the eye over-reacts to pollen, molds, dust, or pet dander, the body thinks is dangerous. Approximately 30-50% of the Iowa population has allergic symptoms of some kind. Allergic symptoms of the eye include redness, watering, itching.
These eye symptoms may or may not be accompanied by runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fatigue, or headache.
Allergy Treatment
The diagnosis of eye allergies is not always straight forward. Let one of the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa, examine your eyes to be certain you are not suffering from an infection and help you choose the best treatment for your eyes.
The simplest solution to eye allergies is to avoid the offending agent. Keep your living environment clean of allergens. Always wear sunglasses when outdoors. Wrap-around sunglasses will shield your eyes from allergens. Limit time spent outdoors on days when the pollen count is high.
When eyes are chronically affected by allergies an eye drop medication may be necessary to fully relieve allergy symptoms. Several types of anti-allergy medications exist by prescription. The experienced eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare will evaluate the tissues of the eye and recommend the best therapy for your eyes. Schedule an appointment today.
Tags: eye allergy, eye care tips
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May 16th, 2010
By Dr. Ryan Nelson
Did you know that every eye is unique and could be used to identify individuals. This uniqueness of the eye is similar to a fingerprint. The retinal blood vessels enter the back of the eye through an opening in the optic nerve (the cord that takes visual information from the eye toward visual center in the brain). The retinal blood vessels extend throughout the back, inside-surface of the eye in a branching tree-like pattern. Every eye has a unique blood vessel pattern, which should stay the same throughout ones lifetime.
Your retinal blood vessels should be viewed every year by an eye doctor. The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare use these blood vessels as clues for diagnosing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other whole-body diseases. In these instances, and many others, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and macular degeneration, the inside of the eye can change slightly in its appearance.
Iowa Boer Meat Goat
The use of retinal scans for identification is not widely practiced. For livestock, however, these scans are commonplace. In fact, 4-H meat goats, sheep and beef cattle are scanned when individuals intend to show them for the Linn County Fair and Iowa State Fair. This practice ensures that the same animal being raised and shown, and that no switching of animals has occured.
Tags: disease, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retina
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May 9th, 2010
The TearLab™ Osmolarity system is the first instrument in the next generation of dry eye diagnosis technologies. Tear osmolaritycan be defined as the concentration of particles in the tears. Dry Eye is caused by decreased tear production, increased tear evaporation or abnormal lipid production. Each of these causes creates an ocular surface with increased tear osmolarity. High osmolarity correlates with severe dry eye. The TearLab™ Osmolarity system is the size of a telephone and absorbs a tiny tear sample to measure the osmolarity in less than 30 seconds. The TearLab™ Osmolarity insturment will contribute to the diagnosis of dry eye, allowing early therapeutic intervention and better long-term results.
Dry Eye is a common problem of the ocular surface. Symptoms of dry eye include burning, redness, watering, foreign-body sensation, itchiness, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. The TearLab™ Osmolarity system is designed to better qualify and diagnose dry eye through a simple, easy and safe tear osmolarity analysis. Other clinical methods of dry eye diagnosis are only able to correctly diagnose dry eye 25-33% of the time. TearLab™ Osmolarity technology has an astonishing predictive value of 87%!
Iowa EyeCare is the only eye care clinic in eastern Iowa and in the Cedar Rapids community to have this new TearLab™ Osmolarity technology. Iowa EyeCare is now participating in a clinical study to evaluate dry eye and measure the advantages of the TearLab™ Osmolarity system. Iowa EyeCare has been the leader for innovation and cutting-edge technology in Iowa for over 30 years.
To learn about the TearLab™ Osmolarity system and dry eye treatment, schedule an appointment with one of the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare.
Tags: Dry Eye
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