The Eye Practice

Watery Eyes we will see has many causes:

Lacrimal canaliculitis (also called canniculitis) is when the tear (lacrimal) drainage system, specifically, the canaliculus, gets inflamed, causing a blockage. This blockage causes the tears in your eye to reflux back into the eye, spilling over and causing watery eyes (epiphora). It is an infection that can be caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.

Canaliculitis often has more symptoms than watery eyes, although that is one sign and symptom of the infection. Other symptoms of canaliculitis include:

•    Red eyes
•    Discharge
•    Tenderness on the affected side (or both sides if both eyes are involved)

There are three major causes of canaliculitis – bacterial infections, viral infections, and fungal infections.

•    Bacterial: The most common bacteria found in cases of canaliculitis are Actinomyces israelii, although other bacteria can be responsible for the infection.

•    Viral: The most common viral infection that causes canaliculitis is a herpetic infection – namely, the herpes simplex virus.

•    Fungal: Fungal infections associated with canaliculitis are rare, but when they do occur, the culprits are typically candida or aspergillus.

 

Treatment of canaliculitis is typically successful when caught early enough. This is why it's so important to see your therapeutic optometrist as soon as you notice symptoms such as watery eyes. Of course, it doesn't mean you need to drop everything as soon as your eyes begin to water, but, if you have watery eyes that are bothering you repeatedly in a short period of time, you should get them checked out. 

If you are treated for canaliculitis, your treatment will be in two parts. The first part will include a flushing of the canaliculus to remove all the foreign material, pus, and other matter that has built up as a result of the infection. Your particular treatment will depend on what kind of infection you're experiencing.

•    Bacterial: Your eye will be irrigated with a penicillin G solution (tell your doctor if you are allergic to penicillin so alternatives can be used). Once the canaliculus is flushed, you will be given a topical solution to apply to your eyes, as well as a course of antibiotics.

•    Viral: In the case of a herpes infection, you'll be given a topical solution to apply five times a day for up to three weeks, depending on the severity of the infection.

•    Fungal: This treatment requires you to have irrigation with nystatin biweekly, as well as a nystatin ophthalmic solution applied to your eyes three times per day.

The earlier treatment begins, the better off you will be for relieving those annoying symptoms of watery eyes. At home, if your eyes are irritated and you need relief, in addition to your course of treatment, applying warm compresses help soothe the eyes and can help remove foreign material that may be contributing to your discomfort.

If your eyes are chronically watering, don't wait to find out what the problem is – seek the advice of our therapeutically qualified optometrist Dr Jim Kokkinakis as soon as possible.

Laser Eye Surgery to try and reduce the dependence on glasses has been around in Australia since 1991.

These days some people who are tired of having to wear glasses and contact lenses all the time often find themselves looking into LASIK eye surgery to correct their vision problems.

If you’re one of the many looking for an alternative to traditional vision correction, you might be wondering about LASIK and other laser eye surgeries.

Which one is best?

There are many different types of laser eye surgeries, and determining which one is “best” could be misleading. The better question might be, “which one is best for you?”

•    PRK Surgery: This is the “pre-LASIK” surgery that was developed in the 1980s. It stands for “photorefractive keratectomy,” and uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to ablate corneal tissue to reshape the cornea. Recovery takes a lot longer than with LASIK, but it is often a better alternative for patients with thin corneas.

•    LASIK: “Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis” is a popular choice for many people due to its fast recovery time (as short as a day in many cases), and reshapes the cornea with cool ultraviolet light — after creating a flap in the cornea, which can be done with a special tool called a microkeratome, or a laser. This surgery is not recommended for people with very thin corneas.

•    Wavefront LASIK: This is also known as “custom LASIK,” and follows regular LASIK procedures. It is not for people with thin corneas, but will often work for those have high degrees of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

 

•    LASEK: Standing for “laser epithelial keratomileusis,” and is different from PRK and LASIK procedurally. A thin, epithelial layer is removed prior to reshaping the cornea with a laser, and then replaced onto the surface of the eye. This surgery is for those with thin or steep corneas so much so that LASIK is inappropriate for them.

•    Epi-LASIK: While similar to both LASIK and LASEK, Epi-LASIK uses different tools in order to preserve epithelial cells. This type of surgery works best for patients who have lower degrees of myopia. The recovery time is longer than with LASIK, with final results of vision improvement sometimes taking as long as six months.

•    Bladeless LASIK: The procedure is similar to LASIK, but uses 100% lasers (femtosecond) in order to cut the corneal flap and to reshape the cornea. While complications with regular LASIK are rare, bladeless LASIK reduces the risks even further.

Currently, LASIK is not appropriate for people with presbyopia (both near and farsightedness), although PresbyLASIK is currently being developed for approval in the United States, it is approved in other countries. If you’re in the US and have presbyopia, you may want to talk to your eye care professional about getting in on a trial study. In Australia PresbyLASIK is available but success is far from guaranteed.  It compromises distance and near vision to try and get an overall independence.  Some people will love it, some people will hate it - careful assessment and boxing in of expectations are required.

Some laser surgeries for the eye are not for everybody. People with diabetes, autoimmune disorders such as AIDS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or similar disorders, or eye conditions such as glaucoma, retinal disease, cataracts, or corneal scarring, possibly would not do well with the surgery.

Discuss your personal options with Dr Jim Kokkinakis at The Eye Practice.  He has worked part-time in the largest laser centre in the country from 1996 to 2002.  During this time he was responsible for the Laser Eye Surgery education program and lectured nationally and internationally on Laser Eye Surgery - its advantages, its disadvantages, its complications and it solutions - make an appointment now for a Laser Eye Surgery Assessment on 9290 1899 or book an appointment online by <CLICKING HERE>.

Watery Eyes is another one of those common symptoms that annoys patients and practitioners.  Like dry eyes it is often ignored even though most watery eye causes have a solution if analysed and treated properly.

So why are you crying when you're not sad? The easy answer is that you have epiphora – watery eyes. The more challenging part is figuring out what causes those watery eyes!

Basically, there are two main causes of epiphora – either from a blocked tear duct, or an overproduction of tears due to irritants. Once the main cause is identified, a sub-cause has to be identified, such as canaliculitis, ectropion, conjunctivitis (allergic, bacterial, or viral), dacryocystitis, or even ingrown eyelashes, and other causes.

• Canaliculitis: Tears drain from the puncta (at the inner corner of your eye) into the canaliculus. If the canaliculus becomes inflamed or blocked, the tears will “back up” into the eye, and spill over.  The picture below shows a blocked infected canaliculus. This needs treatment with antibiotics.

• Dacryocystitis: Congenital dacryocystitis is a rare but serious condition in newborns and must be treated promptly. Dacryocystitis in adults is when the tear sac itself is inflamed, which blocks the ducts and prevents tear (lacrimal) drainage. This can cause overflow of tears ans watery eyes.

• Conjunctivitis: Allergies, bacteria, and viruses are all causes of conjunctivitis – the lining of the eyelids becomes irritated and swells – this membrane is called the conjunctiva, hence the name conjunctivitis. Watery eyes are commonly seen with this condition.

• Ingrown eyelashes: Known as trichiasis (trick-eye-ah-sis) among medical professionals, this is exactly like it sounds – the eyelash grows inward towards the the eye, and can cause infections and scarring if you do not treat it promptly.

• Ectropion: This condition should be treated right away to prevent infections and scarring to the eye. Ectropion is the name of the condition where the eyelid, typically the lower eyelid, folds inward towards the eye. It is not only the cause of watery eyes, it is also quite uncomfortable. Treatment is a simple surgery, and the outlook for patients with ectropion is good, especially if it is treated prior to corneal damage.

• Entropion is the opposite of ectropion, where the bottom lid droops down and away from the eye.  This in turn takes the puncta (drain of the eye) away from the tears of the eye, which then cannot drain away.  They overflow and watery eyes or epiphora is the consequence.  Surgery by an oculoplastic surgeon is the way to fix this problem.

• Foreign objects or eye injury: Dirt, sand, grit, pebbles, pollen, dander, and dust can get into the eye, making the tears produce in an attempt to wash out the foreign object. If the eye is injured, you will also produce tears to try to keep the eye safe.

• Dry Eyes can be a cause of watery eyes!  This sounds ridiculous but can happen when the eyes get excessively dry.  Irritation finally sets in, which them stimulates the tear gland to over produce tears.  the problem with these tears that are produced in reflex to a dry eye is that they are usually quite salty.  Patients with this condition typically complain of their eyes burning and stinging.

• Other causes: Other causes of watery eyes can include simple allergies, sleep deprivation, eyestrain, and emotional stress.

You can see that the causes of watery eyes are quite diverse, and many causes require immediate treatment to avoid damage to the eye. While the above list is not an exhaustive one, it is a list of the most common causes. Many of these causes can be treated with good results, particularly if they are treated early, before the condition has a chance to do any damage to the eye (which could result in permanent vision loss).

Tears are a necessary part of protecting the eye, but a constant overproduction can be not only annoying, but dangerous (especially if you're trying to drive) in some cases. If you're having trouble with watery eyes, consult us at The Eye Practice for a proper diagnosis and then a treatment plan.
 

Eye Injuries are serious business – and should always be considered an emergency. 

At The Eye Practice, Dr. Jim Kokkinakis has both the therapeutic training and experience to treat such injuries and to remove foreign particles that have entered the eye.

The main problem with eye injuries is that the damage that has been done may not be obvious at first. You get something in your eye at work (this is especially common among tradies) – say, either a chemical or bit of metal, and you run to an eyewash station. The eyewash station floods your eyes with water, and, hopefully, removes all the material that got into your eye. Some people will just stop there, thinking they're fine.

That's when the problems can really start.

When you ignore the potential severity of an eye injury, you are putting yourself at risk for going blind. Globally, over one million people have gone blind from eye injuries, and 90% of those injuries could have been prevented with protective eye wear, worn properly.

• Any eye injury, whether it is in your house while cleaning your floors, or just having a walkabout in your garden, is a medical emergency. Certainly, you can wash out the eyes thoroughly before you come in, in order to try to remove any large foreign bodies, but DO come in to see us. We have equipment to magnify the eye area, examine for any deeper damage or bits of debris that need to be removed, and can offer treatments that can save your eyes from further damage.

The fact is, you may not realize the injury is worse than it seems – but left untreated, and you could lose an eye.

 

Some people avoid coming in after an eye injury because they're embarrassed over how it happened. They think they've removed the chemicals or debris on their own, and just want to move on – but the problem is, fragments and chemicals that your eye can't feel could be working their way into the tissue, causing permanent damage. Once that damage is done, there is little anyone can to to help you. Swallow your pride after an eye injury, and get in to see us – we take same day appointments for just such a possibility.

Probably the most serious eye injury is an alkaline chemical burn.  Alkaline chemicals include:

• Lime
• Ammonia cleaning products
• Drain Cleaners
• Oven Cleaners

Alkaline chemical can penetrate the eye if not washed out immediately.  Potentially these could blind you.  If you get any of these products in your eyes, it is imperative to keep flushing out the affected eye with running water and get your self immediately to an eye hospital.

With the amount of eye injuries we have seen at The Eye Practice, and the many stories we've heard about how those injuries happened, we've seen and heard just about everything. Remember, we are professionals who deal with many different situations on any given day, and we want to help you protect your sight. So no worries – just come in and get treated before it's too late!

So don't wait – come in to The Eye Practice the moment an injury happens. It could literally save your sight. Call us immediately on 9290 1899.

Dry Eyes can soe serious consequences and need to be aggressively managed - sometimes by a number of different specialists.  One of these conditions, which we see a lot of at The Eye Practice is Sjogren's Syndrome.

Sjogren's Syndrome is a serious auto-immune disorder where the immune system attacks the mucus membranes. Considering you have mucus membranes throughout your whole body, this can become quite serious.  In particular Sjogren's syndrome attacks the salivary glands of the mouth and the tear glands of the eyes.  Dry mouth and dry eyes are the most common symptoms.

Many eye doctors wind up working in conjunction with Rheumatologists in order to make sure our patients with Sjogren's are getting the best treatments possible for their symptoms and complications. Sometimes, patients don't even know they have Sjogren's, until they see their eye doctor – and we ask about any other potential systemic problems. Once the assessment has been made, we can refer you to a Rheumatologist for a proper evaluation.

       

The major characteristic of Sjogren's Syndrome, and the reason we see patients with this disorder, is dry eye. In severe cases, or during a flare-up (when the eye is under attack from the immune system), corneal inflammation can occur, along with other issues, such as blepharitis.

Relief for dry eye from Sjogren's Syndrome is possible. There are several measures that can help, that can be done in our office, and when you get home from your treatments.

•    LipiFlow® Treatments – These treatments are done in office with a patented medical device that uses heat and vibrations to soften and loosen blockages from the meibomian glands to increase the lipid layer output into the tear film. We hope to have this device at The Eye Practice in the near future.

•    Moisture goggles – like the Blephasteam goggles we've talked about in the past, these goggles use warm steam to add water to the tear film, and encourage proper meibomian gland function.

•    Antibiotic gels – With dry eye caused by Sjogren's Syndrome, eye infections become common, and conjunctivitis is often seen as a complication. Antibiotic gels and drops are used to control infections, and provide relief to the eyes. These need to be preservative free as preservatives of any type can cause severe irritation in Sjogren's syndrome.

•    Cyclosporine – These drops encourage aqueous tear production – it is an immunomodulator that decreases swelling in the eye.

•    Warm compresses – Once you've been treated for dry eye, you can use warm compresses to help alleviate any additional eye discomfort. Use at bedtime and upon awakening for five minutes in order to get continued relief.

•    Over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops – Drops recommended by your eye doctor can help keep your eyes comfortable when you have Sjogren's – prevention of discomfort is much better than trying to treat the discomfort once it returns! These also must not have preservatives.

•    Eye hygiene – Avoid getting eye creams and lotions too close to your eyelids, as they can irritate the eye. Remove eye makeup completely every night, and never sleep with eye makeup on – this will help reduce risk of infections. Additionally, make sure that you wash your eyelids with proper eyelid cleansers.

•    Special lenses – People with Sjogren's Syndrome related dry eye have a tendency to be photosensitive – meaning bright lights are a hazard. Lenses with an FL-41 filter can help diminish the intensity of sunlight.

If you have Sjogren's Syndrome, or want help with chronic dry eye, give us a call on 9290 1899 or click here to book an appointment.

Eye Strain (or Asthenopia) and productivity at work are inversely related. In other words when people work too closely at their computers without appropriate breaks and proper measures to minimize eye strain, productivity plummets. When people take breaks and use appropriate measures to make sure eye strain is kept at bay, productivity soars. It's easy to remember with a simple little formula:

Eye Strain = Productivity Down

No Eye Strain = Productivity Up

Really, it's that simple.

But some people think that taking extra breaks means taking time away from important work, and, therefore, stick to their computers like glue. Unfortunately, this is counterproductive – the exact opposite is the truth.

Recent Studies Prove Eye Strain and Productivity at Work are Related

A recent study from the United States, published by their National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), showed that, in addition to their traditional two fifteen-minute breaks in an eight-hour workday, workers who took four extra five-minute breaks during their work time (and stepped away from their computers) had reduced eye strain. These additional breaks did not interfere with productivity, either – they were able to increase their productivity so that work output was maintained appropriately. Therefore, even with an added 20 minutes of break time, these workers performed better than those who did not take such breaks (and subsequently suffered from eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome).

The breaks that you take to reduce eye strain can not only save your vision, but they can increase your productivity. Give it a thought – if your eyes are tired, you have an eye strain headache, and you generally feel unwell, you're going to work more slowly, with increased errors, and just not do a very bang-up job. However, if you take short breaks, get up, stretch, look at things off in the distance, then when you return to your tasks, you'll be feeling good.

If you feel good, you work better, make fewer mistakes, and even work more quickly.

 

Other ways to Reduce Eye Strain while Increasing Productivity at Work

Keep in mind that frequent breaks are only part of the solution to minimizing eye strain and increasing productivity at work. As we've discussed in previous posts, there are many things that can be done to reduce the impact of eye strain and your work productivity. Eye exercises, adjusting your computer's brightness and refresh rate, and adjusting your posture when working at the computer are all ways to reduce eye strain and Computer Vision Syndrome.

In addition to these methods, remember, there are also specialized glasses that can be worn to help your eyes read your computer screen more comfortably, minimize glare, reduce blue light, and hold more moisture to your eyes while you work.

If your eyes even have a small prescription, having this made and used routinely can help immensely in the work place.  It normally will not be a problem if you are reading or doing computer work for a small time like half an hour, but when we are concentrating all day, we just run out of energy to keep going.

These things should all be used together in order to increase your eye comfort, curb or eliminate eye strain, and increase your ability to work well. Call us on 9290 1899 for help with your eye strain problems.

Dry Eyes on average tends to be treated using some sort of eye drop or just ignored by most practitioners.  What has become clear is that in very mild cases this is satisfactory but when the dry eyes become moderate to severe treating with eye drops is no where near enough.

Treating Dry Eyes – Some Novel Approaches

If you've ever experienced dry eye, you know how uncomfortable it can be – it can sting and burn, and just be generally uncomfortable. It's pretty hard to live with!
There are a lot of new treatments for dry eye that provide relief, that we've mentioned in previous posts. Below is a look at three of the most unique treatments we've discussed before, with a deeper look at them.

Punctal Plugs

Punctal plugs keep eyes moistened by blocking the drainage ducts in the eye through the tear ducts (“puncta” plural, “punctum” singular). This is just like placing a plug in your bathtub – it keeps the water in the tub – and punctal plugs keep tears in the eye. The procedure is often referred to as “punctal occlusion.”

The first step to see if punctal plugs will be a good solution for dry eye is to test them with temporary plugs made from collagen. Collagen dissolves in about 24-48 hours, and it's how we test your eyes to see if they will be adequately moistened without causing tears to overflow (a condition called “epiphora”). If you respond well to the plugs, then permanent, silicone plugs are put in place. After some initial discomfort from the insertion (soreness), many patients report their dry eye has been relieved.

Meibomian Gland Expression

With evaporative dry eye, there is typically a blockage or dysfunction of the meibomian gland – the gland that produces the oily level (lipid level) of tears. Using simple tools, such as cotton swabs and topical anesthetics, meibomian gland expression can be done in the office by squeezing and massaging the upper and lower eyelids. By doing this, the meibomian gland will release its plugged areas, and wash away the “gunk” and pus left behind. 

There is usually some discomfort for about a day after the procedure, with stinging and pus production. Luckily, that can be relieved with eye wash and topical steroid and antibiotic combinations.

  

LipiView® and LipiFlow®

Now there is an even better solution for those who benefit from meibomian gland expression – in a two-part diagnostic and treatment process. First, the medical device called LipiView® is used to get a view of the tear film of the eye. The imaging device is painless, and uses a type of analysis called interferometry. In other words, the device can see the clear tear film on the eye and help us interpret the cause of the dry eye.

The next phase is treatment – which is where LipiFlow® comes in – to treat meibomian gland dysfunction. The device is placed over the eye and uses heat and pulsations to massage and open the glands, which unblocks the glands, allowing the lipid layer of tears to return to normal. It is comparably painless and gives patients great relief.

 

Currently we are investigating this unique technology and hope to bring it to The Eye Practice.  We will be the first in the country to start offering this treatment, as not only is dry eye a huge issue for many people, it can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful contact lens wear and laser eye surgery success. 

We can help you find the right solution if you're suffering with dry eye – call us on 9290 1899 or click here to book an appointment. 

Eye strain or asthenopia headaches are a big complaint for patients who come to visit us with eye problems. They have dry, weary eyes, and the headaches are sometimes pretty severe. Eye strain headaches are a type of tension headache, and it is felt mostly at the eye area and in the back of the head. Sometimes, the headache can radiate pain into the neck and upper shoulders.

The Role of Glasses in Eye Strain

Luckily, there are some ways that your glasses can help with eye strain headaches – if you come in and get the right prescription.

Some people opt to get their glasses coated with an anti-reflective coating, which helps minimize glare on your lenses. For some of our younger patients, this coating is enough to reduce eyestrain, as long as they continue to do things like frequent eye breaks, exercises, and other preventive measures to ease their eyes.

For those of us who are not so young or not disciplined enough, or have other circumstances that prevent us from taking frequent breaks from our close-up work, there are specialized computer glasses.

With eye strain, the use of glasses – that is, customized glasses that work for the up-close and specific work done with computers – can minimize eye strain, eliminate headaches, and help relieve the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is the major cause of eye strain that we see in our office these days...and the use of glasses can help.

There are number of myths:

1. I had better not get glasses as the will make my eyes lazy and then make my eyes worse - WRONG.

2. I had better get glasses as by getting eye strain it will make my eyes worse - WRONG.

Eye strain is related to myopia but it doesn't make your eyes weak.  The link between myopia and near work is a big story and deserves it's own post.

What's so special about computer glasses?

Computer glasses are made to reduce blue light from our monitors. They are yellow tinted and reduce the effect of blue light that contributes to eye strain. Furthermore, computer glasses enhance the “intermediate” viewing area – which is usually 60 to 61cm from worker to screen – so that viewing is more comfortable, and the eyes can relax. Additionally, computer glasses are also curved around the eye, which tends to hold more moisture to the eye – and is corrective for computer related dry eye. While that's not necessarily eye strain...it sure does make sitting at your computer more comfortable (particularly if you wear contact lenses).

But before you go running about to get a pair of these glasses, make sure you have a comprehensive eye exam completed, to make sure that the problem really is eye strain due to computer use. There are a variety of reasons for eye strain and eye strain headaches, and if CVS isn't one of them, then glasses will not likely help. The next problem is that the best glasses that have been designed are called Gunnar - they have yet to come to Australia.  You still can get yellow lenses but the Gunnar have a number of superior qualities.  We will discuss these in a future post.

However, for those of you who have eye strain (also known as asthenopia) from too many hours in front of the computer at work, at home, and too many video games, the use of glasses can make a big change in your eye comfort. Give us a call on 9290 1899, or click here to make an appointment.

Dry Eyes are involved in at least 50% of the consultations we see at The Eye Practice.

As we said in a previous article, dry eye can be from a lack of lacrimal gland production, resulting in a lack of water in the eye, or a lack of meibomian gland function, resulting in a lack of oil in tears, which leads to dry eye. Another previous article discussed aqueous deficiency dry eye – the lack of water. Now, we look at oil deficient dry eye – also known as Evaporative Dry Eye.

What is Evaporative Dry Eye?

Evaporative Dry Eye is a dysfunction seen in the meibomian gland in the eyelids – the glands that give tears their slick, oily consistency. When these glands malfunction, tears wind up being too watery, and therefore, they evaporate too quickly. This rapid evaporation results in dry eye.

The meibomian gland produces what is known as the lipid layer of tears – it is a fatty and oily discharge, or secretion, that is supposed to prevent the aqueous (water) layer from rapid evaporation. Now you know that when the meibomian glands are damaged, they will not produce the lipid layer efficiently. This creates an imbalance, and a perfect formula for Evaporative Dry Eye.

A common cause of Evaporative Dry Eye is blepharitis – a chronic type of eyelid inflammation which is based at the eyelash follicles, and often results in meibomian gland dysfunction. Blepharitis symptoms are red, crusty eyelids with swelling, itching, and burning.

Obstructed meibomian glands, either by inflammation or by sebum plugging up the glands, is the main reason Evaporative Dry Eye occurs. 

What you can do about Evaporative Dry Eye

It's important to find out what's causing your meibomian glands to malfunction in order to get the right treatments done to bring you relief. Drops won't solve everything. In fact the best they can do is just mask the underlying problem.  Often dry eye patients will say that the drops help but 10 minutes later their eyes are irritating again.

Sometimes, warm compresses and eyelid massages can alleviate the symptoms. If you come into the office, we can have a closer look at the meibomian glands and expel anything that's plugging them up, such as sebum.

Other treatments for Evaporative Dry Eye include macrolides – anti-inflammatory antibiotics – a course of steroids along with antibiotics, and special formulas of artificial tears that have certain types of oil have helped ease the discomfort of Evaporative Dry Eye. Currently, macrolides are seeing an increase in use for this condition, due to their highly effective anti-inflammatory properties.

A new technique to treat Evaporative Dry Eye while in the office is the use of a thermal pulsation system. By simultaneously delivering heat to the inside of the eyelid, and massage to the outside of the eyelid, any blockages can be removed from the meibomian glands, providing you with relief.

If you have dry eye, even if you don't know which form, we'd be happy to help you. Call us on 9290 1899 or click here to book an appointment.

Eye Strain is part and parcel of our computer driven society today.

There is compiling evidence that eye strain and myopia are related – in that prolonged, repetitive eye strain can not only cause myopia, but make it worse.

Understanding Myopia

Myopia is often referred to as “nearsightedness or short-sightedness.”  It means that your eye has too much optical power for its length. That means you can see perfectly well when things are up close, but when you look at things that are far away, they are blurry.

Understanding the Eye Strain Connection

There are many layers of anecdotal evidence that show a connection with eye strain and the progression of myopia. Look at people who work with computers for extended periods of time, or who are crafts people who sew a lot, or voracious readers who always have a book or e-book in hand. More often than not, you see they are wearing some kind of corrective lenses – and, when asked, they'll tell you they are nearsighted.

The connection is seeming to become clear to many of us – the eye strain caused from up close work links directly to the progression of nearsightedness. But this is no longer staying in the realm of anecdotal evidence – more and more experts are beginning to understand that eye strain can not only make myopia worse, but it can be a contributing factor.

The Running Metaphor

A long ways back, a doctor of optometry compared eyestrain and the progression of myopia to walking.

Using your eyes is like using your legs – when you use either one of these parts, it is like exercising. Looking at something far away is like a walk in a garden. It's easy and doesn't stress out your body.

Looking at something closer, like a television, is more like walking quickly. You can do it with very few side effects and hardships on your body. But looking at things up close, like computer screens, is like taking a jog or a run – you can only do it for so long before it wears out your body. Even a marathon runner has to stop and rest sometime.

Your eyes are the same way. Straining them through up-close work wears them out, and makes it harder to focus on distant objects. Keep pushing your eyes to exercise with too much work up close, and myopia will start to blossom.

One of the symptoms we look for when making a diagnosis of myopia is whether or not you've been experiencing eyestrain. We also ask if you've been working with computers and doing other up close activities. Eye discomfort, squinting, and blurred vision when looking into the distance are all signs of myopia. It is therefore not difficult to see a connection between eye strain and the development and progression of myopia, is it?

If you're having any of the symptoms of myopia, and you often have eye strain or headaches, give us a call on 9290 1899, and we'll be happy to help you find the problem and a solution.

Possible solutions include:

• Glasses
• Contact Lenses
• Orthokeratology
• Eye Exercises

Only a careful eye examination can reveal what the best and most efficient treatment options will be.