Welcome to the La Jolla Optique Blog!

March 4, 2010 - Webmaster

In an effort to provide more service and value, we have established a blog to inform you of the latest trends in optics.  Please bookmark this page for news, announcements, and information on eye care and fashion.

~ Presbyopia?  My Arms Just Are Not Long Enough Anymore

During my career in eye care I have encountered many patients who think there is something horribly wrong with there eyes because "all of a sudden I can\'t see up close."  Or "my arms aren\'t long enough to read the paper," or "the light is not bright enough in here for me to read this."  This patient is typically early to mid forties in age and has always had perfect or near perfect vision.  The true cause of the inability to see clearly at near during an average patients mid life years is a process called presbyopia ...a completely normal process!  Any person born with 20/20 distance vision or corrected to have this vision (through glasses, contacts, or refractive surgery), in general will begin to lose their ability to see up close in their early to mid forties.  The reason the phenomenon of presbyopia occurs is due to the simple fact that the lens inside the eye never stops growing!  In our early to mid forties the lens has grown large enough in size that even though the muscles inside the eye still flex normally, the lens is too large to be adjusted, so the lens is basically stuck in it\'s distance viewing position.  The process begins as a gradual reduction in quality of the uncorrected near vision in our forties, to full dependence on a correction for near in our late fifties on up.  Fortunately this is mostly just an annoyance and is easily corrected with progressive addition lenses or simply a pair of reading glasses. 

~ The Impact of UltraViolet Protection on Eye Health

A lot of attention in the media has been devoted to the prevention of skin cancer and premature aging due to excessive sun exposure.  Unfortunately, there is little public awareness regarding the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on our most precious commodity ....our vision!  The eyeball and the eyelid cam be damaged in a variety of ways from UV exposure:  early clouding of the lens inside the eye (cataract), vascular growth on the surface of the eye causing changes in vision or scarring of the cornea (pinguecula or pterygium), acceleration of eye disease that can severely impact vision (macular degeneration), and cancer of the eyelid (basal cell carcinoma).

Fortunately, there is something extremely simple you can do to minimize or prevent the harmful effects of sun exposure on the eyes....wear sunglasses!  A quality pair of sunglasses can certainly minimize the amount of harmful UV-A or UV-B radiation striking the eye.  So remember, don\'t just grab the sunscreen on the way outside ...make sure those sunglasses are on your face!

~Should I buy my contacts online?

Let us discuss the pros and cons of purchasing your contact lenses through an online or wharehouse based distributor. What many patients do not realise is the value they are getting by purchasing their lenses from their eye care professional. When fitted with contacts and followed by your Doctor, the patient is ensured that they will get their contact lens order filled correctly from the manufacturer and that the quality is maintained. Furthermore, if the prescription fluctuates or changes during the course of the year, the unopened boxes can be exchanged for the new updated prescription. Often times an online distributor will attempt to contact the Doctor to verify the prescription (usually in the span of eight hours), and if no response is returned, the prescription is filled anyway. Would you want a pharmacy to fill a prescription without verifying it with your M.D.? I sure would not. Also, you do not know where the contacts originated from? There has been speculation in a few cases of ocular infection regarding online contact lens orders (possible contamination). Make no mistake ....contacts are a medical device and should be treated as such. Contact measurement, fitting, and dispensing, should be handled by your Doctor, not a faceless disconnected internet ordering system.

~Cataracts ...I have a film over my eye!

Contrary to popular belief, cataracts are actually a clouding of the lens on the inside of the eye.  Cataracts are a relatively benign condition and only require surgical intervention if the best corrected vision is impaired to the point that the patient has trouble doing visually related tasks or is unable to enjoy their hobbies or leisure activities.  The surgical correction of cataracts involves making a small incision in the cornea (the clear portion of the eye), and removing the opacified lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.  Most patients are thrilled with their new vision post surgically because most times they are not fully aware of how impaired there vision was with the cataract.  Generally, contrast is greatly improved, colors are more vibrant (especially blue colors), and quality of life is enhanced.  In most cases any existing perscription is corrected at the time of surgery, so many patients enjoy improved vision without glasses following cataract surgery.  Also, with the advent of premium implants, many patients can actually see well in both the distance and near without glasses!  It is also possibly to enhance the post surgical vision with laser vision correction if the patient has any residual refractive error after the initial cataract surgery.  Your best defense against early cataract formation is to wear high quality sun glasses whenever outdoors during daytime hours.

~Glaucoma ...what is that anyway?

A lot of patients describe glaucoma as "that pressure disease in the eye."  And while that is somewhat accurate, glaucoma is a complex and often misunderstood disorder.  Technically, glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss.  It typically begins with a visually imperceptable loss of peripheral vision and once to the level where it is perceivable by the patient, a sizeable amount of damage has already occured.  Glaucoma also occurs in many different forms:  low tension (meaning lower than average pressure), normal tension (average pressure), high tension (above normal pressure), and narrow angle/closed angle glaucoma.  Also, contrary to popular belief, you cannot "feel" when the pressure is elevated unless it is incredibly high, at which point damage is already occuring.  How do you prevent glaucoma damage from happening to you?  Every person (from infants to the elderly), need annual exams to detect any number of occular maladies ...glaucoma only beeing one of many site threatening conditions.  So, do yourself and your eyes a favor ...get them checked today!!!

~Introducing GUNNAR OPTIKS...

Did you know that nearly 90% of regular computer users will suffer with computer related eye strain?  Have you ever experienced blurred vision, burning, tearing, eye muscle fatigue, or low grade head ache while working on a computer?  What is the solution to this problem?  

Gunnar Optiks has the solution!!!
Gunnar computer glasses are designed to increase visual performance, prevent eye fatigue, and protect against computer vision syndrome.  This is accomplished through the use of i-amp lens technology- an optical platform that incorporates proprietary lens materials, lens tints, lens coatings, and lens geometry.
Gunnar Optiks...for a profound visual advantage.  Now even the most demanding computer users (and PDA users), are more productive and more effective for longer periods of time. Come by and check out Gunnar Optiks for yourself...your eyes will thank you for it!!!

~Introducing Latisse

+ What is LATTISE?

Lattise solution is prescription treatment for hypotrichosis used to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker. Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes.

+ How does is work?

Lattise is believed to affect the growth phase of the eyelash hair cycle in 2 ways: first, it increases the length of this phase and second, it increases the number of hairs in this growth phase.

+ How soon will I see results?

The onset of effect with Lattise solution is gradual.  In the clinical trial, the majority of Lattise users saw a significant improvement by 2 months.

+ How is Lattise different?

Only Lattise has been approved by the FDA as a prescription treatment for hypotrichosis used to grow eyelashes. It also has been studied in clinical trial to demonstrate its safety and effectiveness.

~Introducing I-Zon High Resolution Lenses

The Human eye is quite possibly the most extraordinary piece of technology ever created. The Z-View Aberrometer is the instrument used in your iZon eye exam to create your very own iPrint. It is a transformational breakthrough in vision diagnostics. For the first time your prescription is matched to your unique optical requirements. Taking what is unique to your eyes and customizing your prescription, no one else in the world will have your same iPrint.

Being able to experience a world in High-Definition vision, one that is clearer, sharper and more vivid than you could ever imagine, your iZon High resolution lenses are custom made to your unique prescription and iPrint. You will see at peak performance, better than ever before possible. In fact, current iZon wearers describe their vision as High-Definition vision.

iZon-unlike anything else in optometry- can radically change the way you see your world. Giving you far more sharpness, contrast and clarity than ever before possible.