Managing your blepharitis

Blepharitis is a condition which causes chronic inflammation at the base of the eye lashes. The signs are often not easily seen, but examination with a microscope reveals crusting and scaling. This build up in turn can harbour low grade infections, and generally cause irritation to the eyes and lids. It is easily treated with routine eyelid hygiene, but this is a long term management strategy.

Previously it was common to recommend bathing the eyelids with diluted baby shampoo. Recent studies have suggested the shampoo can actually aggravate blepharitis. Instead we recommend wipes or gels and foams designed specifically for the eyelid. A number of the treatments include tea tree oil in the ingredients - this is very helpful in many cases.

If you are starting treatment we recommend daily lid hygiene for 10 days, then reduce to three times per week for maintenance. Remember blepharitis in most cases is chronic so you should be prepared to build lid hygiene into you everyday routine.

It is not uncommon for eyelids to become irritated when you first begin treatment - this should settle as the blepharitis comes under control. Here is an outline of the available treatments.

Lid wipes - these are convenient and come either in individual sachets, or a tub. Use one wipe each time, dedicate a fresh side to each eye lid.

Foam/gel cleaners - can be used in the shower. You are aiming to massage gently into the base of the eyelids, imagine shampooing the eyelashes. Rinse well or wipe off with a flannel.

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Protect your eyes from Blue Light on your Screen

Not all blue light is bad - some exposure is good for our health. Exposure to natural blue light from sunlight during the day helps us to stay alert, perform well and positively influences our mood.

Sunlight is the main source of blue light but there are also man-made sources. Fluorescent and LED lighting, flat-screen televisions, computers, smartphones and other digital devices all emit blue light. The amount of blue light emitted from these devices is small compared to sunlight levels.

As we spend increasing time on digital devices, this raises concern about possible long-term effects of blue light over-exposure on eye health.  Blue light exposure from these artificial sources can disrupt the internal body clock, particularly in the evenings – tricking our brains into thinking it’s still daytime, with potential to disrupt sleep.

It does this by inhibiting the natural production of melatonin, a hormone in our bodies that regulates sleep.

Studies have shown that wearing blue light blocking lenses when you use digital devices will reduce this effect.

Over-exposure to artificially made blue light (even during the day) can also contribute to headaches and migraines, and dry or fatigue eyes leading to blurred vision and discomfort. This collection of symptoms is becoming known globally as Digital Eye Strain, or Computer Vision Syndrome.

We have a solution. Avatude Blue Light Eyewear combines comfortable & stylish frames with quality UV400 and UV420 blue light blocking lenses to reduce digital eye strain. These are perfect for people who do not use prescription glasses.

Check out our range.

Tips for using prescription eye drops

Glaucoma New Zealand has released a great 2 minute video about using eye drops. This is on their YouTube channel.

Presented very clearly the video answers many questions you may have about the best way to instill your prescription eye drops. It is a good refresher even if you have been using eye drops for some time.

Myopia Management Contact Lens Update

By Emily Kamimura, Optometrist

Introducing the Next Generation in Myopia Management: MyDay MiSight® 1 Day

Sally, Claire, and I recently attended the launch of MiSight 1 Day Myopia Control Contact lenses. It represents a meaningful step forward in vision and eye health for children and young people.

What is myopia control?

Myopia (short-sightedness) typically begins in childhood or the teenage years, causing distance vision to become blurry. The past several years have seen a significant increase in myopia prevalence worldwide, with nearly 5 billion people estimated to be affected by 2050.

What many people don’t realise is that myopia often progresses as children grow. This does not just mean stronger glasses over time. It can also increase the risk of serious eye health conditions later in life, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

That is why myopia control is so important. It focuses on slowing the progression of short-sightedness during the growing years, helping to protect long-term eye health. One clinically proven option is MiSight® 1 day contact lenses, which are specifically designed to slow myopia progression while providing clear, comfortable vision day to day.

Building on Proven Success

The new MyDay MiSight® 1 day builds on the well-established success of MiSight® 1 day, but in a superior contact lens material which is healthier for the eye.

What we particularly like about this new version is improved comfort and ease of use. The advanced silicone hydrogel used in MyDay contact lenses, makes the lenses softer, more breathable, and easier to handle. This can make a real difference for both children and parents.

What this means for families

For children already using MiSight® lenses, this new design represents a welcome step forward. For those just beginning their journey with short-sightedness, it provides another excellent option for early management.

We are looking forward to transitioning our current patients to this new design and seeing the benefits firsthand.

If you have children or grandchildren who are short-sighted, or if you are concerned they may be developing myopia, please feel free to book them in for an appointment with us, or call us on 09 425 9646. We would be very happy to talk through the available options and support their long-term eye health.

The Next Generation in Myopia Management

Seeing AI - Low Vision Helper

Lots of people use apps to help them with daily living. One app that is becoming popular among visually impaired people is Seeing AI. It has been described as one of the best free accessible apps on the tech market.

Seeing AI is an app made by Microsoft that uses artificial intelligence to identify things via your phone’s camera. It then gives you an audio description of what it can see. This supports visually impaired people with all kinds of challenges and needs they might come across in day-to-day life.

At a recent Low Vision Support Group meeting this app was demonstrated by someone who has Macular Degeneration which makes things, such as emails, extremely difficult to read. Now able to read emails, and trailers on her TV, she said “It has really opened up life a lot for me.”

There are so many useful things you can use Seeing AI for, including reading signs and other text you see out and about. The app can read aloud any short text you put in front of the camera.

It can even read longer documents and handwritten notes, too. You just need practice to capture the words on camera, and the app will read it out.

In the supermarket Seeing AI can help you pick out food. The app gives audio beeps to help you locate the barcode on products, and then scans the products to help you identify them.

The challenge with these apps for older people with Low Vision can be limited previous expereince using Smart phones. But in this group the determination to master new digital tools has been inspiring.

Warkworth Low Vision Support Group meetings are held at Summerset Falls. Meetings are on the third Monday of the month at 1.30pm. All welcome.

Could your vision symptoms be a migraine?

It is common for optometrists to see people who are distressed by sudden changes in their vision, often out of the blue. The experience may include blind spots in vision, blurred patches or seeing black and white zig zag patterns, often in an arc shape. Scintillations, lights, kaleidescopic or prismatic effects are also common symptoms.

The typical duration of these visual effects is 20-30 minutes. Thankfully most of these symptoms will completely resolve within an hour.

A headache may follow or there may be some milder feelings of being ‘washed out’. If you experience these symptoms the vision changes will make you feel like taking a break, it is smart to rest or have a cup of tea to relax.

When we examine the inside of your eye, everything usually appears healthy and normal. We can conclude that these effects are not caused by a problem with your eye, and we make a tentative diagnosis of migraine based on listening carefully to the symptoms you describe.

For a more detailed description on how migraine auras occur, feel free to click this safe link for further information. https://migrainecanada.org/