The Brown Center

33 Suggestive Signs of Eye/Vision Problems

The Brown Center — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:34:33 +0000

1. Defective ocular fixation or visual interactions
2. Abnormal light reflex (including both the corneal light reflections and the red fundus reflection)
3. Abnormal or irregular pupils
4. Large and/or cloudy eyes
5. Drooping eyelid
6. Lumps or swelling around the eyes
7. Ocular alignment or movement abnormality
8. Nystagmus (shaking of eyes)
9. Persistent tearing, ocular discharge
10. Persistent or recurrent redness
11. Persistent light sensitivity
12. Gazes at lights
13. Squinting/eye closure
14. Learning disabilities or dyslexia
15. Eyes that are red-rimmed, crusty looking, or swollen
16. Eyes that are frequently inflamed or watery
17. Styes that recur frequently

18. Pupils that look cloudy
19. Unable to make eye contact
20. Attempts to brush away a blur
21. Rubs eyes excessively
22. Frowns constantly
23. Shuts or covers one eye for visual tasks
24. Tilts or turns the head when looking at something
25. Leans forward to see better
26. Blinks excessively
27. Excessively irritable during close work
28. Stumbles or trips over objects
29. Clumsy in reaching
30. Dizziness, nausea, and headaches after close work
31. Statements such as “I can’t see that.”
32. Statements such as “I see two of them” (when only one object is present)
33. Complaint of pain in the eyes

Blocked Tear Ducts a Risk Factor for Amblyopia

The Brown Center — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:57:40 +0000

FRIDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) — Children younger than age 3 who have blocked tear ducts are at greater risk for amblyopia, or “lazy eye” — a condition that could result in permanent vision loss if not treated early enough, researchers have found. The authors of the new study pointed out that the findings support the need for early comprehensive eye examinations. The research was published in a recent issue of the Journal of the AAPOS, the official publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. After examining 375 children with blocked tear ducts, the investigators found that 22 percent of them had risk factors for amblyopia — eight times higher than the general population. Of these kids, 63 percent developed amblyopia and required treatment for the condition, which may include glasses and eye patching. The researchers said that all the children who required patching had amblyopia in the eye with the blocked tear duct. “This is strong evidence that the association of amblyopia and tear duct obstruction is more than coincidental,” Dr. David G. Hunter, the journal’s editor-in-chief and ophthalmologist-in-chief at Children’s Hospital Boston, said in a journal news release. The authors concluded that all children with blocked tear ducts should undergo comprehensive eye examinations and be closely monitored if they have risk factors for amblyopia.

Interesting Developments in New York…

The Brown Center — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:37:04 +0000

New York state is no longer requiring residents to pass an eye test! Click for the article.

What is Vision Therapy?

The Brown Center — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:35:28 +0000

Vision therapy is a type of treatment that is designed to improve visual function using lenses, prisms, and other eye exercises.

Patients who come into our office for vision therapy can normally see just fine either with or without glasses or contacts; meaning that their vision is 20/20 but seeing things clearly does not necessarily mean they you have good vision.

Patients may have problems focusing, problems tracking objects, or problems with their eyes working together. These problems can be referred to as ocular motility disorders, accommodative disorders or binocular vision disorders.

Patients with these binocular vision or accommodative disorders often complain of eye strain, headaches, eye fatigue, double vision or loss of place when they are reading. Some patients also complain that they simply just do not like reading. This is due to excessive eye muscle fatigue and also the loss of the flexibility of the focusing system.

This is especially a problem with many school children. Many teachers and parents may think that their kids do not like to read because it may too challenging for them. However the problem may be related to a binocular vision disorder.

By properly diagnosing a binocular vision disorder and treating it effectively with vision therapy, it can help to make reading and other work related activities more comfortable and efficient. This means that children now have the ability to do better in school and are not limited by their binocular vision disorder.

In order to diagnose binocular or accommodative disorders the doctor performs a series of tests to see how the eyes move in and out, how the eyes work together and how the eyes work to focus at close range. Based on the findings a therapy program is designed.

Each vision therapy program is patient specific, both with the length of the program and the activities that are selected for vision therapy. Patients may have activities that involve eye tracking. Some may have activities that strengthen the muscles that move the eyes in and out and some also have activities that strengthen the muscle that is used to focus on objects at a short distance. Some activities may also be done with different types of lenses or prisms.

Vision therapy can be done at home and in the office with the doctor or technician. However if it is done at home the patient comes back for follow up visits to monitor the progress. The program is modified and different activities are added or taken out as the patient progresses throughout the therapy.

It is important to note that historically insurance companies do not cover vision therapy. Patients must pay out of pocket for the visits needed for the therapy.

A lot of binocular vision and accommodative disorders go undiagnosed, however when a patient is properly diagnosed and undergoes vision therapy it is said that the vision therapy is 85 to 95% successful.

Glaucoma Pathway Similar to That of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

The Brown Center — Sat, 14 May 2011 13:04:59 +0000

Researchers have identified a new and unexpected biological pathway that likely contributes to the development of glaucoma and resultant vision loss, according to a study in the January 19 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous studies have indicated that the optic nerve head plays a significant role in glaucoma development.
Likewise, the researchers in this study uncovered that, at a specific location within the optic nerve head, there is a unique class of cells called astrocytes that are partially responsible for the visual blinding associated with glaucoma.
Additionally, at this same anatomical site, the researchers found abnormal forms of a protein called gamma synuclein that are similar to abnormal forms of alpha synuclein – a related protein known for its key role in cell loss secondary to Parkinson’s disease.
This specific finding suggests that both glaucoma and Parkinson’s (as well as other protein aggregative neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s) share a similar biological process, according to the researchers.
“These compelling results put us on the cusp of discovering a treatment for glaucoma while also being invaluable for others whose research priority is in the area of neurodegenerative disease,” says senior author Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong, Ph.D., research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, in Baltimore, and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“Our primary goal is to find interventions that halt, or at least slow, glaucoma progression. We are believe that understanding the underlying mechanism of vision loss in glaucoma brings us much closer to that goal,” Dr. Marsh-Armstrong says.

Reprinted from Review of Optometry February 15 2011

About Vision Care

The Brown Center — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:15:23 +0000

Your eyesight is a precious gift and its protection is vital. That is why we use the most modern equipment to provide you and your eyes with the most extensive exam you’ve ever experienced while we search for any potential problems or warning signs. Not only does this guarantee a perfect prescription, it guards your eye and body from any disease that could harm your sight and overall health.

Emergency

The Brown Center — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:00:55 +0000

Emergencies

If you have an eye emergency and our office is open, please call or come in to be seen by a doctor. If you have an emergency after-hours, please page your doctor or visit your local ER.

Dr Brown (401) 478-6339

Dr Hill (401) 221-0590

Dr Santos (401) 544-0178

Dr Loranger 401-452-0559

Punctal Plug Success Stories

The Brown Center — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:46:41 +0000

Our dry eye patients love punctal plugs. Take their word for it!

“You don’t feel them or even notice they are there until they aren’t… Then you can’t wait to have them put back in. The difference in my dry eye & all vision issues related to dry eye is palpable.”

-J.L.

“The inserts have made a world of difference to me! I wish I had known about them a long time ago! I’ve always had allergies & thought my watery eyes were due to them. After I had neck surgery I was left with a very dry mouth & later learned that they watery eyes I had were because of dry eyes! (Who would think all that tearing was a result of dry eyes?! .. and all that dryness was probably related) Every morning my eyes would run like I was crying – it was very frustrating. I started using thick, OTC eye drops that helped, but left a white film. . . Needless to say, these inserts have been wonderful! My eyes no longer tear and my eyes aren’t blurry. I would highly recommend them to anyone – I can’t believe I wasted so much time & money dealing with those OTC drops!

-K.D.

If you have a positive story about punctal plug inserts, please email us at nmilano@thebrowncenter.com!

Reading the Fine Print: Presbyopia Makes it Harder

The Brown Center — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:54:46 +0000

Do you find yourself stretching out your arm as your struggle to read fine print? Or perhaps you just find it more comfortable to take off your glasses to read. You also may experience eye fatigue, redness in your eyes, and/or headaches after doing close-up work. If this sounds familiar and you’re approaching middle age, you may be experiencing presbyopia, an age-related form of far-sightedness.

Here’s what’s going on inside your eyes. Beginning around age 40, the lens begins to lose its flexibility and the ciliary muscle—a circular muscle that surrounds the lens—has an increasingly difficult time bending it. The ciliary muscle is relaxed when you view objects in the distance, but it has to constrict to bend the lens for close-up vision. This is why your distance vision may not be affected, but it gets increasingly difficult to read and do close up work.

Even if you’re not yet 40, you could experience premature presbyopia if you have diabetes, multiple sclerosis or cardiovascular disease. Certain medications, including antidepressants, diuretics and antihistamines, also can cause early-onset presbyopia.

A basic eye exam can detect presbyopia and we can discuss options for restoring your close-up vision. If you wear contact lenses, overlay reading glasses may be a simple solution. Unlike the utilitarian reading glasses of your parents’ generation, today’s readers come in a variety of styles and colors that range from elegant to fun and they’re so inexpensive that you might want multiple pairs for home, office and briefcase or purse—or to complement different outfits. You also might wish to explore the option of bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. If you already wear glasses we can discuss whether bifocals, trifocals (to accommodate reading, computer and long-range distances) or progressive lenses work best for you.

If you don’t yet have presbyopia, here are some things you can do to help keep your lenses healthy and flexible:

* Wear UV protective sunglasses whenever you are exposed to the sun.

* Wear protective eyewear when playing sports, working with chemicals, or doing anything that may cause flying debris, such as mowing or sanding.

* Eat foods rich in vitamin A and beta carotenes, such as orange fruits and vegetables and green leafy vegetables. Examples include cantaloupe, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, acorn squash and mustard greens.