Pupillary Pathways

Did you know that there is a super cool device out there that can allow you to capture high-definition photos and videos of the ocular fundus with your iPhone?! It is called the D-EYE Smartphone-based Retinal Imaging System.

2018… new year, new goals, new ideas, new start, and new resolutions. Now that we are about half way through January, it’s a great time to check in on how your New Year’s Resolutions are coming along.

On a daily basis I see a wide variety of patients with many different ocular and systemic health conditions. One of the main eye-related issues I see and talk to my patients about it cataracts.

I get a wide range of emotions from patients when I tell them that their vision is hazy from cataracts, or that the difficulties they are having with glare at night are due to cataracts, or that they have the very early stages of cataracts developing; but they aren’t quite affecting their vision yet.

Most patients associate cataracts with a negative feeling; they feel like its just another thing that is reminding them that they are getting old.

You may have heard some buzz about Allergan’s new product for the treatment of dry eye called TrueTear. You may have also heard that the device works by sticking it up your nose and stimulating the tissue in your nasal cavity! What?!

I thought it sounded a little crazy at first as well, but I’ve read the studies, talked with the Allergan representatives, and chatted with some colleagues who have tried the device, and it seems like a pretty promising treatment option for our patients! Let me break down some of the basics for you…

Most of us young ODs or optometry students are considered part of the millennial generation (whether we like it or not). With that being said, our generation is known for doing things differently, especially when it comes to looking for jobs.

One of the most common emergency calls and appointments you'll get in practice is when patients become anxious because they have noticed floaters and/or flashes in their vision. More common than not, these symptoms occur as a result of normal aging changes in the vitreous that can result in a posterior vitreous detachment.

I recently read an article in Women in Optometry that had polled a group of optometrists about their satisfaction with their career choice. The results were shocking to me. I couldn’t believe that almost 50% of optometrists who were asked “If you were to start your career in optometry today, what path would you take?” stated that they would “not choose optometry.”

We’ve all been told of the positive effects of taking omega 3 supplements for eye health, especially for the treatment of dry eye disease.

Studies have shown an improvement in tear osmolarity, tear break-up time, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) symptom scores in patients adding omega 3s into their diet.

Have you heard of the newest augmented reality and mixed reality glasses that will be coming to market? With the disappointing flop of Google Glass and Snap’s Spectacles, let’s see what Microsoft and Apple are bringing to the table!