The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Astronomical Society are working together to make sure everyone knows how to watch the coming eclipse safely. Looking directly at the sun, even while it's partially eclipsed, can permanently damage vision or blind you.
The April 8 total solar eclipse will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people. A little preparation now can ensure that you and your family enjoy the event and keep your eyes healthy.
Written By: Celia Vimont, Reviewed By: Laurie Gray Barber MD, Rebecca J Taylor MD
Jul. 31, 2018
New over-the-counter eye whitening drops may have some advantages over older drops, such as Visine, but ophthalmologists caution that any whitening drops can mask symptoms of serious disease. Lumify was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2017, and started appearing on store shelves in mid-2018. Ads for Lumify state the drops can be used four times a day. However, anyone who thinks they need drops that often should first have their eyes checked by an ophthalmologist to find out what's causing the redness, says Laurie Barber, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The active ingredient in Lumify is brimonidine, which was first approved by the FDA in a higher dose as a prescription glaucoma drug called Alphagan. Visine's active ingredient is tetrahydrozoline. Both drugs work to reduce eye redness by causing constriction of the blood vessels in the eye, decreasing both blood flow and oxygen getting to the eye's tissue.
Once a person stops using drops containing tetrahydrozoline, the blood vessels are no longer constricted. As vessels open again, they can become even larger than before, as nutrients and oxygen return to the eye. The enlarged arteries pump more blood to make up for lost time, which can cause increased redness in the eyes—called the rebound effect. This can lead to a cycle where people depend on the drops to have clear, white eyes.
The key difference in the way the two drugs work is that Visine targets a receptor in the eye's arteries, while Lumify acts on a receptor in the veins. The arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the eye, while the veins take blood away from the eye. By targeting the veins, Lumify doesn't interrupt oxygen flow to the eye, reducing the risk of a rebound effect, according to Bausch & Lomb, who makes the drops.
Dr. Barber says she has questions about Lumify’s long-term effects, since the studies used by the FDA to approve the drops lasted only five weeks. She also notes that the drops contain a preservative called benzalkonium chloride, which can cause a reaction in the eye. "If you’re using Lumify four times a day, you’re putting a lot of preservative in your eye," she says.
Dr. Barber's biggest concern with any eye-whitening drops is that a person may use them to get rid of redness that may be a symptom of eye disease. Eye redness can be associated with a wide range of conditions, including allergies, conjunctivitis (pink eye), corneal ulcer, glaucoma and bleeding in the eye.
"I would prefer that patients not use an eye-whitening drop on a regular, long-term basis. But, for short-term use on an occasional basis, Lumify is purported to have less rebound redness," she said. "We don’t want patients to use eye drops that mask symptoms of their disease—if there is something wrong with the eye, we need to know about it. A person should get evaluated for red eyes before using eye drops on a regular basis."
Blue light from electronic screens is not making you blind.
Read moreDo you suffer from any of the following symptoms?
If so, you may benefit from allergy skin testing to determine whether these symptoms may be a result of an avoidable and/or treatable allergen.
Symptoms of eye allergies can be similar to symptoms seen in other ocular surface diseases such as dry eyes and blepharitis. Symptoms of itchy, dry, gritty foreign body sensation, and burning eyes may be caused by several different conditions, and the treatment of one may exacerbate another.
Often it can be very difficult to sort out exactly what ocular surface disease is causing a patient’s symptom complex or combination of ocular surface diseases.
Allergy skin testing can determine whether allergies are contributing to these symptoms and help guide therapy. Treatment for allergies is often prescribed based on symptoms alone, but these treatments can exacerbate dry eye and may not even be necessary. Determining the root cause of a patients symptoms is crucial.
Southern Arizona Ophthalmology now offers a non-invasive skin test designed to diagnose 60 of the most common ocular allergies in Arizona.
When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.
The discomfort some people have after looking at screens is most likely digital eyestrain. Most of us blink less when looking at screens, causing eye strain and dry eyes, says Dr. Khurana, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Blue light does affect the body’s circadian rhythm, our natural wake and sleep cycle. During the day, blue light wakes us up and stimulates us. But too much blue light exposure late at night from your phone, tablet or computer can make it harder to get to sleep.
That is why Dr. Khurana recommends that you try to limit your screen time in the two to three hours before you go to bed. Many devices have nighttime settings that minimize blue light exposure in the evenings.
Although people often associate blue light with computers and phones, the largest source of blue light is sunlight. Other sources include fluorescent light, compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED light. Blue light exposure from screens is much less than the amount of exposure from the sun. It's also no more damaging than blue light from the sun, Dr. Khurana says.
Too much exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun increases the risks of eye diseases, including cataracts, growths on the eye and cancer. We know less about blue light. Its effects are still being researched.
The bottom line, Dr. Khurana says, is that taking preventive measures against blue light even though there is no evidence of damage could be more harmful than the blue light itself. “It’s premature to take preventative action against blue light—there could be unintended consequences,” he says.
Some studies suggest that not enough exposure to sunlight in children could affect the growth and development of their vision. Not getting enough sun could also increase the risk of myopia (nearsightedness) in teens and young adults, a recent study suggests.
The best way to protect your eyes against eyestrain from blue light in devices is to take regular breaks using the “20-20-20” rule: Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You can also use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry. Skip the glasses that claim to protect your eyes against blue light, because of a lack of evidence they are effective, Dr. Khurana advises. The Academy does not recommend any special eyewear for computer use.
Ryan Teeple, MD. KOLD News 13. Tucson, AZ. October 27, 2017.
Most people don’t think of contact lenses as a medical device. But poor habits can set you up for serious eye infections that can damage vision or even cause blindness.
Contact lenses provide safe and effective vision correction for an estimated 40 million Americans. However, studies show that most contact lens wearers have at least one bad habit that puts them at risk of vision loss. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends following these eight steps to protect your sight from contact lens infections.
A truly awe-inspiring event, a solar eclipse is when the moon blocks any part of the sun from our view. The bright face of the sun is covered gradually by the moon during a partial eclipse, lasting a few hours. During the brief period of a total eclipse when the moon fully covers the sun (only a couple of minutes), the light of day gives way to a deep twilight sky. The sun’s outer atmosphere (called the solar corona) gradually appears, glowing like a halo around the moon in front of it. Bright stars and planets become more visible in the sky.
Watching a solar eclipse is a memorable experience, but looking directly at the sun can seriously damage your eyes. Staring at the sun for even a short time without wearing the right eye protection can damage your retina permanently. It can even cause blindness, called solar retinopathy.
There is only one safe way to look directly at the sun, whether during an eclipse or not: through special-purpose solar filters. These solar filters are used in “eclipse glasses” or in hand-held solar viewers. They must meet a very specific worldwide standard known as ISO 12312-2.
Keep in mind that ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, or homemade filters are not safe for looking at the sun.
Steps to follow for safely watching a solar eclipse:
For information about where to get the proper eyewear or handheld viewers, check out the American Astronomical Society.
On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible across North America (weather permitting). The whole continent will experience a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours. Halfway through the event, anyone within a roughly 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse. At that point, the moon will completely cover the face of the sun for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds.
The last solar eclipse with a path of totality (area where a full eclipse could be seen) was in March, 2016 in Indonesia and some small islands in Micronesia.
After the Aug. 2017 eclipse across North America, the next total solar eclipse will be in South America on July 2, 2019.
Not many Tucson allergy seasons have started out as bad as in 2017. This past winter, it rained a little more than usual and didn’t freeze as often. This created the perfect conditions for plants to release lots of pollen this Spring.
We’ve been seeing a lot of patients already with red, irritated, itchy, watery eyes. If this sounds all too familiar then click here to learn more about how allergies can affect your eyes and what you can do about it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, on Monday, July 11, 2016. Xiidra is the first medication in a new class of drugs, called lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) antagonist, approved by the FDA for dry eye disease.
“Normal tear production is needed for clear vision and eye health,” said Edward Cox, M.D., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval will provide a new treatment option for patients with dry eye disease.”
Dry eye disease includes a group of conditions in which the eye does not produce an adequate volume of tears or when the tears are not of the correct consistency. The chance of experiencing dry eye increases with age, affecting approximately five percent of the adult population age 30-40 and 10 to 15 percent of adults over age 65, and is more common among women. When severe and left untreated, this condition can lead to pain, ulcers or scars on the part of the eye called the cornea. Dry eye can make it more difficult to perform some activities, such as using a computer or reading for an extended period of time, and it can decrease tolerance for dry environments, such as the air inside an airplane.
The safety and efficacy of Xiidra was assessed in over a thousand patients, in four separate, randomized, controlled studies. These studies included patients 19–97 years of age, of which the majority were female (76 percent). Patients were randomized equally to receive either Xiidra eyedrops or placebo eyedrops, which were used twice a day for twelve weeks. The studies found that groups treated with Xiidra demonstrated more improvement in both the signs and the symptoms of eye dryness than the groups treated with placebo.
The most common side effects of Xiidra include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision and an unusual taste sensation (dysgeusia).
Dry eye disease does not routinely occur in children. Safety and efficacy in pediatric patients below the age of 17 years has not been studied.
Xiidra is manufactured by Shire US Inc., of Lexington, Massachusetts.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency is also responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
Halloween is a popular time for people to use decorative contact lenses. But most people do not know the sight-stealing consequences behind making these choices. Obtaining decorative lenses including colored contacts and novelty or costume lenses without a prescription is dangerous. Websites often advertise decorative contacts as if they were cosmetics, fashion accessories or toys, and their targets are often teens.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and its EyeSmart® public education program are warning parents and teens that purchasing any contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from a licensed eye care professional can cause serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to blindness. Even if someone has perfect vision, he or she needs to get an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses.
Need more convincing? Check out the Academy’s 30- and 90-second public service announcement videos. To learn more about keeping your eyes healthy, visit www.geteyesmart.org
Dr. Teeple is one of the first doctors in Tucson, Arizona to implant the new Tecnis Symfony IOL. This is a brand new type of lens implant for cataract surgery. It is the first and only presbyopia-correcting extended range of vision IOL. It delivers a continuous, full range of high quality vision with incidence of halos and glare comparable to a monofocal IOL.
The Symfony lens, which treats presbyopia (age-related long-sightedness) is implanted into the eye during a normal cataract operation. In most cases recovery time is minimal, with patients able to return to their usual routine just 24 hours after surgery. Unlike traditional multifocal lenses, there is not an increased incidence of glares or halos with the Symfony lens, no reduction in contrast sensitivity, and it has a special defraction grating, making it similar to a traditional lens implant but with the added benefit of a reading prescription. A clinical study, carried out in New Zealand, discovered:
· Compared to previous monofocal lenses, there is no compromise in distance vision with the Symfony lens
· 100% of patients used for the study no longer need distance spectacles, with 94% no longer requiring spectacles for intermediate vision
· There were no reports of ‘glare’ or ‘halo’
· There were no reports of lens-related adverse effects
The FDA approved the Symfony lens in July of 2016 after clinical trials were completed. See the full press release from the FDA at the following link: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm511446.htm
The days are longer, the sun is hotter, the beach beckons and out comes the sunscreen. But summer revelers looking forward to sizzling hot fun in the sun shouldn’t overlook their eyes when it comes to protecting themselves from damaging ultraviolet rays, warns Southern Arizona Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
In support of UV Safety Month in July, Southern Arizona Ophthalmology joins the Academy in sharing information on how to keep eyes safe from sun damage. Excess sun exposure can put people at risk of serious short-term and long-term eye problems. If eyes are exposed to strong sunlight for too long without protection, UV rays can burn the cornea and cause temporary blindness in a matter of hours. Long-term sun exposure has also been linked to an increased risk of cataracts, cancer and growths on or near the eye.
Here are five things people can do to cut their risk of eye damage from the sun:
· Wear the right sunglasses – Look for those labeled “UV400” or “100 percent UV protection” when buying sunglasses. Less costly sunglasses with this label can be just as effective as the expensive kind. Darkness or color doesn’t indicate strength of UV protection. UV rays can go through clouds, so wear sunglasses even on overcast days. And while contacts may offer some benefit, they cannot protect the entire eye area from burning rays.
· Don’t stare at the sun – Sun worshippers take note: directly gazing at the sun can burn holes in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of cells in the back of the eye needed for central vision. This condition is called solar retinopathy. While rare, the damage is irreversible.
· Check your medication labels – One in three adults uses medication that could make the eyes more vulnerable to UV ray damage, according to a sun safety survey by the Academy. These include certain antibiotics, birth control and estrogen pills, and psoriasis treatments containing psoralen. Check the labels on your prescriptions to see if they cause photosensitivity. If so, make sure to protect your skin and eyes or avoid sun exposure when possible.
· Put a lid on it – In addition to shades, consider wearing a hat with broad brim. They have been shown to significantly cut exposure to harmful rays. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
· Don’t drive without UV eye protection – Don’t assume that car windows are protecting you from UV light. A recent study found that side windows blocked only 71 percent of rays, compared to 96 percent in the windshield.[1] Only 14 percent of side windows provided a high enough level of protection, the researchers found. So when you buckle up, make sure you are wearing glasses or sunglasses with the right UV protection.
Find more information on how to protect your eyes from the sun year-round at the Academy’s EyeSmart website.
[1] Assessment of Levels of Ultraviolet A Light Protection in Automobile Windshields and Side Windows, Boxer Wachler, JAMA Ophthalmology, published online May 2016