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What Are Spring Eye Allergies?

We are on the cusp of Spring, and the change in season promises fairer weather and new beginnings. Unfortunately, Spring’s new growth can also create seasonal allergies that leave you with congestion, headaches, and itchy, swollen eyes.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, eye allergies also called allergic conjunctivitis, are pretty standard. They occur when the eyes react to something that irritates them (called an allergen). The eyes produce a substance called histamine to fight off the allergen. As a result, the eyelids and conjunctiva become red, swollen, and itchy. The eyes can tear and burn. Unlike other kinds of conjunctivitis, eye allergies do not spread from person to person.

Patients with Spring eye allergies commonly have nasal allergies, an itchy, stuffy nose, and sneezing. It is usually a temporary condition associated with seasonal allergies.

You can also get eye allergies from pet dander, dust, pollen, smoke, perfumes, or even foods. If you cannot avoid the cause, your allergies can be more severe. You can have significant burning and itching and even sensitivity to light.

What Are the Symptoms of Eye Allergies?

The most common eye allergy symptoms include:

  • red, swollen, or itchy eyes
  • burning or tearing of the eyes
  • sensitivity to light

What Causes Eye Allergies?

An allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts to an ordinarily harmless allergen. When an allergen comes in contact with your eye, specific cells within your eye (called mast cells) release histamine and other substances to fight off the allergen. This reaction causes your eyes to become red, itchy, and watery.

What Are Eye Allergy Triggers?

  • Outdoor allergens, such as pollen from grass, trees, and ragweed
  • Indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pet dander, and mold
  • Irritants, such as cigarette smoke, perfume

Spring Eye Allergy Management

Avoid triggers by making changes to your home and your routine.

  • Keep windows closed during high pollen periods; use air conditioning in your home and car.
  • Wear glasses or sunglasses when outdoors to keep pollen out of your eyes.
  • Wash your hands and face frequently.

If you experience Spring eye allergies, make an appointment today. Please consult your eye doctor before using any over-the-counter eye drops because a prescription oral antihistamine, eye drops, or injections may be more effective in managing your symptoms. If your allergies cause vision changes, feelings of a foreign object in your eye, or acute pain, make an emergency appointment as soon as possible.

We can help you conquer Spring Eye Allergies to ensure a Happy Spring Season!

 

References: American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Optometric Association. This blog provides information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The content provided in this blog and any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, they should consult with an appropriately licensed physician.

 

February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month

What is Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?

Age related macular degenerationAMD is the leading cause of central vision loss in American adults aged 50 and over. AMD is a disorder of the macula, the part of your retina where your central and color vision calls home. AMD is a complex disorder where degenerative protein/lipids (known as “drusen”) deposit under the retina. These deposits are seen in early macular degeneration. The retina’s structural support system breaks down as the disease progresses, allowing abnormal blood vessels to grow or leak fluid and further disrupt the retinal cells. In honor of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month this February, our eye care experts wanted to present some facts about AMD and how it can be treated.

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to be aware of:

Dry (or Nonexudative) — Nearly 80% of people who experience AMD have the dry form. Dry AMD is characterized by the degeneration of the retina due to either atrophy or detachment.

Wet (or Exudative) — While less common, this form is far more severe. Wet AMD occurs when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina.

What are the risk factors for AMD?

  • Age – AMD affects more than 2 million Americans over 50 years old, but the prevalence increases with age. The rate of AMD is around 6% at age 65 and almost 20% at 75.
  • Genetics – Specifically a family history of AMD.
  • Smoking – Nicotine use can increase the risk of AMD progressing.
  • Diet – Eating foods high in saturated fat (found in foods like meat, butter, and cheese) can increase a person’s risk of developing AMD.
  • Have Certain Diseases – This includes hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular disease.
  • Being Overweight – This can increase risk and make AMD symptoms more severe.

Can AMD be treated?

Depending on the type and severity of each specific case of macular degeneration, many proven and effective treatment options are available that can prevent further vision loss and help people regain their vision (sometimes even back to 20/20).

Being proactive and keeping up with regular eye exams, maintaining healthy habits, and having good safety practices can all be incredibly helpful in the fight against AMD. Your eyes will certainly be grateful for it in the long run. If you have noticed changes in your vision and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. William Segal or Dr. Marc Lay, contact Georgia Eye Physicians & Surgeons today. You can also follow us on Facebook for more eye care tips, practice news, and much more.

Have a Good Night’s Sleep and Reduce The Blue Light

cell-phone-use-in-bedThe blue light from your digital devices may affect your ability fall asleep or get a quality night’s sleep. You may have experienced trouble falling asleep after staring at your phone or other digital devices right before bedtime. The blue light from your digital devices like phones and tablets keeps us up and stimulates us to wake up.

According to a study from Molecular Vision, blue light has been proven to affect the body’s circadian rhythm, our natural sleep, and our wake cycle. Limiting your screen time to one to two hours before bed and using night mode on electronic devices is an excellent habit to adopt for minimizing blue light exposure affecting our ability to fall asleep.

Night Mode Can Help Reduce Blue Light

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, dark mode, or night mode, is a setting offered on various digital devices to decrease the screen brightness while reducing eye strain in the process. When using a predominantly white background with black text, the typical dark mode displays a black background with a white or colored text or shifts lighter colors toward pink and red instead of blue. The variations of contrast and colors used in the night mode reduce glare and help our eyes adjust easily to surrounding light, leading to less eye strain and easier, more comfortable reading. Decreasing the blue light exposure and limiting screen time and brightness can help you sleep better and feel more comfortable.

Digital Eye Strain Signs and Symptoms

Having trouble falling asleep from viewing your digital devices before bed is one symptom of digital eye strain. Listed below are other signs of digital eye strain that can affect your workday if you are not taking frequent breaks.

  • Sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes.
  • Watery or dry eyes.
  • Blurred or double vision.
  • Headache.
  • Neck and Shoulder Pain
  • Feeling that you cannot keep your eyes open.

Do your best to remember to follow the 20-20-20 rule to minimize the symptoms of digital eye strain. Set your phone timer to remind you to look away every 20 minutes at an object that is about 20 feet away for a full 20 seconds.

How Is Digital Eye Strain Treated?

A simple way to avoid sleep disruption and digital eye strain is to turn on night mode on phones and tablets. To recharge your body and maintain good eye health, try putting down your digital device one to two hours before bed. If you must catch up on your favorite TV show or read on your digital device during bedtime hours, switch to the night mode settings to eliminate eye strain.

Solutions to digital screen-related eye problems are varied. However, they can usually be alleviated by obtaining regular eye care and changing how you view the digital screen. If you are experiencing eye problems and you would like to schedule an eye exam, contact Georgia Eye Physicians & Surgeons and make an appointment with Dr. William Segal or Dr. Marc Lay today. You can also follow us on Facebook for more eye care tips, practice news, and much more.

What Do Your Eyes Reveal About Your Heart?

female-makes-heart-shape-with-handsFebruary often brings thoughts of heart-shaped candies and heart-themed décor for Valentine’s Day, but more importantly, it should make you think about your heart health too! February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on heart health and disease prevention. Many don’t realize that the heart is connected to every aspect of a person’s health, including their vision. The truth is that our eyes can reveal a lot about our overall health and often indicate underlying severe health issues.

Major Risk Factors for Heart Disease

  • High blood pressure (also known as hypertension)
  • High cholesterol and diabetes — can also cause Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Retinopathy, and Retinal Vein Occlusion.

These conditions can cause serious, potentially permanent, damage to your eyes if left untreated.

Why We Encourage Patients to Focus on Their Eyes for Heart Health Month

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses and check your eyes for common eye diseases. They will also assess and evaluate how your eyes function as an indicator of your overall health. Comprehensive eye exams provide the only non-invasive view of blood vessels and the optic nerve.
We recommend following the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” program, which targets seven areas that impact heart health and offers tips to reduce the risk of heart disease. Doing so can also be extremely beneficial for your eye health. They include:

Managing Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke. When your blood pressure stays within healthy ranges, you reduce the strain on your heart, arteries, and kidneys, which keeps you healthier for longer.

Controlling Cholesterol

High cholesterol contributes to plaque, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke. When you control your cholesterol, you give your arteries their best chance to remain clear of blockages.

Reducing Blood Sugar

Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use for energy. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.

Stopping Smoking

Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health.

Getting Active

Living an active life is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself and those you love. Simply put, daily physical activity increases your length and quality of life.

Eating Better

A healthy diet is one of your best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet improves your chances of feeling good and staying healthy for life.

Losing Weight

You reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, and blood vessels when you shed unnecessary pounds. You give yourself the gift of active living, lower your blood pressure, and help yourself feel better.

If you have not yet had a comprehensive eye exam this year, now can be an excellent time to do so. Eye exams are not just essential for your vision, but can help healthcare providers gain a more clear understanding of your overall health and wellness. If you have noticed changes in your vision and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. William Segal or Dr. Marc Lay, contact Georgia Eye Physicians & Surgeons today. You can also follow us on Facebook for more eye care tips, practice news, and much more.

Did You Know Stress Can Be a Strain On Your Eyes?

eye-strain-flyerStress is something that affects most of us in our busy lives. It is also a factor that can contribute to a wide variety of common health conditions. However, did you know that stress can also affect your eyes? When life feels too busy or demanding, your eyes can pay the price like the rest of your body does during those emotionally difficult times. The eye care experts here at Georgia Eye Physicians & Surgeons wanted to discuss a few stress-related eye symptoms and what to do about them.

What Causes Stress-Related Eye Problems?

When you get anxious, frightened, or stressed, your body’s instinct is to go into what scientists call “fight or flight” mode. The body starts to produce hormones like adrenaline, which speed up your heart rate and direct more blood to essential functions like your internal organs and less blood to your extremities. The reason your body takes these actions is to protect you. When you worry about something, your brain detects a threat, so its response is to gear up for either fighting the potential danger or running away from it.

When you are in fight or flight mode, your eyes can suffer because your brain will cause your pupils to dilate. This response aims to get more light into your eyes so you can see any potential threats more clearly. Additionally, when you are very tense, as many stressed-out people are, the muscles in and around your eyes can tighten, causing twitching and soreness.

Common Stress-Related Eye Problems

Most eye issues related to stress are temporary. Here are a few of the most common examples:

  • Blurry vision – When caused by stress, blurry vision will probably be mild instead of severe.
  • Eye strain – Eye strain may be caused by something simple like staring at your computer screen too long at work, but stress can also contribute.
  • Eye floaters – Eye floaters are tiny spots that swim across your vision that partially obstruct light as it passes through and cast shadows on the retina.
  • Tunnel vision – A loss of peripheral vision that makes it feel like you can only see straight in front of you.
  • Sensitivity to light – A sensation where bright light hurts your eyes or makes it difficult to see.
  • Eye twitching – A random spasm that can affect one or both eyes.
  • Very dry or very wet eyes – While these are opposite symptoms, either one can be induced by stress. It all depends on how your body responds to a difficult situation.
  • Fluid buildup – Central serous choroidopathy is a more severe eye condition that can result from a reaction to stress. This condition, which can cause fluid buildup in the retina, can eventually leak into an area beneath the retina called the choroid, affecting the eye, sending sight information to the brain.

How to Take Action and Overcome Stress?

The key to taking the edge off eye conditions from stress is to lower your stress level. We recommend trying the following stress relief techniques when possible:

  • Sleeping at least 8 hours a night
  • Exercising every day
  • Taking slow, deep breaths, sending the air into your belly instead of your chest when feeling over stressed
  • Practicing wellness techniques like yoga and meditation
  • Writing in a journal

Managing stress in healthier ways can significantly decrease your chances of experiencing these issues and help your eyes return to a normal, healthier state. It’s important to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible if you experience persistent eye trouble like the issues mentioned above. If you are experiencing eye problems and you would like to schedule an eye exam, contact Georgia Eye Physicians & Surgeons and make an appointment with Dr. William Segal or Dr. March Lay today. You can also follow us on Facebook for more eye care tips, practice news, and much more.

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