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Pink Eye is a condition that most of us have had at some point in our lives. It is especially prevalent in schools affecting mostly kiddos. The last few years of  at home learning may have curbed the number of cases. With most things getting back to normal after the Pandemic, we thought it would be a good idea to re-visit this topic.

What is it?

The proper name for Pink Eye is Conjunctivitis and it will cause the eye to become pink and irritated. It causes inflammation of the membrane that covers the eye and lines the insides of the eyelid which is technically called the Conjunctiva. The different types of causes of pink eye are:

• Viruses
• Allergens
• Bacteria

This is an eye issue that can resolve itself after some time. It will clear up when the infection is gone, or the allergic reaction has stopped. Unless it lasts an unusual amount of time you can probably treat it at home.

Do’s

Some at home treatments that can help are:

• A cool compress – this option can help to soothe the irritation caused by pink eye. You can use a clean damp cloth that you have refrigerated as a cool compress. Make sure not to reuse the same cloth without washing it.
• Eye Drops – over-the-counter options like artificial tears can help to soothe the discomfort as well as to clear out any allergens that could be causing the irritation.
• Pain relievers – sometimes over-the-counter ibuprofen can help to relieve the pain.
• Avoid touching – this might be the most important and the hardest to stick to. Pink eye can be highly contagious so if you touch your eye and then touch other things in your home the virus can spread to others. Make sure to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eye at all costs.

Don’ts

While there are some passed down remedies that you may have heard of for Pink Eye, we want to clear the air on some at-home treatments that are a bad idea:

• Breast Milk – this is an old wives tale, breast milk will not cure Pink Eye
• Visine – in some cases eye drops can make Pink Eye worse. Artificial tears are the only kind we would recommend to flush out allergens
• Urine – do we really need to mention this?

Call us!

As always, if symptoms persist longer than a week, make an appointment with us here at TriCounty Eye Associates and we will be able to help determine the cause and get you some relief.

The common name for Amblyopia is Lazy Eye. This is when vision in one or both eyes does not develop properly. This problem is common among babies and small children. The first few years of life are crucial for the development of eyesight. If vision does not develop as it should, it will create issues in every aspect of life.

If the development of vision is stunted it can cause issues with learning, socialization, athletics and self-esteem.

What causes it?

There are a few different vision problems that can cause lazy eye.

1. Refractive Errors – these types of errors are common like, near or farsightedness or even astigmatism. If one of these is worse in one eye than the other, it can cause that eye to stop working and sunt the development.
2. Droopy Eyelid – this can block vision while a child’s vision is developing and cause amblyopia.
3. Strabismus – this is when a person’s eyes point in two different directions. When the eyes aren’t pointing in the same direction it can cause a child’s brain to ignore the image from one eye in order to avoid seeing double, which unfortunately can keep that eye from developing normally.
4. Cloudiness in the eye – or cataract, where the lens of the eye is cloudy instead of clear. This can keep the vision in that eye from developing as it should.

How to diagnose it?

Amblyopia can be caught early on by scheduling regular eye exams for your kids. During an exam an eye doctor will check to make sure the vision in both eyes is developing at a normal speed. During routine exams, a doctor will be able to tell if there are any differences in vision between the two eyes.

It is recommended that all children have their vision checked before their 4th birthday. If there is a family history of eye issues, your doctor may recommend that they have their vision checked sooner than that.

Treatment for Amblyopia

Your eye doctor will discuss all the possible ways to treat it to try to prevent further damage. It is important to make the vision stronger in the weaker eye. This can be done with prescription glasses, eye patches or in extreme cases surgery.

You want to be sure your child’s eyes are developing properly to help them avoid issues in other areas of development as they grow. Call TriCounty Eye Associates today in order to schedule your child’s eye exam!

Diagnosed cases of diabetes continue to rise in our society and alarmingly, they continue to rise in children. The CDC’s research has found that people with diabetes have a 25 times higher risk of developing blindness than people who do not. This is especially concerning for children who have diabetes.

One of the leading causes of blindness is diabetic retinopathy. In a study done by the AAO found that children with type 2 diabetes are almost twice as likely to develop diabetic retinopathy than children with type 1 diabetes. We think it is important to understand that if you or your child have this disease, it gives you even more reason to visit the eye doctor at least once a year!

In order to keep our patients informed, we want to give some background on what diabetes is and how it affects your eyes, so you know what to pay attention to.

What is Diabetes?

A disease that causes your body not to make enough insulin or keeps your body from using the insulin it has the way that it should. This in turn will cause there to be too much sugar that stays in your bloodstream. If left untreated it can cause serious health problems like kidney disease, heart disease, and vision loss.

There are two types of diabetes:

Type 1:  Autoimmune reaction is said to be the cause. Basically, your body is attacking itself mistakenly and it keeps your body from creating the insulin needed to regulate your blood sugar. This is the type is usually diagnosed in children and teens. Daily insulin injections are required for this type of diabetes and there is no known way to prevent it.

Type 2: When your body doesn’t use the insulin it has well. This is the more common type of diabetes and is usually diagnosed later in life but can also be diagnosed in children and teens.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetes can cause high blood pressure, which leads to Retinopathy eye disease. High blood sugar levels can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina. The damage caused can swell, leak or close the blood vessels which will stop blood from passing through. If left untreated this can cause blindness.

What are the signs to look for?

In order to diagnose eye disease early in yourself or your children, the best course of action is to have yearly eye exams. A yearly eye exam is going to catch issues early so they are easier to treat.

If you or your child has diabetes, some things to look for in between eye exams:

• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty seeing at night

We mentioned in our last blog that we are going to start offering Neurolens in both of our new locations. We wanted to take a deeper dive into this new technology to give you all the details of how this can help you.

What is it?

According to nvisioncenters.com “Neurolens is the first prescription lens that uses a contoured prism to realign the eyes and relieve pressure on the trigeminal nerve.” This type of contoured prism lens can help fight the effects of digital eye strain. We have talked about blue light and digital eye strain here before, and this lens could be an alternative to blue-light-blocking lenses.

A significant amount of people suffer more and more from digital eye strain since most of us work with computers all day and use our smartphones and tablets while not at work. With the rise of children-friendly tablets, people are getting exposed to blue light earlier and earlier. Digital eye strain can cause not only eye strain but also neck pain, shoulder pain, and headaches.

The root cause of these symptoms is the digital eye strain. Neurolens can help to correct the damage caused by digital eye strain resulting in fewer headaches and neck and shoulder pain.

The Science Behind It

The Trigeminal nerve is the biggest nerve that is connected to your brain. Research has proven that there is a connection between this nerve and the eyes. If your eyes are misaligned due to eye strain, it puts pressure on that nerve which in turn causes the symptoms we detailed above.

In order to prescribe a Neurolens, we will use a measurement device that can detect a possible misalignment and then determine the prescriptions needed.

Who could benefit?

This type of lens could benefit anyone who spends a lot of time on a computer as well as anyone who does a lot of detailed work or reading. It can also be helpful for someone who has suffered from the symptoms of digital eye strain but have not see any relief from their symptoms using other treatments.

Come See Us!

If you fit the description above, call us to make an appointment. We love being able to help improve the lives of our customers by offering the latest breakthrough technologies. We would love to see if Nurolens could help you!

Here at TriCounty Eye Associates, we have some very exciting changes happening. Since our client base has grown so much thanks to all our amazing customers, we have decided to upgrade our current locations to accommodate YOU better. We are Moving!

Moncks Corner

We aren’t moving far, but we will now be at:
119 Foxbank Plantation Blvd
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

This is the same parking lot as before, but we are now in a bigger unit! We are also adding a new doctor to this location. Joel Schultz, OD. Dr Schultz used to practice at Flowertown Family Vision in Summerville, We are so excited to welcome him to our practice!

North Charleston

We are moving to:
8983 University Blvd
North Charleston, SC 29406

Our doctor at this location is still Dr Shaye Hurd, who can medically treat Ocular Disease as well as take care of your routine exams.

We are really excited to be able to serve our customers better with the extra space our new locations are going to provide. We will be settled into our new locations by July of this year so mark your calendars!

Neurolens

We are also introducing a new prescription lens called Neurolens which actually helps to correct eye issues related to pressure on the trigeminal nerve. Keep an eye out for a separate blog about this new offering. We are always thinking of new ways to better serve our loyal customers. Whether it’s researching and offering new products and technology, or moving to larger office spaces to better accommodate our customer’s needs.

With all of the new things going on, feel free to call us with any questions about our new locations and our new Neurolens option.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Springtime can bring so many good memories to mind. Warmer weather, fresh wildflowers blooming, bright colors, and outdoor activities. In the Lowcountry, it means the Flowertown Festival is around the corner. The bright pinks of the Azalea bushes will be coloring every corner of town.

These are all telltale signs of spring has sprung can be an incredibly unpleasant time of year for allergy sufferers. One of the most affected parts of the body by allergies are the eyes.  Here are a few ways to cope during this time of year.

Helpful Tips

1. Avoid Allergens – some ways you can avoid allergens could be to change your HVAC filter more often, or even get a filter specifically made to filter out allergens. You can check the pollen levels outside using your weather app on your phone, if the pollen level is high keep the windows of your home closed. Cleaning your home more frequently can help because pollen travels fast. A shower before bed will make sure you don’t track any pollen into your bed with you. It is also a good idea to wipe down pets when they come in from the outdoors and wash them more often during the pollen season.
2. Don’t wear contacts – contacts can get irritated more easily by allergens so switching to glasses just for the season can help to alleviate some symptoms.
3. Wash your hands and face – this is similar to cleaning your home and showering before bed. If you are washing your hands and face more often, you will be getting rid of the pollen you have tracked in.
4. Wear sunglasses – while we have discussed many reasons why sunglasses are a good idea, in this instance, sunglasses can keep pollen from getting directly in your eyes while you are outside.

Tips to Soothe Your Eyes

1. Eye drops – since allergens can cause your eyes to dry out, they can get in your eye. Eye drops can help to keep your eye lubricated as well as help to flush out any allergens stuck in there.
2. Cold Therapy – using a cold compress to help with the symptoms. You can just wet a clean, soft cloth and leave it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Then gently apply to your eyes for some much-needed relief of redness and puffiness.

Of course, if your allergies are still not under control while following these steps, give us a call. We will be able to determine if medication is needed to keep your allergies at bay.

We hope everyone stays comfortable during this pollen season!

Glasses were invented back in the 13th century in Italy. Since then, people wear them to help see better. Some people need them from birth, others develop vision impairment later in life. Some people just need reading glasses as they age to help them continue to work or enjoy a good book.

There is some new research we wanted to tell you about that the AAO released in January of this year. They are experimenting with eye drops as a way to improve eyesight so that you do not need to wear reading glasses. These topical eye drops could ease the burden of having to remember where you left your reading glasses.

The Details

The technical term for needing reading glasses is presbyopia, which is a gradual loss if near vision with age. There are two kind of eye drops they have developed to combat presbyopia.

1. Miotic Drops – these types of drops will change the size of the pupil which will maximize near and far focus in the eye. This is the first type of drop that is actually FDA-approved.
2. Lens-Softening Drops – these types of drops combat the stiffening of the clear lens in the eye. It softens the eye’s lens, this flexibility allows the eye to better focus on near objects. This drop would be ideal for someone without cataracts who are at the beginning stages of presbyopia.

How Do They Work?

The miotic drops have been proven to start working thirty minutes after use, and they can last from four to seven hours until the effects start to wear off. The early studies of the lens softening drops suggest they can last years.

Side effects

This is a new development in the eye world. While the Miotic Drops have been FDA approved, the lens softening drops have not been approved yet. The main side effects people reported were headaches, limited vision at night, and depth perception issues.

Cost

It is doubtful these eye drops will be covered by insurance, but they are likley to still be less than a pair of glasses.

This is an exciting development for anyone who wears reading glasses. While each person has a different eye health journey it is hopeful that these eye drops can help to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from presbyopia.

Whether you are itching to be on the frontline of technology or comfortable with your glasses, we at TriCounty Eyes are here to serve you!

We love to educate our patients on the different types of eye conditions so they can be aware and conscious of the early signs. The more you know about your eyes, the earlier you can diagnose an issue. This month we want to shed some light on Glaucoma. January was Glaucoma Awareness month, so what better time to brush up on what this eye condition is and the warning signs to look out for.

What is it?

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. It is a disease where damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss.

There are two main types of Glaucoma:
1. Open Angle
This is the most common form of the disease and is caused by pressure that damages the optic nerve.
2. Angle Closure
This form of this disease makes the pressure inside your eye go up suddenly.

Getting your yearly eye exam is a fantastic way to catch this condition early before damage can begin. During an eye exam, an eye doctor can determine if there are risk factors for glaucoma before any proven damage to the optic nerve can happen. If this is the case, your eye doctor would tell you that you are a Glaucoma Suspect.

What to look out for

Unfortunately, it is completely possible to have Glaucoma and you do not realize it. Sometimes there are no symptoms, and it can only be by your eye doctor’s diagnosis. All the more reason to make sure to schedule your regular eye exams. This will help your doctor to catch these things early.

Treatment

If you have Glaucoma, you and your doctor will come up with the right treatment for your situation. There currently is no cure for it, and if your vision is regressing it cannot be regained. It is, however, possible to stop progression and further damage once diagnosed. Depending on your situation your eye doctor will either prescribe medication and/or surgery in order to stop its progression.

Glaucoma is a risk that everyone faces. Regardless of your age, gender, and race, anyone can be diagnosed with Glaucoma. The best way to combat its effects of it is to catch it early. The best way to catch it early is to schedule regular eye exams throughout your life.

Call TriCounty Eye Associates today to schedule an appointment so we can help to preserve your eyesight!

You see them at the grocery store, the dollar store, the pharmacy. Packs of glasses that have different numbers on them. It’s hard to know what the numbers mean, and which ones might be right for you. Depending on your needs, you may need stronger or weaker measurements of magnification. These numbers you see on the glasses are called Diopters, or measurements of the magnification level.

There are many factors that drive us to consider reading glasses. Maybe you start having trouble reading your favorite book, or that restaurant menu? Another common reason for thinking about glasses could be frequent headaches or eye strain. This can be contributed to aging eyes or even blue light exposure as we have discussed in the past.

How to know if you need reading glasses

• Do you ever experience headaches while reading?
• Is hard to read small prints?
• Do you hold things closer or farther away to read them clearly?
• Do your eyes feel tired after reading or using a computer?

If you answer yes to any of these questions it may be time to start wearing reading glasses.

How to know what Diopter to get?

There is a basic rule of thumb depending on your age to determine what diopter reading glasses to get. If you are between 35-45 years old start with a +1.00. As you get older you may need to up it, if you are between 45-50 you will probably need at least +1.5 and then once you are into your 50s you will need +2.00. Generally, the older you are, the higher power lends you need.

The absolute best way to find out what power lens you need is to ask your eye doctor. If you are making regular appointments and getting exams on time, your eye doctor will be able to tell from your exams what your eyes will need.

Make sure to be open and honest with your eye doctor to make sure they can help in the best way possible. If you have symptoms of needing reading glasses but you ignore the signs, this can cause your eyes to continue to strain. Over the years if your eyes are constantly straining, it can make your vision worse. While in contrast, if you start wearing reading glasses at the first signs of needing them it can help to keep your vision from being impaired further.

Be Careful

If you are new to using reading glasses, be sure to pay close attention to how your eyes feel using different strength lenses. If you just pick a lens with no advice from a professional and it’s not right for you it can cause worse eye strain and headaches. You want to be sure that you are using the right strength for yourself.

Let us know here at TriCounty Eye Associates if we can help in any way with selecting the right pair of reading glasses for you!

Here at TriCounty Eye Associates, we feel like we can help our customers not only when they are in our office, but also by educating them on the different things that could affect their eye health. One of those things is Preseptal Cellulitis. This one is especially important as the kiddos have been back to school recently and more susceptible to this condition. This condition is most common in children under the age of 10. It can occur at any age though.

What is it?

Preseptal Cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid and can affect the skin around your eyeball. It can cause pain, swelling, and redness around the eye.

How does it happen?

This condition can occur when bacteria enter the eyelid area. Usually, the bacteria will come in contact with the eyelid when someone rubs their eye with their hand. It can also happen if there is a scratch near the eye that gets infected.

Another way this could happen is from a sinus infection. After having a sinus infection or during one you could develop Perceptual Cellulitis.

What to look out for:

• Tiredness
• Redness
• Tenderness
• Fever
• Pain
• Swelling

What do to if you think you or your child may have it:

Call us! Make an appointment with us for an exam. We will be able to assess the situation and diagnose if this in fact what is wrong.

Once diagnosed, antibiotics will be prescribed to treat the infection. In some serious, but rare, situations surgery is needed to correct issues from a serious case of Presptal Cellulitis.

As always, we here at TriCounty Eye associates are here for any of your eye care needs. We are happy to help you through all the possible things that could go wrong as well as be there with you through all the things that go right!