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Blue Light is Hard on the Eyes Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Blue light is something you may have heard talked about in the news and even all over social media. But just what do we know about this new phenomenon? I wanted to tackle …
Invite Health Powders Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Invite Health has an amazing line of superfood powders that can easily be incorporated into your vision heath protocol. These powders include Reds Hx, Purples Hx and both Greens Hx and Organic Greens. These powders easily complement …
Dry Eye
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Are your eyes stinging, burning or red? You might have something called dry eye! Now I bet the first thing you’re going to say is but Dr. Claire I drink water all day! How can I have dry eye? While on the surface dry eye may seem like its just related to our water intake the truth is that it’s actually more complicated than that. Basically when you have dry eye your tears don’t provide adequate lubrication which can lead to inflammation and even damage to our eyes. (1)
Tears are made up of 3 parts. These include mucus, water and a lipid portion. (2) This combination is what keeps our eyes lubricated. Problems with any 1 of these layers can cause dry eye. So normally the tear gland or lacrimal gland supplies the tears that are wiped across your eyes when you blink. The excess then drains into your nose via the tear duct or nasolacrimal duct. () I know this sounds complicated so I’ve attached a picture so you can get a visual on what it looks like! (3)
What kind of symptoms can you expect when you have dry eye? You may notice that your eyes are red and there may be mucus in or around your eyes. You may feel like there’s something in your eyes. Additionally there may be a stinging, burning or scratchy feeling. You may notice that your vision is becoming blurry and you may experience eye fatigue. You may develop a sensitivity to light as well as difficult with driving in low light. If you wear contacts they be difficult to wear. Lastly as a response to the dry, irritated eyes you may develop watery eyes. (1) Some people with dry eye describe it as a burning, achy, even “gritty” feeling in their eyes. (4)
How do you know if it’s dry eye? The best thing is to see your eye doctor for a definitive answer. First they will do a comprehensive eye exam. Then they may do a test to measure the volume of your tears. They can also check the quality of tears as well as how much water there is in your tears. Lastly they can check your tear samples to ask for markers of dry eye disease. (1) Who knew tears could be so complicated?
Now what exactly are the risk factors for dry eye? Anything that can decrease tear production can lead to dry eye. Certain eye disease as well as certain chronic diseases can decrease tear production. These can include allergies, graft vs. host disease, Lupus, RA, Sarcoidosis, Scleroderma, Sjogrens, thyroid disorders and even vitamin A deficiency! Even certain medications can decrease our tear production. These common medications can include anti-histamines, decongestants, blood pressure medications, Parkinson’s medications and hormone replacement drugs. Even birth control can increase risk of dry eye. Similarly hormone changes that occur during pregnancy or during menopause can increase dry eye risk, which means that women are at a higher risk in general for dry eye. Something called corneal nerve de-sensitivity can increase risk. Lastly as we age there can be a decrease in tear production, and this decrease becomes more common after age 50. (1)
In addition to lower tear production anything that increases tear evaporation can lead to dry eye. Once again a vitamin A deficiency is a risk. Being in a place that in windy, smoky or even dry can increase evaporation. Having allergies is a risk. Certain eye diseases such as posterior blepharitis, ectropion, and entropion increase risk. Lastly blinking less often such as when you’re focused or if you have certain conditions such as Parkinson’s. Lastly you are more likely to have dry eye if you wear contacts or have a history of refractive surgery. (1)
Now a series question – can dry eye have complications? Yes it can. Tears protect our eyes. One of the things they protect us from is infection. They also protect us from damage to our eyes. Without the correct amount of tears you are at risk for infections, damage to the eye which can lead to corneal ulcers and even vision loss. Dry eyes can even decrease the quality of life as it can make certain activities of daily living difficult. (1)
What can you do if you have dry eye?
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Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In this blog we will be talking about Bilberry. Yes you read that correct, bilberry not blueberry. Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what exactly is the difference between a bilberry and …
L Carnosine Plus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today we will be talking about a product you may have heard of. This product is L Carnosine. Now I just want to point out that in this blog I will be talking about L Carnosine not …
Glaucoma part 2
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Today we will be completing our 2 part blog series on glaucoma. Let’s get right into it, shall we? The symptoms you may experience with glaucoma can vary slightly depending on the type you have. This is due to the differences in what is causing the nerve damage in the different types. Let’s start with open angle glaucoma. As I said in my 1st blog open angle is the most common type of glaucoma. In the beginning stages there is often no symptoms. As the disease progress’s patchy blind spots begin to appear in your peripheral vision. This visual difficulty will eventually extend into your central vision. One of the key note features of acute or closed angle glaucoma is how quickly the symptoms appear. You may experience a sever headache/eye pain, blurry vision and even see halos or rings around light’s. The color of your eyes may become red. On a more systematic note you may experience nausea or vomiting. In normal – tension glaucoma just like we saw in open angle glaucoma it may initially presents with no symptoms. Over time vision will become blurry and this can eventually lead to a loss of peripheral vision. In pigmentary glaucoma you may experience halos around lights. When you exercise your vision may become blurry. As the disease progress’s there is a loss of peripheral vision. Lastly what can you look for in children who may have glaucoma? Children with glaucoma may have headaches and blurry vision. They may have nearsightedness that gets worse over time. As a care giver you may notice that infants have dull or cloudy eyes. There may be an increase in how often they blink. Lastly infants may have tears without crying. (1)
Now what are the most common risk factors for glaucoma? Diabetes is a huge risk factor for glaucoma. In fact for those with diabetes they are twice as likely to get glaucoma as those without diabetes! The less controlled your diabetes the higher the risk of glaucoma becomes. This is just one reason why it is so important to stay in control of any chronic disease you may have or be at risk of developing. Having a previous eye injury or any eye surgery is also a risk factor. Additionally having a family history of glaucoma increases your risk. Having either hypertension or hypotension are both risk factors. Using corticosteroids long term can increase your risk. When it comes to open angle glaucoma myopia, or nearsightedness is a particular risk factor. For closed angle glaucoma hyperopia or farsightedness is a risk factor. (2) Other chronic conditions such as migraines and sickle cell are also risk factors. Being over 55 years old increases your risk for glaucoma. Having corneas that are thin in the center can increase your risk. Having a history of high internal eye pressure is a risk. Lastly certain ethnic groups such as those of African American descent, Asian or Hispanic descent all have a higher risk of developing glaucoma. (1)
How glaucoma is usually treated? Prescriptions usually involve eye drops as well as medications. Surgical options can include laser therapy, filtering surgery, drainage tubes or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. (1)
What can you do in addition to following your doctor’s advice? Well let’s take a look at some things you may want to consider adding into your regime.
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