Are Over The Counter Readers Bad For Eyes?

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If you require the use of reading glasses to see for short distances, you are probably aware of over-the-counter readers. These readers are available without a prescription from drugstores, supermarkets and even dollar stores. They come in a range of mild prescriptions, and you can simply pick them off the rack, try them on and buy them. This makes them very appealing for folks who feel they are too busy to go to the eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ to get prescription eyewear. They are also appealing because over-the-counter readers come in a wide range of color and styles for men and women, and are highly affordable. However, are over-the-counter readers bad for the eyes?

Users May Avoid the Eye Doctor

A huge drawback to over-the-counter readers is that they are a little too easy to access. In fact, using over-the-counter readers may inadvertently make user avoid seeing the eye doctor. If adequate reading vision can be achieved by buying a cheap pair of readers, then why would a person want to go to the trouble of making an eye doctor appointment?

The inherent danger is that most people who need readers are older people. This demographic is more prone to vision problems than younger generations. Serious problems like glaucoma need to be detected and diagnosed as soon as possible in order to prevent total blindness. If an older person skips regular eye doctor appointments in favor of relying on over-the-counter readers, it’s much more likely that any eye conditions will go undetected until they cause serious damage.

Readers Can Improve Quality of Life

Now, if an older person is on a low, fixed income, those cheap over-the-counter readers can help to improve quality of life. For as little as a dollar, a person could wear readers and be able to pursue favorite hobbies like reading, doing puzzles, sewing and more. Those things are important to everyone, but especially retired persons.

The best scenario is monitored use of over-the-counter readers. This simply means that, if you choose to wear cheap readers, you should still have regular visits with your eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ. Bring in your over-the-counter readers for examination to make sure they are okay for you to use. This way, you and your eye doctor can help to make sure your vision is protected.

Eye Glasses or Contact Lenses? What to Consider When Trying to Decide

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Eyeglasses and contact lenses can both improve your vision, whether you’re far-sighted or near-sighted. However, there are many differences between glasses and contact lenses in Riverdale NJ. Knowing the differences between these two options can help you decide which one is right for you.

What to Know About Contact Lenses

Not everyone is a good candidate for contact lenses, so before you can order contacts, you’ll have to work with your eye doctor in Riverdale to find out whether you’re a good candidate for contacts.

Contact lenses need to be properly cleaned, maintained and removed on a regular basis. Patients who are too young are not able to handle the care regimen for contact lenses. Most patients aren’t eligible to have contacts until their teen years, and not every teenager is ready to take care of contacts.

Some eye conditions, like dry eyes, make use of contact lenses problematic. To find out if you’re a good candidate for contact lenses, speak to your eye doctor. Your eye doctor will evaluate your eye health and talk to you about what must be done to maintain contact lenses. Together, you two can determine whether contacts are right for you.

What to Know About Eye Glasses

Eye glasses sit on the bridge of your nose and are visible to everyone who sees you. Because they’re so visible, some people don’t want eye glasses. Others prefer glasses because they like the way glasses look, they’re easy to take on and off and harder to lose than contact lenses.

Which One Is Right For You?

If you’re not sure whether eye glasses or contacts are right for you, make an appointment with your eye doctor. To determine which product is best for you, follow these tips:

  • Have a discussion with your eye doctor about what is involved in each type of vision correction tool.
  • Try on glasses to see how you like them.
  • Find out whether you’re even eligible for contact lenses (if contact lenses appeals to you).

Finally, remember that some people who need vision correction have both contacts and glasses. They might wear glasses at night before bed, and contacts during the day. Your eye doctor can help you decide what is the right choice for you.

To find out more, make an appointment at Riverdale Vision Care.

Symptoms of COVID-19-Related Conjunctivitis

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Conjunctivitis is a big word, but it’s really only a fancy term for an eye infection. You may know it better as pink eye. Conjunctivitis can be caused by several factors, including bacteria, virus, and allergens. It’s a relatively common condition that usually clears up through medication, and it’s a known symptom of COVID-19, though not everyone who contracts COVID-19 will develop conjunctivitis. And just because you may have pink eye, this doesn’t mean you have Coronavirus. Your eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ, can give you more information regarding pink eye.

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis

Symptoms of conjunctivitis are the same regardless of the cause. They include:

  • Itchy eyes
  • A pink tint to the whites of the eyes
  • A feeling of grittiness when you rub your eyes
  • Excessive tearing
  • Discharge
  • Crusty eyes in the morning

When you have pink eye, this means the conjunctiva, or transparent membrane that covers the whites of your eyes, has become inflamed. The tiny blood vessels in your eye become more visible as a result. This makes your eye appear pink where it’s usually white.

Pink eye is irritating and may cause pain and discomfort. It’s also contagious. It’s easily treated, however, with artificial tears, warm or cold compresses, and frequent cleaning of the area around your eye with a clean, wet cloth. Your eye doctor may also recommend over-the-counter medicines for pain.

Symptoms of COVID-19-Related Conjunctivitis

If your conjunctivitis is caused by the COVID-19 virus, it will usually be accompanied by other symptoms, including:

  • Sore Throat
  • Congestion
  • Fatigue
  • Cough
  • Headache

If you think you may have COVID-related pink eye, it’s important to contact your health care provider right away. If you’re not terribly sick, a phone call may be best. If you have the symptoms of pink eye without the accompanying cold symptoms, schedule a pink-eye screening in Riverdale, NJ.

Riverdale Vision Care Can Help

Riverdale Vision Care is a top choice of eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ. We offer comprehensive eye exams that can help detect the early stages of eye disorders and diseases such as pink eye. In addition, we’re a one-stop shop for contact lenses. Stop by our location inside Pearle Vision Center today, or call to book a consultation.

Treatment for Ocular Disease: What You Should Know

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Ocular disease is a broad term that can refer to any eye disorder, and the treatments will vary based on not only the condition but also the severity and progression of it. It’s critical for people to find an eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ who will tailor their treatment plan for the best results. Here’s what you should know about ocular disease treatment.

The Main Ocular Diseases

The main ocular diseases include:

  • Cataracts: A cataract is a collection of proteins that obscure the natural lens of the eye.
  • Glaucoma: This disorder refers to a drainage problem. When fluids collect, they can interfere with your nerves and ultimately, your eyesight.
  • Diabetic retinopathy: Your blood sugar can cause problems with your blood vessels. Because the ones in your eyes are so tiny, this condition can cause bleeding and eventual blindness.
  • Macular degeneration: This disease affects the tissue that controls your main vision.
  • Dry eye: A relatively common condition that affects the production of tears. Dry eyes can occur for any number of reasons, including environmental changes.
  • Pink eye: Also known as conjunctivitis, this affects the membrane between your eyelid and the white portion of your eye.
  • Keratoconus: Known for its distinctive bulging shape, this disease affects the corneal tissue of the eye. This can cause distortion to what you see.

Treatments of Ocular Diseases

Luckily, ocular diseases are largely treatable, particularly if they’re caught early on. Cataracts can be controlled by one of the most routine surgeries on the planet, while glaucoma can be managed with oral prescriptions and eye drops. (In some cases, you may need surgery though to improve drainage.) And in addition to controlling diabetes with lifestyle choices, there are solutions that can prevent the formation of new blood vessels if you have retinopathy. Other common treatments include eye drops, special contact lenses, and UV treatments.

Ocular Disease Treatment in Riverdale, NJ

If you’re looking for ocular disease treatment in Riverdale, NJ, Riverdale Vision Care is here to find the best possible options for you. Our staff cannot stress enough just how important it is to catch these disorders early on, so you can get the right intervention at the right time.

How Does Keratoconus Affect the Eye?

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Keratoconus is a disorder that can cause a number of general symptoms, many of which might be mistaken for other conditions. We’ll look at exactly how it occurs and what you can expect if you’re diagnosed with it.

A Thinning Cornea

The cornea is the surface of your eye. It’s clear, shaped like a dome, and affects how you perceive light and color. With keratoconus, the cornea starts to thin and become more of a cone than a dome. As the cornea bulges, your eye becomes more sensitive to light and glare. Optometrists in Riverdale, NJ can tell you more about how the disorder is affecting your vision specifically.

This condition usually occurs in both of your eyes, but likely will be worse in one of your eyes. The condition is a gradual one that can build up over decades, and may start in people as young as 10 years old. There is no known cause but it has been linked to anything from family history to habits of rubbing your eyes.

What Can You Expect from Keratoconus?

In the beginning, you might not expect very much to change as the disorder can take a while to develop. You might have some blurriness or clouding, but the initial effects are likely to be pretty easy to correct. Most vision problems can be solved with either contacts or glasses.

However, as the disease progresses, you might notice your eyes getting worse. Your prescriptions may change frequently and you may have problems driving at night due to light sensitivity. Some people may be able to correct these issues through hard contact lenses. However, the most advanced stage of keratoconus may require a cornea transplant.

When to See an Optometrist in Riverdale, NJ

If you notice serious changes to your eyesight, it’s always a good idea to see an optometrist. Your doctor will be able to examine your eye and look for the tell-tale signs of keratoconus. If you’ve already been diagnosed with the condition, they can let you know how it’s progressing and whether it’s time for a different prescription or treatment. If you’re looking for keratoconus treatment in Riverdale, NJ, our optometrists can offer solutions at every stage of the disorder.

Eye Exams Riverdale NJ

What’s That Spot in My Vision? Could Be Eye Floaters

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You may wake up one morning and see an odd anomaly in your field of vision. Maybe the floating object looks like a spot, a string, or even a tiny bug. You can’t quite focus on it, and the object is not going away when you blink. You may have an eye floater. What is an eye floater, and should you be concerned? Let’s take a closer look at the problem and if you should seek a comprehensive eye exam in Riverdale, NJ.

What causes eye floaters?

Eye floaters are most often associated with changes to the vitreous substance in the eye. As this jelly-like material changes, tiny fibers can clump together. These small clumps generate shadows, which are what you will see as floaters. Eye floaters can also be caused by:

  • Retinal tears
  • Bleeding in the back of the eye
  • Prior or recent eye surgery
  • Eye inflammation

Will the eye floater go away?

Eye floaters don’t usually disappear on their own, but they can become far less noticeable with enough time. Some people grow so accustomed to a floater in their field of vision that they become almost blind to the shadow because their brain and eyes work together to adjust. Sometimes, the small clumped fibers in the vitreous fluid will settle to the bottom of your eye where they will be out of sight.

Can the eye doctor help?

Eye floaters can be especially hard to treat because they are caused by shadows cast on the retina from another part of the eye. A few invasive treatments may help, such as a vitrectomy to remove the vitreous and replace it with a medically approved solution. Some eye doctors also use laser treatment to break yo the fibrous clusters, but this form of treatment has not been well-established and may come along with other risks.

Contact Us About Visual Problems in Riverdale, NJ

Eye floaters are not often something that should cause major concern. Nevertheless, persistent problems or suddenly severe problems should spur you to reach out to an eye doctor in Riverdale, NJ right away. If you have floaters or vision disturbances causing you concern, feel free to reach out to us at Riverdale Vision Care to schedule an appointment.

What is Astigmatism?  

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Astigmatism is common. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that 1 in 3 people have at least some degree of astigmatism.

This condition happens when the cornea and/or lens in your eye aren’t perfectly curved. Any abnormality in the curvature of these tissues can disrupt the way light normally enters the eye and prevent light from focusing clearly on the light-sensitive retina. This can lead to blurry vision at any viewing distance.

Many people are born with astigmatism, but it can also develop later in life as a result of things like eye surgery, trauma, or infection. You may also be more at risk for astigmatism if you have other refractive errors such as nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia), which are a result of abnormalities in the shape of the cornea and/or eyeball itself.

Astigmatism Signs and Symptoms

Astigmatism symptoms can range from mild to very pronounced. People with astigmatism may notice:

  • Blurry vision
  • The need to squint in order to see
  • Eye strain or fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Impaired night vision

How Our Riverdale Optometrist Staff Treats Astigmatism

For some people, their astigmatism is so mild that they don’t need any special interventions other than routine eye exams. But when astigmatism becomes severe enough to affect vision, it’s important to work with an eye doctor who can monitor your condition and provide individualized treatments to help you see better in your day-to-day life.

At Riverdale Vision Care, our optometrist team provides comprehensive diagnostic services to help detect and assess astigmatism. We work with our patients to provide meaningful vision care solutions that help them see better. Some of our top astigmatism treatment options include:

  • Prescription eyeglasses and/or contact lenses
  • Hard-to-fit contact lenses (e.g., scleral lenses) for advanced forms of astigmatism
  • Orthokeratology, a specialized contact lens worn at night that temporarily reshapes the corneas and improves daytime vision

Some people choose to undergo surgical interventions like laser eye surgery (LASIK) in order to correct their astigmatism. In these cases, our Riverdale optometry team happily provides essential pre-and post-operative care to ensure your procedure goes smoothly and your outcomes are optimized!

If you live near Riverdale, NJ, and are concerned about astigmatism symptoms, contact Riverdale Vision Care today at 973-248-0060 to schedule a comprehensive eye exam.

tips for eye makeup use

Makeup and Eye Health: Safety Tips for Eye Makeup Use

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From eyeshadow and eyeliner to mascara and faux lashes, the beauty industry serves up a plethora of ways to help you feel beautiful. If you are all about eye makeup and love to dabble and experiment with different looks, you can try a lot of different products in a single year. While eye makeup is generally safe to use, there are a few safety tips to keep in mind so you don’t inadvertently put your visual health at risk.

1. Opt for quality products.

Good makeup can be more expensive, but it is always better for your eyes to opt for quality makeup that is made with the best ingredients. Lower-quality products are commonly made using the most generic ingredients, such as coloring pigments and fragrance chemicals.

2. Watch out for sensitivities to certain products.

Any time you are trying a new eye makeup product, consider the experience a trial run. Apply the makeup as usual and watch out for any signs that you are sensitive to something in the product. A few signs that you may be sensitive to a makeup ingredient include:

  • Excessive tearing
  • Redness or itching around your eyes
  • Feeling like you have something in your eyes

If you do experience an issue with a new product, thoroughly wash your eyes and stop using the product. Disregarding sensitivities could lead to a host of eye health issues, such as dry eyes, eyelid inflammation, and more.

3. Take off your eye makeup before going to sleep.

Perhaps the golden rule of eye makeup use for your eye health is to always wash off your makeup. When you sleep, the makeup can break down due to more moisture, rubbing your eyes, and elevated body temperature. As the makeup breaks down, the small particles can get into your eyes. Even if you are just taking a nap mid-day, it is best to remove any eye makeup you may have on beforehand.

Keep Your Visual Health in Check with an Eye Doctor in Riverdale, NJ

We get it—makeup can be a big deal. It boosts your self-confidence and allows you to achieve certain looks. If you have eye health concerns due to makeup, reach out to us at Riverdale Vision Care to schedule an appointment.

Stye, Stye in My Eye – What You Really Need to Know About Eye Styes

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Styes are one of those common visual health ailments that most people know all about because they’ve likely had one. In fact, the fun little rhyme about sending a stye to someone else’s eye cemented styes in most of our memories as children. But, what is a stye really, should you be concerned, and how can a stye be treated? Here are a few things you should know.

What exactly is a stye?

The medical term for a stye (which can also be spelled stye) is hordeolum. The condition is characterized by a painful, irritated bump that usually shows up close to the rim of the eyelid. The most typical place for a stye to show up is on the outside of your eyelid, but the irritating bump can also pop up on the inner rim. The small bump is most often caused by a blocked oil gland. The eyelids have a number of oil glands that can become blocked due to excess oils, eye makeup, and dirt from your hands after rubbing your eyes.

Should you seek an eye doctor if you have a stye in your eye?

Normally, a stye will go away on its own without eye doctor treatment. You can try:

  • Using a warm compress on the stye several times a day
  • Cleaning your eyelids thoroughly with warm soap and water
  • Taking ibuprofen to relieve the pain and lessen any inflammation

When should you be worried about a stye?

If the stye does not go away on its own within a few days, is causing you a great deal of pain, or is causing problems with your vision, it is best to see an eye doctor for advice. In some cases, a severe stye will have to be treated with a topical antibiotic ointment so it will go away. In even rarer cases, an eye doctor may need to lance the stye so the collected oil or infection can drain out.

Talk to a Wilmington Eye Doctor About Styes in Your Eyes

While you may not get rid of a stye by speaking it into someone else’s eye, these mild eye health issues are usually no big deal. If you have problems with a stye or have recurring styes, reach out to us at Riverdale Vision Care to schedule an appointment.

 

 

Can Eyes Heal From Sun Damage?

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Sun damage usually occurs to the skin. However, many people don’t realize that sun damage can also happen to eyes. Sometimes eye damage from UV light is called sunburn, but officially, this is called photokeratitis.

What is Photokeratitis?

Photokeratitis, sometimes called ultraviolet keratitis, presents as inflammation in the cornea. The cornea is the transparent covering over the exterior of the eye.

What Are The Symptoms of Photokeratitis?

The symptoms of photokeratitis are very obvious and uncomfortable. They include:

  • Feeling like you have sand on the insides of your eyelids
  • Inability to see at all
  • Blurry vision
  • Headache
  • Swollen eyelids and/or undereye swelling
  • Feeling of pain or pressure within the eyeball
  • Ultra-sensitivity to light
  • Heavy tearing
  • Seeing halos around objects

If you have any of these symptoms, contact your Riverdale eye doctor immediately.

Causes of Photokeratitis

Your eyes are extremely sensitive to the environment. This is why if you even have a small eyelash in your eye, it can feel like a tree branch is stuck in there. The symptoms of photokeratitis are much more painful than an eyelash, as you can see from the list above. But what causes photokeratitis to begin with?

Essentially, Photokeratitis is caused by overexposure to UV light. The most common source of UV light is, of course, the sun. But there are other sources to be aware of. Your eyes can be exposed to UV light from UV light bulbs, full-spectrum bulbs, tanning beds, and more.

Furthermore, certain conditions can exacerbate the dangers of sun damage to the eyes. This can happen when you are on a boat, at the pool, or near any reflective body of water. It can happen while skiing, since the snow reflects sunlight. It can even happen on lightly colored sidewalks and roadways in towns and cities.

How to Avoid Sun Damage to the Eyes

The best way to avoid sun damage to the eyes is to wear UV-rated sunglasses while outside on sunny days. Also, avoid using tanning beds, or at a minimum, close eyes and wear protective goggles during sessions. If you use full-spectrum bulbs while doing hobbies like painting or sewing, wear UV-rated eyewear.

Your eye doctor in Riverdale can help you with tips to avoid sun damage. Contact us today for more information.