dry eye syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome: How Kirman Eye Can Help

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Dry eye syndrome is a frustrating and uncomfortable condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Characterized by a lack of adequate lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye, dry eye syndrome can result in irritation, redness, and increased vision problems if left untreated. Fortunately, at Kirman Eye, we have extensive experience diagnosing, managing, and providing relief for the condition as part of our comprehensive optical health services.

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Optomap in use

Retinal Imaging with the Optomap: Your Map to Eye Health!

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Retinal health is crucial for long-lasting vision, and thanks to recent advancements in optical technology, today’s eye care professionals can now get a comprehensive view of the retina like never before. Optomap retinal imaging stands at the forefront of this revolution, offering myriad benefits to optical patients while increasing efficiency and ease for all concerned. Kirman Eye is proud to offer this state-of-the-art service to our patients.

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managing myopia

Managing Myopia: What You Need To Know

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Myopia: The Basics

Myopia, often referred to as nearsightedness, is a common refractive error of the eye where close objects are seen clearly, but distant objects appear blurry. This occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea is too curved, causing light rays to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. As a result, individuals with myopia have difficulty seeing objects in the distance, while nearby objects remain clear. Myopia typically develops during childhood and tends to worsen gradually until early adulthood. It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery, and various management options are available to help slow down its progression.

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AdaptDx® Pro

The Best Tool For The Job: Testing for Macular Degeneration with the AdaptDx® Pro

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As someone deeply passionate about optometry and optical health, I understand the importance of preserving our eyesight. One vital aspect of this is testing for conditions like Macular Degeneration. Just imagine being able to detect a leading cause of vision loss before it advances significantly! That’s exactly what this advanced technology offers.

This powerful new piece of diagnostic equipment is the latest innovation enabling eye doctors to test the night vision of their patients, testing the eye’s ability to adjust to the dark can catch the early warning signs of macular degeneration, one of the world’s leading causes of blindness. And eye care specialists armed with this early detection system can more successfully determine a course of preventive treatment.

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specialty eyewear

Sports Glasses: Choosing the Best Specialty Eyewear for Your Physical Activity

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What Types of Specialty Eyewear are Available for Sports Activities, and Why Is It Needed?

If your family leads an active lifestyle that includes sports activity, you might be wondering why specialized eyewear is important. It’s not about style – it’s about providing perfect vision while keeping your eyes safe and healthy.

There are various types of specialty eyewear designed for different sports, such as wraparound sunglasses for outdoor activities and impact-resistant goggles for racquet sports and basketball. These are needed to protect your eyes from potential injuries, harmful UV rays, and glare, all while improving your vision to allow for safe activity.

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hypertension eyecare

Hypertension and Your Vision

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What is the Connection Between Hypertension and Changes in Vision?

As we age, it’s natural to experience changes in our vision, but did you know that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can also have an impact on our eyesight? If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with hypertension, you may be curious about the connection between this condition and changes in vision.

Hypertension affects the blood vessels, causing them to narrow and become less elastic.  This can damage the blood vessels in the eyes, leading to a variety of vision problems, including blurred vision, double vision, and even vision loss. It’s important to manage hypertension to prevent these potential complications.

If you’re still reading, you may be wondering what steps you can take to manage hypertension and protect your vision. In the following paragraphs, I’ll provide some practical tips for controlling hypertension and minimizing its impact on your eyesight.

What are the symptoms of hypertensive retinopathy?

When hypertension goes untreated or uncontrolled, it can lead to a condition called hypertensive retinopathy, which damages the small blood vessels in the retina. The retina is the part of the eye responsible for processing light into visual images, so any damage to it can significantly impact a person’s vision.

Symptoms of hypertensive retinopathy include blurred vision, double vision, headaches, and eye discomfort. In severe cases, it can cause vision loss and blindness.

Hypertensive retinopathy progresses in stages, with each stage indicating a more severe level of damage to the retina. In the early stages, the symptoms may not be noticeable, but as the condition progresses, symptoms can become more severe. Regular eye exams with a trained eyecare professional can help catch hypertensive retinopathy early on and prevent further damage.

It’s also worth noting that hypertensive retinopathy is not the only eye condition that can be caused by hypertension. Other conditions include choroidopathy, optic neuropathy, and central serous chorioretinopathy. Choroidopathy is a condition in which the blood vessels in the choroid layer of the eye become damaged. The choroid is a layer of blood vessels and connective tissue that provides oxygen and nutrients to the outer layers of the retina. When the choroid is damaged, it can lead to vision problems such as distorted or blurred vision.

When visiting your eye doctor, always inform them if you have a history of high blood pressure.

Can hypertension be treated to prevent changes in vision?

Yes, hypertension can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication to prevent changes in vision. Lifestyle changes that can help include maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. Medications such as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and diuretics can also be prescribed to help lower blood pressure.

It’s important to monitor blood pressure regularly and work with a healthcare professional to develop a treatment plan. In some cases, it may take a combination of lifestyle changes and medication to effectively manage hypertension.

It’s also important to note that hypertension is a chronic condition and may require lifelong management. Regular check-ins with a healthcare professional can help ensure that blood pressure is being effectively managed and prevent changes in vision and other complications associated with hypertension.

Steps You Can Take

If you have high blood pressure, it is essential to have regular eye exams to monitor for any vision changes or damage to the eyes. In some cases, early detection and treatment of hypertension can prevent vision problems from developing or worsening. It is crucial to actively manage high blood pressure and have regular eye exams to prevent or monitor for any vision changes.

If you have hypertension and are experiencing changes in your vision, seek medical attention immediately. Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to get your blood pressure checked and consult your eye doctor to discuss any vision changes you have noticed. By taking proactive steps to manage your blood pressure and getting regular eye exams, you can protect your vision and maintain good overall health. Don’t delay – prioritize your health and book that appointment today!

At Kirman Eye we can provide the best technology, the latest scientific information, and the highest quality treatment available. We are always happy to answer your questions and will work with you to design a plan that is effective at helping you manage your developing situation, to provide the best possible results.

Your partners at Kirman Eye are passionately dedicated to providing our patients with the best and most effective eye-care options available when anticipating all of your optical needs.

Contact us to work with you today!

eye care

Keeping Your Eyes Healthy

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Where eye care is concerned, protecting your overall health is a key part of the strategy to keep your eyes in tip-top condition! It’s important to make healthy choices and to take good care of yourself. As we age, our eyes age with us, increasing our chance of developing certain conditions that can directly affect the development of various eye diseases. These conditions include hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. Diabetics risk the onset of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disorder that can potentially result in partial vision loss and eventual blindness.

If you’re worried you might be at risk for eye disease, talk to your doctor. There are steps you can take to lower your risk. Talk with your family members about any eye problems they may have had and inform your eye doctor if any eye diseases run in your family.

 Eat Eye-Healthy Foods

Eat healthy foods that support eye health! Carrots, squash, and pumpkin are full of vitamin A—an essential ingredient to good vision and long-term eye care. Also be sure to eat plenty of dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens, which are high in the eye-friendly antioxidant, lutein. Another nutritional source that is good for your eyes is found in foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. This includes many types of fish, including salmon, halibut, and tuna.

Don’t Smoke

Quitting smoking not only lowers the risk of heart and lung disease, but it also seriously lessens your chance of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other eye conditions.

 Shield Your Eyes

To protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, you should consider wearing the best sunglasses available. Even on cloudy days, sunglasses can help protect your eyes from ultraviolet exposure, a known cause of cataracts and certain cancers. The best sunglasses for this purpose are equipped with lenses capable of blocking 99%-100% of UVA and UVB radiation.

Wear protective eyewear when needed! Safety goggles are designed to protect your eyes during hazardous activities, like doing construction work or making home repairs. Don safety goggles or eye guards when using tools that might result in flying debris, drifting gas or fumes, or splashing chemicals.

Sports goggles are also a wise precaution when playing any sport that involves thrown objects.

Keep Your Eyes Clean

If the wrong types of bacteria get into your eyes, they can cause an infection, leading to uncomfortable symptoms like itching, swelling, discharge, pain, and/or difficulty seeing. To avoid this, be sure to throw away old eye makeup and replace your mascara about every three months. If you wear contact lenses, thoroughly wash your hands before you put your contacts in or take them out, and remove them at night even if they’re labeled for long-term wear—sleeping in them will increase the risk of infection by allowing bacteria ample time to multiply in the eyes. Always be sure to clean and disinfect the lenses regularly, and replace them as needed.

Limit Your Screen Time

If you spend too much time staring at TVs, smartphones, or computer screens, it can lead to dry eyes, blurry vision, or headaches. One reason for this is that when we are focused on electronic screens, we blink less often than we normally would.

Too much screen time will tire out your eyes and can eventually lead to a decline in your vision health. To avoid that, try using the 20-20-20 Rule to refresh and rewet your eyes: rest your eyes by taking a break every 20 minutes, to look at something about 20 feet away, for 20 seconds.

Use Eye Drops To Flush Your Eyes When Needed

There are a number of very efficient eye drop brands on the market designed to soothe dry eyes or calm itching from allergies or other irritants. You can use these to wash out your eyes and flush away any foreign particles you may have picked up, keeping your eyes clean and properly irrigated.

Monitor Changes To Your Eyes

You should pay close attention to any changes in the conditions of your eyes. Many eye ailments are painless, and some have symptoms that are easily overlooked.

Symptoms to be concerned about include persistent pain in the eye, reduced or blurred vision, double vision, hampered peripheral vision, or painful eye movement. You should also seek immediate care if one eye looks noticeably different from the other, or if you start to consistently see rainbow-colored rings or halos around light sources.

If you notice any changes to your eyes that seem to be getting worse, or if you experience eye discomfort that does not go away within a few days, you should make an appointment to see an eye care specialist right away.

Get Regular Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exams

Dilated eye exams are quick, simple, and painless, but they are still the single best way to maintain your long-term eye health. Remember: even though your eyes may feel perfectly normal and seem healthy, you might still have a hidden problem that you can’t detect yourself. Many eye ailments don’t present noticeable symptoms at first, or even in their latter stages. A dilated eye exam allows your eye care professional to diagnose the inner workings of your eyes and is the most effective way to detect many eye problems early when they are easier to diagnose and treat.

There are a number of things that you can do to protect your eyes and keep them healthy. The most important action you can take is to get regular eye checkups. Regular eye exams will enable your eye doctor to keep track of your eye health and preemptively spot conditions that could put your vision at risk.

Your partners at Kirman Eye are passionately dedicated to providing our patients with the best and most effective eye-care options available when anticipating all of your optical needs.

Contact us to work with you today!

macular degeneration

Macular Degeneration: What You Need To Know

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Each February is Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, a designation that’s deeply important to us here at Kirman Eye. To honor that distinction, this month’s blog seeks to educate visitors on the facts about that condition, its causes, stages, and various treatments. Read on to learn more about what it is, and how you can combat it.

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brain injury

5 Common Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

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Unfortunately, a traumatic brain injury is as bad as it sounds. Occurring due to a violent blow to the head or body, it can also result from an object penetrating brain tissue, which happens with gunshots or when a skull is shattered. While various symptoms follow, some are directly related to a person’s vision. Here are five common symptoms of TBI that your eye doctor in Hummelstown, PA will look for.

1. Blurred Vision

After even what is considered to be a mild traumatic brain injury occurs, blurred vision is a common symptom. Affecting one or both eyes, this symptom can display itself immediately following the injury, or perhaps not until days or weeks later.

2. Sensitivity to Light

Also common after a mild TBI, a person may start to experience extreme sensitivity when their eyes are exposed to sunlight, fluorescent lighting, or simply standard lighting inside their home. When this symptom appears, wearing sunglasses can be of some help until additional medical treatment is given.

3. Dilation of One or Both Pupils

When one or both pupils are dilated, there is no doubt whatsoever the person has suffered a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. A very common symptom following concussions, it is imperative medical treatment be sought as soon as possible, since this symptom is often a precursor to more serious issues.

4. Persistent Headaches Above the Eyes

With any type of TBI, most victims suffer persistent and sometimes very painful headaches, especially above their eyes. However, this can be mistaken for a tension headache or a headache associated with eye strain. Therefore, if a person has suffered a violent blow to the head or body and begins exhibiting such symptoms, a visit to the doctor is urgently needed.

5. Blindness

In rare situations, a blow to the head can result in blindness that is usually temporary. This can occur more with younger children than adults, since children’s skulls are more fragile and still developing.

If you have a family member who begins to display these symptoms or you yourself are having these symptoms, seek medical help at once. By getting help from your physician as well as your eye doctor in Hummelstown, PA, the effects of a traumatic brain injury may be curtailed so that they impact your life as little as possible.

The Connection Between Diabetes and Vision Problems

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The connection between diabetes and loss of vision has been well-established over the years. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people world-wide. It develops when blood sugar levels are chronically high. Diabetes is a serious condition that causes vision loss as well as other health problems. If you have diabetes, talk to your eye doctor in Hummelstown, PA so that your eye doctor can be aware of the condition and be on the lookout for specific problems with your vision such as the following.

Increasingly Blurred Vision

Many people suffer with blurry vision at distances or close-up. This kind of blurry vision is caused by focus problems that can typically be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. But if you have diabetes and you notice that your vision is getting more blurry, book an eye doctor appointment. This could be a sign that your vision is deteriorating due to diabetes.

Cataracts

Diabetes is the main cause of blindness in adults aged between 20 and 74. One way that diabetes leads to blindness is from cataracts. Cataracts are growths that occur on the lens of the eyes. They cause the lens to become cloudy, impairing vision. Cataract removal in Hummelstown, PA is available. But if you have diabetes, make sure your eye doctor knows it, so they can give you information about the correlation between diabetes and cataracts.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is another serious eye problem that is much more prevalent in those who have diabetes. Glaucoma is a condition where pressure builds up within the eye, disrupting the brain’s signals from the optic nerve. Glaucoma almost always leads to blindness if it is left untreated. Every eye exam you receive at Kirman Eye in Hummelstown, PA will include a glaucoma test. The earlier this condition is diagnosed, the better the possible outcome.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that is specifically related to diabetes. People without diabetes would not develop this condition. With this condition, blindness will almost always happen eventually. Thankfully, diabetic retinopathy can be stopped, but the symptoms may not always be able to be reversed, depending on how much nerve damage has already occurred.

Always inform your eye doctor of any underlying medical problems, especially diabetes. The more your eye doctor knows about your health, the better able they will be to protect your vision.