Ithcy, watery eyes? Optometrists give tips to relieve spring allergy symptoms

The sunshine and bright colors of spring are here, but so are seasonal allergies from pollen, dander, smog or mold that can often lead to itchy, watery eyes. Eye irritation is the body's immune response to allergens, so when pollen comes in contact with eyes, for example, the body releases histamine, causing eye redness, burning and itching.

The Kentucky Optometric Association says discomfort from itchy, swollen or water eyes can be reduced with simple steps, such as maintaining a healthy diet full of anti-oxidants like spinach, broccoli, carrot discomfort that boost the immune system in addition to taking fish oil supplements that help reduce redness and irritation.

Other tips from the KOA include using preservative-free lubricating eye drops or re-wetting eyes with contact solution if you wear contact lenses. Applying a cold compress to eyes can also relieve itching and redness by constricting the histamine-releasing blood vessels. And remember: Do not touch or rub eyes, and be sure to wash hands with soap and water.

A local eye doctor can examine eye allergy symptoms to ensure the cause is properly identified, said Dr. Max Downey, an optometrist in Campbellsville. Optometrists' treatment could range from eye drops to prescription medicines, said Downey.

In addition to discussing allergy relief with your optometrist, the KOA recommends adults have yearly eye exams at the minimum, depending on the severity of allergies.

Get those eyes examined, or a 'sneak thief' might steal your sight

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, so the Kentucky Optometric Association is emphasizing the need for an annual dilated eye exam.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S., but awareness surrounding the disease is relatively low, says the American Optometric Association. A poll taken for the AOA "found that 90 percent of Americans incorrectly believe glaucoma is preventable, and 72 percent mistakenly think glaucoma has early warning signs," KOA said in a news release. "Regular eye exams are the first line of defense for early detection of glaucoma."

The optometrists' group says more than half of Americans who have glaucoma remain undiagnosed, mainly because people don'y get regular eye exams. “Glaucoma is often referred to as ‘the sneak thief of sight’ because it can strike without pain or other symptoms,” said Dr. Ben Gaddie, a Louisville-area optometrist who is president of the international Optometric Glaucoma Society. “Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, so early detection and treatment are extremely important.”

Treatment for glaucoma includes eye drops and medicines to lower pressure in the eyeball. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery may reduce pressure. To find a optometrist in your area, through the KPA, go to www.kyeyes.org

Tips for staying safe this Halloween include avoiding decorative contact lenses

Though ghouls and goblins willbe out in full force, there will be other, unexpected dangers lurking on Halloween, some before kids even leave the house.

Though glowing, oddly-colored eyes might seem like the ultimate spooky touch to kids' costumes, officials with the Kentucky Optometric Association, along with the Food and Drug Administration, warn against using decorative, non-corrective contact lenses that are sold without a prescription from an eye doctor. (FDA photo)

"Consumers who purchase lenses without a prescription or without consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye's ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss," said Lisa Sanford Howard, an optometrist in Middlesboro. Risks involve conjunctivitis (pink eye), swelling, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to a poor lens fit.

In considering costumes, parents should make sure their children can see well through masks and walk without tripping on their costume, Kentucky State Police advise. While they're on the street, children should carry a flashlight or have reflective tape on their costumes to make them more visible.

"On Halloween evening, we're placing our children in probably some of the most dangerous traffic situations you could imagine," said KSP Lt. David Jude. "Our children are outside after dark, they walk along and cross unfamiliar streets, and they often wear dark colors, which are difficult for motorists to see."

When children get home with their haul, they should not eat treats until they have been checked by an adult. Parents should discard unwrapped or suspicious candy.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 41 million kids between ages 5 and 14 will go trick-or-treating this year.

Optometrists, ophthalmologists renew battle over optometrists' ability to perform medical procedures

Ophthalmologists renewed their fight yesterday against new rules "that would allow optometrists to perform more complex procedures that critics say will endanger patients," Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports. The Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners held the hearing on regulations that would implement a law passed quickly by the General Assembly after a years-long lobbying effort by optometrists and their trade group's executive director, Darlene Eakin, left. (C-J photo by Pam Spaulding)

The law allows optometrists to do limited laser treatments, "injections of medicine and removal of benign lesions from eyelids," Wynn writes. The only other state that allows them to do so is Oklahoma, but critics say no problems have been reported in that state and have noted that only 41 Kentucky counties have ophthalmologists.

Ophthalmologists "charged that the rules are not stringent enough to ensure optometrists — who are not medically licensed — can perform the treatments without causing harm," Wynn writes. The rules would require optometrists who want to expand their practice to take classes on more than 20 medical topics, pass tests, get clinical experience and "demonstrate competency to a board-approved expert," Wynn notes. "Lexington ophthalmologist Ken Weaver said wording in the draft resembles 'vague ideas,' rather than medical standards, and could allow an optometrist to perform eye surgeries after a 16-hour course from an unqualified instructor." (Read more)

Watching 3-D movies may strain eyes but doesn't harm them and can help detect vision impairment, optometrists say

With summer blockbusters set to be released in the coming months, the Kentucky Optometric Association says watching 3-D movies is not harmful to eyes, but can cause eye strain and headaches.

To help with those conditions, the association recommends sitting farther back from the movie screen.

In some cases, some viewers won't be able to recognize 3-D pictures because they lack binocular vision. "Although this doesn't pose any problem viewing the screen, it serves as a vision screening that something is abnormal with the viewer's binocular vision," the association says in a news release used by the Journal-Enterprise of Providence.

"That means 3-D actually has a benefit," said Dr. Joe Ellis, an optometrist in Benton and president of the optometric association. "It can alert people to undetected vision disorders and eye diseases that, if caught early, are fully treatable."

Viewers might consider seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist if they get headaches while watching 3-D, if they feel nauseous or dizzy after viewing or if it is difficult for their eyes to adjust back to normal after viewing. (Read more)

New Kentucky optometry law prompting legislators in other states to consider same or similar changes

Now that Kentucky lawmakers have allowed optometrists to expand their scope of care, legislators in Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas may follow suit. They are looking at legislation that would allow optometrists to perform minor surgeries that were previously only allowed to be done by ophthalmologists, who are medical doctors.

Despite objections from several physician organizations — who say optometrists lack the medical training to perform the surgeries or deal with the complications — The Better Access to Quality Eye Care law was signed by Gov. Steve Beshear this winter. It lets optometrists perform a range of new procedures, including post-cataract surgery and two types of glaucoma surgery, reports Carolyne Krupa of American Medical News. The bill caused controversy partly because of the amount of campaign contributions, totaling almost $400,000, that optometrists made to all but one legislator and Beshear in the past two years.

Bills being considered in Nebraska and Texas would allow optometrists to "remove skin lesions from eyelids" and perform the same eye surgeries now permitted in Kentucky. The bills in Nebraska, Texas and South Carolina would also let optometrists make injections in the eyelid.

In 1998, Oklahoma because the first state to allow optometrists to perform some eye surgeries. Earlier this year, Kentucky became the second state nationwide. (Read more)

Senate quickly passes bill to allow optometrists to perform minor surgical procedures; ophthalmologists say that would be risky

"The Senate approved a bill Friday to allow optometrists to perform some surgical procedures on the eye and eyelid, brushing aside warnings from medical doctors who said optometrists are not qualified and could harm surgical patients," John Cheves reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Supporters of the bill said it would improve eye services in rural areas.

Prospects for Senate Bill 110 in the House are uncertain, but it passed the Senate 33-3 and optometrists have long been major financiers of legislators' campaigns. They have given almost $740,000 to state candidates since the Registry of Election Finance began keeping computerized records in 1997, and have won several legislative battles against ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in eye matters.

The bill was filed Monday night and approved by the Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee the next day. "After ophthalmologists started calling, the Senate granted them a brief hearing Friday morning to air their complaints, although it did not stop the Senate vote," Cheves reports. Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, called the process a "kangaroo court" and said, "Just because we have a squeaky wheel doesn't mean we have to oil it immediately."

If the bill becomes law, optometrists could "remove lumps and bumps and use lasers to treat a few specified conditions, although they could not perform Lasik corrective surgery or any other procedure requiring general anesthesia," Cheves reports. "Optometrists told the committee that about two-thirds of Kentucky's counties don't have an ophthalmologist, especially in rural areas. . . . Oklahoma passed a similar law in 1998 with no serious problems, they added."

Oklahoma's law is the only one like it in the U.S., according to a commenter on the story, identified as "uk1234." Noting the bill language that would give the state Board of Optometric Examiners "sole authority to determine what constitutes the practice of optometry," the commenter wrote, "The fox will be in charge of the hen house." But a commenter named "taxus" replied, "If the training is adequate (long enough to be proficient) and the practitioner trainee is certified by a panel of peers in the licensing body, then it could prove to be a good idea for folks the 2/3 of the counties where these particular procedures are not now available." (Read more)