The Eye Blog
Cheaper Glasses
In my boyhood “cheap” meant of poor quality to most of the reading public. Something selling for less was “less expensive.” Consequently, I always have reservations about being “cheaper.” Pullman Family Eye will never tell you we can do it “cheaper.” That market is...
I’m Allergic To Contact Lenses
Dear Dr. David, I’ve tried contact lenses several times. I always develop an allergy to them. Are there any contact lenses which do not cause allergies? Sincerely, Miss Frustrated All contact lenses are hypoallergenic*, because all contact lens materials are...
Wearing My Brother’s Contact Lenses
My brother’s away at college. His contacts feel fine, and I see great in them. I can easily order new ones online. What’s wrong with that? Respectfully, Lil’ Bro Well, Lil’ Bro, what if the power is wrong? Your vision will either blur and/or fatigue. Although...
The Foresight of a Backward Glance
Radio and TV ads of late frequently tout the benefits of refractive surgery and how it has improved people’s lives. Refractive surgery is the general term for surgical correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness etc. In fact one such ad in our area says that...
Winter Dry Eyes
If you suffer from dry eyes, it’s about to get worse as winter creeps in. The thing about cold air is that even at 100% humidity it doesn’t hold much water. For example, if it’s 20º F. outside and the humidity is 100%, and you warm that air up to 70º F. in your home –...
Scleral Contact Lenses
Let’s consider the comfort of firm vs. soft contact lenses. A significant number find both firm and soft contact lenses uncomfortable, a few find firm contact lenses more comfortable, and a greater number find soft contact lenses more comfortable. Some of the comfort...
Streaming the Blues
Your eyes, in combination with your brain, can see and understand light waves by interpreting them as color. Reds are longer wavelengths while blue and violet are shorter. Light is energy emanated in electromagnetic waves which are measured in nanometers (nm) or...
Myopia Epidemic, Worldwide
Throughout the world there is an epidemic of myopia (nearsightedness). According to Dr. Jeffery Cooper, a myopia researcher, in the early 1970s there was about 25% myopia among U.S. young adults. Compare that to 41% in 2004. Genetics cannot explain such a change!...
Dry Eye Syndrome: Introduction
At one time we eye people worried about making thinner lenses for high prescription glasses. Later we fretted over the rising incidents of cataracts and eye disease in our aging American population. Then we agonized over LASIK. Currently the nagging conundrum is...
Macular Pucker
Macular pucker is a protracted visceral stress condition common to bungee jumpers. Sorry, just kidding. Macular pucker is actually an eye disorder - an anomalous facet of a normal happening. When we are born the inside filling of our eyes is a clear but firm jelly...
Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) 2
Just as with AREDS, I believe AREDS 2 has a multitude of problems. Instead of studying just one or two variables the study has as many as six. Then it is stated over and over again within the abstract, methods and results that there is no true placebo group. Why not...
Migraines and Vision
You’re feeling a little strange, and something is funny about your vision. Well, funny only if you have a bad sense of humor. At ten minutes you postpone a run for groceries because … well you’re just not seeing well. Maybe you should take a break. You reach for the...
Sunglasses, Part 2
The American sunglass industry has done a good job of regulating itself, although some of their advertising is a bit grandiose. Still the sunglass industry has not stepped beyond those claims made by plenty of other industries. In this article I address how sunglasses...
Sunglasses, Part 1
The American sunglass industry has done a good job of regulating itself. The world has followed. The industry has seen to the use of good science, but it is appropriate to know which claims of superiority have validity and which are shaded distortions, pun intended....