Dr. Lisa S. Bunin, MD

Please see link: https://lisasbuninmd.com/custom-cataract-surgery-can-enhance-your-life/

Yes they can, because an ophthalmolgist is an actual medical doctor ("MD"), and they can perform surgery. In contrast, an optometrist, while called an eye doctor, is not a medical doctor and did not go to medical school, and has a much more limited scope of practice.

There are many things that can cause tearing, and the cause is best determined by a medical eye exam. Tearing is usually broken into reflex tearing due to some type of irritation or lid or surface problem, or to blockage of part of the drainage system. How old is your son? If he's very young he may have an underdeveloped or blocked tear system. If this is more recent then allergies, lid problems, or eye surface issues may be causing reflex tearing. Best to see an ophthalmologist (an eye MD) to figure this out.

DRY EYES
How we treat dry eye depends on the severity. A healthy tear is like alphabet soup with all sorts of nutrients in it to keep the eye healthy. When you use artificial tears it’s like adding broth, which is a start but incomplete. Oral flaxseed oil capsules (2000-4000mg/day) helps the tears spread better and be more stable between blinks. Restasis helps you make more healthy, natural tears, Xiidra does some of that, too, but they are both medicines, not tears, and expect some burning when you put them in because your surface is so roughed up from dryness.
The other thing we can do is try to keep tears in your eye longer by putting plugs in the drain (puncta). It's like putting a plug in the sink and keeps the water in the sink longer, but it doesn't work on the faucet. You still need to add tears, etc.
We like to start with tears 4x a day and flaxseed oil so you get some improvement before putting the medicine on your surface. It takes two weeks for the flaxseed oil to kick in, so we will see you back in2-3 weeks, and then we usually will add a medicine (Restasis or Xiidra) to help make healthy tears.
We usually try to get the tears healthier first, and if there are still symptoms or signs we will try plugs (a simple painless procedure done right in the office). But if you can't get or tolerate the meds, we still do plugs.
There are many types of artificial tears, different thicknesses, and some with lipid in them. If you use drops very frequently we like to use non-preserved tears. If you try a brand of tears in one eye you can compare to a different brand in the other eye and see which works best for you.

If you judge yourself on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the worst dryness, where are you now? Then we will compare each step as to how you do. This is a process of improvement, not a full cure.

Dry eye is also made worse by allergies, and you are exposed to more allergens when you are outside.It is best to get a full examination to see what is going on with your eyes.

Lisa S. Bunin, M.D.

Yes, it can. Thyroid disease affects the eyes in a variety of ways: it causes dryness, which can affect the surface of the eye and cause fluctuating vision, it can cause the eye muscles to swell up and limit some eye movement and even cause double vision, the lids can be affected and the eye can protrude or bulge, causing weak or incomplete eye closure, and there can even be pressure on the eyeball and optic nerve. It is best to see an ophthalmologist for a complete dilated medical eye exam to evaluate you.

How often you replace your contacts depends on two things:

1) the manufacturer's suggestion (i.e., are they daily, biweekly, or monthly contact lenses)
2) the health of the surface of your eye. If you have dry eyes, allergies, or have developed surface issues such as bumps under your upper eyelid (Giant papillary conjunctivitis), which is checked by having your doctor look under your upper lids, then you should replace your contact lens more frequently.

A contact lens is a prosthesis fitted to your eye, and you need to have regular eye health check-ups to be sure you are not damaging your eye by over-wearing them.

What is happening is that you are experiencing eye fatigue. When you stare at a computer for a very long time, you are using your "focus muscles" in one position and your eye muscles fatigue, like your legs feel getting up after doing extensive lunges. If you are not wearing the correct eyeglass prescription or are looking through the wrong part of the glasses if they are bifocals or progressive lenses, it can make it worse. Please see an eye doctor for a good examination to be sure you have the right prescription.

Strabismus means the muscles of the two eyes don't work well together and one or both eyes turns in or out, or up or down. It's like two horses pulling an old-fashioned carriage--they need to both be going in the same direction to move forward. In strabismus, one of the horses is trying to go the wrong way. The problem for us is that the brain will suppress the turned eye and it will become lazy.
Depending on the amount of crossing, strabismus is treated with patching, glasses or surgery. It is important that children with strabismus be seen as early as possible to prevent loss of vision, because the eye will be become "lazy" if it isn't corrected and realigned. Please see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, because after age 7 it is less likely that vision can be restored if it has been lost.

The longer someone has diabetes, especially if it isn't well controlled, the more likely diabetes will cause damage to the eye. It is recommended that all diabetics have a yearly medical dilated eye examination. This will also pick up other things that can cause poor vision, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and even eye strokes. Your eye health is an important part of your overall health. Please have her see an ophthalmologist for a medical eye exam--this is usually covered by medical insurance, not vision insurance. Good luck to you! If you are in my area I would be happy to see your mom and answer all your questions.

Yes, crossed eyes can be corrected. Given that your friend's son has had this for years, he will most likely need eye muscle surgery. This is done as an out-patient procedure and is very successful.
He should see an ophthalmologist specializing in strabismus.

When tearing occurs on only one eye, it is usually either something irritating the eye like a foreign body, an infection, or an in-turned eyelash causing tearing, or it can be that the drain in that eye got blocked and the tears are overflowing what the eyelid can hold.
This should not be ignored. Please see an ophthalmologist ("MD") to get checked right away in case it is an infection or foreign body so it can be treated.

A stye is an infection of a lash follicle on the lid margin, a chalazion is an infection of a meibomian gland in the eyelid, and the two are often confused. Both should be treated, especially in a young child because if it interferes with the child seeing well, the brain can "turn off" the blurry eye and it can become lazy.
Start with warm compresses to liquefy and soften the center, and then use an eyelid scrub such as Ocusoft to clean the lids, and get to an eye MD so they can prescribe an antibiotic as needed.

Eye and eyelid issues can be cause by a long list of things. She needs to see an ophthalmologist to get it sorted out and treated. She doesn't have to suffer.
If you are near my area, I would be happy to see her and thoroughly evaluate her. I see lots of patients with these complaints and it takes a careful history and examination to figure things out, but we can defintely make things better.

The symptoms you describe may be more than allergies. There is an overlap of allergies, dryness, and blepharitis, and often treatment requires addressing all three. Start with eyelid scrubs twice a day and artificial tears three to four times a day and see if you get any improvement. Then see an Ophthalmologist for a more thorough exam and evaluation. If you are in my area I'd be happy to see you!

Yes it could be an infection. Please see an ophthalmologist and get checked (it should be covered by your medical insurance, not vision insurance)

Occasional eyelid spasms can happen because of some kind of stress, often from too much caffeine or lack of sleep or emotional stress, but also from localized irritation such as an in-turned eyelash, early infection, or eyelid laxity with the eyelid turning in. If it only occurs occasionally and resolves spontaneously and there isn't redness or blurred vision, you can apply a cool cloth to the lid and not worry about it. If it persists and happens a lot more often, you should be checked by your eye doctor.

Sometimes, yes, just once can cause permanent damage.
Every time you sleep in your contact lenses you run the risk of getting a serious infection, microabrasions, and a corneal ulcer with scarring -- or worse. The cornea does not have blood vessels in it and only gets oxygen and nutrients through the tear film. When you sleep in a contact lens it can suck on to the cornea and not allow exchange of nutrients and oxygen because the tear film doesn't get to the cornea. Even without a contact lens, the normal oxygen content drops from about 96% to 53% while you're sleeping, so imagine how much lower it is with the contact lens in place. Although people get away with it, it is sort of like the chances you take when you ride a motorcycle in a dangerous place without a helmet; you may get away with it sometimes but the one time you're in an accident it's often fatal.

If you wake up with your eyes swollen or red, that indicates that something is wrong, even if it's not painful. (Swelling around the cornea can numb the sensation). If there is any blurred vision, redness around the cornea, or pain, you should definitely seek professional help immediately. If there is just a little swelling then try using a lot of artificial tears and keep the contacts out and see if you get better in an hour or two. If not, you should definitely seek professional attention because the earlier and infection is caught the better the outcome.
In general, with contact lenses, if there is any irritation blurred vision excessive tearing or any other issue, it is best to follow the adage "if in doubt, take it out".

I hope this is helpful.

Hi!There are lots of reasons your eyes may be sensitive to light. Most often it is due to surface issues like dryness, but can also be caused by inflammation in the eye or by glare off of cataracts.Given the symptoms you list, the most common cause of spontaneous tearing to light is actually a DRY eye kicking in the back up tear system in the eye! I know it sounds like a paradox, but let me explain about the tear system in the eye:
DRY EYES

WE HAVE TWO TEAR systems in the eye. Thebaseline tear system is the one that keeps the eye moist and comfortable, keepsthe window of the eye nice and clear, and keeps out the dirt and debris. Whenyou don't make enough of these the eye can feel dry, gritty, itchy and burning,and you get blurred vision from dry spots because the tears break up,especially when you use your eyes to read, use the computer or stare atthings, and you don't blink as often.

The back up tear system is the one everyone knowsabout, the one you use to cry for emotional reasons, or if you peel onions.That comes from the lacrimal gland, and is all or nothing. It doesn't give youthe one or two tears you need, it dumps out a bucketful. So then you aretearing.!     Thenumber one cause if a tearing eye is a dry eye kicking in the backup system.

Dry eye is also made worse by allergies, and you are exposed to more allergens when you are outside.It is best to come in and get a full examination to see what is going on with your eyes. I'd be happy to see you if you are in my area. Call 610-435-5333 for an appointment.
Lisa

Lisa S. Bunin, M.D.
Eye, Eyelid, Skin & Laser Surgeon
Custom Cataract Surgery,Multifocal Lenses, Complete Eye Exams
610-435-5333