2022 - Bright Vision Optometry | Chino Hills, CA 91709 | Eye Doctors

My LASIK Experience!

25 June, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

Let me tell you about my recent LASIK experience. Growing up, I always needed some form of vision correction. As a child, I only wore glasses when I was sat in the back of the classroom. As I got older, I became more dependent on my glasses and contact lenses – to the point where I had to wear them 24/7.

As much as I appreciated that my glasses and contacts helped me see clearly, they always felt like a nuisance to me. Whether it be losing a contact lens while on vacation, or having my glasses fog up from wearing a mask, I started to grow a love-hate relationship with my glasses and contacts. This all changed when I got SMILE, which is a procedure similar to LASIK!

SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) is a refractive surgery procedure, similar to LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis). Both of these are procedures that reshape your cornea, which is the front part of your eye, so that you may see clearly. Check out this chart that briefly describes the difference between the two:

Here’s how my SMILE experience went…

Preparing for My Pre-Op Appointment:
I had to be out of my contact lenses for a week in order to allow the front part of my eye to return to its natural state. This allows for the optometrist to get the most accurate measurements of my eyes at the pre-op appointment.

Pre-Op Appointment:
At my pre-op appointment, the optometrists took some scans of my eye, checked my refractive error, and evaluated the health of the front and back parts of my eye. All of this was done to make sure that I was a good candidate for either SMILE or LASIK. In total, this exam took about 2 hours. I had to get dilated at the exam, which meant that my eyes would be more light sensitive and items close to me would appear blurry for about 4 hours.

Preparing for the Procedure:
Starting one week before my procedure, I had to put preservative-free artificial tears into my eyes four times a day. In addition, I had to eat 2000 mg of Omega 3 pills. Both of these were done to promote the stability of my tear film, which makes the procedure go more smoothly. Starting one day before my procedure, I had to put an antibiotic-steroid eyedrop into my eyes four times a day. This is done to clean the my eye and reduce the risk of inflammation and post-op complications.

Procedure:
I got my procedure done about 1 week after my pre-op appointment. Before getting the procedure done, everything that performed the pre-op was repeated, just to ensure that my eyes would be eligible to have the procedure completed. After signing some consent forms, I was given a small dosage of Xanax before entering into the operating room. The ophthalmologist put in some drops to numb my eye before completing the procedure. In total, it took about 3-5 minutes to complete both of my eyes. Going into the procedure, I felt super anxious (naturally, I’m the type of person who thinks of all the worst case scenarios possible), but it ended up being super quick and painless!

Post-Op:
Once the procedure was completed, my fiancé walked me to his car and drove me home. I knocked out for about 16 hours. It is recommended to get as much sleep as you may get after the procedure in order to promote your eyes’ ability to heal from the surgery. When I woke up the next morning, I was able to see so clearly! I panicked for a second because I thought I slept in my contact lenses. After getting ready, I went back to complete my 1-day post-op appointment, which serves to make sure that no complications happened following the surgery. By this point, I was able to see 20/25 in both eyes. After a week, I was able to see 20/20 in both eyes. After a month, I have been able to see 20/15 (which is better than 20/20) in both eyes.

With that said, I definitely do not regret getting SMILE/LASIK done! In fact, I wish I had it done sooner! If you are interested in getting SMILE or LASIK done, we do offer free consultation appointments at Bright Vision Optometry. We would love to be a part of your SMILE/LASIK journey! 👀

Eye exam checks for these 3 eye disease

29 May, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

Which 3 eye diseases will your eye doctor check for in your next eye exam?

According to the AOA, healthy adults that are less than 65 years old should be getting their comprehensive eye exam done every two years, and healthy adults that are 65 years or older should be getting an eye exam every year.

For those of us who depend on some form of vision correction, whether it be glasses or contact lenses, it is easy to see the need to get an eye exam done every year because, well, we can’t see. Whether it be because your vision has gotten more blurry, or your prescription is about to expire, or you have run out of contact lenses, your eyes will find a way to remind you that it’s time for your next eye exam.

However, for those of us who naturally have 20/20 vision, it may be harder to understand the importance of getting an eye exam done every one to two years. After all, it’s not like we need glasses or contact lenses, right? Technically, yes. However, refraction (the process of correcting your eye’s blurry vision, if you have any) is only one part of a comprehensive eye exam. The other part is a comprehensive evaluation of your eye health to ensure you are not at risk for any eye diseases that could alter or damage your vision.

Here are 3 eye diseases that our eye doctors check for in every eye exam:

1. Glaucoma

What is it?
The optic nerve, which is responsible for sending signals from your eye to your brain, is damaged.

Effects on vision
As glaucoma progresses, the field of view you have starts to decrease more and more. This worsens your ability to see and navigate through the world.

Main cause
Your eye is unable to drain fluid out efficiently, causing a build-up of fluid in your eyes. This build-up increases the pressure of your eye, which causes damage to your optic nerve.

Other potential causes
● Diabetes
● High blood pressure
● Long-term steroid eye drop usage
● Family history of glaucoma
● Eye injury

2. Cataracts

What is it?
The crystalline lens inside of your eye starts to become more cloudy and less clear.

Effects on vision
As cataracts progress, your vision starts to become more blurry, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. For some people, they may start to see double of everything, feel more sensitive to light, or struggle to see in dim lighting.

Main cause
Most cataracts naturally happen as a result of aging. These cataracts are called “Nuclear Sclerotic Cataracts”. They start to present at around 50 years old.

Other potential causes
● Diabetes
● Older age
● Smoking
● Alcohol consumption
● Steroid usage
● Excess sun and UV exposure
● Eye injury

3. Macular Degeneration

What is it?
The macula, which allows you to see your central vision, becomes damaged.

Effects on vision
Your central vision will appear to be missing, distorted, or blurry. Straight lines may now appear wavy. Despite this, your peripheral (side) vision will appear normal.

Main cause
It depends on the type. While most people have dry macular degeneration, the effect it has on vision is less devastating. On the other hand, wet macular degeneration is more rare, but it has more devastating impacts on vision.

Other potential causes
● High blood pressure
● Older age
● Smoking
● Overweight

The impacts that these 3 eye diseases have on vision tend to occur gradually, not suddenly. However, once these conditions noticeably impact your vision, it is often too late to treat it, leaving you with permanently damaged vision. Getting an eye exam done every one to two years allows for these problems to be detected early on. As a result, these problems may be managed and treated before it is too late, allowing your vision to be as least compromised as possible.

call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: C LICK HERE

the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. please seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding your medical or vision conditions.

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

What are Eye Floaters?

29 April, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

Experiencing eye floaters is quite common but are they dangerous?

When you’re staring at the sky on a beautiful, sunny day like most days in Southern California, have you ever noticed a white or black particle that appears to constantly move around, even though your eyes aren’t moving? You know it’s not real, yet you can’t help but notice it. Sometimes, you may be able to ignore them, but other times you may wonder whether they are a cause of concern.

Turns out, these eye floaters are oftentimes a natural process of aging (for the most part). Yes, it’s true that it may be an alarming sign, but oftentimes, it isn’t. Sounds kind of confusing, right? Let’s float deeper into this topic.

To start off, it is important to know that the back part of our eye is made of two important structures:

Retina: Allows us to perceive vision.
- The retina is the “wallpaper” inside of our eye which absorbs all visual information for our brains.
Vitreous: Keeps our retina in the right place by pushing against it
- Similar to how an adequate volume of water allows a water balloon to hold its shape, an adequate volume of vitreous allows our retina to keep its shape.

Our vitreous naturally undergoes three different changes as we age (as Dr. Steven likes to say, as we get “wiser”):

Our vitreous becomes less gel-like, and more liquid-like.
- As our vitreous becomes more liquid-like, the solid particles that give our vitreous its gel-like structure, such as collagen fibers, are released.
Collagen fibers are free to swim around as our vitreous becomes more liquid-like.
- As our collagen fibers move around in our vitreous, they cast a shadow onto our retina. Turns out, these shadows are what we often call “eye floaters”.
Our vitreous becomes more “deflated” and collapses.
- As this happens, a part of our vitreous might separate from our retina, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. This puts you at a higher risk for a retinal detachment, which can cause your vision to be significantly reduced or completely eliminated.

Since eye floaters typically happen with age, just like how the need for reading glasses typically happens with age, floaters are a relatively normal thing to experience. However, there are occasions when floaters may be a cause for concern, as they may be a sign of an impending retinal detachment. Check out this chart we made to help you with differentiating between normal and abnormal floaters.

If you think you may be experiencing abnormal floaters, it is important for you to go to your eye doctor’s office for a dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Doing so may save your ability to see, and it is certainly better to be safe than sorry.

call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: C LICK HERE

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

How Often Should I Get an Eye Exam?

27 March, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

Did you know that the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends everyone to get their first eye exam by the time they are 6 months old? By this time, most of our eye’s anatomy and essential visual functioning are developed. Any abnormalities that arise during this time may negatively impact one’s vision for the rest of their life, but early detection and treatment may reduce the risk of that happening. Listed below are the recommended frequency for eye exams by age:

6 Months Old: First eye exam
3-5 Years Old: Second eye exam
6-17 Years Old: Every 1 year
18-39 Years Old: Every 1-2 years
40-64 Years Old: Every 1-2 years
- Reading glasses will be needed, even if you’ve had 20/20 vision for your entire life.
65+ Years Old: Every 1 year

Everything You Need to Know About Vuity™ Eye Drops

It is important to note that these recommendations are for people whose eyes and bodies are generally healthy (no diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol).

For infants, it’s important to get an eye exam to ensure that everything is developing properly in the eye. If not, certain conditions such as amblyopia (reduced vision due to poor development and visual stimulation), strabismus (misaligned eyes that can cause people to see double), and congenital cataracts (opacity in the eye that makes it difficult to see) may go about undetected. The later these conditions are detected, the more devastating their impacts on vision and quality of life may be.

For children, it’s important to get an eye exam to ensure that their vision is not impacting their academic performance. Certain binocular vision disorders, such as convergence insufficiency and accommodative insufficiency, may cause children to feel fatigued when reading or doing schoolwork. Feelings of headache, eyestrain, double vision, and pain that result from these conditions may become associated with schoolwork, making them develop an aversion to schoolwork. As a result, they may be misdiagnosed with a learning disorder, when in reality, their binocular system is making it harder for them to learn. Thankfully, these conditions may be treated with vision therapy.

Another condition of concern around this age is myopia, which is the inability to see distant objects clearly. Children with myopia may have trouble reading what their teacher is writing on the board, especially if they sit in the back. As a result, they may not be able to grasp every concept that is taught, simply because they are not able to see clearly.

In addition, myopia tends to develop and progress rapidly during this stage of life. Treatments to slow the progression of myopia, such as Orthokeratology, MiSight, and Atropine, are most effective during this period. In addition to providing clear vision, these treatments reduce the risk of complications that result from having high myopia, such as retinal detachments and myopic macular degeneration.

For adults, it’s important to get an eye exam to ensure that no ocular diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic macular edema, or hypertensive retinopathy are present or at risk of developing. During this stage of life, our goal as optometrists is to ensure that your eyes are healthy and able to see clearly. If we suspect that you may be at risk of developing a condition, our goal is to monitor your eyes so we can detect and treat them as soon as possible. The earlier conditions are detected and treated, the less likely it is for these conditions to cause impaired or complete vision loss.

Certain age-related conditions, such as presbyopia (hardening of the lens that comes with age) and cataracts (clouding of the lens) are expected to arise at this time, both of which make it difficult to see clearly. As optometrists, we have the ability to prescribe and refer for both of these conditions, equipping you to see clearly once again.

For contact lens wearers, it’s important to get an eye exam done every year to ensure that your contact lens is offering more benefit than harm to your eye. Certain diseases, such as Microbial Keratitis (eye infections from contact lens wear), are more likely to develop in contact lens wearers. If it is allowed to progress, Microbial Keratitis may cause permanent vision loss. Given that contact lenses are a medical device that is placed directly onto your eye, it is our job as an optometrist to ensure that it is not compromising the health of your eye for the sake of clear vision.

contact-lens-eye-exam-optometry-chino-hills

At the end of the day, the profession of optometry encourages everyone to get a comprehensive eye exam done at a clinic at least once a year. Compared to applications that offer at-home refractions, an in-office comprehensive eye exam evaluates your eye health, prescription status, systemic health, and family history to ensure that you are not at risk of developing conditions that may be visually devastating. The latter is especially important, as certain ocular diseases are more likely to occur if you have a family history of it. Moreover, certain ocular diseases result from systemic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

If you have any questions or are interested in scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with us, you are more than welcome to text or call us at 909-627-1111. We would love to help you out!

call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: C LICK HERE

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

5 Things to Eat for Healthy Eyes

21 February, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

What are the 5 things you can eat for healthy eyes? If you’re like me, food is the ultimate source of comfort. Grabbing some yummy food, ice cream, or boba can instantly energize me when I’m exhausted, cheer me up when I’m feeling down, and transform a terrible day into a great day. Turns out, good food can also improve the health of your eyes and reduce your risk of developing certain eye problems! Here are 5 things to eat for healthy eyes!

1. Green, Leafy Vegetables (Kale, Spinach, Broccoli)

Coming in first on the list of things to eat for healthy eyes is green, leafy vegetables. These foods are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are antioxidants that protect your eyes from free radicals. A diet rich in these nutrients can reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and delay the onset of nuclear cataracts. [1] [2] Moreover, vegetables may reduce the risk of developing Type II Diabetes, thereby reducing the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. [3]

2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Salmon, Tuna, Trout)

Next, we recommended eating Omega 3 for healthy eyes. Omega 3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties which enable them to reduce the likelihood of developing dry eyes. [4] These fatty acids are also proposed to reduce the progression of age-related macular degeneration. [5]

3. Vitamin E (Almonds and Avocados)

Vitamin E combats oxidative damage caused by the sun. This suggests that Vitamin E may delay the onset of age-related cataracts [6] and progression of age-related macular degeneration [7]

4. Vitamin C (Oranges, Tangerines, Strawberries)

Foods rich in Vitamin C delay the onset of cataracts and progression of age-related macular degeneration in the same way that foods rich in Vitamin E do.

5. Zinc (Black-eyed peas, Kidney Beans, Poultry)

Zinc is involved in the production of melanin in our retina, which helps protect our eyes from the sun. In addition, zinc is proposed to delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration [8]

Our eyes act as a window to our body, allowing for the health of our eyes to offer a look into the health of our bodies. Thus, most of the foods that reduce your risk of developing systemic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, are the same foods that reduce your risk of developing eye diseases. This makes sense, as many eye diseases are caused by systemic diseases.

For instance, patients with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy or posterior subcapsular cataracts, and patients with hypertension have a higher risk of developing glaucoma, all of which may negatively impact your vision.

When we work on improving a certain skill, the amount of work we put in dictates the amount of growth we witness. In the same way, the quality of food we put into our body dictates the quality of our systemic and/or ocular health. Integrating these foods may seem daunting, but thankfully, there are a ton of recipes out there (thank you, Google) to experiment with. Alternatively, AREDS 2 supplements incorporate most of the nutrients that encourage healthy eyes (thank you, Target). If you’re still looking for a new year’s resolution, maybe this can be your’s! 😉

call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: CLICK HERE

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

Everything You Need to Know About Vuity™ Eye Drops

23 January, 2022 Tiffany Jeng

Eye Care

no responses

Vuity™ is a FDA-approved eye drop that could replace reading glasses.

Maybe you’ve heard. Maybe you haven’t. The first ever FDA-approved prescription eye drop to treat age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) is now available! Now you’ve heard. 🥳

Vuity™ is made by Allergan, which is a well-established pharmaceutical company. In order to get these drops FDA-approved, Allergan had to conduct multiple clinical trials with a robust research design in order to prove that these drops are truly capable of improving near vision in our presbyopic patients. Yes, that means that these eye drops could potentially replace your reading glasses (shoutout to our folks who dislike the feeling of having frames on your face 😉)

You might be thinking: “That sounds too good to be true! How exactly does this magical drop work?”. Vuity™ is made of a well-established drug that has been repurposed in a new way for our patients who have trouble reading without glasses (presbyopes). More specifically, Vuity™ utilizes a unique vehicle that reduces the amount of stinging felt when instilling the drops while delivering the active ingredient 1.25% pilocarpine to your eyes. At this concentration, pilocarpine acts on two different eye muscles (sphincter and ciliary body) to make your pupil smaller. As a result, 3 things happen to your eyes:

Your eye’s range of clear vision (depth of focus) widens, which allows you to see up-close objects clearly
Your eyes become more myopic, which is why your ability to see far-away objects will still remain
Your eye has less space to receive light, so less light enters your eye. This may make it harder to see things in dim lighting.

For decades, pilocarpine has been regularly used in optometry and ophthalmology clinics for exam and procedural purposes. The difference now is that a therapeutic purpose for it has been discovered!

Now that you’ve learned about how Vuity™ works, you might ask: “What can I expect from this drop?”. For starters:

Cost: $80 to $200 per bottle, depending on which pharmacy you go to. Most, but not all, insurances will offer partial coverage.
Dosage: 1 drop per eye, 1 time per day.
Vision: Approximately 15-30 minutes after you put the drop into your eye, you should be able to see nearby and far objects clearly for up to 6 hours. The effect tends to be optimal at around 2-4 hours, and slowly wanes down by 6 hours. In order to prolong the effects of these drops, Allergan is conducting trials to see if it is safe for people to put these drops in 2 times per day.
Side Effects: Some patients have reported eye redness, headaches, eye pain, blurry vision and a weird taste in their mouth, but the incidences of these are rare.
Risks: Night driving is discouraged since this medication may reduce your visibility in dim lighting. Some patients experience an accommodative spasm, making it hard to switch between making distant and nearby objects clear. Patients who use this have a greater risk of retinal detachments as well.

Now that you know more about Vuity™, you might be wondering: “How do I know if this drop is right for me?”. Generally, we believe the best outcomes are seen amongst our patients who meet these criteria:

40-55 years old
Healthy eye history (ex: no eye surgeries, no glaucoma, no abnormalities)
Healthy systemic history (ex: no hypertension)
Good dexterity and is skilled in putting drops into their eyes
Low hyperopic or low myopic prescription due to the myopic shift these drops cause
Strongly motivated to get out of their reading glasses

Are you interested in trying out these drops? In order to get a prescription for these drops, you will need to see an eye doctor who can evaluate your eye health, systemic health, and visual system to determine whether you are a good candidate. Here at Bright Vision Optometry, we would love to help you out! Appointments can be made online or by texting our office at 909-627-1111. We hope to see you soon!

call or text Bright Vision Optometry: (909)627-1111
schedule your next appointment online: CLICK HERE

Bright Vision Optometry is a family-owned & operated optometry office located in Chino Hills, CA 91709

	Normal Floaters	Abnormal Floaters
Picture
Cause	Shadows of particles in our vitreous that happens with age	Release of blood or parts of our retina into our vitreous
Quantity	A few floaters that you’re used to seeing	A sudden increase in floaters that you’ve never seen before
Noticeable	When staring at bright blue sky or white wall	At all times
Other Signs	None	Flashes of light. Curtain coming down and into your vision. Blurry vision. Distorted vision

Year: 2022