Are Itchy Eyes a Symptom of Dry Eye Syndrome?

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Dry eye syndrome is a common condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears to lubricate the areas that need moisture. Your Champaign, IL eye doctor can diagnose and treat dry eye syndrome, based on your symptoms. One of the most unrecognized symptoms of this condition is itchy eyes. 

Are Your Itchy Eyes Caused by Dry Eye Syndrome?

Even though itchiness is definitely one of the symptoms of dry eye syndrome, there are other reasons why your eyes may be itchy. One of them is allergies. You could be allergic to pollen, grass, or any number of other seasonal allergens. You might also be allergic to some kind of eye makeup that you’re wearing, or the laundry detergent you’re using. Bear in mind that allergies can crop up at any time of life. Even if you weren’t allergic before, you may have developed a new allergy.

Other Symptoms of Dry Eyes

If you do have dry eye syndrome, you’ll have some other symptoms besides itchiness. These include:

  • redness
  • puffy eyes
  • gritty or sandy feeling in the eye
  • blurry vision

You may have other symptoms, too. When you visit your eye doctor, bring a list of all your symptoms. This will help in evaluating whether you have dry eye syndrome or something else, such as an eye infection or eye allergies.

Allergy Symptoms

It’s good to distinguish between allergy-related itching and dry eye syndrome. Allergies typically present with additional symptoms, such as sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes.

Contact us today for a dry eye evaluation in Champaign, IL. You’ll find out once and for all if your itchy eyes are caused by this condition. After that, your eye doctor will recommend a treatment plan so you can finally get relief. 

 

Protecting Eyes in Summer

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Summer is one of the best seasons for sunshine and fresh air. It’s healthy to get outdoors, enjoy exercise and socialize. At the same time, it’s important to protect your eyes from UV rays. UV rays can lead to vision problems, but it’s possible to avoid complications with these simple tips from youreye doctor in Champaign, IL.

Wear a Wide-Brimmed Hat

Something as simple as wearing a wide-brimmed hat can keep the sun from shining directly into your eyes. Experiment with different hats until you find one or two that you feel comfortable with, and that you look good in!

Stay Hydrated

By the time you feel thirsty, you may already be dehydrated. Keep a tumbler of fresh water with you while you bicycle, walk, drive, or play sports. Keep sipping all day long so that your whole body stays properly hydrated, including your eyes. Eyes need hydration to keep eyes from drying out and for other functions.

Avoid Chlorine

Swimming pools are a great way to cool off, but chlorine and other pool chemicals can irritate your eyes. Wear swim goggles to protect your eyes from these chemicals, and rinse your eyes with fresh water after swimming to remove any residual chlorine. If you have your own swimming pool, consider a saltwater pool, which uses a lot less chlorine than traditional systems.

Wear Quality Sunglasses

Whenever you’re outside, wear quality sunglasses that are UV-rated to block 100% of UV rays. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. You can getsunglasses in Champaign, IL from your eye doctor’s office.

The other important step in maximizing eye health in summer is to have regular eye exams. Contact us to book your appointment today!

Does My Eye Doctor Need to Know the Supplements I’m Taking?

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Vitamins and supplements have become a way of life for many people. These extras can help us get the extra nutrients we might not always get from our regular diets. Of course, if they’re sold over the counter, it’s easy to discount their importance (or even forget which ones you’re taking).

However, when you visit the doctor, whether it’s your primary doctor or your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, it’s essential to be upfront with them and to make a complete list of what you’re taking. We’ll look at why below.

Contraindications

When a food like grapefruit can interfere with cholesterol medications, you can imagine specific vitamins and supplements could do the same. If you’re given any type of prescription, supplements, and vitamins may either make the medicine less effective or lead to more severe side effects.

Better Recommendations

The recommendations for vitamins and supplements should be considered generic advice for the average person. If you’re at risk for certain diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, you may need to adjust your dosage or eliminate certain types of vitamins.

Eye Doctors in Champaign, IL

When you take vitamins and supplements (as long as they’re purchased from a reputable supplier), you’re not taking tremendous risks. They may not always have the life-changing effects they often promise, but they also won’t necessarily hurt you either.

If you have questions about how to take them to reap the best benefits, a routine eye exam in Champaign, IL, can give you advice based on your individual eye health history. At Champaign Eye Professionals, our staff can evaluate the vitamins and supplements against the test results and help you make changes to ensure the best outcome.

How to Reduce Eye Strain During Work

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Eye strain at work is exceptionally common, regardless of what industry you’re in. When most people are required to use screens on a regular basis, it’s only natural for the eyes to start to feel the toll. Of course, these aren’t the only professions that lead to eye strain, though. Drivers, doctors, and even park rangers may start to blink away tears by the end of the day. We’ll look at how to reduce the strain when you’re at work.

Tips for Reducing Eye Strain
In addition to taking regular breaks and gettingregular eye exams in Champaign, IL, here are a few tips that can help you optimize your work environment:

Adjust your light: Use lower-intensity bulbs, shut the blinds, and turn non-essential lights off. When you think of a typical office setting with fluorescent lighting everywhere, your goal is to be about half that.
Buy a new monitor: An anti-glare monitor can do wonders to reduce your eye strain. You should also adjust the brightness until it’s white but not glowing. The tints should be more red and orange than blue.
Blink more: The more you blink, the more you moisten your eyes. This cuts out irritation and gives your eyes a much-needed break as you go about your day. You should also try focusing on an object around 20 feet away every 20 minutes to break up the close contact between your eyes and the screen.
See Your Eye Doctor in Champaign, IL
What’s the best lighting for you? How should you adjust the resolution based on your eyes? Do you need anti-reflective glasses? These questions are all best answered by aneye doctor in Champaign, IL. To set up an appointment and get your questions answered, contact us today to get the ball rolling.

Is Colorblindness a Symptom of a More Serious Eye Disorder?

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Color blindness is a condition that millions of people all over the world live with every single day. However, if you’ve never experienced it before or you’re unfamiliar with the disorder, you may start to wonder if there’s something more behind the mixups. Here, we look at what color blindness is and when it may signify something more dangerous.

What Is Color Blindness?
Color blindness in Champaign, IL, is typically connected to the cones in the eyes, as these are the cells that sense color. If you don’t have all three cone cells or those that respond to red, green, and blue, you can end up mistaking green for red or blue for yellow. Color blindness can also be caused by nonfunctional cone cells, which, depending on the disorder, may result in a far milder version of this disorder.

Is Color Blindness Serious?
Typically, color blindness isn’t serious, especially in children. It can usually be managed fairly easily, though you may need to invest in special glasses or contacts to offset its effects. However, if you’re experiencing color blindness in addition to other issues, such as blurry vision, it may be related to glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy. If you’ve noticed major changes in your line of vision beyond the ability to detect hues, these disorders are serious enough to warrant an emergency trip to aneye doctor in Champaign, IL.

Treating Color Blindness in Champaign, IL
No matter what’s behind your (or a loved one’s) color blindness, it’s worth getting an expert opinion. At Champaign Eye Professionals, we can give you a comprehensive eye exam to settle the matter once and for all. Contact us today to schedule an appointment so you can rest a little easier.

What Do I Do If I Have a Cataract in One Eye?

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If you have a cataract in one eye only, it’s normal to wonder how that will affect your overall vision. When one eye can compensate, you might even wonder how necessary it is to take action in the first place. We’ll look at how the cloudiness impacts your overall sight so you have a better idea of how to handle it.

Know the Facts 

Cataracts in Champaign, IL, are essentially a yellowing of the lens in the eye. Much like a piece of paper might fade over time, so too will different body parts. If your other eye is crystal clear, you may not notice much of a change at first. This is partially because the dominant eye will take over and partially because some cataracts will move slowly.

Protect Your Eyes 

No matter what your vision is like right now, though, there has never been a better time to protect it. Adding more fruits and veggies to your diet and wearing sunglasses every time you step outside should be the bare minimum. The more you kick into proactive gear, the fewer issues you’ll have down the line.

Consider Cataract Surgery in Champaign

Protecting your eyes won’t reverse the cataract; it will only (potentially) slow down the progression. Plus, there is no medication that can help you manage the symptoms. If you and youroptometrist in Champaign, IL, have seen that your vision is significantly impaired due to your cloudy outlook, cataract surgery is as safe as it is effective. One of the most common surgeries in the industry, it’s a fast outpatient procedure with around a 99% success rate. Contact Champaign Eye Professionals to learn more about it to see how we can help.

Elderly man examined by an ophthalmologist

Taking Care of Older Eyes

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As you age, your eyes also age. Just like other parts of the body, your eyes need special consideration when they get older. Youroptometrist in Champaign, IL, has some tips on caring for older eyes so you can enjoy the best possible eyesight well into the golden years.

Avoid Cataracts

Statistics say that over 90% of people aged 65 and older will develop cataracts. Because of this high percentage, many people believe that cataracts are inevitable. However, many people never develop cataracts, and there’s no reason you can’t be among the lucky few.

Cataracts in Champaign, IL and other places develop with the proteins in the eye’s lens clump together as they break down with age. But if you take certain precautions, you can delay or prevent this from happening by:

  • wear sunglasses every day
  • quit smoking
  • eat healthy
  • avoid excess alcohol intake

Avoid Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people around the world. This underlying condition can lead to diabetic retinopathy, where your very eyesight is jeopardized. Rather than lose your eyesight, be sure to have your blood sugar checked on a regular basis. If you have diabetes, let your optometrist know so they can check for symptoms of diabetic retinopathy.

Avoid Glaucoma

Glaucoma is another thief of eyesight. Unchecked glaucoma has the potential to cause partial or total blindness. Older folks, in particular, need to have regular glaucoma tests in Champaign, IL, at every eye exam. Since early detection can save vision, a good rule of thumb is to get a glaucoma test once every six months, at a minimum.

Older eyes do better with tender, loving care and attention. For more eyecare tips from yourChampaign, IL optometrist, please contact us today to book your appointment.

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The Link Between Eye Strain and Screens

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As a child, you may remember hearing your parents warning about straining your eyes. “Don’t strain your eyes,” they’d say as they turned on the lamp while you were reading or urged you to sit back away from the TV while you watched your favorite show. While the concept of straining your eyes may seem like an old wives’ tale, it’s very real. And, in today’s world, filled with screens, it’s become more common than ever before.

What is Eye Strain?

Your optometrist in Champaign, IL, can explain eye strain in detail during your next eye exam. But in general, eye strain is a kind of eye fatigue, where the muscles of your eyes become fatigued due to overexertion. Compare it to holding something heavy over your head for a long time. Eventually, your arm muscles would give out because of the strain. That’s similar to what your eyes are subjected to under certain circumstances.

The Link Between Eye Strain and Screens

Today, we stare at screens for hours on end. We look at our phones while we wait in line, peruse a screen at a restaurant to see what’s on the menu, look at the computer screen at work, then come home and stare at a television screen until bedtime. It’s relentless. 

Most light emitted from screens is blue light, which is especially harmful to the eyes. Worse, studies have shown that people blink less often when staring at screens, increasing eye strain. The situation is so bad that a dedicated term has been coined called “computer vision syndrome.”

Your optometrist in Champaign, IL, at Champaign Eye Professionals, can offer you ways to protect your eyes from eye strain. Come for an eye exam and learn how to reduce or eliminate eye strain. 

 

How Can an Optometrist Help You See Better at Night?

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The right optometrist in Champaign, IL, will be able to give you a general overview of your eyesight as well as specific recommendations on how to help improve it. If you’ve struggled to make out your surroundings at night to the point where you worry about your safety both on the road and off, we’ll look at what an optometrist can do to help you balance it out.

Improving Night Vision in Champaign

There are a few things that you can do on your own to help you see better at night, including eating more of the infamous carrots that you may have heard more about in your younger years. This is because Vitamin A is great for night vision, and if you’re not a fan of carrots, you can get it from sweet potatoes, spinach, or red bell peppers. Cutting back on smoking and getting more sleep doesn’t hurt either, as both can improve your ability to see at night.

How an Optometrist Can Help

Your Optometrist may not have a magic wand, but they may know more about which lenses can help you correct everything from farsightedness to astigmatism. They can treat things like cataracts and glaucoma or recommend coatings for your glasses that can fend off the glare from headlights.

Night vision in Champaign, IL, is more than just making out shapes in your home when you have to find the lamp switch. This can be the key to doing more at all hours of the day, whether that’s running a few errands or going to your favorite events. If you’re looking for a team that can help, visit Champaign Eye Professionals to learn more about what’s causing the problem and what you can do to correct it.

Young confident opthalmologist examining retina of mature female patient

When Should I Be Concerned About Flashes in My Eyes?

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Flashing lights in your eyes can happen for any number of reasons, and not all of them require any type of medical intervention. You should be concerned about the frequency and the types of flashing. Learn more about the potential culprits and how the right optometrist in Champaign, IL, can help you treat the issues.

Normal Vs. Abnormal

Your eye is held in a circular shape with the help of virtuous gel. Should that gel change at any point, which is a relatively normal occurrence, you may see either an eye flash or what’s known as a floater. Sometimes, the changes are due to conditions like near-sightedness or recent eye surgery. If the gel changes consistency over time, it will eventually start to separate from the retina. Again, this part is nothing to worry about.

The situation starts to get a little less straightforward when the gel doesn’t separate from the retina. This is more likely to happen when the gel is firmly attached to the side of the eyeball and, in the worst-case scenarios, may result in a tear in the retina if you’re experiencing a lot of flashing, particularly if the flashes look like intense brights spots or cosmic events (e.g., shooting stars, etc.). If you’re getting repeated flashes within a few seconds of each other, that could be a sign of a tear.

Treating Eye Flashes in Champaign

Eye flashes in Champaign, IL, may be the result of little more than the gel in your eye shifting around. However, if the intensity of frequency has been increasing, it might be time for a comprehensive eye exam. At Champaign Eye Professionals, our staff can help you determine the root cause so you can address it before any further damage occurs.