Archive for April, 2008

A lot of people are involved in sports. People love to play soccer, football, basketball, golf, Ultimate Frisbee, badminton, and any other sport you can name. And when you factor in all the fans of youth, college and pro teams, a huge number of people are involved in sports.

It may seem obvious, but vision is incredibly important in sports. Not just clear vision, but accurate and quick spatial perception. In fact, there is a whole segment of vision therapy called “sports vision.” Optometrists who provide sports vision work with athletes of all skill levels to improve and enhance their visual skills and give them an edge.

If you are interested in Sports Vision, you can read about how the University of Houston Sports Vision team improves the visual skills of athletes.

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

I talk to people every day about refractive surgery such as LASIK. A few people are extremely interested, but almost everyone is at least curious about whether or not they are good candidates.

Generally the results of LASIK are very good. But, like any medical procedure, there are risks. Recently, the FDA has been evaluating whether or not some of the severe but unlikely risks are communicated effectively to the public.

Here are some reasons why you might want to consider LASIK:

• Freedom from Glasses: This is the number one reason people are interested in LASIK. This may be because they don’t like glasses or because they work in environments that make wearing glasses difficult.
• Freedom from Contacts: Some people can’t tolerate contacts or put the health of their eyes at risk by wearing them. LASIK may be a better option.
• Improved Vision: In some cases, vision may be better with LASIK than with glasses.

Here are some reasons why you may not be a good candidate for LASIK and what other options you might consider:

• Eye Disease: It probably goes without saying that if you have eye problems, such as inflammation, infection, injury or diseases of they eyes that LASIK might not be best for you. Glasses are most likely best until the situation is resolved.
• Large Pupils: If you have very large pupils, you may already notice mild halos or glare at night. This is somehwat like what your vision is like after going swimming at night: all lights have little balls of hazy light around them. If you have large pupils, this will be made worse by LASIK. You should stick with glasses and contacts.
• Thin Corneas: LASIK works by using a laser to remove tissue from the front, clear part of your eye. If you do not have enough tissue to work with then it is not safe to have LASIK. However, another type of refractive surgery, PRK, may be an option, as well as glasses and contacts.
• Dry Eye: Because there is cutting involved in LASIK, eyes that are not naturally moist enough may not heal as well. This might affect vision and comfort. Many people who have normal, healthy eyes expereince dryness for a time after LASIK.  If you have very dry eyes your best bet is to wear glasses or specialty contacts.
• Young Age: A person’s vision does not tend to fully stabalize until they are in their 20s. LASIK cannot be done until the prescription is stable. Possible options for children and  teenagers  include glasses, contacts, and Precise Cornea Reshaping.
• Older Age: If you are over 40 years of age, you can still get LASIK, but you should know that your near vision will probably be affected.

If you are considering LASIK, be sure to ask your eye doctor what the risks and benefits are for you. I encourage you to shop around. Not for the best price, but for the best doctor who explains everything to you to your satisfaction.

Feel free to email or come in if you have questions about whether LASIK is right for you.

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Below are two short videos on eyeglass care. I don’t know who this optician is, but I’m sure that he wanted to make these videos because he says these things over all day, every day. As with anything else, if you take take of your glasses, they will last longer.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swPxXk9IBzg&hl=en]

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

In the most recent issue of Optometry & Vision Development, the official journal of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, two articles were published by German scientist and researcher, Dr. Burkhart Fischer and his team which found that children with vision problems have a hard time learning basic mathematical skills and that if the appropriate vision therapy is given, math skills improve.

Dr. Fischer’s work has been featured on several German television news programs which reported on his research in the area of deficits in vision and eye movement control, as well as his success using vision therapy and its ability to improve reading.

Dr. Fischer notes that, “My research shows that vision function and eye movement control can affect a child’s development even into young adulthood. It is important for children to have a comprehensive assessment for the presence of learning related vision disorders in order to know why they may be having difficulties in reading and spelling skills, as well as obtaining basic arithmetic ability at school.”

He goes on to state, “Teachers, doctors, psychologists, therapists, and parents must be informed about these new facts in order to be able to help children overcome their deficits. It may make little sense to teach reading or math skills to someone who has deficits in basic sensory, visual and/or optomotor processing.”

Dr. Burkart Fischer and his team conduct their research at the Center of Neuroscience, Optomotor Laboratory, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.

You can download the original articles here and here.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

According to a recent Associated Press article, only about 30% of doctors in the US communicate with patients via email.

I actually prefer to communicate via email because it can be more efficient than by telephone. Additionally, it provides an automatic archive of the correspondence.

Just as a reminder, that you can always email me at askDrB@brighteyestampa.com.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

This new 13 minute video does an excellent job of describing Precise Corneal Reshaping for patients of all ages.

If you have questions about the process or are curious if you are a candidate, please contact the office.

Be well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

We’ve known for quite some time that amblyopia can be improved in older children and adults. It may take more work, but it can be done with the proper vision therapy.

Now there is evidence, at least in rats, that Prozac (fluoxetine) may actually assist in the developing the neural connections in the brain to improve visual acuity reduced due to amblyopia.

But remember two things: First, People are not rats and, at best, it will be some time before fluoxetine is studied in people. Second, whether fluoxetine is helpful or not, vision therapy is crucial in developing all the visual skills in people with amblyopia.

Read the whole article here.

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

While everyone at Bright Eyes is getting ready for the Tiffany and Co. launch party tomorrow, I won’t be able to join in the fun. In fact, I’ll be flying from Tampa to San Diego.

For the next 4 days, I am going to be attending the American Academy of Orthokeratology annual meeting. Orthokeratology is the scientific name for Precise Corneal Reshaping (PCR) and the Academy is the primary organization for doctors that offer corneal reshaping.

I love these meetings because every day is nothing but focused discussion, lecture, and hands-on experience from 7 a.m. until I get too sleepy to stay up any longer. Conferences like this allow me to talk in person with friend and specialists from all over the country and world that I normally only communicate with by email.

The topics at this year are very exciting. There will be several lectures on very recent advances in the science behind PCR and myopia control, which is an issue that is interesting to many. There are also lecture on the science behind the corneal responses to reshaping to make PCR more effective. There will discussions of new techniques and technology that will allow PCR to meet the needs of a wider group of people.

Of course, coming from the Eastern time zone, means that I wake up at 4 a.m., each day, but that is a small price to pay for all this information.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

How successful are people with multifocal RGP lenses. My doc was not too encouraging even tho I am motivated. I know the articles are favorable,sharper vision more accurate prescription. I really would like to hear what a REAL person has experienced.

I am glad you asked because this is one of the most exciting areas of contact lenses today. These lenses do take some extra effort and equipment to get right, so not every doctor enjoys fitting them. I have found them to be very rewarding for myself and patients.

People over 40 years old commonly have presbyopia (difficulty seeing up close) and wear reading glasses. Many people would like the freedom to be able to see both near and far without glasses, yet remember 20 or 30 years ago when they wore “hard lenses” and hated them.

I am happy to report that these lenses are better than ever. Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses are truly high-tech. While gas permeable contacts will not be as comfortable at first as soft contacts, newer materials and lens coatings make them much more comfortable to wear than they used to be.

Also, there are many new RGP multifocal designs that allow for extremely good vision both distance and near. They may not work in every situation, but they can allow you to be much less dependent on your reading glasses.

Just the other day I designed some multifocal RGP for a woman who wanted to not have to wear glasses to her son’s wedding. The contacts fit great and she was able to be in the photos without her glasses. After she came back for a modification of the design, she said they were even better.

Also, there is a brand-new option. This just came out this month, but I have been lucky enough to work with it since January. It is the SynergEyes multifocal. It is a hybrid design, meaning it has the optics of a RGP lens, but the comfort of a soft lens. I have been having tremendous success with this lens and am very excited about it.

If you are motivated, we can almost always find a contact lens to make you happy. If you are interested in any of the new contact lens designs, call the office for more information. If you come in for an evaluation, we will discuss the options fully before you are committed to any of them.

Thanks for the great question!

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

“Accessorize Your Eyes”
Tiffany & Co. Eyewear Launch Party
Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in West Park Village.

Accessorize Your Eyes with a new look! Try on the Tiffany & Co. line of eyeglasses and sunglasses, brand new for 2008! Merle Norman of Westchase will be offering free eye makeovers at the Launch Party.

Launch parties are always fun because it is a chance to see brand-new eyewear for the first time. This is the official debut of Tiffany and Co. eyewear, including gorgeous sunglasses and ophthalmic frames, and you don’t want to miss it.

Every pair of Tiffany glasses purchased with prescription lenses will receive free premium anti-reflective & anti-scratch coating or free polarization for sunglasses (a $99 to $125 value).

Join us for food and drinks! Win fun, fabulous door prizes, including Merle Norman makeovers and gift certificates to local restaurants and stores! Register to win the special prizes including Tiffany and Co. items and gift certificates for Merle Norman cosmetics and Bright Eyes products!

Call 813-792-0637 to RSVP or stop by on Saturday, April 19.

Hope to see you at the party!!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.