The article titled “” highlights a global topic of dry eyes.

Understanding Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease, or DED, can manifest in various ways, from mild discomfort to significant visual impairment. While many believe that they do NOT have dry eyes because they have watery eyes, it’s important to note that DED isn’t just about quantity, but quality of tears that matters. It is “not due to a lack of tears but is instead a ‘multifactorial condition characterized by a persistently unstable tear film and/or deficient tear film’.”

DED can be asymptomatic or present as various levels of discomfort and/or visual impairment. For example, constant blinking and temporary improvement of vision upon blinking, ocular sensitivity to dry, cold, or windy conditions. These are just a few regular events that occur with dry eyes. Additionally, there are structural changes such as variable amounts of ocular surface epithelial changes, inflammation, and neurosensory abnormalities. These findings commonly associated with dry eyes can be confirmed only during exam and testing.

“Dr. Pflugfelder said that evidence reveals DED to be a heterogeneous disease consisting of aqueous-sufficient and aqueous-deficient types, with tear instability common to both.”

• Aqueous-sufficient DED: A result of meibomian gland dysfunction, leading to poor tear quality.
• Aqueous-deficient DED: Often associated with conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome, which can reduce tear production.

Read our own article to learn more about Dry Eyes, their symptoms, and treatment options we provide.

Prioritize Your Eye Health

Don’t let dry eye symptoms interfere with your daily life. If you experience dry eyes symptoms, schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Our experienced eye care professionals can diagnose the underlying cause of your dry eye on your regular or comprehensive exam. We will develop a personalized treatment plan to restore your eye health and comfort.

Schedule a comprehensive eye exam today to determine the underlying cause of your dry eye and explore effective treatment options. Early intervention can help prevent complications and improve your eye health.

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Watching a solar eclipse can be a thrilling experience. However, it’s essential to prioritize safety while enjoying this celestial event. Here are some safe solar eclipse viewing tips to protect your eyes. Understanding the dangers of viewing this astronomical event without proper protection can help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Safe Viewing Techniques

Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause serious eye damage. The only way to safely view the Sun – eclipsed or not – is to either project or filter the Sun’s rays.��

1. Use Eclipse Glasses: Always wear proper solar eclipse glasses. Regular sunglasses are not safe. NASA recommends��welder’s goggles rated 14 or higher��and can be found at your local welding, plumbing supply or hardware stores. The American Astronomical Society has compiled a list of reputable vendors where you can buy safe eclipse glasses.��
2. Solar Viewers: Consider using solar viewers or filters designed for eclipse viewing. Solar filtering spectacles should meet ISO 12312-2 (International Organization for Standardization) compliance standards.
3. Pinhole Projectors: You can create a simple pinhole projector where one card should have a small hole punched in it, while the other card remains blank to be the projection screen. This method allows you to view the eclipse indirectly. With your back against the sun, raise the pinhole card to allow the light through and project the image onto the blank card. The eclipse will be inverted but safe to look at. You can also use binoculars in place of the pinhole card with large end towards the sun.��

Additional Tips

• Check for Certification: Ensure that your eclipse glasses meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard.
• Supervise Kids: Always supervise children when viewing an eclipse to ensure they use safe techniques.

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH BINOCULARS OR ANY LENSES.��NEVER��use regular sunglasses or cataract goggles to observe the sun as they do not provide adequate protection.

The Sun is the biggest star in our Solar System that is a giant ball of gas consisting mostly of hydrogen and produces heat and light by nuclear fusion. Just as the UV rays from the Sun can cause skin damage, it can cause sunburns to the unprotected eyes and blind you, a condition known as Solar Retinopathy in which the retina’s photoreceptors, the rods (for seeing in the dark) and cones (for color vision), become damaged. Prolonged UV exposure can damage the macula, a tiny substructure of the retina responsible for the majority of your central detail vision. Damaging it can cause macular degeneration, eventually resulting in permanent blindness in the center of your field of vision.

Besides immediate damage, one can also experience latent effects, such as photokeratitis, can also occur where the cornea, transparent surface of the eye, is sunburnt from UV light resulting in pain, excessive tearing, sandy sensation, blisters and inflammation. Long-term UV light exposure can also lead to premature advancement of cataracts and worsen dry eye condition resulting in invasive tissue growth on the surface of the eye known as pterygium. These conditions can obscure vision and lead to blindness.

By following these Safe Solar Eclipse Viewing Tips, you can enjoy the beauty of the eclipse without risking your eyesight. Remember, safety first!

For more information on viewing safety, go to 

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UV Protection for Eyes: 5 Essential Tips from Ophthalmologists

Proper��UV protection for eyes��is crucial to prevent long-term sun damage. The American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that harmful UV rays can burn the cornea and increase risks for cataracts and eye cancers. Here are expert-backed tips to safeguard your vision.

Why Your Eyes Need UV Protection

Sun exposure poses serious risks. Without adequate��eye protection from UV rays, you risk short-term issues like photokeratitis (a sunburned cornea) and long-term damage, including cataracts and growths on the eye. UV rays penetrate clouds, making daily protection essential.

Five Tips from Ophthalmologists That Will Protect Your Eyes from Sun Damage

American Academy of Ophthalmology highlights ways to protect against harmful UV exposure

SAN FRANCISCO – The days are longer, the sun is hotter, the beach beckons and out comes the sunscreen. But summer revelers looking forward to sizzling hot fun in the sun shouldn’t overlook their eyes when it comes to protecting themselves from damaging ultraviolet rays, warns the .

In support of UV Safety Month in July, the Academy is sharing information on how to keep eyes safe from sun damage. Excess sun exposure can put people at risk of serious short-term and long-term eye problems. If eyes are exposed to strong sunlight for too long without protection, UV rays can  and cause temporary blindness in a matter of hours. Long-term sun exposure has also been linked to an increased risk of , cancer and  on or near the eye.

Here are five things people can do to cut their risk of eye damage from the sun:

Tip 1: Choose the Right Sunglasses

Always look for sunglasses labeled��“U��400”��or��“100% UV protection.”��Price doesn’t guarantee safety—affordable options with this label work well. Remember, dark lenses don’t always block UV rays. Wear sunglasses daily, even on overcast days.

Tip 2: Never Look Directly at the Sun

Directly gazing at the sun can cause��solar retinopathy, burning irreversible holes in your retina. This damage harms your central vision permanently. View solar eclipses only with special-purpose filters.

Tip 3: Check Your Medications

Many common medications increase��photosensitivity, making your eyes more vulnerable. These include certain antibiotics, birth control pills, and psoriasis treatments. Check prescription labels and take extra precautions if needed.

Tip 4: Wear a Hat & Use Sunscreen

A broad-brimmed hat can block up to 50% of UV rays reaching your eyes. Combine it with��UV-blocking sunglasses��and broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin for complete protection.

Tip 5: Protect Your Eyes While Driving

Car windows block most UV rays from the front (96%), but side windows only block about 71%. Always wear��sunglasses with UV protection��when driving to shield your eyes from side exposure.

Key Details:

• Wear the right sunglasses��– Look for those labeled “U��400” or “100 percent UV protection” when buying sunglasses. Less costly sunglasses with this label can be just as effective as the expensive kind. Darkness or color doesn’t indicate strength of UV protection. UV rays can go through clouds, so wear sunglasses even on overcast days. And while contacts may offer some benefit, they cannot protect the entire eye area from burning rays.
• Don’t stare at the sun��– Sun worshippers take note: directly gazing at the sun can burn holes in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of cells in the back of the eye needed for central vision. This condition is called solar retinopathy. While rare, the damage is irreversible.
• Check your medication labels��– One in three adults uses medication that could make the eyes more vulnerable to UV ray damage, according to a����by the Academy. These include certain antibiotics, birth control and estrogen pills, and psoriasis treatments containing psoralen. Check the labels on your prescriptions to see if they cause photosensitivity. If so, make sure to protect your skin and eyes or avoid sun exposure when possible.
• Put a lid on it –��In addition to shades, consider wearing a hat with broad brim. They have been shown to significantly cut exposure to harmful rays. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
• Don’t drive without UV eye protection��– Don’t assume that car windows are protecting you from UV light. A recent study found that side windows blocked only 71 percent of rays, compared to 96 percent in the windshield.��Only 14 percent of side windows provided a high enough level of protection, the researchers found. So when you buckle up, make sure you are wearing glasses or sunglasses with the right UV protection.

“Damage from sun exposure can happen quickly, but it also adds up over time, making it a risk factor for several vision-impairing eye conditions,” said Jeff Pettey, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “That’s why it’s important to get in the habit of wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, hats and sunscreen early on to cut your risk.”

Professional Eye Care for Long-Term Vision Health

Regular eye exams are vital to detect sun-related damage early. Our NYC ophthalmologists provide comprehensive screenings and can recommend the best protective eyewear for your lifestyle.

Need expert advice on UV eye protection? We’re here to help.

Schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam

Explore more ways to protect your vision:

• Cataract Prevention & Treatment
• Shop Prescription UV Protective Eyewear

Source & Further Reading

This guidance is based on recommendations from the��American Academy of Ophthalmology. For the full article��

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Effective workplace eye injury prevention is essential, as 90% of job-related eye injuries are avoidable with proper protection. The American Academy of Ophthalmology urges making eye safety part of your daily work routine to safeguard your vision. At �鶹����, we try our best to offer same day emergency eye care during routine business hours.

The High Cost of Workplace Eye Injuries

Each day, about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain eye injuries requiring medical treatment. These incidents cost over $300 million yearly. Many injuries lead to permanent vision damage or blindness, especially in high-risk fields like construction, manufacturing, and mining.

Immediate Care for Eye Injuries

If an injury occurs, seek immediate care from an ophthalmologist or emergency room. At �鶹����, we offer same-day emergency eye care during business hours to address urgent workplace incidents.

Key Strategies for Workplace Eye Injury Prevention

Follow these expert tips to protect your eyes on the job:

1. Wear ANSI-Approved Protective Eyewear
   • This is the most critical step. Use safety glasses, goggles, or face shields appropriate for your specific hazards (flying debris, chemicals, intense light). Ensure all gear meets ANSI and OSHA standards.
2. Practice Computer Ergonomics
   • Digital eye strain affects office workers. Position your monitor 25 inches away and adjust font size for comfort. This reduces focusing strain.
3.  Follow the 20-20-20 Rule
   • Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This relaxes your eye muscles and restores a normal blink rate to prevent dryness.
4. Reduce Screen Glare and Adjust Lighting
   • Use matte filters on glass screens and lower brightness settings. Ensure your office lighting is neither brighter nor dimmer than your screen to minimize contrast strain.

Protecting Both Physical and Digital Workspaces

Eye safety in the workplace applies to everyone. Physical laborers need impact-resistant gear, while desk workers must manage digital eye strain. A comprehensive approach prevents injuries and long-term vision issues.

Need professional guidance or emergency care? Our specialists are here to help.

Schedule an Eye Safety Consultation

Explore our related services:

• Emergency Eye Care �鶹����
• Digital Eye Strain & Computer Vision Treatment

Expert Insight on Proactive Eye Wellness

As Dr. Brenda Pagán-Durán states, “It takes only a few seconds to protect yourself from eye related issues that can cause vision problems… This is truly an ounce of prevention that can safeguard your vision.”

Ophthalmologists Say 90 Percent of Work-Related Eye Injuries Can be Avoided by Wearing Eye Protection

American Academy of Ophthalmology urges making eye health part of a daily work wellness routine

SAN FRANCISCO — On-the-job safety goes well beyond avoiding slips, falls, and heavy lifting. Caring for your eyes should be a high priority and part of an overall workplace wellness routine. This is important because each day, about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. However, 90 percent of these accidents can be avoided by wearing eye protection. As part of an ongoing effort to stress the importance of workplace eye wellness, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, during the month of March, is encouraging the public to do right by their eyes and wear appropriate eye protection.

Workplace eye injuries cost more than $300 million a year in lost productivity, treatment, and compensation. These injuries range from simple eye strain to trauma, which may lead to permanent damage, vision loss, and blindness. This is particularly true for workers in construction, manufacturing, and mining. Approximately, 40 percent of eye injuries in the workplace happen in these three industries.

If an eye injury does occur, an individual should seek care from an ophthalmologist — a physician who specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases and conditions — or go to an emergency room for immediate care.

Caring for your eyes on the job should not be limited to those who do physical labor, however. People who spend long hours working on a computer can experience eye discomfort. Focusing on small font type for hours on end can cause eye strain, fatigue, and headaches. Staring at screens for long periods can also leave eyes parched and red, causing eyes to become dry from lack of blinking. This happens frequently as computer screens or other digital displays reduce a person’s blink rate by as much as 50 percent.

The Academy provides tips to help avoid workplace eye injury or strain:

Wear protective eyewear: Ensure that your  for the type of hazard that may be present in your workplace, such flying debris, falling objects, chemicals, intense light, and heat. Your eyewear must be -approved and OSHA compliant. You must use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shield or helmet if you are near hazardous radiation welding, chemicals, lasers or fiber optics.

Position your computer 25 inches away: If you are working on a desktop computer, try placing the monitor at an arm’s length away from your face. You may need to adjust the font size to appear larger at that distance.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Eye strain and dry eye occur after long, continuous periods of viewing digital screens up close. To help alleviate this, take a break every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking at a distance allows your eyes to relax and return to a regular rate of blinking again. Normally, people blink about 14 times a minute and with every blink, your eyes are lubricated with fluid that contains moisturizing elements, including oil.

Reduce glare on your smartphone and digital screen: While many new phones and digital devices have glass screens with excellent picture quality, they also produce a strong glare that can aggravate the eyes. If you use a glass screen device, adjust the low light filter setting to lower screen brightness or use a matte filter to reduce eye strain.

Adjust environmental lighting at your work: If your computer screen is brighter than your office surroundings, your eyes need to work harder to see. You can reduce eye strain by adjusting the lighting in your surroundings.

“It takes only a few seconds to protect yourself from eye related issues that can cause vision problems,” said Brenda Pagán-Durán, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “I can’t stress enough the importance of incorporating eye wellness into your daily routine; whether it’s simply adjusting the setting on your computer monitor, or wearing appropriate protection to avoid serious eye injury. This is truly an ounce of prevention that can safeguard your vision.”

For more eye safety tips, visit . Visit the Academy’s EyeSmart® website for more information on 

Link to article: 

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​Is El Niño Making Your Allergies Worse?

Written by:��
May. 16, 2016

Did your springtime��, stuffy nose and scratchy throat seem to start earlier this year, and hang around longer? You’re not alone.

Experts say the��. And this year, allergy season started earlier and has����because of the wet winter following several years of drought.

If��, you may want to see your doctor for a professional opinion. In the meantime, try to reduce the amount of pollen you come into contact with by:

• wearing sunglasses during the daytime (your ophthalmologist thinks you should be doing this anyway to );
• closing your windows, especially on windy days;
• washing your face and hands after being outside;
• and—if appropriate for you—taking over-the-counter antihistamine medication to reduce symptoms.

Check the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s  to see where your hometown ranks. And get the current pollen count for your area with the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology’s .

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To properly apply your eyedrops, follow these steps:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Hold the bottle upside down.
3. Tilt your head back.
4. Hold the bottle in one hand and place it as close as possible to the eye.
5. With the other hand, pull down your lower eyelid. This forms a pocket.
6. Place the prescribed number of drops into the lower eyelid pocket. If you are using more than one eyedrop, be sure to wait at least 5 minutes before applying the second eyedrop.
7. Close your eye OR press the lower lid lightly with your finger for at least 1 minute. Either of these steps keeps the drops in the eye and helps prevent the drops from draining into the tear duct, which can increase your risk of side effects.

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Spots are often caused by small flecks of protein or other matter that became trapped when your eyes formed before birth. They can also appear as the vitreous fluid deteriorates due to aging. Also, certain eye diseases or injuries can cause the appearance of spots.

Most spots are not harmful, and they rarely limit vision. But, spots can be an indication of more serious problems. See your eye care professional for a comprehensive examination if you start seeing them more often.

Your eye care professional at �鶹���� can determine if what you are seeing is harmless or the symptom of a more serious problem that requires treatment.

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Polarized lenses help reduce glare by filtering light entering the lens. It is helpful to get your lens polarized if you spend a lot of time where light is highly reflected off surfaces such as snow, water, or sand.

The disadvantage of polarized lenses is the failure to view LCD or LED screens or displays as the lenses will filter out the backlight of these devices.

Are prescription sunglasses for you?

• Evaluate how much time you are spending outdoors or driving during the day and the value of visual accuracy during these excursions.
• If you are noticing regularly replacing clip-on or magnetic sun shields, the cost of new prescription sunglasses might be cost effective.
• Speak with your eye care professional at �鶹���� to see if prescription sunglasses match your vision demands and lifestyle. They can help determine if prescriptions sunglasses are a suitable option for you. 

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What causes digital related eye strain?

Normally, humans blink approximately 15 times per minute, but research suggests people blink half to a third as often while using computers and other digital screen devices, whether for work or play. Prolonged reading, writing or other intensive “near work” can also cause eye strain in a similar fashion.��

Eye Ergonomics Tips 

• Sit about 2 feet, or arm’s length, from the computer monitor.
• Position the monitor so your eye gaze is in downward gaze
• Some monitors or digital screens have glass surfaces which in turn can give off considerable glare. You can reduce glare by using a matte��screen filter if necessary.
• Take scheduled breaks using the “20-20-20” rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds.
• You can use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry.��
• If a screen is much brighter than the surrounding light, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjust your room lighting and try increasing the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain.

A note to contact lens users: Contact lenses can exacerbate eye dryness and irritation common to heavy users of computers and other digital devices often. Some tips: 

• Your eyes need rest from contact lens usage, so try to wear glasses when possible. 
• Avoid sleeping in contact lenses, even if they are labeled “extended wear.”
• Always practice good contact lens hygiene 

If your eyes are consistently red, blurry or watery, or they become sensitive to light or painful, see an eye care professional at �鶹����.

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It is best practice to wash your hands before working with your contacts. Place the lens in a clean palm with fresh, store-bought solution. Rubbing the lens as you clean it loosens the protein and bacteria that builds up.

Even if your solution states “No Rub,” studies have proven that rubbing the lenses is one of the best methods to reduce eye infections. 

Rinse

Always rinse and store your contact lenses in store-bought contact lens solution. It is dangerous to use home-made saline as it can breed parasites that can blind you.��

Rest

It is best practice to avoid sleeping with your contact lenses as it can increase the likelihood of an eye infection. Also, try to give your eyes a break from your contact lenses from time to time.

Renew

Avoid overusing your contact lenses beyond the suggested time recommended by the manufacturer and /or eye care professional. Don’t extend the life of your contacts by wearing them too long. i.e one-month contact lenses should only be used for 30 days after opening the package.

Reserve

Schedule yearly eye examinations for a comprehensive ocular survey with an eye care professional at �鶹����.

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