Dry Eye - a new approach

Dry Eye - a new approach

Dry Eye Disease is a chronic, or long term condition which can cause ongoing discomfort, poor vision and at its worst serious permanent damage to the eyes.  With our current lifestyle and environment, it is also a condition which we are encountering more and more often.

Dry Eye is perhaps a poor name for a multi-factor condition, there may be not enough tears present, or the tears could be of a poor constitution with too much oil or protein in them.  At times we can even have too much tears, but they are watery and not very good at lubricating the eyes.

Surely tears are just tears?

Tears are a very complex structure:

They are designed to ensure the front surface of the eye is properly hydrated, protected from infection, environmental irritants and foreign bodies.  They are essential for good vision, when light enters the eye the tear film is the first layer that it must go through.  A poor quality tear film will interfere with our overall quality of vision, just think how bad it is to look through a car's windshield when it is smeared with greasy/muddy water.

In the past all we could really recommend to alleviate this condition was artificial tears to lubricate the eyes.  With continuing understanding of the tear film and the factors that affect it, though, we are now much better able to look at the causes of tear film and ocular surface issues and recommend personal regimes to restore balance to them.

Proper diagnosis is key.

Our TFOS (Tear Film and Ocular Surface) appointments will gather many different assessments of the eye, including the volume and osmolarity (saltiness) of the tear film.

Establishing baseline measurements and creating personal wellbeing programs ensures that as the condition is brought under control, not only does vision and comfort improve, but we can appropriately measure the success of the different steps that we take.

Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson have undertaken hours of specific training and education in this field to ensure that they are able to offer appropriate advice and care.  To book a TFOS assessment, please contact our office for an appointment.

MiSight Myopia Control contact lenses - part 2

MiSight lenses were launched at the beginning of 2018, but the technology behind them has been thoroughly tested.

Firstly the lens material has been around for over a decade, we know that it performs well on the eye.  It is comfortable to wear and stable.  We also know that single use daily disposable lenses are the safest way to wear contact lenses.

When studying the lenses, CooperVision choose children from age 8 - 15 years old.  One factor they looked at was how successful the children were in taking care of their contact lenses, and after a month of wear with the contact lenses 100% of the children could easily remove their contacts, 85% also found them easy to insert.  Over the three year study, 100% of those that remained with using the contact lenses reported that they were "happy" with the overall experience.

In the same study, the myopia progression for those wearing the lenses was 59% less than those wearing regular one day single use lenses of the same material, but without the ActivControl Technology.  Importantly this coincided with the measurements of the elongation of the eye, which was 52% less.

It is this eye elongation which we think leads to many of the risks of ocular side effects including retinal detachment and glaucoma.  To be clinically successful in protecting the health of the eyes, the contact lenses don't just need to manage the focus of the eyes, but also the elongation.

The lenses work by providing the retina with different focusing zones, this use of peripheral de-focus has been an emerging concept which we have followed with interest over the last few years.  It completely changes some of our thoughts and models relating to how myopia develops, but it also provides an exciting opportunity to start to understand how we can slow myopic progression.

It must be noted that this may provide some minimal ghosting or a soft-focus type effect on the overall vision, studies have found that this is not unacceptable and doesn't impact on the overall quality of vision experienced by children wearing the lenses.

If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting development in the world of contact lenses and children's vision then don't hesitate to make an appointment.  We will go through all of the information about the contact lenses, starting with a comprehensive eye examination to assess the prescription and the health of the eyes.

MiSight Myopia Control contact lenses - Part 1

A brand new contact lens has been launched onto the market with some pretty bold claims, we wanted to find out more about it.

There is no doubt that myopia (or nearshightedness) is becoming increasingly common.  Studies have shown that in the US over 40% of the population are nearsighted and in some Asian countries this level can be over 80%.  With the current trends, these numbers seem set to continue to rise.

Myopia doesn't just inconvenience someone by requiring them to wear glasses or contact lenses to see distant objects clearly, but also makes the eye more prone to serious sight threatening conditions.  It is this concerning aspect of myopia which makes controlling its development of particular interest.  If we can reduce the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataract development and myopic macular degeneration then we can make a real impact on the health of our patients' eyes.

Currently we do not fully understand why myopia develops, although we are aware of various risk factors.  It is also common to find that once myopia starts in childhood, it tends to continue to progress developing throughout the teenage years and even in to the early twenties.

There have been various different systems for slowing myopia progression used over the years including rigid contact lenses, orthokeratology, bifocal and multifocal spectacle lenses, bifocal contact lenses and even specific eye drops.

Studies have also shown that if children spend consistent time outdoors in natural daylight, myopia progression is significantly reduced, so we do encourage making lifestyle changes to try to minimise myopic changes.

All of the various systems that have been used previously have advantages, but significant hurdles, which has kept their use to a minimum before.  CooperVision's new single use daily contact lens, MiSight, has the possibility of being a real game changer!

So our first piece of advice is to ensure plenty of outdoors time for children!

Our next post will look more at the actual technology of the lenses themselves.

#OceanShoot2017

This year we decided the team at Ocean deserved some proper staff photos. No more Instagram selfies (those filters are so forgiving!), but something that makes it clear we’re proud to be unique with our own sense of style. The results were amazing, and this is the story behind those great shots. 

We’re fortunate in Halifax that there are so many great businesses, especially downtown, but Applehead Studios is a standout company.  If you’re not aware of their work, you should be, it’s amazing!  They’re highly-regarded for their beautiful wedding photography, but they can do so much more and we gave them permission to give us the Applehead treatment ... complete creative free reign. Were we nervous, absolutely!

An easy rapport was struck because we both respect what each other does. They were grinning that we didn’t want the usual straight-laced headshots for corporate clients and politicians. No, we wanted something creative to capture not just what we do but some of our spirit. Ocean Optometry has always been something more than testing eyes and selling glasses. We aspire to help our customers express themselves and provide real care in everything we do.

For us, testing eyes isn’t just our job. You only have one pair of eyes and so our exams are thorough with an unusual attention to detail, but a key difference is how we make them personal. We appreciate that you’re unique and so a conveyor belt approach doesn’t fit with our ethos. Also, you might of noticed, we LOVE eyewear. We don’t do off-the-shelf products with brands attached to sell you an image. People come to us for the finest eyewear, and we give it to them. On our shelves you’ll find pieces made by artisan craftsmen, with the beautiful acetates, titanium, horn, and wood. Naturally, we use the best ophthalmic lenses too. This is another thing that ourselves and Applehead agree on, the optics produced by Nikon in both their camera technology and their spectacle lens technology is astounding.  Your eyes will thank you, and they’re welcome.

We wanted to ensure that the photographs captured something of the individual people, a geek, a biker, a reader and an outdoorsman; that they captured the essence of Ocean Optometry.  Having traveled an ocean to get here, we’re proud of our new home, and wanted to capture this with a strong reference to the history of Nova Scotia and its connection with the sea.

After many ideas, the concept was decided upon and we’re pleased to introduce:

#OceanShoot2017 – The Fishing Shack

Set in a timeless moment, perhaps early in the morning, eyes full of optimism for the day ahead.  A classic scene, peaceful and enduring, where victories aren’t easily won, but gratefully earned.

The sea salt is ingrained in every pixel, a sense of excited expectation palatable in the air.

Just beware of the seagull.

Mike Bonang

Alicia Austin

Dr. Euan McGinty

Dr. John Wilson

Outdoorsman

Reader

Geek

Biker

Many thanks to Applehead Studio for knocking this one out of the park!

The Coast's Best of Halifax 2017

We make no bones about it, we love being part of the community of Halifax and, in particular, in playing our role as a downtown business.  We also love being in Nova Scotia, our connection with the sea is a strong one!

Practicing optometry in Nova Scotia means that we have to comply with the Standards of Practice for Optometry set by the Nova Scotia College of Optometrists (NSCO).  As such, we have just received a news bulletin from the College which makes it very clear that we cannot participate in any "Best of" award run by media or organisations such as the Chambers of Commerce.

We have only been open for four years and in that short time we have been fortunate to have been nominated for a Chamber of Commerce Best New Business award and several of The Coast's "Best of Halifax" award.  Once again we have been nominated for The Coast's "Best of" awards (although as we placed Gold last year, we were also automatically included).

Having received the above recent communication for the NSCO, we immediately contacted The Coast to ensure that we are withdrawn from their awards.

We are very grateful for everyone who has thought us worthy of their vote and their support since we opened just a few years ago and it is with much regret that we have to withdraw from the contest. 

We never opened Ocean Optometry to win awards though, we opened with the desire to bring the world's finest eyewear made by independent companies to Halifax and to provide excellent optometric care for our patients.  We have done this without relying on promotions, discounts or specials; believing that people appreciate fair and reasonable pricing without gizmos and giveaways.

We wish everyone participating The Coast's Best of Halifax 2017 awards well, we would encourage you to vote for your favourite businesses, venues, places and fine folks. More importantly, we'd encourage you to support the many great local independent business that Halifax has with your custom!

Best of luck, everyone, and thank you for your ongoing support.