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10-28-2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Dan Curran
DanCurran@CurranPR.com
770-658-9586
C O N S U M E R A L E R T
Local Doctor Warns Public of Injuries Caused by Decorative Contact Lenses
Halloween Decorative Lenses Can Cause Permanent Injury
(Kennesaw, Ga.) – October 27, 2011 – A Kennesaw doctor is issuing a Consumer Alert to warn the public about the consequences of wearing the decorative contact lenses available for sale at gas stations, beauty supply shops and Halloween costume stores. Doctors say these decorative contact lenses – that are not prescribed or professionally fitted – can cause permanent injury, even blindness.
According to Dr. Stuart Tasman, a member of the Georgia Optometric Association, to reduce risk of eye injury it is important to get contact lenses from an eye care professional. Consumers should follow instructions about cleaning, disinfecting and wearing the lenses, and never borrow lenses from a friend.
Dr. Tasman is warning the public that risks from use of these products caninclude:
- A cut or scratch on the top layer of the eyeball (corneal abrasion)
- Allergic reactions like itchy, watery red eyes
- Decreased vision
- Infection
- Blindness
“You wouldn’t buy gas from your doctor so it’s not smart to buy contact lenses at a gas station,” said Dr. Stuart Tasman, a member of the Georgia Optometric Association. “A lifetime of good vision is much more important than a cheap Halloween accessory.”
Since 2005, federal law requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate decorative lenses as medical devices, similar to corrective lenses. Federal law says it is illegal to sell the lenses over-the-counter without a prescription. According to the Georgia Optometric Association, it is a felony offense to sell contact lenses without a license in Georgia.
Recent reports from the Contact Lens Society of America say most non-FDA-approvedcontact lenses come from overseas and have not been tested or evaluated by the FDA in terms of sterility and "Good Manufacturing Practices." Some of the colors used to make these lenses are toxic and some could actually be carcinogenic.
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The Georgia Optometric Association is a statewide professional organization representing over 750 doctors of optometry located in communities throughout the state of Georgia. Founded in 1904, the GOA and its members work to provide the public with quality vision and eye care services. For more information visit www.GOAeyes.com, on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/jT7mJ3 or follow us on Twitter @GOA_eyes. Read Full Story >>06-28-2011
Not a pretty picture, huh? This picture shows an eye with a fungal corneal ulcer. Aka an angry eye. This ulcer is an example of what could happen when contacts are worn on an extended wear basis. Although patients have always improperly over worn and slept in there contact lenses, the introduction of extended wear lenses has likely pushed this trend over the edge.
Silicone hydrogel contact lenses, the new generation of contacts, have now been out for nearly a decade. The silicone material allows the cornea to receive more oxygen than conventional water based contacts. Thus, the marketing of these lenses as extended wear or “the kind you can sleep in” has, no doubt had an impact in the way patients wear their lenses. Although certain brands are FDA approved for extended wear up to 30 days, this is not commonly promoted by your optometrist. Well, at least not me. Some eyes may be able to get away with it, but most will end up having an unpleasant complication. Any time a foreign body is placed on the eye and then introduced to low oxygen levels with practically no tear flow as is seen in the sleeping eye, we are asking for trouble. This environment creates the perfect conditions for bacteria and fungi to colonize and even invade an intact cornea. Albeit this picture depicts an extreme example of what may happen when lenses are slept in or wrongly cared for, these patients definitely turn up in our chair, urgently needing help. Fungal ulcers are insidious infections that can be very difficult to treat, often requiring several months of topical and oral medication. Even with vigorous treatment, conventional management may fail with the end result being a corneal transplant or even a blind eye.
Am I telling you all this to scare you into properly caring for your contacts? Maybe. Sometimes pictures like this have a way of relaying a message that I am incapable of. Bottom line for all you contact lens wearers.. you only have two eyes so be sure to give them that oxygen they crave, clean and store them with disinfecting solution and clean cases, and replace them in a timely fashion.
All the best to you and your two windows to this crazy, beautiful world!
Read Full Story >>10-29-2010
I was asked to participate in a health fair on Friday October 22nd at the Woodstock Baptist Church. As I walked through this massive church I couldn't believe the amount of people that were there for services. I would estimate that well over 1000 men ,women and children were there to see the Doctor's and volunteers that were there for 3 days to treat their every need. I heard from the people that i examined that told me that they had arrived at 1am to get in line to see the medical doctor's,dentist's and the eye doctor's. I know for a fact that we turned people away at the end of every day due to lack of time. I saw so much eye disease that had gone untreated due to lack of insurance and of course money. Today, October 29th we treated one of the gentlemen that i had seen for Glaucoma. His intraocular pressures were approximately 40 in his right eye with definite loss of field of vision.I prescribed Lumigan and Instructed him in my broken Spanish to see me in 3 weeks. He has no insurance and his finances barely cover a roof over his head and put groceries on the table. Suffice it to say we will not charge him but I have been haunted by the amount of people in trouble out there. Who is going to care for them? We all want to give back and be good stewards but do we draw a line? When do we draw a line? My father told us many stories of the depression era and the one that I have never forgotten was about his grandfather. He had very little money left but he did have a small grocery store. People would come in to get food with no money. My dad asked his grandfather how come he would give food to these people without money. He responded, " we should always give to those with less than we have." My question to you is should we follow my great grandfathers advise? Just a thought. Stuart Tasman
Read Full Story >>10-13-2010
“Tell me I have an infection, an abrasion, put a patch on me, anything. I can handle it… as long as it’s not pink eye. If I’ve got pink eye I can’t go to work, school, out in public without being socially shunned. It’s like wearing the Scarlet letter. Ya know, Doc?”
“Well, I’ve got good news for you then. You do not have pink eye. In fact, I’m not sure what pink eye is. Pink eye is not a diagnosis, I know that much.”
Pink Eye, the dreaded eye problem that floats around schools and supposedly spreads like wildfire. If I only had a nickel for the number of times I’ve heard the words and inwardly cringed at the widely accepted term. I’m expressing my distaste for the term, not because I’m smug and want to put you in your place. Not because it even really bothers me launching in to the explanation time after time. Maybe I just want to share some knowledge, start a movement.. or something. Kind of like the “Hotlanta” term. All of us native Atlantans are just a little tired of that, right?? Well, if you care to listen, I’ll let you in on the quintessentials of what can create a “pink eye.”
Anything that causes your eye to turn pinkish or red can technically be termed “pink eye.” The blood vessels in the conjunctiva, the whitish outer membrane that surrounds the eye, can become engorged or dilated in response to several insults or stimuli. Here are a few of the most common reasons one’s eye may turn pink.
1. If a foreign object scratches the anterior ocular surface or becomes embedded in the tissue of the eye, a significant engorging of the blood vessels will result but often in a localized area on the conjunctiva. The eye has an amazing ability to heal itself pretty quickly, so most of the time the milder abrasions resolve within a few days.
2. Viral Conjunctivitis is the most common ocular infection and can be easily spread from contact. It often presents with a diffusely red and swollen appearance. Thick tears and swollen lids frequently accompany the virus. As with the common cold, this infection must run its course before it gets better. An antibiotic drop will not alleviate a virus. An anti-inflammatory drop may be prescribed to help alleviate some of the redness, inflammation, and swelling associated with the infection, however. While adenoviral is the most common type of strain, there are several and they can vary in severity. Although this infection is generally self-limited, it is always important to get your eye’s checked if a problem arises to rule out any wicked-nasty strains or other more virulent infections.
3. Bacterial conjunctivitis is another transmittable infection that can present with a diffuse “pink eye.” Because the appearance and symptoms are often similar to that of a viral conjunctivitis, it is difficult to distinguish between a viral and bacterial infection without clinical observation. Often, lids may become more matted and a thick greenish-yellow discharge will accompany a bacterial infection. A wide spectrum antibiotic drop is often prescribed to help treat these cases.
4. Allergic Conjunctivitis is a very common cause of pink, itchy, irritated eyeballs. Seasonal allergies or an allergic reaction to several product ingredients can lead to red, watery, swollen eyes. Local and oral antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, and anti-inflammatory drops can alleviate allergy symptoms.
In summary, pink eye is not a condition. Anything that causes ocular redness could essentially be termed “pink eye”. The important thing is getting to the bottom of what may be hindering the eye. And I can assure you that using Visine is not the answer. So the next time your eye is looking pink, feeling goopy, and a little strange, get in to your optometrist and have them take a look.
Read Full Story >>09-24-2010
Dr. Tasman volunteered to help give vision screenings to hundreds of elementary school students this week. The project took place at Annette Winn Elementary in Lithia Springs. It was a huge success!!
Read Full Story >>08-26-2010
We had the pleasure of being introduced to the sweetest little girl at our office a few months ago. She came in to have an eye examination because her preschool teacher had sent home a note stating that she was holding things very close to her eyes in an attempt to see. The mother of the child had not noticed any visual problems and the little girl had not complained of any.
Upon visual testing, she was only able to count fingers across the room with her right eye, while she could see 20/400 (the big E) with her left eye. Her refractive error was determined to be approximately +10.50 D in the right eye and +8.00 D in the left. With this prescription in place, the child immediately noticed some improvement in vision, now able to see 20/200 with her right and 20/80 with her left.
This charming little girl has a very high hyperopic (far-sighted) prescription. Because she had probably been born with some degree of this refractive error the child had grown accustomed to seeing blurry. She knew no difference. Additionally, because her uncorrected refractive error had been present for some time before being diagnosed, her brain never developed neurons that gave her the potential to reach 20/20 or anything close to it. When ocular disease is absent and 20/20 can not be reached even with a spectacle correction, we call this condition Amblyopia. Amblyopia works on the principal that when one’s eyesight is blurred, the brain is never completely visually stimulated. Thus, the eye and brain are not able to develop visual neurons that are capable of seeing all the fine, detailed stuff. The good news is that if the refractive condition is caught early enough, the eyesight can be improved after being corrected with spectacle or contact lenses. An earlier diagnosis betters the chances of success, as the brain and visual system are dynamic and open to change when a child is still growing.
In this patient’s case, we chose to fit her in contact lenses instead of glasses as this would ensure that the child was visually corrected at all times without having to wear thick “coke bottle” glasses. Contact lenses are also the correction of choice if a significant power difference exists between the two eyes. We gave the mother a lesson on how to insert and remove the contacts then fit the child with a contact prescription that was slightly cut back on to allow her to adapt more easily to her new corrective lenses.
Within a month, the child returned to our office claiming that she “could see the cats across the street now!” Both mother and child were excited at the progress she had seen. Her new visual acuities with her full prescription were measured at 20/100 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left. Almost a three-fold improvement!! The power of her lenses were increased to full strength and we will continue to follow-up with her every few months until her best potential acuity is achieved. If full improvement is not achieved with visual correction alone, we may consider patching her better seeing right eye to allow full stimulation of the left eye. Because the mother and daughter are diligent and compliant, the prognosis for her is good despite the measured progress it may take to get there.
This case demonstrates the importance of complete eye examinations at an early age. Uncorrected hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism, an eye turn, or a congenital cataract can result in amblyopia and permanent visual impairment if not treated early enough. Like with this little girl, she did not know to complain of her vision being blurry, because this was the only world she knew. We encourage you all to start thinking about your children’s eyes and set up an exam today.
Thanks for reading!!
Read Full Story >>08-06-2010
Hello patients and friends,
We are excited to announce the addition of a blog to our web page. Dr. Tasman and Dr. Fowler hope to keep you informed on interesting topics and the latest news in optometry.
We encourage you to provide us with feedback and ask questions when a topic interests you.
Thanks for your support! More to come soon..
Dr. Stuart Tasman and Dr. Tara Fowler
Read Full Story >>
