Eye Care & Surgery Center NJ Bladeless LASIK Laser Cataract Surgeon Blog

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

NJ Eye Specialist on Eye Watering

NJ Eye Specialist Joel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center commented on eye watering and watery eyes. “Watery eyes are the common description for the eye condition called Epiphora,” commented Dr. Confino a New Jersey Corneal Specialist. “Watery eyes or excessive watering of the eyes can even result in tears running over your eyelids and down your cheeks. While having enough tears is important for your eye health and vision, too many tears can be annoying and troubling,” he further noted. Watery eyes or Epiphora can be caused by either or both of two main eye problems. First, watery eyes can occur because you simply produce too many tears. Second, eye watering can occur because the tears you do produce just don’t drain properly. As odd as it may seem, one of the most common causes of producing too many tears is dry eyes. When you have a dry eye your eye can “overreact” and produce too much tear fluid due to the irritation. Then, normally when we blink the eyelids push the tears across the eye’s surface, causing them to collect in the lower inner corner of the eye and draining through a tiny opening called a “puncta” into the nasolacrimal canal and out through your nose. If the puncta are closed or the canal is blocked the tears will simply stay stagnant in the inner corners of your eyes making them seem very watery.

So why do we develop tear drainage problems or excessive tear production problems? There are many causes of watery eye and watering eyes are pretty common in people who have dry eye syndrome, clogged tear ducts from infection of inflammation, conjunctivitis or “pink eye”, exposure to irritation from smog, smoke, excessive dust and chemical vapors as well as foreign bodies, eyelid problems turning in or out and corneal abrasions.

If you or someone you know suffers from watery eyes or is bothered by watering eyes please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit www.newjerseyvision.com  or www.facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment for an examination.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear  and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

NJ Corneal Specialist on Herpes Eye Infections

New Jersey Corneal Specialist Joel Confino, M.D. comments on Herpes Simplex eye infections. “When I discuss Herpes Simplex eye infections with patients they are taken by surprise when they learn that ocular Herpes affects many more people each year than one might think,” noted Dr. Confino of The Eye Care & Surgery Center with offices in Westfield, Iselin & Warren NJ. “Ocular Herpes or Herpes of the eye is caused by the Herpes Simplex virus and is the most common causes of corneal blindness in the United States today. Up to 50% of people who have a single Herpes Simplex eye infection will experience a flare up or recurrence and sometimes this can lead to damage and scarring of the cornea which requires a corneal transplant”.

Ocular Herpes may start as a painful sore on the eyelid or surface of the eye. If left untreated, it may multiply and begin to destroy epithelial cells and progress deeper into the cornea. If the Ocular Herpes penetrates the deeper layers of the cornea and causes a stromal keratitis it may cause corneal scarring-so prompt diagnosis and treatment of Ocular Herpes is important.

It is estimated that 400,000 people in the United States have had some type of Ocular Herpes, with more than 50,000 initial and recurring cases being diagnosed each year. Of these, it is believed that 25% are the more severe form of Herpes Stromal Keratitis. The recurrence of Herpes Simplex eye infections is significant in that it appears to recur in about 10% of patients with one year, 23% of patients within two years and 63% of patients within 20 years of their initial infection. Sometimes a recurrence can be prompted by sunlight, stress, fevers or an unrelated eye injury. Quick diagnosis and treatment is the key to avoiding corneal scarring, vision loss and the possible need for a corneal transplant.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any signs or symptoms of Corneal infection-especially if they have had any trauma to their eyes-please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999 and request an immediate appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

NJ Facebook Contest to Win Sunglasses

“Want to win a great pair of new sunglasses? We thought we could have some fun on Facebook by asking people to match our doctor’s and staff baby pictures with their current appearance-and thought giving away a pair of free Maui Jim sunglasses to the winner could make it exciting,” stated Jerette Lerner of the Eye Care & Surgery Center.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center invites anyone over the age of 21 to participate in their “Facebook Baby Picture Contest by going to http://www.facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter and locating the Baby Picture Contest app. Upon clicking and loading the contest page you can LIKE us and you will be asked to match the baby picture to the current picture of each individual. Then, those entrants with the most matches will be put into a pool and the winner will be drawn randomly by the Facebook app. If you make it into the drawing pool and don’t get picked you still will earn a $25.00 Gift Certificate that can be used at Eye Care & Surgery Center toward the purchase of sunglasses of your choice.“We will be accepting entries from May 15th until May 31, 2012,” noted Ms. Lerner “Then the app will draw the winner from the pool of most matches and we will notify you on 6/4.”

There is no entry fee or cost of any kind to enter the Facebook Baby Picture Contest at Eye Care & Surgery Center.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

To learn more about Eye Care & Surgery Center visit http://www.newjerseyvision.com/. To enter the Facebook Baby Picture Contest visit http://www.facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter

For additional information, contact:

Jerette Lerner, Eye Care & Surgery Center, 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 04102, jllerner@newjerseyvision.com, 1-800-504-1083

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cataract Surgery Complications in NJ

NJ Cataract Surgeon Joel Confino, M.D. commented, “Cataract Surgery complications are really pretty rare-however anyone with a Cataract who is thinking about having eye surgery always should take the time to learn about what could go wrong.” Certainly there are things that could go wrong. “Basically in the hands of an experienced Cataract Surgeon using modern cataract surgery techniques we do everything possible to reduce the risk of complications, said New Jersey Corneal Specialist & Cataract Surgeon Joel Confino, M.D. at The Eye Care & Surgery Center. “When you consider the huge benefit that patients receive in not only in terms of vision but also lifestyle, comfort, convenience and safety the risk of complications is really quite low,” said Dr. Confino. For routine cataract surgery in healthy patients the complication rate is well under 5%. This might increase somewhat if you have diabetic eye disease, glaucoma or other types of health or eye problems.

So what kinds of things can go wrong? First there are a handful of things that can happen during or within the first 24-48 hours after a Cataract operation. These include the very unusual things like bleeding inside the eye which is really rare, a little bleeding on the surface of the eye or an inner eye infection which is quite rare. Sometimes, if we need to anesthetize the eye using an injection you may have a little “black and blue” eye or an eyelid bruise. This usually clears up pretty quickly. Sometimes the “capsule” around the crystalline lens that is removed as part of the operation might be broken during the surgery and we might need to do a “vitrectomy” as part of the surgery to get a good result. This too is pretty unusual. More common in very nearsighted patients, some patients who have Cataract Surgery can have a retinal detachment. Occasionally in patients who have had “no stitch” Cataract Surgery the actual incision may leak. If this happens it is sometimes necessary for us to put a stitch in place to tightly close the incision. Then there are a few types of complications that can occur over a longer period of time. Very rarely the intraocular lens implant can move off center or the center of the retina can swell. By far the most common complication is a clouding of the lens capsule that has been left in place to support the lens implant. Fortunately, this complication is pretty easily managed with a quick, painless procedure called a YAG Laser Capsulotomy that restores the vision almost immediately after the procedure.

Although it might sound like there are lots of possible complications of Cataract Surgery, rest assured they are quite unusual. This most common one of capsule opacity is easily treated. If you need cataract surgery it is important to have a little knowledge so you appreciate the degree of skill and experience required of your cataract surgeon to help you get the best result.

If you or someone you know has Cataracts and has questions about Cataract Surgery and Lens Implant complications please feel free to call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery for vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

NJ Eye Doctor on Makeup & Eye Health

“Our patients often ask about the proper use and care of eye makeup,” commented NJ Eye Doctor Joel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center. “This is actually important for helping to keep your eyes both healthy and beautiful.” There are a number of steps and precautions to think about.
  1. First, throw away eye makeup after three months. Infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid eye makeup. If you develop an eye infection, immediately toss all of your eye makeup. 
  2. Second, never share eye makeup, and when sampling makeup in stores use only fresh applicators and samples that have not been contaminated by multiple users. In fact the safest choice is to avoid using store samples at all. 
  3. Third, if you tend to be allergic, introduce only one new eye makeup or care product at a time. If there is no reaction, add another new product, and so on. If you notice an allergic reaction, find out what the ingredients are and let your eye doctor know. Avoid products that contain untested or harmful chemicals. 
  4. In general, before applying makeup, be sure your face and eyelids are very clean. Always apply makeup outside the lash line, away from the eye, to avoid blocking the oil glands of the upper or lower eyelid. These glands secrete oil that protects the eye’s surface. 
  5. If you tend to have dry eyes, avoid metallic/glitter, powder or other makeup that flakes. Flakes can get into the tear film and increase your eyes’ irritation. Glitter eye makeup is a common cause of corneal irritation or infection, especially in contact lens users. 
  6. Always remove all eye makeup at night before sleeping, especially mascara that can stick to the lashes. Brush a clean cotton swab along the base of the eyelashes to remove all makeup remnants. If you use eye makeup remover, avoid getting it in your eyes and thoroughly rinse remover off your eyelids.
If at any time you have eye surgery, do not wear makeup around the eye until your eye surgeon tells you it is safe to do so, and then use only fresh, new makeup.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery including LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.

With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.