Think Twice before Buying Children’s Eyewear Online

Buying eyewear online could be risky business, especially where your children are concerned. How will you know the prescription is filled correctly? Are the customized measurements to fit the child’s facial structure done correctly for accurate visual acuity and comfort?

It is important that you consult a local professional, licensed optician, to ensure proper placement and positioning of child’s eyewear. He or she will be able to make any adjustments to the glasses for ultimate comfort and identify any problems that may exist with the prescription. Most opticians will have a rapport with your eye doctor and would be able to discuss any issues or concerns with them regarding the child’s vision.

By: Guest Blogger Amy Shabbat, Licensed Optician

If you or someone you know has a question about children’s eyeglasses, frames or lenses, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

About Dark Circles Under Your Eyes
Dark circles under the eyes are a very common complaint we hear from patients. Dark circles can actually be caused by a number of different causes and thus we need to address them and treat them differently.

Excess Eyelid Fat
The space behind the eye, known as the orbit, contains a significant amount of fatty tissue. Orbital fat probably evolved to help cushion the eye from impact. However, as we get older, the support structures which keep the fat behind the eye weaken, and the fat moves forward into the eyelids. This results in fullness to the lower eyelids which most people find aesthetically unpleasing. This fullness, commonly referred to as bags under the eyes, makes people look older and tired. The best treatment for this type of problem is usually removal or repositioning of excess fat with a lower eyelid blepharoplasty procedure. Excess skin can be trimmed and tightened at the same time.

Hollowness in the Lower Eyelids
Dark circles under the eyes can also be caused by a depression or hollowness in the lower eyelids. Patients who have this problem can usually feel the underlying bone when the area of hollowness is touched. Today, we are able to treat the hollowness with injectable volumizing fillers whose qualities make them appropriate for the delicate eye area. These non surgical treatments typically last 6-12 months. Sometimes it becomes necessary to perform fat grafting or repositioning of fat to reduce hollows under the eyes as well as performing a blepharoplasty or lid tightening procedure known as canthoplasty to improve the lower eyelid contour.

Hyperpigmentation of Eyelid Skin
Sometimes dark circles under the eyes can be caused by too much pigmentation of the skin, although this is the least common cause. Patients often think that they have hyperpigmentation but what they are seeing is shadows from excess eyelid fat or hollowness at the orbital rim. If after examination and consultation patients do in fact have too much pigmentation of the eyelids we can use prescription bleaching creams that might be helpful.

Dr. Purewal
Cosmetic Plastic Eye &
Reconstructive Surgeon 

If you or someone you know would like help for dark circles under their eyes, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999 to schedule a consultation with Cosmetic Eye Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Baljeet Purewal, M.D.

Remember Eye Exams for Kids

As the summer winds down and we get ready for the kids to go back to school let’s remember the importance of eye exams to make sure they have a solid eye health and vision foundation from which to begin school year. Children use their eyes and vision as critical tools in their learning process, especially when we consider the demanding visual environment and vision related tasks in the classroom as they read and write, use computers and tablets, but also for sports and recreation.

Importance of Regular Eye Exams for Children

Regular eye exams are important to detect changes to children’s vision or any eye problems that might hinder their overall well being and academic performance. The most frequent eye problems we find in school age kids are the common vision problems of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Sometimes, not having clear vision in the classroom can lead to the undeserved perception of a behavioral problem or attention problem.

 

Dr. Louis Furlan
Pediatric Ophthalmologist

Potential Signs & Symptoms of Children’s Vision Problems

·  Frequent eye rubbing or blinking

·  Short attention span

·  Avoiding reading and other close activities

·  Frequent headaches

·  Covering one eye

·  Tilting the head to one eye

·  Holding reading materials close to the face

·  An eye turning in or out

·  Seeing double

·  Losing place when reading

·  Difficulty remembering what he or she read

If your notice your child exhibiting any of these behaviors please let us know so that we can evaluate their significance, if any. Your child should have an eye exam at least once every two years and even more frequently if specific problems or risk factors exist, or if we find the need to address specific eye condition, problems of issues. As you know, the earlier we detect and address children’s vision problems, the better is the chance we will be successful in treatment.

If you or someone you know has a question or needs to schedule a children’s eye exam, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Do Early Cataracts Predict Cancer Risk?

Cancer Risk & Early Cataracts

There has been an association between the early onset of cataracts-in patients under 55 years old and the potential risk for developing cancer. This is thought to be due to the fact that early onset cataract is linked to insufficient antioxidative activity in one’s metabolism-which is also a known factor for increasing the risk of cancer.  Researchers reporting the journal Cancer Science, the official journal of the Japanese Cancer Association investigated the risk of cancer after being diagnosed with early onset cataract. The researchers examined claims from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of patients with early onset cataract, aged 20-55 and also compared it to a group of the same age range without cataracts. By using powerful statistical analysis they found that the overall incidence rate of all cancers was 2.19-fold higher in the early onset cataract group as compared to those without cataracts.  Further they were able to analyze where these patients were at greatest risk of developing cancer and found head and neck areas highest, followed by liver cancer and then breast cancer. This study suggests that patients with early onset cataract are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with cancer in subsequent years.

If you or someone you know is concerned about early cataract development or needs a regular eye exam where do a routine cataract screening and exam, please share this information with them and ask them to call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Use It or Lose It

Not sure how to use your FSA dollars before they expire? Check out six great ways to splurge.

n  Tired of wearing the same glasses every day? Pick up a second or third pair.

n  Be fashionable in prescription sunglasses. They’re important all year long!

n  Upgrade to premium lens options like no glare coatings and transitions.

n  Stock up on contact lenses.

n  Pay for other out of pocket costs like co-pays and deductibles.

n  Ready for LASIK surgery? It’s eligible too!

By: Guest Blogger Lynette Cababa, Optician

If you or someone you know has a question about Flex Plans please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Can a Mediterranean Diet Help Dry Eye?

At The Eye Care & Surgery Center we are always looking for ways to help patients with dry eyes or dry eye problems and symptoms. 

Research has shown that eating a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, as well as a reducing the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases, and thus raises the question of whether the traditional Mediterranean diet might be helpful for any eye problems. Researchers tried to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet could provide help for dry eyes. Reporting in the journal Cornea, the researchers had patients fill out the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire and a Dry Eye Questionnaire, and then studied their tear film, measuring its quality and quantity along with blood levels of vitamin D.

Unfortunately, the results suggested that eating a Mediterranean diet was NOT associated with an improvement in dry eye symptoms and complaints, BUT higher vitamin D levels had a small but favorable effect on dry eye syndrome symptoms. So, while the Mediterranean diet itself doesn’t directly reduce dry eye symptoms, it does seem to be an eating plan that can help promote health and prevent disease for your whole family.

If you or someone you know has a question about dry eyes or needs help for dry eye problems or symptoms, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

How Long Does Eyelid Surgery Last?

How Long Does Eyelid Surgery Last?

Rest assured - cosmetic eyelid surgery and the youthful facial rejuvenation it brings last for many years. Even with the removal of a small amount of eyelid skin and repositioning or removing eyelid fat in your 40’s or 50’s there is generally a fairly considerable rejuvenating effect that will last for many years, during which patients report that they look and feel better. However, aging is a dynamic process, influenced by many factors such as the pull of gravity, sun exposure, and even genetics.

Patients often ask me if they should wait until their condition worsens. My answer is that each person perceives the aging process differently, both psychologically and physically.  Most people understandably feel younger than their chronological age but may feel that their appearance does not reflect the way that they feel.  Rejuvenating the eye area helps address such common concern.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more or schedule a consultation for cosmetic eyelid or blepharoplasty, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999 to schedule a consultation with Cosmetic Eye Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Baljeet Purewal, M.D.