Why does my eye doctor need to know what medications I'm taking?

Certain medications have been known to cause some unusual ocular side effects. Therefore, it's important that we know what medications you take, as it may help guide the testing that we perform during your exam. I will give you 3 examples:

1) Plaquenil, commonly used to treat arthritis, lupus, and malaria, can cause "bulls eye maculopathy," a condition affecting the retina that can lead to central vision loss.
2) Amiodarone, used to treat arrhythmia, can cause "whorl keratopathy," affecting the cornea.
3) Prednisone can cause early-onset cataracts (see pic below) and/or glaucoma.

Baby photos may be first sign of eye cancer

"Leukocoria" is the term used to describe a pupil that appears white. Generally, this occurs because there is a white reflection from something inside the eyeball that isn't supposed to be there. Sometimes this is more noticeable when looking at photographs, as one eye may appear to have the normal "red reflex" in the photo, while the other eye appears to have a white reflex. Please, if you feel your child may have this sort of white reflection in one pupil, do not hesitate to have him/her examined by an eye doctor. This could be the first sign of a retinoblastoma (a very serious intraocular tumor) or a congenital cataract, both of which are rare but need to be treated ASAP.

Oh, hello summer! ;)

Now that summer is upon us, it is the perfect time for some new shades! Whether your summer plans involve backpacking through Europe, gorilla trekking in the Congo, biking in Moab, sunbathing in Bora Bora, or fishing and camping right here in beautiful Colorado, you'll need a pair of good quality sunglasses. We would love to help you find the right pair!

An infant's eyes are almost already full grown at birth!

An infant's eyes are about 75% of the size that they will be in adulthood. Most eye growth occurs during the first 3 years of life. So this explains why babies are so cute! Their disproportionately large eyes gaze out from their tiny little round faces. Dr. Neka's niece demonstrates this cuteness below.

For EYE pain, see an EYE doctor!

If you're having eye pain/redness, I strongly discourage going to the ER or your primary care doctor. Let me tell you a little story. When I first started practicing, I saw a patient with severe pain in one eye. She had gone to the ER one week prior to seeing me. The ER doctor gave her a bottle of Atropine dilating drops. By the time she came in to see me, she had a corneal ulcer so large that she could barely see. Luckily, with a heavy course of antibiotics, I was able to restore most of the vision she had lost. Had she been given antibiotic eye drops to begin with, she likely would have not lost any vision in that eye. Is this a one-time case? Unfortunately, no. I see this type of thing several times a year. It makes sense, though! If I didn't have a slit lamp microscope in my office, I wouldn't be able diagnose a corneal ulcer either! Case in point: If your EYES hurt, see an EYE doctor!

What to look for in a pair of sunglasses!

If you are not purchasing sunglasses from your optometrist, make sure what you plan to buy is at least labeled with a sticker that says "blocks 95-100% of UV rays," or "UV absorption up to 400nm." If the sticker on the sunglasses simply says "blocks UV rays," I would not recommend buying them, as it is highly unlikely that you will be getting the protection you need!

Google wants to take over your eyeballs!

Google is looking into a new technology that may eliminate the need for glasses, via insertion of "cyborg lenses" into your eyeballs. The downsides? The procedure is invasive and would involve removing the natural lens inside your eye, which has potential risks. Also, having a computerized lens in your eye could put you at risk for having your every move "tracked" by potential hackers! Yikes! It'll be interesting to see if this product actually launches. Click here for the full story!

Crying can reduce stress!

Crying after an emotional event produces tears that contain a large amount of the neurotransmitter leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller that the body releases to reduce stress. Interestingly, tears that are produced when chopping an onion don't contain nearly as much of this neurotransmitter. So, a good cry while going through a difficult time can actually release some of those stress chemicals and help you feel more at peace.