COVID-19 and Pink Eye
Some research indicates that in 1%-3% of COVID-19 cases, the infected person developed a case of Conjunctiva (Pink Eye). Practicing physical distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands is currently the best way to reduce your chances of catching COVID-19.
Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness
Diabetes can cause problems with your eyes. Glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, and cataracts are common conditions that affect many diabetics. It is important to manage your diabetes and maintain regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist in order to protect your vision.
If you smoke, it is very important that you stop as soon as possible. You also need to manage your glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Your general practitioner can help you with your diabetic maintenance. It is important that you take your health seriously.
Diabetic eye disease rarely shows symptoms before the problem has become severe. This is why regular exams by an ophthalmologist are so important. Problems need to be caught early. You will need a dilated eye exam at least once a year. Dilation allows the doctor to check the blood vessels in your eyes. This is where diabetic eye disease begins.
A third of people with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy. Your chances of having glaucoma or cataracts are doubled if you are diabetic. African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and American Indians have particularly high rates of diabetic eye disease. Older adults and pregnant women are also high-risk populations.
If you have diabetes or are experiencing any vision disturbances, you need to schedule an eye exam right away. Even if you have no symptoms, you should schedule an exam if you haven’t been seen in the last six months. While there are treatments for diabetic eye disease, they rely on the condition being caught early. Once you are experiencing symptoms, the damage may already be permanent. Contact Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey in Bloomfield Hills for an appointment today.
Grosinger, Spigelman and Grey Wishes You a Happy Halloween 2020
World Stroke Day
Even though strokes usually affect one side of the brain, both eyes can be affected since the nerves from each eye travel together in the brain. If the left side of your brain is damaged, the right side vision in each eye can be affected and vice versa.
Aging and Dry Eyes
Our eyelids act like windshield wipers whenever we blink, cleaning the front surface of our eyes. Our tears are like windshield wiper fluid. They are essential for lubricating and cleaning our eyes. Unfortunately, as we age our production of tears begins to decline.
Seniors are likely to develop a condition known as “dry eyes”. As tear production declines you may start experiencing eye irritation, redness, mucous in your eyes, blurry vision, and light sensitivity. This condition is more common in older women than men, particularly after menopause.
There are some simple remedies that can help dry eyes. You can use over the counter eye drops and increase the humidity in your home. Wear sunglasses when you go outside. It is important to protect your eyes from the wind as well as the sun. Keep yourself hydrated and try to decrease your screen time.
If lifestyle adjustments don’t resolve the problem, it is time visit one of our ophthalmologists. The symptoms of dry eye can be caused by other, more serious, vision problems. It’s important to get a thorough vision exam if you are experiencing ongoing dry eyes that don’t respond to home remedies.
If your visit reveals that your symptoms are related to dry eyes, your doctor can prescribe medications or treatments that will manage the condition. You don’t have to struggle with irritated eyes and blurry vision. If lifestyle adjustments aren’t working for you, schedule an exam at Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. We will screen you for more serious conditions, test your tear production, and find a solution that will make you comfortable.
Vision Restoration – LASIK Surgery
Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey uses precision lasers to permanently correct vision problems during your LASIK surgery. LASIK is most successful at reversing nearsightedness. Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, exists when you can see nearby objects easily but objects in the distance are fuzzy. However, the procedure can also correct farsightedness and astigmatism.
There is over a 95% satisfaction rate among patients who have had LASIK, making this one of the most sought after elective surgeries in the country. Most people who have the surgery, recover at minimum 20/25 vision, which allows them to do many daily activities without needing glasses or contact lenses. Please note that reading glasses are often needed, especially as patient’s age.
To be a candidate for LASIK surgery, you should be in good health and have no underlying eye conditions. The outpatient procedure can be completed in an afternoon, and many patients are cleared to resume driving within 24 hours. You will need to avoid wearing contact lenses for several weeks prior to your surgery, and you will need to take antibiotics and prescription eye drops afterward.
The most common complication of LASIK surgery is dry eyes. For almost all patients, this condition resolves itself within six to twelve months. You should be prepared for dry eyes during this time frame, and use the prescription eye drops that you are provided with by your surgeon. It is very important to avoid rubbing your eyes after surgery, even if they feel irritated.
If you are interested in LASIK surgery, please make an appointment with Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. During your appointment, we will give you a comprehensive eye exam to see if you are a good candidate for the procedure and provide you more information and next steps.
Thank You for Sharing Your Experience
We so appreciate when our patients take the time to share their experience with us regarding our doctors and our practice. We work diligently by continually training on the newest techniques, using state-of-the-art technology, and providing each individual patient the best treatment plan and outcome. We are proud to be Michigan’s Leading Eye Care Physicians. If you are looking for an outstanding experience with an ophthalmologist, please contact our office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan for an appointment.
Hope in Sight
October 8th is World Sight Day. We dedicate this day to raising awareness about blindness and vision impairment. The goal is to encourage people to get regular eye exams and to encourage governments to include vision coverage in universal health plans. The day was created by The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. The theme for 2020 is “Hope in Sight”.
Last year there were over 200 events across the world. Organizations in 48 countries hosted a range of activities. The World Health Organization released a report called the “World Report On Vision”, which compiled health data from around the globe to give updated figures on blindness and vision loss. These events laid a strong foundation for the 2020 World Sight Day to build on.
According to the WHO, an aging world population and an increase in myopia will cause an increase in blindness and vision impairment. Many of these conditions can be treated if they are caught before vision loss occurs. However, vision loss is usually not reversible once it has begun. This is why it is so important to encourage your loved ones and friends to get an eye exam. Contact Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to schedule an appointment today.
Conjunctival Melanoma
Conjunctival melanoma is a rare type of cancer that affects the eye. It often appears as a brown or pink spot on the white of the eye. The lesion is painless and, as such, is often dismissed by patients until it changes in size, shape, or color. Upon examination, it may potentially be misdiagnosed as a conjunctival nevus – a benign pigmented lesion more akin to a freckle.
Lesions associated with conjunctival melanoma are often supplied with nutrients by prominent blood vessels and can vary greatly in size. For many patients, the lesion can be monitored by an ophthalmologist two to three times each year to ensure it remains stable. In some cases, the lesions can invade deeper into the orbit or metastasize to different parts of the body. If the mass invades the orbit, surgical removal of the eye – called enucleation – may be necessary. Approximately half of all patients with conjunctival melanoma will have a recurrence of the ocular lesion and 1 in 4 will experience metastasis to another area of the body. Most commonly, the cancer spreads to the brain, liver, lungs, or specific lymph nodes in the head and neck.
While incidence of conjunctival melanoma is rare, it is essential that any lesions on the eyes or lids should be checked by an ophthalmologist. It is important for everyone to have routine visits with your eye doctor to ensure optimum eye health. Contact Grosinger, Spigelman & Grey, the leading ophthalmologists in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan for an appointment today.