Optometry Articles

A lensmeter is an essential piece of equipment for the eye care professional. This instrument measures the power of spectacle and contact lenses and is one of the first purchases we make when setting up a practice. Whether manual or automatic, lensmeters function by neutralizing the power of the lens being measured and then displaying the resulting prescription. Specifically, lensmeters utilize a telescope to detect the neutralization point: the distance measurement is determined from the back vertex power, the add measurement is taken from the front vertex power, and any prism measurement is derived from displacement of the target pattern. The automatic devices, which are easier to use and have many additional bells and whistles, will be the focus of this article. read more

As unemployment rates stay high and more people lose insurance coverage, increasing numbers of patients are asking their physicians for cheaper alternative medications. Ocular allergy is very common, with a prevalence at least four times that of nasal allergy symptoms. Symptoms can include itching, tearing, conjunctival edema, hyperemia, burning, and discharge. While there are many different causes of bilateral conjuncitivits such as atopic and vernal, allergic is the most common type encompassing 80-90% of all types. Many prescription strength anti-allergy ophthalmic drops are available and include Bepreve (ISTA), Lastacaft (Allergan), and Patanol/Pataday (Alcon). While effective, some patients are without insurance and simply cannot afford them. That said, some of the least expensive anti-allergy drops are available over the counter. In the majority of cases, these cost less than generic prescription medications. The question is: Do they work? read more

Dry eye is one of the most common conditions that afflict our patients. The true incidence of dry eye has traditionally been underestimated, but it is... read more

Treating ocular allergies is a routine part of a comprehensive ophthalmology practice. Most of the allergic conjunctivitis that we see is seasonal, ... read more

A lensmeter is an essential piece of equipment for the eye care professional. This instrument measures the power of spectacle and contact lenses and ... read more