Last post was November???

After a long journey of paperwork, I finally own the space you see in the last posting's picture!

Permits approved.
Contractors start on Tuesday.
Accepting appointments for April.
Blog and website makeover in a week.

503.493.7070

Grand opening party in the works....

Thank you for staying tuned and I look forward to seeing you at the new, totally awesome location!

Truly,
Summy

Big news!

Life at 3333 Belmont Street has been busy in the best way.
My practice is relocating in 2010! I'll be operating out of a brand new earth advantage building in NE Portland at 3972 N Williams Ave, at NE Shaver. It's a great location - easy to get to, surrounded by hip and popular shops and restaurants, and is just getting better by the season.

Not only that, the new practice, called "Myoptic Optometry" will be a full scope optometry practice providing spectacle eye wear and an in house lab.

We'll be employing a brand new computer system with paperless record keeping, modern examination equipment, an incredible selection of beautiful and durable eye wear, and carrying on our commitment to community with donation programs, recycled frames, and being environmentally aware in our business practices.

It's too early in the process to even give you a phone number but the website url (pdxeyes.com) will remain the same, so watch for the launch of the site.

Very exciting stuff. I will continue my commitment to giving personalized care in and outside the exam room, but Myoptic will be so much more, too. Keep an eye on this! :)

One step closer to curing color blindness using gene therapy

A person with normal colour vision willbe able to see the eye in this image

-taken from BBC website

Nature journal describes the technique used by the researchers at the University of Washington to restore full color vision to adult monkeys born without the ability to distinguish between the colors red and green.

Although more studies are needed, the same treatment may work for humans who are color blind.

Until now scientists had not thought it was possible to manipulate the adult brain in this way. It was considered that adding new sensory information, such as the visual receptors necessary for perfect color vision, could only be done in the earliest years of life when the brain is at its most malleable.

Professor Jay Neitz and his team were able to introduce therapeutic genes into the light-sensing cells at the back of the eye of adult male squirrel monkeys. The therapeutic genes contained the necessary DNA code to enable the light-sensing cells to distinguish between red and green - something lacking in the male monkeys.

Tests revealed the gene therapy was a success. The male monkeys now possessed the necessary photopigments to see all colors and were able to correctly pick out red from green on computer image tests.

The monkeys were treated over two years ago and their improvement in color vision has remained stable since.

Professor Neitz's team will continue to monitor the animals to evaluate the long-term treatment effects.

"This provides a positive outlook for the potential of gene therapy to cure adult vision disorders," they said.

There are several forms of color blindness. The most common form is inherited red/green color blindness, passed on through a faulty color vision gene on an X chromosome.

Sometimes color blindness occurs because of diseases such as macular degeneration or from side effects of medicines.

Winfried Amoaku, an expert in ophthalmology at the University of Nottingham, said the research could eventually benefit approximately 7% of males and 1% of females born with genetic colour deficiencies.

"Further research is required, however, before this comes to human clinical trials, and therapy in the clinics."

Getting a taste of what people see...

"A new device allows blind people to “see” with their tongues. The BrainPort, by Wicab, consists of a camera worn on a pair of sunglasses, a sensor that the user places on his or her tongue (the intra-oral device, or IOD) and a hand-held controller. The camera sees an object, and the IOD draws it on the user’s tongue with small electric pulses.


Patients who use the device can, with practice, detect shapes and location. “You feel a sensation—a shape—on your tongue,” says principal investigator Amy Nau, O.D., of the University of Pittsburgh. “With training, you can discriminate objects, such as chairs, a phone or a person.”

The specificity of the IOD is limited by the fact that the tongue can only differentiate down to 0.5mm. “I liken it to walking around your house in the dark [as a sighted person],” says Dr. Nau. “You don’t have all the visual information that’s there, but you have the big pieces.”

One planned future study will allow patients to take the device home for six months to test extended usage applications, and another will test the possible implementation of machine vision technologies, such as facial recognition software."
- Review of Optometry, Vol. No: 146:08Issue: 8/15/2009

Makes common senses!!! :)

Want long, luscious lashes? Make an appointment with your optometrist (?)!

Latisse is a new prescription medication used to enhance eyelash growth and it works. This medication was first used to treat glaucoma when a much appreciated side effect started to occur. Patients noticed longer, darker, thicker eyelashes with prolonged use. This medication, bimatoprost, is now packaged with single-use brushes to apply the medication directly on the lash line instead of being used as an eye drop in the treatment of glaucoma. No more sticky, messy, smudgy mascara.
I'm a curious client, too so watch for an update blog as I document my own lash progress.
Call me if you have a longing for longer lashes, too.

Video games improve vision??? Yeah, they can...

According to a recent study noted in 'The Independent' and published in 'Nature Neuroscience', video games involving targeting objects (Call of Duty, for example) can improve a person's night vision.

"Scientists found that games involving aiming and shooting at virtual objects on a computer screen can significantly increase people's ability to see objects in twilight conditions, when colours fade into different shades of grey."

The eye's ability to differentiate shades of gray, called contrast sensitivity, decreases when a person is near or far-sighted, when they age, and with certain eye diseases.
Though playing video games should not replace the need for glasses or contacts, the brain actually learns to process existing visual information more efficiently. These improvements are not permanent, but can last for a few months after game play stops. In situations where lighting is dim, ie driving at dusk or in the fog, or if you're doing eye exams all day in the dark :), improved contrast sensitivity can make a significant difference.
They found that video game players' ability to detect different shades of grey was 58 per cent better on average. People who were not regular game players were put through a course involving hours of console gaming. When they had completed the course, their contrast sensitivity had improved by 43 per cent on average.

Of course, weigh the good and the bad. Video games should be played in moderation. Your eyes will strain and dry with too much play and the rest of your body doesnt' benefit a whole lot (your mind and your metabolism).

A-twitter

I'm focusing ( no pun intended ) on redirecting my practice to be full scope and cutting edge. That has always been my goal and now seems to be the time to move. Investing in yourself is always wise, especially when there's not much else inviting investment.

I'm on twitter - that crazy stream that everyone is jumping into. Look me up as 'eyedocto' and read my tweets, as thoughtless and thougthful as they may be. Chime in and we'll ride the wave together.

The hope is to establish the location of this bigger, better optometric practice in the next month. Wanna stay in the neighborhood - it's just too cool.

Keep your eyes open.......see ya!

Omega 3's, please

You get them through eating cold-water fish (salmon, trout, sardines, herring, etc) or taking fish oil supplements daily. Omega 3 fatty acids are often not consumed enough vs. the omega-6's that are readily available in the foods we regularly eat.

Omega 3's have natural anti-inflammatory properties, help to increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, and protect against heart disease by removing existing plaque build up in arteries.

Specifically for eyes, diets rich in omega 3's may help eliminate the signs and symptoms of dry eyes which from recent research are in large part due to low grade chronic inflammation. It restores the tear gland's function as well as clears and evens the oils needed to keep our tears thick and long-lasting.

Fish oil is 100% natural. It helps not only to decrease inflammation but also enables the body to do its own repair work. This helps to prevent recurrence, not just the quick fix.

Who should take it and how much?

Everyone should take 1,000mg a day.
If you suffer from dry eyes, take 1,000mg, three times a day. Women do tend to exhibit dry eyes nine times more than men. As we get older, our eyes get dryer, too.
Neutraceuticals (vs. pharmaceuticals) take longer to show results so stick to this regimen for up to three months before judging efficacy.

So many reasons to start taking in the Omega 3's. They may not taste the best, though, so take it with a meal :)

Interesting facts I just came by..

• Nearly 20% of adults have never been to an eye doctor.
• 82% of consumers know UV can cause skin cancer; only 9% know it can harm the eyes.
• About 75% of all new cases of Type I Diabetes occur in patients under the age of 18; eye exams can find this.
• 1 in 4 school-age children has an undiagnosed vision problem

- source: Vision Associations

Now you know....don't let your eyes go unchecked.

The weather is amazing!

Just a quick update from Dr. Summy To :)

It's been a few months of trying to direct this practice in the direction for the best growth, integrity and innovation.

I'm going paperless soon - good for all of us. That means less mess, faster turnaround on getting you your prescriptions, billing insurance, more efficient record-keeping and doing the right thing for the planet.

The practice I was looking at purchasing did not pan out but that only means redirecting that energy to something better. I'm still looking to add a location in Hollywood while seeing my patients at Eagle Eye.

I will write more soon - something more eyeball-related :)

Enjoy the sun but don't forget the shades!

Summy To

Blog Break

Apologies for being MIA these last few months.

Business has been good and I am looking to expand the practice. I have been looking at opening up cold in the northeast and now looking at taking over another practice in Hollywood and Woodstock.

I will use the blog to keep you updated. Other discussions will continue once the dust settles.

Thanks for your understanding. I welcome your thoughts and input.

Happy 2009.

Summy

Donation Distributions for Year 2

Thank you everyone for a marvelous second year in business.

Each anniversary, I tally up the requests from all your exams (you were asked to pick one of the deserving non-profits below during your check-in) and write out checks for the wonderful non-profit organizations that reside here in Portland.

Here's how you wanted your contributions distributed:

10.90% Mercy Corps

11.45% Sustainable Northwest

14.25% Oregon Public Broadcasting

16.76% Oregon Food Bank

46.65% None chosen - Last year, I chose to give this category of donations to SaveDarfur.org to aid in the fight against the horrific genocide taking place there. There have been talks between warring parties and internationally, but the suffering continues so I will donate half of this year's sum to SaveDarfur.org and the rest will be distributed proportionally to the other nonprofits on the list.

Thank you for being a part of my business and it's efforts to give back to the local and global community. Your feedback on this program has been motivating and much appreciated.

Hope you're all enjoying the summer.

Yours,
Summy

Review of Some 'Non-Conventional' Eye Therapies

Some of my patients have asked me about therapies or programs they have heard advertised that claim to fix vision problems with exercises or nutrients.

I am an optometrist who believes that the solution to vision problems is more than a formula of powers to be ground into a plastic lens that you’re now obligated to wear.

On that note, there are a lot of claims out there on how to cure disease, erase the need for prescriptive eyewear and resolve eye strain. Here’s the scientific info on some of them.

• The Bates Method: This is a series of exercises designed by Dr. William Hortio Bates published in his book, “Perfect Sight Without Glasses” claiming to give just that.

I attended an introductory lecture on this method a few years ago and did my best to hear past the accusations from the lecturer that optometrists had business to gain by over-correcting their patients and encourage vision deterioration. (We don’t do that. Really.) I do believe that strain from how we live today : computers for hours, driving long distances, television, etc tighten our muscles, dry our eyes, and discourage using peripheral vision and perception skills. Everything we are aware of is straight ahead and fine detail and our unused muscles and perceptive skills don’t get exercised. Movement is important – focusing from distance to near, looking from side to side, rolling your eyes, blinking, etc can keep us from getting locked up and from missing what’s around us.

The Bates Method though, has never proved to be effective in the scientific community. The method actually advises staring at the sun (a Huge No-No, by the way), claiming this helps the eye relax. Solar burns can be permanent resulting in a black spot right in the center of your vision. The heavily advertised “See Clearly Method” was based on these exercises and were taken off the market in 2006 because of a fraud lawsuit.

• Diet: Nutraceuticals (vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, extracts) are regulated by the FDA as foods rather than drugs. That means they have not had to pass the same safety and efficacy tests with the FDA that drugs do. Unfortunately, that means there isn’t published evidence of the efficacy of nutraceuticals.

According to the AREDS study, high dose antioxidants have shown to lower the risk of developing vision loss caused by advanced age-related macular degeneration.

An antioxidant called N-acetyl-carnosine holds promise as an eyedrop to treat cataracts. In a study, 90% of treated eyes showed improved vision at six months. Honey in the eye or eating raw garlic did not, however.

• Acupuncture: This well-established practice can alter chemical release and regulate blood flow and has been used to treat dry eye, near-sightedness, eye turns, inflammation, cataracts and other ocular diseases. Again, there have not been large-scale scientific studies to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture. This is an area of wellness that I intend to investigate and share my experience and research with you in a future blog entry.

Obviously what needs to happen is more research on how these ‘non-conventional’ treatments work, if they work. Unfortunately out of the 17 schools of Optometry in the US, only 4 contain any education on these methods in their curriculum. With 36% of adults using alternative medicine, according to a survey by the National Institues of Health, there needs to be a significantly better meeting of the minds among philosophies of eye care.

BTW - the picture is of an oculizer designed in the early 1900's using a crank and pulley system to rotate the soft rubber eyecups while a plunger pokes the eye and a vacuum sucks at them. It didn't prove effective to exist today.

Toast to Healthy Eyes!

With recent science, we know that regular consumption of red wine (that means one to two glasses a day) can counter-balance fatty diets, leading to overall better health. Good news is that eyes can also benefit from the antioxidants shown to decrease risk of heart disease and certain forms of cancer.

Red wine is one of the most readily available sources of an antioxidant called resveratrol found in plants which has shown to fight inflammation, inhibit oxidation of some cells and preserve cell vitality. You can find resveratrol in berries, nuts and grape juice, too for those of you, who like me, aren't big fans of vino. Red wine happens to contain about twice the antioxidants than the alternatives though and is absorbed more easily by the body.

How does red wine help our vision (at least in the long run :) )?

• Cataracts: After following non-drinkers and moderate drinkers for five years who were age appropriate for cataracts, 32.2% of non-drinkers developed cataracts vs 13% of drinkers.
  

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): In addition to resveratrol, red grape skins show high concentrations of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, both proven in clinical studies to combat AMD. A strong negative association between AMD incidence and moderate red wine consumption has been demonstrated. New research also suggests that resveratrol may have value in treatment and management of the disease in more advanced stages by inhibiting new vessel growth. This vessel growth is a sign of progression of AMD to the wet, more debilitating stage.

• Cornea: An enzyme that plays a role in recurrent corneal erosion (in which the surface of the cornea occasionally sloughs off resulting in great discomfort and vision loss) can be suppressed with resveratrol.

Though many of you welcome the encouragement to walk down the wine aisle after the vitamin aisle, remember : don't drink too much! Moderation is key because ironically, heart disease, cancer and liver disease can become more of a risk when you overdrink.

So, on that note, if anyone has any recommendations for good wine, I'd appreciate suggestions for someone like me who doesn't know a pinot from a merlot. Cheers!

Information Displays on Contacts

Here's something to 'look forward' to. We put ear buds in our ears for hands free but in the future we may be able to keep our eyes on the road too, while we fiddle with our information gadgets.

Engineers at the University of Washington are creating a contact lens with an embedded electronic circuit and lights. The display would be superimposed on your view of the world so you could mapquest, play games, ebay or whatever else you absolutely need to do, while keeping sight on a real world backdrop.

The lenses have not yet been tested on humans but so far show to be safe and effective. The engineers behind the lens are intending to make the lens wireless capable and power the circuit with a small solar cell on the lens. (UV protection enforced, hopefully - see previous post.)

Amazing but not unbelievable. I'll let you know when these lenses become available in my office.... :)

UV and You

We've all seen it lately, albeit not often enough and not for very long.

The sun is starting to shine and we're spending more time outdoors to soak it in. Along with the warmth and light comes UV radiation which we know can be harmful.

The wavelength for visible light ranges from 400nm to 700nm. The wavelength for UV radiation is shorter and therefore contains more energy which can cause molecular changes. You've probably heard of UVC (100nm to 280nm), UVB (280nm to 315nm) and UVA (315nm to 380nm). UVC for the most part, is filtered by the atmosphere. That leaves UVA and UVB to worry about.

UV damage of the eye can come in the form of photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye), pterygium (thickening of the tissue on the white of the eye), cataracts (clouding of the lens) and cancer of the lids and globe.

How you can minimize UV exposure:

• Wear protective eyewear : make sure that both your tinted and untinted spectacles specifically protect against UV radiation. Some contact lenses now can block over 90% of UV rays. Make sure you are fit in the most protective materials available.
• Wear a brimmed hat. This can block up to 50% more UV light.
• Avoid mid-day sun when UV rays are strongest.
• Take these precautions even if the sun isn't shining. Clouds don't block out UV.

Otherwise, have fun in the sun!

Behind schedule!

Wow. How did I let two months go by without a post? I had a pretty good record there for a while though :P

Work has been busy - I finally left the job at the mall yesterday and had a big celebration from which I'm still on a high. That means more time at Eagle Eye, my home away from home.

For those of you who have visited Eagle Eye recently, we have had very limited hours due to the optician, Melaina, dealing with some personal challenges and me being committed to work at other locations. I apologize to anyone who hasn't received prompt attention. We're always devoted to giving the best service and appreciate your understanding.

Otherwise, I'm working on the next vision tip. If anyone has any requests, email me at eyedocto@gmail.com.

Enjoy the blossoms and the sun - with your UV-protected eyewear on.

Computers and Eyestrain - the way we use our eyes these days

With all the time we spend in front of our computer monitors these days, we don't realize how much strain we put on our eyes and how simple it can be to keep our eye muscles happy.

Unless you are nearsighted in the exact degree that matches the distance of your computer, your focusing muscles are working when you look up close without additional correction. Eyes were made to focus, but not for hours at a time as most of us are doing, both at work, then once we get home, too.

Signs and Symptoms of Eyestrain:

• Soreness - eyes, neck, headache
• Irritation - burning, itching, watery eyes
• Blurred vision - delayed focus when shifting your gaze between objects, after-images, blurred objects or edges, sensitivity to light

Relief:

• Take eye breaks! We shouldn't be slouched over staring at one distance for more than 20 minutes at a time. Follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This allows the focusing muscles to relax.

• Take full body breaks! Your mind and body deserve and need a break, too. Try to stand up and walk around then close your eyes for a few minutes every hour. Here's a relaxing exercise from the mayoclinic website: Place your elbows on your desk, palms facing up; let your weight fall forward and your head fall into your hands; position your head so that your eyebrows rest on the base of your palms with your fingers extended toward your forehead. Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose; hold it for 4 seconds, then exhale. Continue for 15 to 30 seconds. Do this several times a day.

• Blink! When we concentrate and stare, we tend not to blink as much. The average person should blink about 12 times a minute. Without a fresh, full tear layer, eyes sting, feel scratchy, and get red. If eyes still feel dry, use preservative-free artificial tears every hour or so, before symptoms begin, to refresh your eyes and prevent the irritation from beginning, when some damage has already been done.

• Wear computer glasses! Using the right prescription strength for the computer distance can relieve your muscles. These glasses or adjusted for that particular distance and would need to be removed to see across the room. Anti-glare coatings can be applied to reduce glare from the monitor.

• Optimize your environment! Keep the top of your screen at eye level or below so you look slightly downward at the monitor. This can help prevent sore neck. Keep your keyboard and reading material directly in front or adjacent to your monitor to reduce the need to adjust focus. Use plenty of light and direct it to reduce glare. Check for glare with your monitor off. The worst glare usually comes from light directly above or behind you. Wipe the dust off your screen regularly and consider using a glare-reducing screen.

If you experience further discomfort, schedule an appointment for a thorough evaluation.

Dry Eyes - more and more common

Many of us suffer from dry eyes, including myself. That burning sensation, overly teary eyes, redness, scratchiness, even blurred vision and pain can be from insufficient or unhealthy tears.


Tear chemistry: Our tears are made of 3 components.
1. Oil from the Meibomian glands in our eyelids. This component is the outermost layer of the tear film and works to slow evaporation.
2. Aqueous which is the watery middle layer, produced in the tear gland.
3. Mucin, the layer closest to the eye which coats the cornea and to which the aqueous sticks.

If any of these components are lacking, the imbalance can lead to dryness.

Treatments: Simple things you can do on your own.
1. Warm compresses (or washcloths soaked in warm water and wrung dry) twice a day for 5 -10 minutes a day. Gently massage your closed lids with the compresses to open up the oil glands and encourage flow.
2. Lid hygiene using a mild soap like diluted baby shampoo (no more tears) to gently scrub the lash line and keep that area clear of debris.
3. Artificial tears, preferably preservative-free, used periodically throughout the day, depending on severity of symptoms. Often when your eyes feel dry, the damage has been done and it takes a couple days for your cornea to heal. Try to use artificial tears before the symptoms start, preventing the discomfort to begin with. If you find yourself using artificial tears more than four times a day, please use preservative free since extensive preservatives administered to the eye can actually cause the symptoms of dryness. Severe dry eye may merit lubricating ointment at night for sustained protection.
4. Evaluate your diet. Do you drink 6 - 8 glasses of water a day? Sodas, caffeine and alcohol as well as some medications can promote dry eye.
Fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, cod), soy and flaxseed provide essential fatty acids, Omega-3 and -6, to protect cells and stabilize the tear film. A good supplement is 500 mg of fish oil or flaxseed oil twice a day with meals. B Vitamins (green leafy vegetables) tend to build up membrane tissues.
5. Evaluate your environment and activity. Cold temperature and dry air can cause irritation. Consider using a humidifier. Reading, driving, and computers for extended periods of time can dry your eyes from the tendency not to blink. Remind yourself to blink when you're engaged in concentrated staring.
Treatments: If all that isn't enough, I can help.
1. Punctal Plugs are small plastic plugs that are inserted by your eye doctor to block the drainage path that leads from your eye to your nose. These are permanent, though they may fall out, but can be removed.
2. Some dry eyes are caused by low grade inflammation. Medications like Restasis can be prescribed for use twice a day and need to be used for a few weeks consistent for results.

Welcome to the new blog for Dr. Summy To, Optometry!

I'm writing this blog as another way to connect to my clients as a doctor as well as a member of the community. I hope to post something new every two to four weeks . Postings will be anything from technological and medical news to updates on the growth of the business to expressing my personal thoughts and inviting yours as well. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

Happy 2008 to everyone! May it be filled with clarity, vision and focus! Come see me if it isn't! :)