Commonly Asked Questions About Astigmatism | Shinagawa Blog

Commonly Asked Questions About Astigmatism

/1 Comment/in , /by

As many may know, astigmatism is a refractive error of the eye that is one of the leading causes of poor vision.

Let us know more about this eye condition that millions around the world may have by answering some of the most common questions about it.

What is astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common eye condition that causes blurry vision and is believed to affect 30–40% of adults worldwide. While it’s not a dangerous condition, it can significantly lower the quality of your vision if left uncorrected.

Uncorrected astigmatism causes blurry vision by distorting light as it enters the eye through the cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of the eye. To focus the light correctly, the cornea should be round in shape. However, in patients with astigmatism, the cornea isn’t perfectly round, and it’s this abnormal shape that distorts the vision.

How is astigmatism corrected?

In most cases, astigmatism can be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses to provide clear vision. In qualified patients, laser vision correction (such as LASIK) reshapes the cornea to be round and is an option for correcting astigmatism without the need for glasses or contacts. In rare cases, a hard contact lens may be required to correct high levels of astigmatism.

How does astigmatism affect cataract surgery?

For patients with astigmatism who also require cataract surgery, it’s important to understand that astigmatism might still degrade the quality of their vision even after surgery. There are now a variety of ways to correct cataracts and astigmatism at the same time to improve the visual result.

With over three decades of in-depth eye experience, Shinagawa is pleased to offer a full range of astigmatism correction to all qualifying patients using the latest techniques, including LASIK to reshape the cornea back to normal.

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website.

Why Do My Eyes Twitch? | Shinagawa Blog

Why Do My Eyes Twitch?

/0 Comments/in /by

Have you ever experienced an involuntary movement of your eyelid that feels like a quick, repetitive twitching or spasm? If so, you’re not alone. Eye twitching, also known as eyelid myokymia, is a common condition that affects many people at some point in their lives. While it’s usually not a cause for concern, frequent or prolonged episodes of eye twitching can be a sign of an underlying issue. In this article, we’ll explore the causes of eyes twitching, as well as the various treatment and prevention options that are available to help alleviate this annoying and sometimes uncomfortable condition.

Myokymia is the medical term for what we call “eye twitching”.

The muscle that closes the eyelids is called the orbicularis oculi. It is a significant muscle that is connected to a very sensitive set of nerves.

When we say our eyes twitch, we usually refer to this eyelid muscle twitching, although the muscles that physically move the eyeball can also twitch.

These muscle contractions, which some call “rippling,” usually affect one eye’s lower lid, but the upper lid can also twitch.

What causes this?

The most common cause is dryness or irritation. However, we have also seen that stress, fatigue, caffeine, alcohol, allergies, nutritional imbalances, and lack of sleep can cause twitching as well.

Essentially, the blink reflex gets temporarily short-circuited by either of these causes.

There are, however, more dangerous causes of eye twitching, most of which involve compression of the nerves that innervate the face. Common eye twitching is usually unrelated to these conditions which may affect the eyelid (i.e. blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm). These neurological conditions are much less common and should be diagnosed and treated by an eye doctor.

How long until this goes away?

Most of these twitches will come and go, however, we have seen that sometimes the twitching can last for weeks or some have mentioned it has lasted for months.

What should I do?

We recommend seeing an eye doctor to evaluate if you have the symptoms.

The questions your doctor will ask you are:

  • Do both of your eyes twitch, or just one?
  • Does your mouth or lower face ever twitch with your eye(s)?
  • Do you drink a lot of water?
  • Do you get enough sleep?
  • Do you drink a lot of coffee, soda, or caffeine?

Call us today at (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website, if you are noticing significant twitching and would like to have one of our eye doctors take a look.

Azi Lopez's RLE | Shinagawa Feature Story

Azi Lopez’s Best Investment Yet — Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

/0 Comments/in /by

Being a stock trader and investor is no joke that’s why having a clear vision along with a bright mind are essentials to succeed.

Azi Lopez just made her best investment yet.

“I had my RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange) and it’s indeed life-changing. It’s the best investment for myself!” shared Azi.

Prior to her RLE, she’s been dealing with the blurriest vision for the longest time.

“I had an eye grade of 1100+/1800+ and for more than 20 years, I’ve had blurry vision. Now, I can see clearly! Goodbye eyeglasses and contact lenses!”

You can have the same fate, too, when it comes to your deteriorating eyesight. A Comprehensive Eye Screening can determine which procedure can restore your vision best. Schedule your screening now!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website.

How to Remove a Black Eye

Ways To Fade A Black Eye

/0 Comments/in /by

A black eye can be a painful and unsightly condition that can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as a sports injury, an accident, or even a medical condition. While a black eye usually resolves on its own within a few days to a week, there are several things you can do to help speed up the healing process and reduce swelling and discoloration. In this article, we’ll explore some effective remedies and prevention tips on how to remove a black eye.

Causes of a Black Eye

In this section, we’ll discuss some of the common causes of a black eye, including trauma, allergies, and medical conditions such as sinusitis.

Home Remedies

Here, we’ll provide a list of some effective home remedies for removing a black eye, such as applying a cold compress, using essential oils, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.

Medical Treatments for Removing a Black Eye

If a black eye is severe or lasts longer than a week, it may require medical treatment. In this section, we’ll explore some of the medical treatments that may be recommended for a black eye, including surgery and prescription medication.

Preventing Black Eyes

Finally, we’ll provide some prevention tips to help reduce the risk of getting a black eye in the first place, such as wearing protective gear during sports or using caution when doing activities that could lead to injury.

With the right remedies and prevention strategies, you can help remove a black eye quickly and safely. Whether you choose to use home remedies or seek medical treatment, it’s important to take care of your eyes and protect them from injury. With these tips, you can help keep your eyes healthy and looking their best.

For eye concerns, our doctors at Shinagawa can help you!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website.

can stress affect vision

Can Stress Affect Your Vision?

/0 Comments/in /by

In a fast-paced, digital, and highly-connected modern world, it seems that almost everyone you ask is either recovering from a period of stress or in the midst of one.

We are all affected by stress in different ways: headaches, nervous stomachs, neck pain…you name it. But can stress affect our vision? It seems so.

Here are the facts and some tips to protect your peepers.

The mechanics of stress

We all go through periods of stress. Our bodies are adaptable and learn to deal with good and bad stress. It goes back to our hunter-gatherer days when we were faced with other predators. You might have heard of the “fight or flight” response. Our brain and body had to decide how we would approach a situation and what our best outcome for survival would be. Nowadays, it’s usually less life-threatening than being eaten by a tiger, but the physical response is similar.

When we are stressed, our body creates a surge of adrenaline and our pupils dilate. The idea behind this was to allow more light into our eyes so that we could properly scope out any threats. Our autonomic nervous system is responsible for our response to stress, so if we are stressed, our pupils dilate; when we’re relaxed or tired, they constrict. However, if dilated for too long (more chronic stress), your eyes can actually become sensitive to light, which can, in turn, lead to eye strain or even blurry vision.

Eye-related symptoms

Now that you know why your eyes react to stress, let’s discuss how. Here is a list of common symptoms you may experience due to stress:

  • Sensitivity to light
  • Eye twitching, also known as a myokymia
  • Tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision)
  • Excessively dry or wet eyes
  • Blurry vision
  • Eye strain
  • Eye floaters

If you are going through a period of stress and experiencing any of these symptoms, pay attention to them. While it may be normal, you should always go see an eye doctor to check on the health of your eyes.

Stress, as we know, can become a vicious cycle. Sometimes, we become stressed about being stressed, and this cycle can affect our eyes as well. In fact, a Turkish study showed a strong correlation between Dry Eye Disease and stress, anxiety, and depression.

How to cope

While it can be frustrating to experience eye-related symptoms due to stress, the good news is, that there are ways to cope.

While many people correlate de-stressing with meditation, it’s not the only way to unplug.

If you do think daily meditation might be for you but are a bit skeptical, there’s an app for that. Otherwise, listening to some calming music in a dim room, focusing on your breath, and quietly letting your thoughts just float on by for a few minutes is an easy go-to technique.

Other helpful options could be writing in a journal, like a gratitude journal, exercising, taking a warm bath, eating, and sleeping well.

Of course, the best remedy is to cut back on what is stressing you out. However, we all know that’s not always possible. If you have a big project to deliver at work, you can’t just drop it. However, if certain social situations or relationships are causing undue stress, avoiding or cutting back on those could be helpful.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life and while it can be difficult to deal with the physical consequences it can have on our bodies, it is usually temporary and manageable. Remember to listen to your body and if your eye symptoms are persistent or seem severe, go see your Optometrist.

If you have vision problems that are unrelated to stress, like nearsightedness or farsightedness and you’d like to get rid of your glasses or contacts, we’ll be happy to help. Come see us!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat here on our website.