December 29th, 2011 by admin

It is winter and with that, for many people, comes the annual trip to the north for days of hitting the slopes. Skiing is an excellent pastime that can keep the body healthy and agile, but it can also be dangerous for the eyes, if they are left unprotected. Now only does the wind, which is substantial when speeding toward the bottom of the mountain, dry them out, but the sun, which reflects off the white snow can also be harmful.

The cornea, which is the transparent surface that covers the iris and pupil, plays a very important role when a person is partaking in outdoor activity. Not only does this rounded surface act to guide light in the right way so it hits the retina at the right angle, but it also defends those light sensitive sensors at the back of the eye from damaging UV rays. While the cornea is able to soak up and absorb UV rays, in order to protect the retina, too much of the harmful sunlight can result in significant and lasting damage. Did you know that eyes can be sunburnt just like the skin? When a skier is standing at the top of the mountain, more UV rays can reach him and when bounced back off the white snow, the potential damage is further amplified.

For this reason, it is important for every skier – whether he does so occasionally or every day – to have protective eyewear on hand.

How To Choose a Pair

When it comes to choosing the right pair of ski goggles, fit is the most essential piece of the puzzle. Not only should the goggles feel comfortable around your face, you should also be able to adjust them enough so they fit snuggly enough to ensure that wind and snow can sneak in around them. The lenses should be equipped with UV protection, so they serve the purpose of protecting the eyes, and they should be comfortable when worn with a ski helmet as well. If you do not want to lug your helmet along, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask a sales associate to borrow one long enough to test the goggles.

For those who need prescription lenses, the trick of buying ski goggles is a little more complicated, but it shouldn’t be intimidating. You have two options today, which makes things a lot easier. For the occasional skier, it is probably smarter to invest in a pair of goggles that fits over your glasses. If you wear contacts instead, then just be sure that the lenses of the goggles do not distort your vision and be extra sure that the drying wind can’t get through.

For those who make a habit of skiing regularly in the winter, there are now goggles that can be fit with built in prescription lenses. This wouldn’t make sense for the person who only skis a couple of times per year because it is likely that the prescription would change after a year or two, but for the avid skier, this can be a wonderful investment.

Goggles Versus Glasses

Some people might ask an opthamologist why they should invest in goggles, when they already own a pair of highly protective sunglasses. The question is a valid one and deserves an answer.

While sunglasses are traditionally more comfortable and do not have the tendency to fog up as much as goggles, they do not fully protect the eyes while on the mountain either. With wind, snow and ice flying at the face as a person traverses the slopes, the eyes are as substantial risk. This is even further amplified for contact wearers. Though sunglasses can protect against UV exposure, they cannot provide the wind and snow block that goggles can.

Broberg Eye Care
207 James Casey St # 305
Austin, TX 78745-1193
(512) 447-6096

December 21st, 2011 by admin

Do you notice the frequent presence of small lines, circles, or c-shaped objects in your line of vision? Do they float around as you look at the world? If so, then you may be suffering from a very common issue called eye floaters. However, just because nearly every person will experience them before the age of seventy, doesn’t mean that floaters shouldn’t raise a red flag.

Eye floaters are a result of a defect or several of them that exist in the vitreous jelly. This is the name of the substance that makes up a large portion of a person’s inner eyeball. When light passes from the cornea and the lens to the retina, at the back of the eye, it must travel through the vitreous. Either as a result of condensation or other deposits, the light may not make it though uninhibited. When that is the case, a shadow of the deposit is cast on the retina. This results in defective message being sent to the brain, which translates the shadows as floaters. As the eye moves, the angle of the light passing through the jelly changes and the shadows are cast differently, making it appear to the brain as if the floater is, for lack of a better word, floating.

There are a few different reasons why a person can begin to see these annoying lines and dots. In many cases, the Austin optometrist will report that it is simply a matter of age. As a person progresses through life, natural changes take place within the body. The eye is no exception. The vitreous often loses some of its gel-like characteristic, becoming more like a liquid in places. The formation of watery pockets results in the appearance of floaters.

In other situations, floaters can be warning signs of a more significant complication. For instance, another symptom of aging is a shrinking vitreous. This is natural, but occasionally, the diminishing size can cause this gel to become detached from the optic nerve. When this occurs, one or more floaters will appear. These will frequently be larger in nature than spots caused by other factors. The detachment occurs is about fifty percent of people after the age of sixty-five.

If a person suffers an eye injury or certain types of illness, his or her chances of developing floaters increases. Swelling, which results in an influx of white blood cells can find them trapped in the vitreous and appearing as floaters. The same can happen to red blood cells that appear as a result of bleeding; hemorrhage. The bleeding may be a result of serious tears or other complications within the retina. However, it is also seen in post-operative patients.

While there is no proven treatment for floaters, underlying conditions can be treated. and very often the defects in the vitreous will be absorbed naturally. Though it may take time, floaters will generally shrink and eventually disappear. Nevertheless, it is important for people who experience this phenomenon to see an ophthalmologist to ensure that there isn’t a serious problem elsewhere causing the issue.

Tech Ridge Vision
500 Canyon Ridge Dr # L350
Austin, TX 78753-1641
(512) 837-3200