We know that these are unusual times for all of us. We’re grateful that we can continue providing eyecare to you without compromising our quality and safety standards. We are finding that a number of our patients have similar concerns and questions and therefore, we wanted to share with you relevant information that you may find helpful. In the meantime, stay well and be healthy!
The SPOG Family
The Truth about Blue Light and Computer Use
With many of us working and attending school from home these days, our doctors are seeing a significant increase in complaints of eye fatigue, dry eyes, blurry vision and headaches. Many of these symptoms can be easily resolved by:
- taking 30 second breaks from near work every 30 minutes by looking out the window
- working at a distance of 16 inches or greater
- having adequate lighting and
- wearing computer or reading glasses
Another valid concern is whether exposure to blue light from electronic devices is harmful to the eyes, especially to those of children. Studies have not shown that blue light from devices damages the eyes or causes eye diseases. However, they confirm that blue light induces eye fatigue, blurry vision, dry eyes, and headaches. And many of us already know that blue light disrupts our sleep quality and impairs alertness the next day.
Therefore, although blue light is not damaging to the health of the eyes, it can cause eye strain and affect sleep quality. Your exposure to blue light is also much greater outdoors than from electronic devices so it’s actually more important to protect the eyes outdoors.
Here’s what our doctors recommend regarding blue light exposure:
- Wear glasses or sunglasses outdoors that have confirmed UVA/UVB protection. All lenses made in our office automatically come with this protection.
- Consider adding a blue light filter to your anti-glare coating on your glasses.
- For the best reduction in blue light, you may use yellow tinted lenses instead.
- An alternative to blue light filters on eyeglass lenses is to turn on the “night shift mode” on your electronic devices or adjust your monitor color to less blue. This applies particularly to children and those who don’t need eyeglasses.
- Please take a look at the sample blue light anti-glare coating in our office before purchasing. Some of our patients find that reducing blue light also dims their vision and makes computer use more difficult.
Doctor’s Orders: Two Hours Outdoors Per Day
Since the start of the pandemic, many of you are finding yourselves glued to digital devices for hours on end for work, school, and entertainment. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, as there’s really not much else to do to keep busy! However, in young children, this can have prolonged effects on their prescription and further contribute to myopia or nearsightedness.
Regular time outdoors has been proven to decrease the chances of becoming nearsighted in young children. For this reason, our doctors recommend spending at least two hours per day outdoors. This recommendation comes after several studies have demonstrated the benefits of outdoor lighting (which is 500 times brighter than indoor lighting) in reducing the risk of developing myopia. Unfortunately, eyes that are already myopic do not benefit as much from outdoor time. We know SoCal summers can get pretty warm, so make sure to find a shady spot beneath a tree if you plan to stay in one spot. Of course, it is still important to wear sunglasses outdoors to prevent harmful UV rays from entering the eyes. Spending more time outdoors is not only good for your health and mind, but also important for preventing myopia, so grab those sunglasses and enjoy the sunshine!
Tears, Contact Lenses and COVID-19
Recently many studies throughout the world have evaluated whether a person can contract or spread the coronavirus through the eyes. The results show that the likelihood is very rare and that developing a pink eye or conjunctivitis from COVID-19 is also very rare. However, a recent study in China showed that in one patient who had COVID-19 and conjunctivitis, the coronavirus could be detected in the tears.
Therefore, although very rare, the coronavirus can potentially be spread through the eyes, especially in a person with pink eye. This would likely involve touching the eye area and contaminating a surface or touching another person.
What this means for all of us is that you should continue to wash your hands prior to touching your face. If you are a contact lens wearer, be mindful of carefully cleaning your fingertips prior to removing or inserting your contact lenses. Daily disposable contact lenses are best. If you are in the habit of touching your eyes often while wearing contact lenses, consider switching to glasses instead. If your eyes become pink or irritated, do not wear contact lenses, start using preservative-free artificial tears and call our office.
If you are in situations that may involve exposure to airborne particles or droplets, it is recommended that you wear goggles and/or a face shield with a face mask.
Virtual Visits with Our Doctors
In an effort to protect you and our staff, the doctors have reduced their appointment schedules to allow for physical distancing and thorough disinfection. However, we understand that some of you may be hesitant to come in. We are continuing to extend expired prescriptions if needed and seeing patients with eye problems through virtual or telehealth visits. Please call our office if you have any concerns with your eyes or vision.
Welcome Dr. Francisca Escobar!
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Francisca E. Escobar, OD to our practice who became a part of our SPOG family at the beginning of the year. She is a graduate of UCLA and received her Doctorate of Optometry from Pacific University College of Optometry. She completed her residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Center for the Partially Sighted with an emphasis on working with visually impaired children.
She has spent the past decade treating low vision patients of all ages and has served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor for the Southern California College of Optometry and the Western University College of Optometry. She was awarded the 2017 Young Optometrist of the Year Award by the California Optometric Association. She is the immediate Past President of the San Fernando Valley Optometric Society and for the last five years, served as the Director of Optometry at MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity), a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the bonds of poverty. During her free time, she enjoys running marathons, discovering new hiking trails, and spending time with her twin sister and family members. We think you’ll love her bubbly personality just as much as we do!
Congratulations Irene!
We are thrilled to announce that Irene, our contact lens technician, will be starting optometry school this month at the Western University College of Optometry. Irene joined our practice two years ago after completing her bachelor’s degree. We are sad to say goodbye but look forward to the day we will address her as Dr. Lam!
In the meantime, Rose has joined our team as our new contact lens technician. She just graduated from Columbia University and is also working toward pursuing an optometry degree. Please join us in welcoming Rose! We feel so fortunate to have her on our team.