Thank you for your continued support of our practice and private practices in general. There has been a significant shift in healthcare, particularly in the past few years, with mergers of healthcare facilities in an effort to increase efficiency and resources. At the South Pasadena Optometric Group, we remain committed to providing you with the level of expertise, quality time and conscientious care that we are known for. For this reason, we continue to prioritize independent private practice where we have the freedom to manage you with care and concern as we would our loved ones.
Preventive quality care remains our ultimate goal where we counsel you on the best optical devices for your needs, monitor your eye health to prevent vision loss, and refer you to highly skilled and reputable specialists if the need arises. And this extends across all ages. Having been in group practice for over 30 years, we’ve seen almost all eye conditions, whether in a young child or older adult, and have appreciated the ease with which we consult one another and coordinate care with many local health care providers.
Thank you again for your support. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful patients. Please enjoy this newsletter updating you on some recent advances in the eyecare world but to also celebrate the achievements of those around us.
– The Doctors and Staff at SPOG
626.441.5300
Congratulations Tony Rodz, SPHS ’22!!
Tony Rodz is the recipient of the 2022 South Pasadena Optometric Group Scholarship Award! Tony was selected by the SPHS scholarship committee as their motivating senior! He is a beloved member of the class of 2022. Adults and students alike light up when his name is mentioned. Always willing to help all students, his classmates love him for being charismatic, humorous and fun to be around. Tony will be attending New York University in the Fall pursuing a nursing degree. We love hearing about these outstanding student citizens! Congrats, Tony!
Axial Length
Measuring Your Child’s Risk for Nearsightedness
Myopia, or nearsightedness, the inability to see well in the distance, is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in children and is rapidly on the rise. It has been estimated that by 2050, half of the world’s population will have been affected by myopia. Thankfully, there is new technology that allows us to easily measure the length of one’s eyes (axial length), which may predict a child’s risk for developing myopia.
Axial length is a better predictor of myopia disease risk and a better tool to evaluate myopia progression compared with one’s actual prescription. This can allow us to identify those at risk earlier and allow early intervention for better outcomes. Studies have shown that many ocular diseases originate from eyes that experience excessive eye growth, especially in eyes that are longer than 26mm. Thus, monitoring axial length is very important in managing myopia.
It is noninvasive and quick to measure axial length, and our office is proud to be one of the only offices in the greater Los Angeles area to have access to this technology. Schedule an eye exam today to assess your child’s risk for myopia. We can work together to manage your child’s myopia and prevent further progression.
RECYCLE YOUR CONTACT LENSES!
Drop off your used contact lenses and contact lens blister packs so they can be recycled. We’ve partnered with Bausch and Lomb to collect the below waste products in all brands and ship them to Terracycle to be recycled into raw material. It’s then sold to manufacturing companies who produce the end product and complete the recycling journey. These end products may include outdoor furniture and decking, plastic shipping pallets, watering cans, storage containers and bins, tubes for construction applications, flooring tiles, playground surface covers, athletic fields, and more!
Meet Dr. Liu!
Many of you have already met Dr. Christina Liu who joined us in 2020 as a new graduate of the University of California Berkeley College of Optometry. She has a wide background in ocular disease management and in myopia control in children. She also joins us with the knowledge and experience of the latest and most recent advances in eye care. During her free time, she enjoys traveling and discovering new places to eat. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Liu!
Omega 3 from Algae?
Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation in the body and support cardiovascular health and immunity. In eyecare, they are used to treat dry eye disease by helping to promote better oil quality in the tears.
With a healthy oil layer, the tears are less likely to evaporate quickly thereby relieving symptoms of dryness. Fish is a well-known source of omega-3s, but there are also plant-based sources available.
There are 3 main forms of omega-3:
- EPA
- DHA
- ALA (less absorption)
EPA and DHA are the usable forms of omega-3 that the body needs. However, most plant-based omega-3s, such as those found in flaxseed oil, are in the ALA form, which is not absorbed readily in the body and is therefore less effective. In fact, less than 1% of ALA will convert to EPA and DHA. Most omega-3 supplements found in stores contain a significant amount of ALA and little, if any, of EPA or DHA.
The Omega-V Benefits is a vegan omega-3 formula derived from algae, which is an excellent direct source of EPA and DHA. This is a great option for patients who are vegan or vegetarian or those who do not like the fishy aftertaste of omega-3s derived from fish. The Omega-V Benefits allows patients to consume the proper forms of omega-3s to promote better eye health and reduce symptoms of dry eye. (Note that dry eye clinical studies were only performed on fish oil.)
Stop by our office if you’d like a sample taste! It tastes a bit like berries.
Celebrating 5 Years!!
The office would literally fall apart without our Office Manager, Dolly, and our Clinic Coordinator, Eddie. The two of them together bring to life our shared philosophy of providing only the best care for our patients while still making it a fun and creative place to work. Dolly is our rock and advisor, bringing her maturity and levelheaded wisdom to our office. If there’s a problem, she’ll figure out the best way to solve it. Eddie is the best friend you all want; you can find him behind all the thoughtful birthday and holiday celebrations, April Fool’s jokes, and weekly cheer. We are so fortunate to have the two of them on our team and hope for many more years together!
LIFESTYLE FACTORS AND GLAUCOMA
The second leading cause of blindness worldwide is glaucoma. Since most glaucoma patients don’t have any symptoms, approximately 50% of them do not know that they have it. We screen for glaucoma at your annual eye exams and will perform further testing if needed. Treatment involves lowering the eye pressures in your eyes with eyedrops and/or surgery.
If you have a family history of glaucoma, are at risk of developing or are being treated for it, there are a number of lifestyle factors that can affect your eye pressures.
DO
- Eat a healthy diet of leafy greens and flavonoids including berries, citrus fruits, apples and gingko biloba which can protect from damage
- Aerobic exercise and physical activity lowers your eye pressures
- Sleeping with your head inclined by 30 degrees helps to prevent your pressures from spiking
- Maintain a healthy weight and keep your blood sugar under control if you have diabetes
DON’T
- Drink too much caffeine, 5 or more cups per day increases your eye pressures
- Weightlifting and Yoga can temporarily increase your eye pressures, (talk to your doctor if this is a concern)
- Miss your appointments, routine care is important in protecting your vision
What’s Causing Your Dry Eyes?
Some patients have dry eyes from digital device use, others is due to the quality of their tears. Now, we can check your tear quality for a more accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause. InflammaDry is the first and only, rapid result, in-office test that detects elevated levels of MMP-9, an inflammatory marker that is consistently elevated in the tears of patients with dry eye disease. All other dry eye tests measure tear production and stability. A positive test will guide the doctor in making more appropriate recommendations for your dry eye treatment.
Traveling Soon?
- Don’t forget to pack a spare pair of glasses
- Bring preservative-free artificial tears to use if your eyes become dry, irritated, itchy, etc. We prefer Thera Tears.
- Remove your contact lenses for the plane ride, especially if you plan on napping. The air on planes can be very dry which can cause your lenses to adhere to the eye, increasing your risk for eye infections.
- Bring your sunglasses to protect from UV rays
- Don’t forget contact lens solutions and cases if you don’t have daily disposable lenses.
- Call us if you have any questions or concerns about your eyes!