“What is pink eye and how do I treat or prevent them?” – Rob via email

A pink eye is an eye infection that usually is relatively harmless.  What many patients don’t know is that there is a pink eye as well as red eye.  Pink eye classically refers to a viral infection, often a consequence of having a concurrent cold.  Most of the time, pink eyes will go away on their own, though pink eyes are notoriously contagious and precautions should be taken to keep it from spreading.  Most ocular viral infections just need to run their course, though a doctor should make sure that the patient’s already busy immune system doesn’t also suffer from a bacterial infection.  By contrast, a red eye can be caused by a variety of ailments including bacteria, foreign bodies in the eyes, particularly nasty viral infections, dryness, or genetic conditions.  To differentiate between all the possibilities, it is important that all red/pink eyes be carefully observed under a microscope by an eye doctor.  Should a red/pink eye occur to your or someone in your family, call us for an appointment.  The correct diagnosis is key to getting the eyes treated and healthy as quickly as possible.

“Our son just started playing sports and he wears glasses.  He is 10 years old, and I don’t know how to get him seeing and playing at his best ability.” –Sophia via email

For those patients that have a significant enough eyeglass prescription, sometimes just leaving their glasses on the sideline isn’t the greatest idea.  At 10 years old, your son may or may not be the correct age for contact lenses.  Contact lenses are easy to use, easy to take care of, and can provide great vision to those wearing them, though they need to be properly cared for.  As Dr. Brian Abert, O.D., FAAO tells patients, “We have patients who are 7 years old and do great with contacts, and we have 40 years old patients that shouldn’t wear contacts because they don’t take care of them!”  If your son is mature enough to handle the responsibility, than you both can consider contact lenses.  If his sport is played outdoors, sun protection would be a nice thing anyway and he could simply wear his prescription sunglasses while playing.  For indoor sports, and for patients unable to wear contact lenses, or sports that necessitate eye protection, there are some fantastic goggles that fit comfortably, protect the eyes, and allow for crisp, clear vision.

“What is an anti-glare coating, and which patients do you recommend it to?” –Jenni via email

The benefits of a good anti-reflective, or anti-glare, coating are numerous, and our doctors and opticians universally recommend these coatings on our ophthalmic lenses.  First and foremost, an anti-reflective coating allows more light to pass through the lens, preventing glare for the patient wearing the glasses, and allowing that patient’s eyes to be seen rather than a reflection off the front surface of their glasses.  Anti-reflective coatings also serve to reduce glare when viewing bright objects such as computer screens or headlights.  When it comes to anti-reflective coatings, all power ranges benefit.  For those patients with lower prescriptions, their lenses tend to be more susceptible to glare issues with night-time driving glare being a prime example.  Patients with lots of power in their glasses also benefit because the anti-reflective coating not only helps with maintaining optimal clarity, but also makes their lenses appear thinner.  Vista Eye Care guarantees that your high quality anti-reflective coating will be scratch-free for 2 years, and thus act as an extra layer of protection for your lenses.  To see your best, be sure you ask our opticians to use a good anti-reflective coating on your lenses!