Ask the Ophthalmologist

Everything you need to know about keeping your eyes healthy.

By Jill Case

Your eyes are your windows to the world, and it’s important to take care of them. Austin Woman talked with Dr. Luke Barker, an Austin ophthalmologist, about taking care of your eyes and other aspects of eye health.

Austin Woman: How often should people have their eyes examined?

Dr. Luke Barker: Adults over 40 should begin having their eyes examined once a year. People who are under 40 can have an exam every couple years unless they have been diagnosed with an eye condition that requires ongoing treatment. Children should have a vision screening in pre-K, and if a problem is found, they should be seen once a year. The reason for regular eye-health examinations is that your eyes are very delicate and a precious organ. Early diagnosis can help prevent someone from losing their vision. Prevention is much easier than actually treating a condition once it is affecting your vision. Regular eye-health examinations are the key.

AW: Why do you recommend that adults begin receiving annual examinations at age 40? LB: Between 40 and 45, we all start to lose the ability to focus up close. That’s one of the first symptoms you’ll see and notice when your lens begins to become more dysfunctional.

AW: Do you need different strength reading glasses for different situations, such as working on the computer, reading a book, etc.?

LB: With reading glasses, the closer something is, the higher strength you need; the farther away it is, the less strength you need. We’ll all eventually need reading glasses, but everyone’s a little different. Some people need a stronger power based on their baseline prescription. Some people will need reading glasses later than others, but virtually every single one of us will need reading glasses eventually, whether we’ve had Lasik or not.

AW: Is it OK to buy non-prescription reading glasses, or do you recommend having a prescription?

LB: It depends. Most of the time, reading glasses that are over-thecounter are absolutely fine. They do not hurt or strain your eyes. The only potential problem is that you’re not finding the exact strength that you need, and sometimes that can lead to eye strain. Usually, it’s better to come in, have an exam and get a prescription so that you know what strength to buy.

AW: Can Lasik surgery help people who only need reading glasses?

LB: It can. It’s a process called blended vision where we correct one eye for distance and one eye for up-close vision. And with both eyes open, you’ll have the ability to experience a range of vision. It allows you to see at a distance to drive or golf, to see at an intermediate range for your computer and to see close up to look at your cell phone, tablet or watch.

AW: Does everyone get cataracts?

LB: Yes. A cataract is just your lens getting harder and darker with birthdays, and the only way to treat them is with cataract surgery. The outpatient procedure takes 15 minutes or less per eye. Usually the entire process takes two hours or less.

AW: Is that laser surgery?

LB: Yes. It’s a combination of laser and ultrasound technology. We use a laser because it’s more precise and accurate than any human hand can be, ensuring greater accuracy and precision.

AW: Do you have any advice for people who work with computers?

LB: There are a lot of tech-industry personnel in Austin, and a lot of people spend a lot of time on computers for work and for hobbies. It’s always beneficial to take periodic breaks for your eyes to defocus and not be constantly focused at that range on your computer. Working on a computer doesn’t necessarily hurt your eyes, but it causes a lot of strain and dryness. If you take periodic breaks every 30 minutes or every hour, usually that will allow you to have more longevity with your eyes and more function. If you have dryness or notice that you develop dryness as you work on your computer, another good idea is to use artificial tears to lubricate your eyes before and during the use of the computer.

AW: Is there anything people can do to strengthen their eyes or prevent their eyesight from deteriorating?

LB: There are a few things you can do. The No. 1 thing is not to smoke. Smoking can affect your eyes in many different ways. It can lead to dryness, macular degeneration and can accelerate cataracts. It causes any sun damage to be much more detrimental to the skin and the eyeball, so not smoking is one of the key things you can do. If you have diabetes or other medical problems like hypertension, these conditions can affect your eyesight. If you have these conditions, make sure you work with your doctor to keep your condition under control. In addition, people should always wear sunglasses to protect their eyes.

AW: What is your best advice for people about taking care of their eyes?

LB: A catchphrase I use is, “Be wise; protect those eyes.” Do everything you can to prevent the development and progression of eye disease, and it will allow you to have a long, fruitful life with great vision.

Dr. Luke Barker is a board-certified ophthalmologist at the Mann Eye Institute and Laser Eye Center in Austin. He specializes in advanced corneal, cataract and refractive surgery procedures and treatments, as well as the diagnosis and care of patients with diabetes, macular degeneration, ocular surface disease and glaucoma. For more information, visit manneye.com or call 800.698.4746.

Protecting Your Eyes From the Texas Sun

Dr. Luke Barker: In Texas, the sun is almost constantly beating down on us here. It’s really important to protect your eyes to prevent certain diseases and damage from the sun. Here are some tips:

Wear sunglasses or a wide-rim hat any time you are outside to help prevent developing eye disease secondary to exposure to the sun.
When purchasing sunglasses, you definitely want to get a pair that blocks 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
Polarized lenses help with eye strain.
Wrap-around type of shades really improves the coverage of your eye and the eyelid skin surrounding the eye.
Sunglasses help prevent skin cancer of the eyelid and the eyeball. It also protects your eyes from pterygium and pinguecula, which are non-cancerous growths on the cornea and the conjunctiva.

Dry Eye

Dr. Luke Barker: Dry eye is something that does increase as we have more birthdays as well. It affects women more than men. A lot of times, drynes s is associated with other medications you are taking; medications for allergies, diabetes and hypertension can cause dryness, so it’s important to recognize the side effects of those medications.

Dryness can have multiple symptoms, including:

Blurred vision
A gritty, sand sensation on the eye
Pain
There are a number of different ways to treat dry eye, and it really depends on what works best for each patient. Here are some of the treatments we use:
Over-the-counter supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids (krill oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil) may help produce more consistent and frequent tears.
Over-the-counter artificial tears
Restasis, a prescription eye drop
Punctal plugs, tiny medical devices that are inserted in the office to block drainage from the tear ducts
Lipiflow Dry Eye Treatment, an in-office procedure that takes about 30 minutes per eye. It uses heat and massage to help the glands