Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

3 Vision Disorders You May Not Have Known Are Genetic

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When it comes to your genes, you have more than your parents to thank for your overwhelmingly good looks; you have your grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. And although your genetics may have played a large part in making your face the talk of the town, your genetics may also give you some grief; especially in the eye department. Let’s delve a little deeper and look at three vision disorders you may not have known were genetic.

Cataracts

Your neighbor’s cat has them, your grandmother may have had them, and you may get them as you age. Although age and injury are two of the leading causes of cataracts, scientific studies also point to the fact that cataracts also have some genetic influence.

Nearsightedness (myopia)

The exact cause of myopia is unknown, but there is a lot of scientific evidence that points to the fact that it is inherited. Although other strong factors play a role in myopia, it’s a good idea to look at your genetics as well.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the number one leading cause of blindness in patients in the United States. Luckily, if it’s caught early on, it can easily be treated. Because genetics play such a significant role in glaucoma, one of the best ways to detect glaucoma early on is to look at your family history.

Take a look at your family history. Do you know if anybody in your family tree has or had any of these vision problems? If so, let Dr. Jeffrey Maehara know during our next eye exam. To learn more about genetically influenced vision problems or to schedule your next eye exam, contact our Honolulu office today and call us at 808.955.3937.

Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

Headaches and Our Vision: Is There a Correlation?

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Having a headache— no matter how small it may be— can turn a good day almost instantly into a bad one. And although headaches can be caused by a variety of things including a cold, the flu, hormone changes, dehydration, and more, one thing that many of our patients are unaware of is the connection between your vision and headaches. Let’s take a closer look.

Headaches After Reading and Staring at a Screen

Try to pinpoint when your headaches come on. If you get regular headaches after doing something like reading a book or staring at a screen, then they may be brought on by eye strain. Even though eye strain may sound serious, it can usually be treated by the 20-20-20 rule where every 20 minutes, you take a 20-second break and focus on an object 20 feet away. In some instances, however, eye strain is indicative of an underlying issue like farsightedness. During an eye examination with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara, he will be able to give you a better diagnosis.

Glaucoma and Cataracts

If you have a family history of either glaucoma or cataracts, then make sure you tell Jeffrey Maehara at your next appointment. One common symptom of both of these eye diseases is blurred vision. And although there aren’t any cures for glaucoma or cataracts at this time, if they are caught early on, we can treat them before they get worse and help stop your headaches in their tracks.

If you have frequent, chronic headaches, it may be a sign that you have some vision problems. To learn more about your vision health and how we can treat your headaches, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at our Honolulu or Waipahu office today and call 808.955.3937.

Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

3 Basic Ways to Prevent an Eye Infection

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Taking good care of your vision doesn’t have to be hard and preventing eye infections is even that much more simple. With a few basic tips, you can keep your eyes free from bacteria and infection for the rest of spring and into summer— giving you more time to enjoy what you love doing, comfortably.

Tip #1: Wash Your Hands

One of the best things you can do to prevent the spread of bacteria to your eyes is to wash your hands before you do anything like touch your face, put on eye makeup, take off eye makeup, put in contacts, take out contacts, or try to get something out of your eye. Germs and bacteria from your hands can quickly spread across your eyes and cause an infection.

Tip #2: Get Rid of Old Mascara

You should replace your mascara every three months. Research says that after about three months of use, mascara starts to grow harmful bacteria on it which can lead to eye infections and more.

As another side tip, never share mascara with anyone— even if you’re related.

Tip #3: Wash Eye Makeup Brushes

Just like mascara, makeup brushes are also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Luckily, real animal hair makeup brushes and even many synthetic brushes can be washed with hot water and soap. Try to wash your brushes every few weeks. To wash them, run them under hot water until they are damp. Then take a small amount of antibacterial soap and gently rub it into your brushes. Rinse and repeat until the water runs clear, and all of the makeup is off the brushes. Lay flat to air dry.

Another way to protect your eyes? Schedule regular eye exams with Dr. Jeffrey Mahara. Ready to schedule your next eye exam? Call us today: 808.955.3937.

Eye Care services Honolulu, HI

How to Properly Take Care of Your Glasses

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You know how to take care of your body (for the most part), you know how to take care of your car, but do you know how to take care of your eye glasses? As your most worn accessory, your eyeglasses have seen— and been through it— all. And because they are worn so often, it’s important for you to know how you can take care of them. From how to clean them to where to store them, let’s look at a few ways that you can take better care of your glasses.

Clean Them

Grabbing your shirt, a towel that was on the floor, or even a paper towel from the breakroom at work, may be all part of your glasses cleaning practices. And even though they may help you get rid of some smudges, they may also be scratching your lenses as well. Even if you have a scratch-resistant coating on your glasses, they are still prone to be scratched by things such as paper towels. To properly clean your glasses, run them under warm water, place a drop of dishwashing detergent on them using your fingertips, and lather the lens. Then, rinse the soapy solution off with warm water, and dry with a clean, soft, cotton cloth.

Store Them Properly

It’s easy to fall asleep with your glasses on, leave them on your nightside table for your kids to grab, or even forget them in the car— but these are all ways to break, scratch, or damage your glasses. One of the best things you can do for your glasses is to store them in their case every time you take them off.

Use Both Hands to Take Them Off and Put Them On

You may know how to juggle with one hand, but one thing you don’t want to do is put your glasses on with one hand. By using both hands to put on and take off your glasses, you can prevent them from bending or breaking.

If you want to learn more about how you can take better care of your glasses or vision health, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara. Call us today: 808.955.3937.

Cosmetic Injections Honolulu, HI

Shower Your Skin With HydraFacial MD®

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As they say, “April showers bring May flowers,” and the same holds true for your skin. Like the little blooms of spring, your skin relies on hydration and nutrients to stay healthy and beautiful, and HydraFacial MD® is one of the best ways to give your skin exactly what it needs!

What is HydraFacial MD®?

HydraFacial MD® takes an innovative approach to skin resurfacing. Two of the most common techniques that are used for skin resurfacing are dermabrasion and microdermabrasion. These treatments remove dead skin cells and layers of damaged skin to reveal younger, healthier skin. Compared to these treatments, HydraFacial MD® gives you superior results.

Why is HydraFacial MD® Unique?

The HydraFacial MD® treatment relies on water rather than crystals to remove the damage. The water is infused with special serums to address any specific problems that you have, such as acne and dry skin. Microdermabrasion and dermabrasion cannot provide these benefits. The treatment is safe for most skin types, including sensitive skin, and it may delay the effects of aging.

What Can Be Treated with HydraFacial MD®?

  • Lines and wrinkles
  • Acne and blemishes
  • Sun damage
  • Dryness
  • Rough skin
  • Dull complexion
  • Uneven skin tone
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Age Spots

The HydraFacial MD® Treatment

Just 45 minutes is all it takes to exfoliate, cleanse, hydrate and protect your skin with HydraFacial MD®. You simply relax and enjoy the cooling sensation of the treatment. Four steps are followed for the procedure.

  1. Exfoliation to remove the damaged outer layer of glycolic and lactic acids
  2. Loosening dirt, oils and dead skin cells inside the pores with glycolic and salicylic acids
  3. Deep cleaning the pores with a unique extraction mechanism
  4. Infusing the pores with a serum of hyaluronic acid, vitamins and more

Your skin looks refreshed and healthy after the treatment, and you can have a HydraFacial MD® treatment up to two times each month to keep your skin beautiful.

Learn More About HydraFacial MD®. Contact Potozkin MD Skincare Center.

To learn more about HydraFacial MD®, CoolSculpting®, treatments for men and our other services, contact Potozkin MD Skincare Center to schedule a consultation. Our office is located in Danville, California, and you can contact us directly at (925) 838-4900.

Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

What’s the Difference Between a Stye and Pink Eye?

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With flu season estimated going extra long this year (through May) the last thing you want to have on your mind is contracting another virus or infection. However, during this time of year, more and more people contract eye infections like styes and pink eye. But what are these two bacterial infections and how can they be treated? Let’s take a closer look.

Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)

There are three types of pink eye: viral, bacterial, and allergic. The most common symptoms of pink eye are redness, swelling, itchiness, fluid build up, and pus around the eyes. One of the most common forms of pinkeye is viral which is very contagious but should clear up on its own. If you get the bacterial pink eye, make sure that you are seen by a primary care physician or eye doctor because if it is left untreated, it can cause eye damage.

Stye

Typically, styes are superficial and look like a pimple across the lash line. And although styes can be contagious, they aren’t nearly as infectious as bacterial conjunctivitis. If you have a stye, one of the best things you can do is to place a warm compress over it for about 10-15 minutes and repeat this multiple times a day until it goes away. If your stye gets worse or becomes painful, schedule an eye appointment.

If you have started to experience red, swollen, and itchy eyes, keep a close eye on them (literally) because they might be the result of a bacterial infection. Luckily, if you have either pink eye or a stye, they are both easily treatable.

To learn more about your vision health, contact our Honolulu office today at 808.955.3937.

Lasik Eye Surgery Honolulu HI

Love At First Sight: Why You Should Give LASIK for Valentine’s This Year

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Yes, you can go to just about any grocery store or supercenter and pick up a box of chocolates and a dozen red roses to surprise your Valentine with on the 14th, or you can go all out and give them something that won’t put you anywhere near the doghouse. Give your significant other the gift of sight— or love at first sight— with LASIK from Dr. Jeffrey Maehara. Here’s why.

  • It Frees Up Time

If your loved one has to wear contacts, you know that putting them in and taking them out— especially if they suffer from things like dry eye disease— can be a real time suck. With LASIK, you aren’t only giving them the gift of better vision, but you are also giving them the gift of more time in the morning and at night.

  • It Helps Them See Clearly

Okay, so maybe you don’t want your significant other to see your face more clearly because they may notice all of your imperfections, but with LASIK, they can see everything in their life more clearly. That book in front of them? You bet. That stop sign a few blocks away? Yep! Oh, and being able to put on things like makeup without glasses? They never thought that would happen!

  • It  Alleviates Frustration

Everyone who wears contacts, glasses, or both has experienced more than a few days feeling frustrated. Losing glasses, having dirty glasses, irritated eyes because of your contact lenses— these are just a few of the things that can make glasses and contact lens wearers feel beyond frustrated.

  • It’s Easy

The last thing you want to give your significant other on Valentine’s day is a surgical procedure that takes a few hours and requires days of recovery— that’s just mean. With LASIK, the procedure itself just takes about 10 minutes per eye and recovery is non-existent. Although they will have to wear some protective glasses for a day or two and apply eye drops, there isn’t much else involved in the form of recovery.

Ready to make yourself the best Valentine’s Day gift giver ever? Call us today at 808.955.3937

Eye Exam Honolulu, HI

3 Resolutions to See Better in 2018

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Refusing to eat sugar and trying to burn 3,000 calories five days a week are a few resolutions that are likely going to last a solid week— at most. Rather than following the crowd and setting a few resolutions that are not only unattainable but ones that won’t last, set your resolutions apart from the crowd this year and set a few resolutions that will help you see better in 2018.

Wear Sunglasses Every Time You’re Outside

Even if it’s cloudy outside, that Hawaii sun can still wreak some serious damage on your vision. Shield your eyes from the sun’s harsh rays all year long and make sure that you don’t leave the house without some UVA and UVB protected sunglasses. Try keeping a pair in your car, bag, and anywhere else so that you always have a pair of sunglasses on hand.

Eat Better

Eating better isn’t just good for your blood sugar and waistline, eating better is also good for your eyesight. Eating foods that are rich in antioxidants like leafy greens are one of the best ways to shield our eyes from macular degeneration. Additionally, eating foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon are good at keeping your eyes lubricated and preventing you from developing a chronic dry eye.

Get An Eye Exam

Can you remember the last time that you got a professional eye exam from Dr. Jeffrey Maehara? Depending on your age, genetics, and overall health of your eyes, it’s recommended that you get an eye exam around every 1-3 years on average. If you are past that timeframe, contact our office and schedule your next eye exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara today!

Want to see better and clearer in 2018? Try adding these three resolutions to your list. To learn more about how you can take better care of your eyes, schedule an appointment at one of our offices today!

Elta MD Honolulu, HI

The Importance of Wearing Sunscreen in the Winter

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You know to never hit the beach without dousing your entire body in a thick layer of sunscreen— ya know, until you resemble more of a ghost than an actual human. But now that the temperatures have dropped, and you’re spending less and less time outside, you may not remember to protect your skin as much. Even though you may not be laying on the beach in a swimsuit, your skin is still exposed to harsh UV rays even when you walk to your mailbox or even drive in our car.

Here at Jeffrey Maehara office, we recommend that patients use the EltaMD Skincare system to protect their skin all year long.

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 3.5 million new cases of noninvasive melanoma are diagnosed each year in the U.S. And more than 75,000 new cases of invasive melanoma are diagnosed. So, how can you protect yourself from being one of those numbers? Although there is no guarantee that you won’t ever get skin cancer, there are two main ways to shield your skin: avoiding the sun altogether and wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen every day.

Try to protect your skin from sun damage this winter by spending more time inside and less time exposing yourself to the sun.

When it comes to sunscreen, one of the best parts about the EltaMD sunscreen brand is that they have a variety of body sunscreens and tinted moisturizers to keep your skin protected and shielded all winter long. Plus, if you use a tinted moisturizer, it can also cover up light blemishes and sunspots which saves you a step every morning.

Depending on your lifestyle, Jeffrey Maehara and his staff may recommend one type of EltaMD sunscreen over another. Schedule an appointment at one of our locations to learn more about what type of sunscreen you should be wearing.

LASIK Eye Surgery Honolulu, HI

How to Enjoy Your Turkey Bowl Game after Having Lasik

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner which means that if you are going to get your game face on and ready before the big day, you need to make sure that you can stare your uncle Scott and big brother in the eyes before kicking their trash at your family’s annual turkey bowl. Luckily, with the help of Dr. Jeffrey Maehara and Lasik, you can enhance your vision so that you can score your teams winning touchdown.

As a common eye surgery, Lasik involves pulling back the corneal flap and then reshaping some of the eye tissues underneath. For you to fully recover from Lasik before the holiday, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara may recommend the following.

Schedule Enough Time

On average, Lasik takes a full week or two for patients to recover fully— which means that you will need to get it done around the beginning or middle of this month.

Wear Protective Eyewear

Even though your siblings may mock you for wearing protective eyewear during your famous family turkey bowl game, make sure that you make your eyes your number one priority. Taking an elbow to the eye or getting your cornea accidentally scratched after a rough play is not anything worth risking. Go to your local sports retailer and pick up a pair of sports goggles or glasses.

Keep Them Lubricated

For months after your Lasik surgery, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara will encourage you to keep your eyes moist and lubricated. Just because it’s the holiday and you’re busy, make an effort to use eyedrops— this will prevent them from drying out and becoming uncomfortable.

You shouldn’t have to miss out on your Thanksgiving football game just because you recently got Lasik. However, it’s important that you continue to take care of your vision— even during the holidays.

Schedule your Lasik consultation at our office today!