Protecting your eyes from the sun year-round

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So much attention is given to protecting your skin in the sun, but it’s just as important to protect your eyes from the sun. Dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage your eyes and delicate skin surrounding them. Read on to learn more about eye health and sun exposure and what you can do to protect your eyes.

Eye conditions related to sun exposure

UV radiation is a cause of several serious eye conditions. At least 10 percent of cataract cases can be attributed to UV exposure, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Cataracts cloud and yellow the lens of your eye, leading to progressive vision loss and blindness. Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss for people over the age of 60. It’s due to cumulative UV damage to the central portion of the retina.

Did you know you can sunburn your eye? UV exposure can cause a corneal sunburn, called keratitis. The cornea is the clear surface that admits light and images to the retina. This condition occurs in skiers and hikers because of how the sun reflects off of water, snow and ice.

Conjunctival eye cancers were once rare but are increasing, especially in older people.

Damage to the eyelids

UVA and UVB rays from the sun and indoor tanning produce DNA changes that can cause premature aging on the skin around your eyes and can lead to skin cancer on the eyelids. Eyelid skin cancer most often occurs on the lower lid because it receives the most sun exposure. Eyelid cancers usually respond well to surgery and post-surgical care when diagnosed and treated early. Left untreated, eyelid cancers can cause tissue damage and blindness.

How to protect your eyes in the sun

There are simple things you can do to protect your eyes and skin every day while also enjoying the outdoors:

  • First and foremost, wear sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB light. Make sure you wear them anytime you are out in the sun and year-round as sun damage can occur any time of year. Also, be aware that the sun’s harmful rays can pass through clouds, so wear sunglasses even when there’s cloud cover.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face and the top of your head.
  • Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Select one that is safe and for your face and eyes.
  • Seek shade whenever possible. The sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

If you’re experiencing problems with your eyes, call 808.955.3937 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser.

6 simple steps to improve your eye health

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It’s essential to be good to your eyes, especially as you age. Even if your eyes feel healthy and you don’t wear glasses or contacts, you need to think about how to maintain and improve your eye health. Here are six simple steps you can take to keep your eyes healthy and stave off age-related vision problems for as long as possible:

Eat a well-balanced diet. Eating well has many health benefits. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc and vitamins C and E may help prevent or delay the onset of vision problems such as cataracts or macular degeneration. Green leafy vegetables, oily fish such as salmon and tuna, eggs, nuts, beans and oranges or other citrus fruits are easy ways to get those essential vitamins and nutrients.

Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes, which is a leading cause of cataracts and diabetic retinopathy, which can cause vision loss and blindness in adults.

Watch your blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase your risk of some eye diseases such as hypertensive retinopathy. This is when hypertension causes damage to the blood vessels in the retina of the eye.

Quit smoking. Smoking makes you more prone to getting cataracts and other eye diseases. Talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs and medications to help you kick the habit.

Wear sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats. Protecting your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is an easy way to maintain eye health, as too much UV exposure increases your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Sunglasses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays are most helpful. Polarized lenses are designed to reduce glare while you’re driving.

Take a break from your computer and phone. Staring at a computer or phone screen for too long can cause eye strain, blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble focusing at a distance, and more. Be sure you take breaks every 20 minutes to rest your eyes. Look 20 feet away for 20 seconds at a time.

Get an eye exam. Regular eye exams are essential to staying on top of any problems and spotting any diseases and conditions early, when they’re easier to treat. To learn more about improving the health of your eyes, schedule your next exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser today by calling 808.955.3937

How to Be In Touch With Your Vision

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One of the best things that you can do for your overall health is to be in touch with your body. What’s considered your normal? What’s considered to be not so normal for you? When you can determine when there’s something wrong, it makes it easier for doctors to run tests and help land you with a diagnosis. After all, nobody is coming to your house and begging you to do a check-up, right? So, it’s all up to you.

Similarly, one of the things that we encourage our patients to do is to be in tune with their vision. But how? Let’s take a closer look.

Notice Changes

Your vision may stay strong for most of your adult life and then suddenly start to fade when you are in your fifties. Stay in tune with any changes that you experience. Are you having a harder time reading things up close, or is it harder to see things from farther away? If you start to notice changes or shifts in your vision, then it’s time to come into our office and get an eye exam.

Notice Abnormalities

In addition to being mindful of changes with your vision, also try to notice any abnormalities such as flashers, floaters, headaches, or anything out of the normal. Often, these things are symptoms of a more significant underlying issue that we will need to examine closely.

Get Regular Eye Exams

Getting regular eye exams is something we also encourage our patients to do. When you know what is going on with your vision, and when you know things like your prescription, it can make life a whole lot easier.

Staying in tune with your health and vision will hopefully help you catch any eye diseases early on so that they can be treated. If you want to learn a little bit more about your vision health, contact us at 808.955.3937.

Eye Care Honolulu Eye Doctor

3 Things to Pack in Your Kid’s Beach Bag This Summer

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If you have little kids, then you may be wondering what you will do with them all summer long. Not having kids in school is like a full-time job because now you have to come up with ways to entertain them. Luckily, one easy (and free) thing that you can do is take them to the beach a few times a week. Before you head out though, Dr. Maehara has a few things to pack in your pool bag.

Sunglasses for Everyone

Those little sunglasses for babies, toddlers, and kids aren’t just cute to put on them before you take an Instagram photo, but believe it or not, they actually serve a purpose. Make sure that your kids wear some sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection whenever you are outside; especially when you’re at the beach or pool because the water is reflective which can cause some serious eye damage.

Sun Hats

If you can’t get your little ones to wear sunglasses or keep them on, then try a sun hat instead. Sun hats (as long as they are large enough) are great because they will shield your eyes from the sun from all angles. If you feel like being daring, then consider bribing your kids to wear both their sunglasses and their sun hats at the same time.

Goggles

If your kids like to swim in the water and get their head under, don’t send them in unless they have goggles. Both chlorine and salt water can dry out their eyes out and cause some damage. Plus, ocean water and pool water are notorious for being dirty. With things like sand, bugs, and dirt floating around, it’s the last thing that you want to expose your eyes to.

Make sure that you pack these three things with you in your bag before you go to the beach this summer. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us at our Honolulu office at 808.955.3937.

Honolulu Eye Doctor

Why You Should Get Your Eyes Checked on a Regular Basis

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Taking good care of your vision involves more than just wearing sunglasses outside. In fact, here at our office, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara likes to see most of his patients every two years for regular eye exams. But, why is it important to get your eyes checked so frequently? Let’s take a closer look and see.

  • A Change In Prescription

Your glasses and contact lens prescription can change pretty significantly over a two-year period which can leave you seeing things pretty blurry,  even with your lenses on or in. However, by having your eyes examined every couple of years, we can help you stay up to date on your prescription so that you don’t spend another day with blurry vision.

  • Change In Health

Your eyes are your opening into the world— okay, that was a bit cheesy, but you get the gist. During your eye exam, we will take a closer look at your eyes to also check for any other health issues. For instance, the health of your blood vessels inside of your retina are indicative of the health of the blood vessels throughout your body, so if we see a change in those blood vessels, we may order some other tests for you.

  • 3. Check for Eye Disease

Another thing that Dr. Maehara will check your eyes for is eye diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The good thing about all of these eye diseases is that typically when they are caught early on, they can be easily treated.

Are you ready to schedule your next eye exam? If so, contact our Honolulu office today and call us at 808.955.3937.

ete services Honolulu, HI

3 Easy Resolutions to Make in 2019 For Better Vision

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With the eggnog gone and the Christmas tree in the dumpster, it’s now time to take a look at the fresh year we have ahead of us and make some resolutions that are worth keeping. Even though you may have some lofty resolutions to lose some weight and eat better, here at Dr. Maehara’s office we have created a few easy resolutions that will actually help you see better this year.

Wash Your Face Every Night

This may sound like a really easy goal but you’d be surprised by how many people actually go to bed with eye makeup still on. Even though you may think that eye makeup is fine to sleep in, it can actually lead to a bacterial infection. By washing your eye makeup off every night with a gentle cleanser or remover, you can cut down on the chances of you getting some sort of bacterial or viral eye infection.

Use Clean Contact Lens Solution

Did you know that your contact lens case may be filled with bacteria and dirt? To avoid getting an eye infection, make sure that you fill your contact lens case with clean solution every night before you go to bed.

As an extra tip, make sure to rinse out your case with some hot water before you put some contact lens solution back in it

Get Regular Eye Exams

Did you know that you should be getting your eyes examined every year? If you can’t remember the last time that you had an eye exam, then make sure that you contact our office today and schedule your next appointment.

It can be hard to get into the habit of good habits; especially when it involves your vision. If you want to learn a little bit more about how you can see better in 2019, contact our office today and call us at 808.955.3937.

Corneal Transplant Honolulu, HI

Are You Seeing Stars Around Your Christmas Lights? What That Could Mean About Your Vision

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Christmas lights are one of the things that really set the entire Christmas mood or holiday spirit. Whether you are religious or not, driving down a street filled with houses adorned in Christmas lights can make you feel some sort of magic. One problem that we see in patients during this time of year is a complaint about seeing starbursts around Christmas lights. If you have started to notice that you see starbursts when you look at Christmas lights, then it may be time to come in for an eye examination. Typically, starbursts mean that you either need to change your prescription or that you have glaucoma or cataracts.

Your Prescription

If you wear the wrong prescription of contacts or glasses, you may see starbursts not just   Christmas lights but around stop lights as well when you are driving at night. By making a few minor adjustments and getting you a stronger precision, however, we can usually help you see a lot better.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes intraocular pressure which can lead to blindness if it’s left untreated. In its early stages, glaucoma in things like seeing starbursts around Christmas lights. When you schedule your appointment with Dr. Maehara, he will check you for glaucoma.

Cataracts

Cataracts are another eye condition that cause starbursts. Even though the biggest symptoms of cataracts are a clouding of the vision, it usually starts out smaller with things like seeing starbursts around lights.

If you notice that your vision seems a bit off, don’t hesitate to give our office a call. To schedule your next eye exam, contact our Honolulu office 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 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!