Asian senior couple wear brown aprons are holding red cookies cutters in heart shape over their eyes

5 things your eyes say about your health

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We’ve all dealt with something about our eyes that have bothered us, whether it be redness and itching or swelling and watery eye.

Read on for some common conditions and when it may be time to seek medical attention for treatment. 

  1. Redness is one of the most common eye problems, and it’s often related allergies. If both of your eyes are red, itchy and watery, allergies may be to blame and artificial tears or antihistamine eye drops can help alleviate symptoms. If these don’t provide relief, see your doctor to explore what else may be causing this problem.
  2. Dry eye is a common eye problem that could be caused by environmental factors, aging, hormonal changes and everyday activities. Some medical conditions and medications can cause it as well. Screen time, reading, watching TV for long periods of time without blinking enough to lubricate the eye can cause dry eye. Artificial tears often help provide comfort and relieve symptoms, but you may need to talk to your doctor if you can’t get relief.
  3. Pink eye or acute conjunctivitis can look like dry eye or another eye condition but it is a contagious eye condition. Your eyes look red and feel itchy and may ooze discharge. It’s often found in people who have cold symptoms or a runny nose. Your doctor can prescribe the best medication to treat pink eye, which should last no more than a week to 10 days.
  4. Eye strain is usually caused by staring at a computer or phone screen all day. It’s important to take regular breaks to give your eyes rest. Follow the 20/20/20 rule by looking at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Also try artificial tears to help with lubrication and talk to your doctor if you can’t get relief.
  5. Eye twitch is common and usually nothing serious, unless you are experiencing it for a long period of time with other symptoms like other parts of your face twitching. That’s when you should seek medical attention. Otherwise, it’s usually linked to too much caffeine and stress or too little sleep. Start with lifestyle changes first to see if symptoms improve.

If you are concerned about your eye health, call 808.955.3937 for an appointment with Dr. Maehara.

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Cannabis and Your Vision

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It used to be that the only reason to smoke marijuana was for recreation and the only way to obtain it was illegally. Nowadays, there are hundreds of uses for cannabis to help patients find relief from pain, nausea, discomfort, and other medical issues. Here at Jeffrey Maehara’s office, we provide consultations for the evaluation of the state 329 medical marijuana license card which is necessary for the legal use and possession of marijuana products in Hawaii. Here at our office, we specifically see patients who suffer from glaucoma. Let’s take some closer look at the answers to some frequently asked questions about cannabis for eye conditions.

What are the benefits of cannabis for eye conditions?

Glaucoma is caused by a lot of eye pressure on the eyes. When patients use medical cannabis, it helps to lower the eye pressure for patients with glaucoma. Additionally, medical marijuana can also be used to help treat patients who suffer from eye conditions that cause nausea or chronic pain.

How long will the cannabis evaluation take?

On average, this evaluation will only last about 15-20 minutes.

Can I use my medical card in other states?

The Hawaii 329 card is recognized only in Hawaii. Likewise, no other licenses or cards are recognized in Hawaii.

Can you help me acquire marijuana?

You can purchase your marijuana with your active 329 card at any medical marijuana dispensary in Hawaii or the Honolulu area.

Do I need to renew my evaluation?

Yes, the law requires that patients have their 329 card renewed every year. Remember that you must have an active 329 card in order to legally use and possess any form of marijuana in Hawaii.

If you want to learn more about medical marijuana to treat eye conditions like glaucoma, schedule an eye appointment at our Honolulu office and call us at 808.955.3937.

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 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.