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.

Corneal Transplant Honolulu, HI

Have a Scratched Cornea? What To Do

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Yes, you may know how to scratch a few records for a large crowd (or at least you did in the 80’s) but do you know what to do if you have a scratched cornea? A scratched cornea can happen to anyone at almost anytime. Even though your eyelashes are designed to help protect your cornea from such disasters, accidents happen. If you are experiencing tenderness, redness, excessive tearing, and the sensation like something is stuck in your eye, then you may have a scratched cornea. But how can you treat it?

Flush It

First things first, you want to flush your eye out.  If there’s something still in your eye that you get it out before it causes more damage. To flush your eye out either grab an eye cup or a clean drinking cup. Then, fill it up to the top with either a saline solution or water. Gently lean over the cup and place your eye into the solution and blink; this will allow the water to enter your eye and get anything out of it. Repeat as necessary until you find some relief.

Don’t Put Anything In It

You may be tempted to rub your eye with your finger or put your contact lenses back in but make sure that you don’t touch your eyes or put anything in them until your eye has healed; this will just make the situation worse.

Schedule an Eye Appointment

If you think that you’ve scratched your cornea, then come into our office to see Dr. Jeffrey Maehara. During your eye exam, he will be able to determine if your cornea is scratched and if it is, just how to treat it. Depending on how severe the scratch is, Dr. Maehara may recommend something as small as letting it heal on its own to something as serious as steroid injections.

If you think you have a scratched cornea, make sure that you follow these tips in this article. To learn more about your vision health and how to take better care of your eyes, schedule a consultation at our Honolulu or Waipahu office today at 808.955.3937.

Eye Treatment Honolulu, HI

Are Dry Eyes Making Your Vision Worse?

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If you have a prescription to wear contact lenses but never wear them because they are irritating, fall out, and make your eyes red, then the issue may not be with your contacts but rather with your eyes themselves. Dry eye is a very common condition that can cause excessive tearing, dry, itchy, red eyes. And, it can also make it feel impossible to wear contacts all day long. To help lubricate and moisturize your eyes, we have a few suggestions for you.

Schedule an Eye  Exam

First things first, schedule an eye exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara to make sure that you do in fact have dry eye, and that your symptoms aren’t indicative of another eye condition. During your eye exam, Dr. Maehara will also be able to give you some helpful tips to use at home or may recommend some prescription eye drops.

Use Gel Drops Every Night

You can use gel drops both morning and night, but if you are a contact lens wearer, try wearing them at night to help coat your eyes and lubricate them while you sleep; that way when you wake up they will feel moisturized, and your contacts will hopefully stay in better.

Use Drops throughout the Day

Another thing you can do to make sure that your eyes stay lubricated and that your contacts stay in is to use gel drops or liquid tears throughout the day; this extra layer of protection is a great way to make sure that you stay as comfortable as possible.

Take Your Lenses out At Night

If you have dry eye, one of the worst things you can do is sleep with your contact lenses in because they will dry your eyes out even more. Make sure that no matter how tired you are that you go to the bathroom and take them out.

Having dry eyes can be a real pain in the you-know-what but dry eyes and contact lenses, are that much more uncomfortable. To learn more about dry eyes and how to combat them, schedule an eye exam with Dr. Jeffrey Maehara at our Honolulu or Waipahu office today 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 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.

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