A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned between Earth and the sun and casts a shadow over Earth.

Tips for Safe Viewing of the Solar Eclipse:
• The only safe way to look directly at the sun is through specifically
designed solar filters. These filters are used in both “eclipse glasses”
or in solar eclipse viewers you hold up to your eyes.
• Even if they are very dark, your regular sunglasses are not safe for
viewing the solar eclipse.
• While it might be tempting to pick up a cheap pair of solar-eclipse
glasses from unauthorized vendors online, this puts you at significant
risk of buying unsafe or counterfeit glasses that won’t provide your
eyes with adequate protection.
• You shouldn’t be able to see anything through an authentic solar
filter except the sun or equally bright light, such as the reflection
of sunlight off a mirror.
• If you can see ordinary lights through your eclipse glasses or
handheld viewer, they aren’t safe and you are at a higher risk
of damaging your eyes.
• Check your solar filter or eclipse glasses for any damage before
using them. Any damage impacts the device’s ability to protect
you, so don’t use them if you see any scratches or dents.
• Never look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope or
binoculars, even with eclipse glasses. By design, these lens-based
devices intensify light rays, damaging the protective properties
of eclipse glasses and your eyes.
• Damage to your eyes from unsafely staring at an eclipse may not
happen until 4 to 12 hours after staring at the eclipse.
Your eyes and vision are precious and regardless of what is
happening in the sky, it is up to you to protect them.

When is the eclipse happening?
In Ontario, the solar eclipse is expected to start at 2:04 p.m. and last for about two and a half hours on Monday, April 8. Many parts of Ontario will experience a total eclipse (the sun is 100% blocked by the moon) at about 3:20 pm.
These times will vary by a few minutes depending where in Ontario you are located.

What is Solar Retinopathy?
The retina is the part of the eye that sends light signals to the brain so you can see. Without a healthy retina, you can’t see clearly. Staring at the eclipse can cause a condition called solar retinopathy, which is when solar radiation damages the eyes. It can even lead to permanent blind spots or distortions in your vision. This damage occurs when people underestimate the sun, thinking that an eclipse blocks enough of its light for it to be safe to look at.

What are the symptoms of eye damage caused from looking at an eclipse?
• Blurry vision
• A blind spot in your central vision in one or both eyes
• Distortion in which a straight line looks bent or a door frame looks curvy
• Changes in the way you see colour, known as “dyschromatopsia”
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Eye pain or grittiness

Eye floaters: Fast Facts

What exactly are eye floaters, and where do they come from?

• Eye floaters are also known as vitreous floaters and ‘flying flies’ because they float within the jelly-like vitreous humour that lies between the optic lens and the retina.
• The ability (or curse!) to see eye floaters is known as myodesopsia.
• Some people are born with floaters and they will usually have them for life.
• As we age, the once-transparent vitreous humour begins to develop imperfections and accumulate build-up in the form of minute particles. Vitreous humour cells can also begin to clump together in the aging process.
• It is these imperfections, clumps and tiny external objects that cause shadows to be projected onto the retina, where you see them as floaters.
• Floaters are considered both common and benign. Most people learn to live with floaters, or the floaters eventually go away on their own.

When floaters become severe

The Mayo Clinic states that it’s rare for eye floaters to cause serious vision impairment, however, it does happen. If floaters are causing problems in your life, it’s important to book an appointment for an optometrist visit right away, because sudden onset of floaters could be indicative of a serious condition such as a retinal tear or posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).

While floaters are often easily observed by an optometrist with the use of simple diagnostic tools like an ophthalmoscope or slit lamp, floaters may sometimes be difficult to observe depending on what position they’re in – even if the patient complains of their severity. That’s why a thorough examination by a specialist as opposed to a GP, is necessary.

Treatment options for floaters

Unfortunately, there are as of yet no medications or eye drops that will make floaters disappear. Currently, there are two recognized treatment options for severe floaters: surgery and laser techniques. Both are generally used only in the worst cases, as there are considerable risks involved. In the case of surgery, the vitreous humour is surgically removed and replaced with saline solution – but this may not permanently eradicate all floaters, and as well, there is a risk of intraocular bleeding, cataracts, and retinal tears.

With laser surgery, performed by an ophthalmologist, a laser is used to break up larger floaters so they become less noticeable. Not very frequently used, this surgery has the risk of human error if the laser is not aimed with sufficient accuracy, as well as conditions such as retinal detachment or macular edema.

While researchers continue to look into the problem of eye floaters and attempt to develop more effective solutions, it’s recommended not to be alarmed if you occasionally see a tiny floater or two; your brain will eventually learn to ignore them. If floaters have become a concern, please visit the Toronto Eye Care clinic for a comprehensive assessment to rule out more serious causes of the floaters you are seeing.

Eyeglass prescriptions are standardized worldwide

That’s great news if you find yourself stranded on vacation with damaged glasses – we recommend that you always carry a copy of your most current prescription in your wallet, so local opticians will be able to craft a new pair for you if necessary.

An eyeglass prescription can contain several different numbers – no wonder it’s confusing. For a person whose prescription is -4.50                   -0.75      x 90, here is what those numbers mean:

• The -4.50 describes the spherical refractive error, which is either farsightedness or nearsightedness. Because there is a negative sign in front of the 4.50, that means the person is nearsighted (quite nearsighted actually!). A plus sign would mean they are farsighted.
• This second number, -0.75, indicates the person has an astigmatism, which is a distortion in the shape of the cornea that causes blurred vision. Not everyone has astigmatism, of course, so if the number wasn’t there, you’d see some letters – DS or SPH – to indicate that there is no astigmatism.
• The last number relates back to the astigmatism. Because astigmatism causes the lens to be football- or somewhat cone-shaped as opposed to perfectly rounded, it is measured in degrees; in this case, the astigmatism has a 90-degree orientation.

Additional numbers and letters in an eyeglass prescription

We’ve just described what the numbers can look like for three of the most common types of refractive errors. However, some people have additional abnormalities that must be corrected to achieve perfect vision. These may be indicated by the following:

-An additional number followed by a symbol, such as 2^, indicates prism correction. Each eye can have several prism numbers depending on the prescription

-Near reading strength numbers for people requiring bifocals for reading. These numbers usually stay relatively low, beginning at +0.75 and ending around +3.00.

Finally, you may be wondering what OD and OS mean. OD refers to the right eye and OS means the left eye; if you have an identical prescription in both eyes, you might see the letters OU.

Confused after your regular eye exam?

If you usually leave the eye doctor wondering about elements of the prescription or unsure as to what vision care options are open to you, it might be time to get a second opinion. Toronto Eye Care offers comprehensive eye exams carried out by caring and experienced eye doctors, ophthalmic technicians and assistants. Each eye examination is customized depending on your age group, medical/visual history, and personal risk factors. We’ll get to the bottom of what is causing your vision concerns and provide accurate correction so you can see clearly again. Call to book your appointment today.

Understanding your eyeglass prescription

After your eye exam, the doctor hands you a small slip of paper covered with confusing numbers. You take it, without even looking at it, straight to your optician, who uses it to make your next pair of lenses. At no time do you understand any part of the process. Sound familiar? While you don’t really need to understand your eye prescription, in the sense that you don’t really need to understand how electricity works in order to use it…it’s definitely good to know what is going on with your eyes so you can track any changes, spot any mistakes, and understand what your prescription means to your day to day vision. Here, we’ll demystify the eyeglass prescription so you can finally know for sure what the numbers mean.

Eyeglass prescriptions are standardized worldwide

That’s great news if you find yourself stranded on vacation with damaged glasses – we recommend that you always carry a copy of your most current prescription in your wallet, so local opticians will be able to craft a new pair for you if necessary.

An eyeglass prescription can contain several different numbers – no wonder it’s confusing. For a person whose prescription is -4.50                   -0.75      x 90, here is what those numbers mean:

• The -4.50 describes the spherical refractive error, which is either farsightedness or nearsightedness. Because there is a negative sign in front of the 4.50, that means the person is nearsighted (quite nearsighted actually!). A plus sign would mean they are farsighted.
• This second number, -0.75, indicates the person has an astigmatism, which is a distortion in the shape of the cornea that causes blurred vision. Not everyone has astigmatism, of course, so if the number wasn’t there, you’d see some letters – DS or SPH – to indicate that there is no astigmatism.
• The last number relates back to the astigmatism. Because astigmatism causes the lens to be football- or somewhat cone-shaped as opposed to perfectly rounded, it is measured in degrees; in this case, the astigmatism has a 90-degree orientation.

Additional numbers and letters in an eyeglass prescription

We’ve just described what the numbers can look like for three of the most common types of refractive errors. However, some people have additional abnormalities that must be corrected to achieve perfect vision. These may be indicated by the following:

-An additional number followed by a symbol, such as 2^, indicates prism correction. Each eye can have several prism numbers depending on the prescription

-Near reading strength numbers for people requiring bifocals for reading. These numbers usually stay relatively low, beginning at +0.75 and ending around +3.00.

Finally, you may be wondering what OD and OS mean. OD refers to the right eye and OS means the left eye; if you have an identical prescription in both eyes, you might see the letters OU.

Confused after your regular eye exam?

If you usually leave the eye doctor wondering about elements of the prescription or unsure as to what vision care options are open to you, it might be time to get a second opinion. Toronto Eye Care offers comprehensive eye exams carried out by caring and experienced eye doctors, ophthalmic technicians and assistants. Each eye examination is customized depending on your age group, medical/visual history, and personal risk factors. We’ll get to the bottom of what is causing your vision concerns and provide accurate correction so you can see clearly again. Call to book your appointment today.

Why might I need prisms?

Sometimes, people who don’t necessarily have an underlying refractive error have eyes that tend to pull apart when they are called upon to focus. While this used to be colloquially known as ‘lazy eye’ or ‘wandering eye’, it is actually a condition wherein one eye wants to be dominant rather than working in concert with the other eye. Whether the submissive eye wanders up, down, to the left or to the right, it’s caused by a muscular imbalance; the dominant eye has become stronger while the other cannot stay focused on the task at hand. This muscular imbalance is known as a fixation disparity.

Where prisms come in to help relieve the symptoms of the imbalance is not so much by focusing the less dominant eye, but by tricking the brain into thinking both eyes are working together. Other than laser eye surgery, which can sometimes correct the need for prisms (but not always), prisms provide the most reliable relief from a fixation disparity. Sometimes the condition can be corrected by wearing contact lenses, but not all people who need prisms are good candidates for contacts.

How do prisms work?

Prisms work in eyeglasses by bending light in order to trick the brain into thinking that both eyes are focused on the same thing. This reduces eyestrain and doubled vision by aligning the two images properly so that people with a fixation disparity see things as they are, rather than as they look to two separately focused eyes. Prisms do the same job in eyeglasses that decorative ones do in windows: bend ordinary while light. In glasses, the prisms bend and bounce light in such a way that it effectively makes the eyes think they are pulling together.

A comprehensive eye exam can detect whether prisms are right for you

Among the many types of ocular and medical tests performed at Toronto Eye Care are tests to determine whether or not your vision is properly aligned. If it’s not, prisms can help bring your vision back into alignment and reduce your discomfort levels when reading and doing close work. In addition to binocular vision testing to determine whether you are seeing blurry or double, you can also expect a full diagnostic workup of tests that include:

• Refractive tests to determine degree of nearsightedness/farsightedness
• Corneal curvature and thickness tests to determine astigmatism and suitability for laser eye surgery
• Retinal scan to detect holes, tears and detachments
• Tests for diseases such as glaucoma and AMD
• Colour vision testing

And, of course, after the eye exam, you will not only receive a current eyeglass/contact lens prescription that can be filled at our convenient onsite dispensary, but also counselling, treatment and referrals to experts if necessary, who can provide a further medical plan of action.

If you’re wondering whether your problems focusing indicate a need for prisms, schedule an eye exam for professional advice.

What are toric lenses?

In order to understand what makes toric lenses different, it’s important to first understand what astigmatism is and how it affects the eye. Astigmatism is not an eye disease, but is one of the refractive errors of the eye preventing light rays from bending correctly for proper focus. It’s caused by a deviation, usually in the cornea, from the typical spherical shape that the cornea normally takes; instead of being symmetrically round, the cornea is more cone or football-shaped. Many people with the condition may simply assume that their blurred or distorted vision is just part of their near-sighted or far-sighted prescription but astigmatism is actually another error which compounds their visual dysfunction.

A toric contact lens is a custom designed and shaped to conform to the eye and correct the astigmatism. Its unique shape creates different light-refracting powers on the vertical and horizontal planes of the lens to accommodate the differently-shaped cornea of patients with astigmatism, and thus properly correct the person’s vision. Simply increasing the power of your regular contact lens to correct the astigmatism is generally ineffective and a potential source of even greater eye strain.

How to find the right toric contact lenses for you

The experienced optometrists at Toronto Eye Care are toric contact lens experts and will help you choose the appropriate contact lenses that are the right power and fit for your eyes. Our specialized contact lens examinations will also advise you on the proper insertion, removal and care techniques to ensure optimal performance. Yes, this process involves more effort than clicking online but specialized contact lenses require professional care and attention.

If you suspect that your current contact lenses are underperforming, or if you have an astigmatism and are considering going from glasses to contacts, consult with one of our eye doctors for professional care that makes a difference. To book your personalized consultation, call us or send an email to contactlenses@torontoeyecare.com.

Our Eye Doctors can provide early detection of eye diseases like AMD

For patients who have spent a lifetime in glasses or contact lenses, changes to vision are sometimes dismissed; is it just the relentless progression of myopia, or perhaps a worsening astigmatism that’s making everything blurry? Accepting changes in vision as we age, without taking action, can be dangerous because vision loss could be symptomatic of a condition like age-related macular degeneration. A visit to Toronto Eye Care can discern the true reasons behind the vision loss. Our experienced eye doctors will perform a variety of diagnostic tests to confirm diagnosis and then recommend a customized treatment plan to reduce your risk of progression.

5 ways a optometrist can assist macular degeneration patients

The ‘dry’ form of macular degeneration has treatment options which include lifestyle changes and evidence based supplements.The more serious form or ‘wet’ AMD – has seen significant advances in new clinical treatments Here are some of the ways your we can help if you have already been diagnosed with AMD.

1. Monitor Disease Progression

Depending on pigment abnormalities in the retina and the number and size of drusen (tiny white spots under the retina) your optometrist can note the progression of the disease and estimate its trajectory, and help you plan for the future.

2. Refer to a Retina Specialist When Necessary

If patients progress to WetAMD then a referral to a retina specialist is necessary to administer eye injections that block the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye . As eye care leaders in downtown Toronto since 1993, we work closely with a network of the best retina specialists located in all the major hospitals.

3. Optimized Eyeglasses Prescription

Patients with AMD can often benefit from stronger prescription eyeglasses, especially for reading fine print.

4. Dry AMD Age Related Eye Disease Study Vitamin Supplements

Studies suggest it may be possible to slow the advancement of the ‘dry’ form of the disease by taking the AREDS 2 formulation (vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, zinc and zeaxanthin). For more information, please book an appointment with one of our doctors.

5. Lifestyle Changes

Studies suggest that following a certain type of diet that includes plenty of dark leafy greens, fish and colorful fruits and vegetables, and not much saturated fat or processed foods is also good for eye health. Other lifestyle adjustments will include lowering cholesterol, maintaining a healthy body weight, protecting the eyes from harmful UV rays, and not smoking.

If you have concerns about your vision and whether you are doing all you can to protect it, please book an appointment with our clinic today.