Author:

Courtney Dryer

I’m a North Carolina-based optician, and I’m a 2011 graduate of the Southern College of Optometry. I’m the owner of Autarchic Spec Shop. I consult with new graduate optometrists on start-up practices, and I contribute regularly to Invision Magazine and other industry publications. I was featured in Women in Optometry and named a Rising Star. I was also named one of the ‘most influential women in optical’ by Vision Monday.

Monovision vs Multifocal Contacts: Which Is Best for You?

Written By Courtney Dryer

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When it comes to monovision vs multifocal contacts, which should you choose? It all depends on your eye needs. Multifocal contact lenses have different powers within a single lens to allow you to see at various distances. Typically, multifocal lenses allow the patient to see at distant, intermediate, and near ranges with the same lens.

Multifocal contact lenses are designed with a gradual transition between the powers and perform similarly to progressive addition lenses (PAL). Multifocal lenses are available in soft and hard lens designs and different modalities, from daily to monthly options.

Blepharitis Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment Options

Written By Courtney Dryer

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Do your eyelids ever look red, feel sticky, or sore? Do you have a constant itch in the corner of the eye that you just can’t scratch? Maybe it feels even worse when you wake up in the morning. You may be one of the estimated 25 million Americans who suffer from blepharitis. Here’s what to know about blepharitis symptoms, causes, and treatment options.

Lazy Eye: Can It Be Treated?

Written By Courtney Dryer

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Lazy eye is misunderstood. What does having one really mean?

A true “lazy eye” is not an eye that is fatigued or has a high corrective prescription. The definition is an eye with reduced vision due to abnormal visual development.

Individuals with lazy eye depend heavily on their normal eye to see, while the weaker (amblyopic) eye will worsen over time from a lack of stimulation from the brain. Why is an eye considered lazy?

Lazy eye presents in only 3 out of 100 children. However, it is the leading cause of decreased vision in children. Also, understand that you are born with lazy eye. You cannot develop it later in life.

Gritty Eyes: What Are the Top Causes and Treatment Options?

Written By Courtney Dryer

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Do you ever feel like you have gritty eyes? Or, do they feel sandy? Do they burn? Does it feel like a foreign body or an eyelash is in them at the end of the day? These symptoms are often due to dry eye disease.

It is estimated that dry eye affects nearly 1 in 5 Americans.

What to Expect with Cataract Surgery

Written By Courtney Dryer

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In the U.S., there were 24.4 million cases of cataracts in 2010, and the number is expected to double to 50 million by 2050, according to the National Eye Institute.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens inside the eye which leads to a decline in vision. Aging is the most common reason for a cataract, but other factors include disease, trauma, and certain medications. Most cataracts grow slowly over decades, but some may progress more quickly.

The crystalline lens is the structure located in the middle of the eye, in front of the retina, but behind the iris (colored part). All light that enters the eye goes through the cornea and the lens to get to the retina. If a cataract is affecting the lens, distorted vision is the result. Glasses and contacts are unable to correct the vision until the cataract is removed.