Healthy Eyes 101

Billions of people around the world can see more clearly because of eyeglasses. To help us learn about glasses and the latest in lens technology, Dr. Suh interviews Kara Jones, a licensed optician with Comprehensive EyeCare.

We discuss the importance of the measurements performed on your eyes. The various types of lenses can be confusing – single vision, bifocals, trifocals, progressive, no-line bifocals, etc. Lens materials are imp...

Side effects from medications are common. What may not be common knowledge is that there are systemic medications that can affect the eyes. For example, anti-hypertensive medications and some psychiatric medications are known to exacerbate dry eyes. Some oral medications can also adversely affect the retina, the delicate tissue inside the eye that receives the visual information.  

One of the most commonly used medications that can ...

Angle-closure, or narrow-angle, glaucoma is the other major type of glaucoma that can afflict patients. Fluid inside of the eye drains in the trabecular meshwork, the space between the cornea and the iris. When this space, or angle, narrows down, the trabecular meshwork can get blocked, which can cause the eye pressure to rise and increase the risk of glaucoma. In this episode, Dr. Wendy Kirkland explains all aspects of angle-closu...

Ophthalmic, or visual, migraines are a common reason for urgent visits to the eye doctor. In this episode, Dr. Suh interviews Dr. Vin Hoye, a neuro-ophthalmologist, about this condition. He will discuss the various images that people can see when they are experiencing the migraine aura, which may or may not be followed by the classic headache. There are certain foods and risk factors that may trigger migraines. We will discuss the ...

The treatment of glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, involves lowering the eye pressure. In previous episodes, we discussed glaucoma medications and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries, or MIGS. Dr. Megan Chambers, a glaucoma specialist from Ophthalmic Surgeons & Consultants of Ohio, will be discussing the use of lasers and more traditional surgeries to help lower eye pressure in the quest to halt t...

In this special 20th episode, Dr. Suh talks with Dr. Jim Caudill, an ophthalmologist from Charleston, West Virginia, about their work with Medical Ministry International (MMI), a Christian medical mission group whose volunteers participate in one- and two-week projects to developing nations.

Several of the leading causes of visual impairment in the world are preventable or treatable.  People with uncorrected refractive err...

Diabetes mellitus can affect the eyes in multiple ways. Even early in the diagnosis, high blood sugar levels can cause changes in the natural lens of the eye that can alter one’s refractive error (glasses prescription). Diabetes can also lead to earlier cataract formation. On this episode of the Healthy Eyes 101 podcast, Dr. Lisa Borkowski, a specialist with Midwest Retina, talks about diabetic retinopathy, one of the leading cause...

Refractive eye surgery involves changing the refractive state of the eye to decrease one’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The first corneal refractive surgical procedure developed was radial keratotomy (RK). Corneal instability and progressive shifting of the refraction (glasses prescription) made this surgery obsolete. 

LASIK (Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) and PRK (PhotoRefractive Keratectomy) use the excimer las...

Oculoplastic specialist, Dr. Kenneth Cahill, joins Dr. Suh to discuss a bothersome condition – epiphora, the medical term for watering eyes. Why does excessive tearing occur and what we can do about it? Blocked tear ducts are a major cause of chronic watering.  

Causes of excessive watering

• Overproduction of tears
• Abnormalities of the eyelids (ectropion (outward turning of the lower lid), entropion (in-turning of the low...

On this episode Dr. George Chioran and Dr. Steven Suh answer the most common patient questions that are asked about cataracts and cataract surgery. 

• What is a cataract and why do they occur? 
• What symptoms do people with cataracts have? 
• What are some other options before proceeding with surgery? 
• How do the surgeon and the patient decide when the time is right for surgery? 
• What do you tell patients who are going to have cataract s...

Dr. Ashley San Filippo returns to the Healthy Eyes 101 podcast to discuss MIGS (Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery), a relatively new category of glaucoma procedures that have advantages over traditional glaucoma surgeries.

Lowering eye pressure is the major goal of glaucoma treatment since this disease is not curable. Medicated eye drops, laser surgery, and traditional surgery are various ways to treat glaucoma. If patients are on...

In this episode Dr. Suh interviews Dr. Chirag Patel,  a retina specialist, about two conditions that can affect central vision - macula puckers and macular holes. 

Patients with a macular pucker (also called epiretinal membrane, epimacular membrane, cellophane maculopathy, and surface wrinkling retinopathy) will have symptoms of distortion or blurred vision that does not go away. A pseudohole is a variant of a macular pucker that lo...

Dr. Karl Pappa, a glaucoma specialist, joins Dr. Suh on this episode to discuss all aspects of glaucoma medications. Glaucoma, a disease of the optic nerve, is thought to be worsened by increased eye pressure. The goal of treatment, whether it be with eye drops, laser or surgery, is to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP).

Categories of Glaucoma Medications

• Prostaglandin analogs
  • Xalatan (latanoprost), Lumigan (bimatoprost), Tr...

Retina specialist, Dr. Dominic Buzzacco, joins Dr. Suh to talk about age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the most common causes of central vision loss in people over 50. People with early AMD will notice distortion, blurred vision, a blind spot, or, sometimes, nothing.

Risk factors include:

• Age over age 50
• Caucasian
• Smoking
• Family history (a first-degree relative increases the risk seven-fold)
• Light-colored irises
• Uncontrol...

Dr. Sugat Patel, a retina specialist, joins Dr. Suh to discuss retinal detachments (RD), a potentially sight-threatening condition. Around 5 in 100,000 people per year will develop a retinal detachment.

A posterior vitreous detachment, separation of the liquefied vitreous gel from the retina, will occur eventually in most people. It is a major cause of flashes of light or floaters in the vision. Sometimes this may also lea...

In this tenth episode, Dr. Suh takes a departure from his usual format to interview his ophthalmology residency director and chairman, Dr. John Barber, about the three books he has written since retirement. 

His first book, The Joy of Medical Practice: Forty Years of Interesting Patients, is about the many interesting patients he has encountered from his medical school years to his last years in practice.

In his second book, Hey, Doc...

Dr. George Chioran returns to the Healthy Eyes 101 podcast to talk about a common reason for urgent visits to the eye doctor’s office – flashes and floaters.  He will be describing the different reasons why people may see flashing lights. We will then talk about the causes and risk factors for floaters and why it is important for you to be seen quickly for a dilated eye examination.  We will end by discussing various treatments for...

On this special episode, Dr. Steven Suh and practice administrator, Laura Kunze, discuss the new procedures and protocols to ensure patient safety during their eye exam to minimize the risk of potentially spreading the coronavirus during this historic pandemic. 

Please understand that this episode came out in early June of 2020 so these rules may have changed by the time you have listened to this. 

Before the day of the appointment, ...

In this episode Dr. Steven Suh interviews Dr. Katie Wulff, an optometrist, about a specialty gas-permeable contact lens called scleral lenses. Some people have abnormal corneal curvatures and irregularities which make it difficult for them to see even with glasses or soft contact lenses. Stephen Curry, an NBA star with the Golden State Warriors, wears scleral lenses because of his corneal condition called keratoconus. 

Rigid gas-per...