February 20th, 2012
My job as an Ophthalmologist is to preserve people’s vision. Part of that job is educating others so they know what symptoms are truly eye emergencies. One of these emergencies is Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). It is a disease that can cause sudden, painless loss of vision loss. However, if identified early and treated appropriately, vision loss can be avoided.
GCA is a type of vasculitis (an inflammation of blood vessels). The typical patient is a White female, 50 years and older. 5-15% of patients with GCA also have polymyalgia rheumatic (PMR) and have muscle and joint pain.
What symptoms should to be aware of? The most common symptom is a new headache, usually in the area of the temples. There also may be tenderness in this temporal area or while combing your hair. Some also experience jaw pain while chewing or have flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss).
If this vasculitis affects the blood vessels of the eye, it can cause blurred vision, double vision, or actual blindness. Unfortunately, irreversible loss of vision in GCA can occur suddenly. However, if symptoms are identified early, then this complication can be prevented if treatment is quickly and appropriately started.
Again, the key to avoiding irreversible vision loss is identifying the symptoms early. If you experience any of these symptoms, please let us help you at Lakeshore Eye Care so an appropriate evaluation can be done!
Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto
Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto in a M.D./Ophthalmologist practicing with Dr. Martha Jay and Dr. Mark German at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals. They provide comprehensive medical and surgical eye care for patients of all ages. Offices in Mequon and Saukville, Wisconsin.
Visit www.LakeShoreVision.com for more information about related eye care topics.
Call 262-241-1919 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
Posted in Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto's Blogs, General Eye Care, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
February 14th, 2012
There are two types of eye doctors: Optometrists and Ophthalmologists. Both do comprehensive eye examinations, prescribe glasses and screen for eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts. The difference is that an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor and a surgeon. If you have a medical or surgical eye problem, then you should schedule with one of our ophthalmologists (Dr. Martha Jay or Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto). If you have relatively healthy eyes and want to be sure you are seeing as well as possible, then our optometrist (me) is a better choice.
I have been practicing optometry for 25 years. In that time, I have seen just about every eye problem out there. While I specialize in contact lens fitting and general eye examinations, I also do annual screenings for diabetic eye disease and other medical eye problems. I joined Lakeshore Eye Care in 2000.
Why see me instead of Dr. Jay or Cueto? The main reason is convenience, especially if you wear contact lenses. You can usually schedule an appointment with me relatively quickly and you spend less time in the office. This is because our ophthalmologists’ patients generally are here for surgery or complex medical problems.
So not everyone needs to see an eye surgeon for their care. By scheduling with me, you will be seen faster and still benefit from the excellent quality of care provided at Lakeshore Eye Care.
Dr. Mark German is an optometrist practicing at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals in Mequon and Saukville, Wisconsin. He specializes in hard-to-fit contact lens patients and comprehensive eye care. Dr. German welcomes patients of all ages into his practice.
For more information about eye care topics, visit www.LakeShoreVision.com or call 262-241-1919.
Posted in Dr. Mark German's Blogs, General Eye Care, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
February 7th, 2012
At the beginning of every year we get calls requesting that we “forgive” insurance co-payments. Some ask nicely, others are pretty insistent. Just to save our billing staff from another call on this subject, let me explain what co-payments are and how they function as part of your health insurance plan.
Co-payments are designed to decrease usage of health care services by giving the patient some ownership of the cost of the visit. Often patients are given the option of lower premiums at the cost of higher co-payments. Every time co-payments go up, the amount paid to the doctor directly by the insurance company goes down.
If we ‘forgive” a co-payment, it is actually insurance fraud. We have contracts with most major insurance companies stating what our compensation will be for specific examinations, testing and surgical procedures. If the patient is required to pay 20% of that or a certain dollar amount and we “forgive’ it, there are several consequences.
Martha F. Jay, Ph.D., M.D.
First, we are not receiving that portion of our fees that the co-payment represents. Second, the fraud part is because the insurance company assumes the co-payment was made so reduces the patient’s remaining amount for the rest of the year. Third, if reported to the insurance company then we are stating that our fees are less than the contracted amount so further payments are reduced.
So as much as we would like to “forgive and forget”, it is not so simple!
Dr. Martha Jay is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist (Eye Physician Surgeon) who stared Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals in 1992 after completing her Ophthalmology training at Northwestern University in Chicago. She and her colleagues, Dr. Mark German and Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto, are proud to be providing the latest in medical and surgical eye care in an independent medical practice.
Specializing in small incision cataract surgery with premium lens implants; blade-free iLASIK Vision Correction; Glaucoma care; Macular degeneration treatment; dry eye options and much more.
Call 262-241-1919 for more information or appointments.
Visit www.LakeShoreVision.com to find our Eye Care Blog and sections on many common eye conditions.
Posted in Dr. Martha Jay's Blogs, General Eye Care, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
January 30th, 2012
Shingles are very common in those over age 50. In fact, 25% of adults will have an episode of shingles during their lifetime. The older you get, the more severe the symptoms can be. The most common location for shingles is around the trunk but the facial area is the second most common site.
What are shingles? The symptoms start with pain or burning in a localized area. If it is on the face, commonly the symptoms begin in the scalp or on the forehead of one side. Later, vesicles start to appear. It comes from the chicken pox virus that has been dormant in the nervous system since childhood. As you age, your immunity decreases and the virus re-expresses itself.
Treatment generally involves oral anti-viral medication. If you suspect you have shingles, your first stop should be with your primary care physician. If they determine that the eye may be involved, they will refer you for an eye evaluation.
The most serious eye complication from shingles is an inflammation inside the eye called iritis. This is treated with topical steroid drops but needs to be detected early to prevent vision loss. You are more likely to have eye problems with shingles if you have vesicles on the tip of your nose (Hutchinson’s sign) as the same nerve serves the eye as the end of the nose.
There is a shingles vaccine now available which decreases your chances of getting the condition by 50% – ask your primary doctor about that. And remember that we are available to help should the need present itself.
Dr. Mark German is an Optometrist practicing at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals in Mequon and Saukville, Wisconsin.
For appointments, Call 262-241-1919.
Visit www.LakeShoreVision.com for more information about medical and surgical eye care.
Posted in Dr. Mark German's Blogs, General Eye Care, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2012
You just had cataract surgery and are using eye drops up to four times per day for a few weeks. The surgery was a breeze and you see great. You might wonder why you should bother with the drops. THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
Why? Eye surgery causes inflammation in the eye. This is sort of like arthritis of the eye and needs to be treated with steroids and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drops. That takes two kinds of eye drops. The steroid probably has a pink top and the non-steroidal drop may have a grey top. Without them, you could experience leakage of the blood vessels in the back of the eye resulting in swelling of the retina and late-onset blurred vision. This is called “macular edema” and it is very hard to treat once it starts.
The third type of drop in an antibiotic. Even though you cannot see it, we have made a very small 2.4 mm opening in the side of your eye for the surgery. It takes several weeks after surgery for this incision to become completely sealed. During that time, you are at a higher risk of an infection getting into the eye. This can lead to a very severe and potentially blinding condition called endophthalmitis.
Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto
SO, we are not just trying to fill up your time! We really want you to use the eye drops as directed. And don’t forget to wash you hands before putting in the drops. We are just a phone call away should you have further questions about cataract surgery without shots, patches or stitches. Also ask about bifocal-like implants or those for astigmatism.
Dr. Josephine-Liezl is an Eye Physician and Surgeon (Ophthalmologist) practicing at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals with Dr. Martha Jay and Dr. Mark German. She specializes in medical and surgical eye care such as cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, macular degeneration, dry eyes and much more.
To schedule an appointment, call 262-241-1919.
Be sure to visit www.LakeShoreVision.com for more eye care information.
Posted in Cataracts: Symptoms and Treatment, Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto's Blogs, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
January 17th, 2012
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month so reading this column is a good start! Glaucoma is an eye condition caused by damage to the optic nerve in the back of the eye. It is often but not always associated with increased eye pressure. The optic nerve carries information from your eye to your brain. If it is damaged then irreversible vision loss may occur. Unfortunately, glaucoma has no symptoms until up to 40% of vision has been lost.
Over 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma but up to 50% are unaware of it. Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness but first the appropriate diagnosis must be made. It is treated with eye drops, lasers and sometimes surgery. Glaucoma risk goes up with age; if a family member has the condition; and in those with diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
How is it diagnosed? This requires regular complete eye examinations with dilating drops at least every one to two years. As noted above, eye pressure is not always elevated so eye pressure checks at Health Fairs are not adequate. The dilation part of the exam is to look at the optic nerve. If the eye pressure or optic nerve are abnormal, extra testing is indicated to assess side vision and to digitize the optic nerve appearance to be able to check for changes over time.
Don’t become a statistic! Call for your complete eye examination today if you have been neglecting this aspect of your health care.
Visit www.LakeShoreVision.com for more information.
Call 262-241-1919 for appointments.
Dr. Martha Jay is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist practicing since 1992 in Mequon and Saukville, Wisconsin. She received her ophthalmology training at Northwestern University in Chicago and now specialized in medical and surgical eye care.
Posted in Dr. Martha Jay's Blogs, Glaucoma: Diagnosis and Treatment, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
January 12th, 2012
We are all busy people so it may seem logical to save time and trouble by sleeping in your contact lenses. Some brands even promote this practice. You may even have done it for years without problems but now is the time to stop. You risk a severe corneal infection called a corneal ulcer.
The cornea is the clear front part of your eye. It has no blood supply so must rely on the tear film for oxygen. When you sleep in contacts not only are you depriving your eyes of oxygen by having your eyes closed, the plastic of the contacts act as an added barrier. The result is a decreased ability to fight off infections and a possible corneal ulcer.
A corneal ulcer is a very painful penetrating infection on the surface of the eye. The symptoms are pain, blurred vision, redness and light sensitivity. Once managed with strong antibiotic drops, they may leave a permanent scar on the surface of the eye. These types of infections are rarely seen in healthy people unless they sleep in their contact lenses.
If you do not want to give up the ease of seeing well first thing in the morning, you might want to consider LASIK vision correction. That way you can simplify your life even more by completely eliminating the contacts! Our Dr. Martha Jay is an expert blade-free LASIK surgeon, call to have a screening exam with her to see if LASIK is a possibility for you.
In the mean time, slow down – take those contacts our every night. Your cornea will be much happier and so will you.
Dr. Mark German practices at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals with offices in Mequon and Saukville, Wisconsin. For more eye care information visit www.LakeShoreVision.com or call 262-241-1919.
Posted in Contacts Lens Options, Dr. Mark German's Blogs, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
December 27th, 2011
OK, admit it. You don’t really know what a cataract is. But if you are in the “senior” category, your friends may have had cataract surgery and tell you there’s not much to it. So read on to see what may be in store for you.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens located in the front part of your eye behind the pupil. The process starts in your 40′s when you begin needing bifocals or reading glasses to see close-up. What’s happening is the protein in the lens is degenerating, causing it to loose the ability to change shape which impairs your focusing capacity.
Later on, the protein in the lens begins to change color and that’s when a cataract develops. Symptoms include problems driving at night due to glare and halos, blurred distance vision or blurred reading vision. If your vision change is abrupt, like overnight, then something more serious may be occurring and you need an immediate eye examination.
Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto
At Lakeshore Eye Care, cataract surgery is pain-free and generally takes about 10 minutes. There’s usually no need for shots, stitches or patches. Afterwards, eye drops are used for several weeks. While you can bend over after surgery now, rubbing the eyes or swimming is discouraged for several weeks.
The only way to tell for sure if you have a cataract is with a complete eye examination. Give us a call and we will be glad to arrange one for you.
Dr. Cueto is an Ophthalmologist specializing in medical and surgical eye care. Her colleagues at Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals are Dr. Martha Jay and Dr. Mark German.
For more information about other eye care topics and Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals,
visit www.LakeShoreVision.com or call 262-241-1919.
Posted in Cataracts: Symptoms and Treatment, Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto's Blogs | No Comments »
December 27th, 2011
Do your eyes sting and burn at times? Do they feel gritty? Do you have excessive tearing? Have these symptoms become even worse over these past few winter months? If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, you may have dry eyes. Do not worry…you are not alone. About 59 million Americans suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome. Of this population, about 75% are over the age of 65. The symptoms are worse in the winter; when you are out in the wind; or after reading or using your eyes intently for a long time.
To help alleviate some of the symptoms of dry eyes, our first line of treatment is tear replacement with over-the-counter artificial tears. Do not be intimidated by the wide variety of tears to choose from on the store shelves. You may have to try a few of them to find your preferred choice. If that does not work, we can try punctal plugs to block the tears you have from leaving the eye. These tiny “corks” can be placed easily in the office and are often quite successful. Another route is the use of prescription drops such as Restasis that change the quality of your tears so they coat the eye more effectively.
Martha F. Jay, Ph.D., M.D.
Don’t try to diagnose yourself, however. If you think you have some of the symptoms above you should schedule a comprehensive eye examination. We will thoroughly evaluate your eyes and your vision and determine the appropriate remedy for your situation. We can help – don’t let dry eyes defeat you!
See www.LakeShoreVision.com for more information about dry eyes and other common eye problems.
Call 262-241-1919 for appointments other other questions.
Dr. Martha Jay is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist specializing in medical and surgical eye care such as iLASIK (blade-free LASIK) and small incision cataract surgery with premium lens implants. She trained in Ophthalmology at Northwestern University in Chicago and founded Lakeshore Eye Care Professionals in 1992.
Posted in Dr. Martha Jay's Blogs, Dry Eye Syndrome, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
December 19th, 2011
Were you naughty or nice this year? St. Nick already passed judgment but your eyes may have another opinion. If you haven’t already heard enough reasons to quit smoking, consider macular degeneration. There are two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet. The dry type is usually quite mild. The wet type is another story – you may loose your central vision and along with that your ability to read or drive. Your chance of converting to the aggressive wet form is more likely if you are a smoker.
While there are treatments for macular degeneration, avoiding the condition is still the best course. A recent National Institute of Health study showed that certain high dose nutritional supplements were effective in decreasing the progression of macular degeneration by one-quarter. These supplements are combined in an over-the-counter product that states “AREDS formula” on the label.
Unfortunately, smokers increase their risk of lung cancer if they use beta-carotene which is part of the AREDS formula. This means that not only are smokers at a higher risk of developing severe macular degeneration in the first place, they cannot take the studied and recommended supplements to slow progression of the disease.
Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto
The bottom line is really quit smoking this time if you value your vision! Consult your primary care physician for strategies to make this New Years resolution successful for you and your eyes.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 262-241-1919.
To learn more about macular degeneration and other eye conditions, be sure to visit our web site at www.LakeShoreVision.com
We have two offices in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin: Mequon and Saukville.
Posted in Dr. Josephine-Liezl Cueto's Blogs, General Eye Care, Medical and Surgical Eye Care, Our Doctor's Blogs | No Comments »
If this vasculitis affects the blood vessels of the eye, it can cause blurred vision, double vision, or actual blindness. Unfortunately, irreversible loss of vision in GCA can occur suddenly. However, if symptoms are identified early, then this complication can be prevented if treatment is quickly and appropriately started.
