OPT-ISM Eye Care Blog
Helpful eye care tips, vision education, and modern optometry insights from OPTISM in Tampa, FL.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited retinal diseases that can gradually affect night vision, peripheral vision, and eventually central vision. Learn the common symptoms, how RP is diagnosed, available treatments, and why genetic testing and regular eye exams are important.

Amblyopia is more than just a “lazy eye.” Learn the different types of amblyopia—including refractive, anisometropic, strabismic, deprivation, meridional, bilateral, and mixed amblyopia—and how each affects a child’s developing vision.

A practical clinical guide to pediatric myopia management for optometrists. Learn how to interpret axial length, monitor annual progression, fit MiSight lenses, select atropine concentrations, evaluate ortho-K topography, identify treatment failure, consider combination therapy, and establish effective follow-up intervals.

Photochromic lenses are a convenient lens upgrade that automatically darkens outdoors and clears indoors. They offer UV protection and comfort, but they may not fully replace polarized sunglasses, especially for driving.

MiSight 1 day is an FDA-approved soft contact lens designed to both correct childhood myopia and slow its progression. This clinical guide walks optometrists through patient selection, baseline testing, lens fitting, axial-length monitoring, follow-up intervals, troubleshooting, and treatment-response decisions—from the first consultation through long-term management.

Modern myopia management requires more than monitoring a child’s spectacle prescription. This clinician-focused guide reviews how optometrists can interpret axial elongation, establish treatment targets, fit MiSight contact lenses, select low-dose atropine concentrations, evaluate orthokeratology topography, identify inadequate treatment response, consider combination therapy, and establish appropriate follow-up intervals.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, often becomes stronger as children grow. Modern myopia-control treatments are designed not only to help children see clearly today, but also to slow the eye growth that causes their prescription to worsen over time.

Eye coloboma is a congenital condition caused by incomplete closure of the embryonic fissure during early eye development. This clinician-focused guide reviews the embryology, common clinical types, OCT findings, retinal detachment risk, differential diagnosis, systemic associations, and practical management strategies for eye doctors.

RGP lenses can provide sharp, stable vision for patients with astigmatism, keratoconus, and irregular corneas. Learn how eye doctors evaluate lens movement, fluorescein patterns, comfort, and corneal health during an RGP fitting.

Have FSA or HSA funds available? Learn how you may be able to use them for eye exams, prescription glasses, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses, and medical eye care.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome affects connective tissue throughout the body, including parts of the eye. Here’s what patients should know about vision changes, dry eye, corneal problems, and warning signs.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare nerve condition that can affect more than the arms and legs. In some patients, it can cause double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble moving the eyes, and dry eye from poor blinking. Here’s what patients should know about the eye-related warning signs.

Pituitary tumors are common and usually benign, but macroadenomas can compress the optic chiasm and cause bitemporal visual field loss. This clinical guide reviews eye findings, testing, referral signs, and management considerations

Pituitary tumors are usually benign, but they can affect side vision when they press on the optic nerves. Learn the symptoms, how common they are, and why an eye exam can help detect early warning signs.

An altitudinal visual field defect means the top or bottom part of vision is missing. This pattern often respects the horizontal midline and may point toward disease in the eye, retina, or optic nerve. Brain-related visual field defects more often respect the vertical midline, making the pattern of vision loss an important diagnostic clue.

Altitudinal visual field defects often respect the horizontal meridian and commonly localize to the retina, retinal nerve fiber layer, or optic nerve. In contrast, chiasmal and retrochiasmal lesions often respect the vertical meridian. This clinical guide reviews localization, differential diagnosis, artifacts, and urgent red flags for doctors interpreting visual fields.

Amblyopia, often called lazy eye, happens when the brain does not fully learn to use one eye clearly during childhood. Early treatment with glasses, patching, drops, or binocular vision therapy can make a major difference in long-term vision.

If your eyes water all day but still feel dry, you may have tear film instability or meibomian gland dysfunction. Learn why dry eye can trigger reflex tearing and how treatment can help restore comfort.

A cover test is a simple but powerful eye alignment test that helps detect hidden or visible eye turns. Learn what eso, exo, hyper, tropia, and phoria mean during an eye exam.

Horner’s syndrome can cause a smaller pupil, mild droopy eyelid, and sometimes a lighter-colored iris when present from birth. Learn how optometrists compare acquired Horner’s syndrome with congenital Horner’s syndrome, what red flags require urgent evaluation, and why pediatric cases need careful monitoring for vision development.