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

PRK offers laser vision correction without creating a corneal flap. Although healing takes longer than LASIK, it may be preferred for certain corneas, occupations, and active lifestyles.

Giant cell arteritis, also called temporal arteritis, is a serious inflammatory condition that can cause headaches, jaw pain, scalp tenderness, and sudden vision loss. Learn the warning signs and why early treatment is critical.

A pigment epithelial detachment, or PED, is a finding on retinal imaging, while central serous retinopathy is a disease process that can cause fluid under the retina. Here’s how they compare.

Central serous retinopathy occurs when fluid builds up under the retina, often causing blurry or distorted central vision. Learn how stress, cortisol, steroid use, and Type A personality traits may contribute to this condition.

Before LASIK, radial keratotomy used spoke-like corneal incisions to reduce nearsightedness. Although many patients initially achieved clearer distance vision, RK can cause prescription changes, irregular astigmatism, glare, and fluctuating vision decades later.

An epiretinal membrane, also called a macular pucker, is a thin layer of scar-like tissue that forms over the macula and can cause blurry or distorted central vision. Learn how eye doctors detect it, monitor it, and when treatment may be needed.

Multiple sclerosis can affect the eyes by causing optic neuritis, double vision, shaky vision, poor eye tracking, and trouble with color or contrast. Learn the early signs and when to schedule an eye exam.

A rapidly growing red bump on your eye may be a pyogenic granuloma. Discover why these benign vascular growths develop, how eye doctors diagnose them, and which treatments can help.

Thinking about LASIK but still wearing contact lenses every day? Overwearing contacts can temporarily distort the cornea, worsen dry eye, and make LASIK measurements less reliable. Before moving forward with laser vision correction, your eye doctor needs to make sure your cornea is clear, healthy, and stable.

Different lens tint colors can improve comfort, reduce glare, and enhance contrast for specific activities like driving, golf, fishing, sports, and computer work. Here’s how to choose the best tint for your lifestyle

A quick-reference guide for optometrists covering orbital blowout fracture symptoms, trauma exam essentials, entrapment warning signs, CT findings, red flags, and urgent referral decisions.

A practical guide for optometrists on recognizing orbital blowout fractures, evaluating diplopia and motility restriction, identifying entrapment and emergency red flags, and knowing when urgent referral is needed.

Pachymetry is a quick, painless test that measures corneal thickness. It plays an important role in glaucoma risk assessment and eye-pressure interpretation, while also helping evaluate keratoconus, corneal swelling, and refractive surgery candidates.

Gonioscopy allows your eye doctor to examine and measure the eye’s drainage angles. Learn how the test identifies narrow or closed angles, evaluates glaucoma risk, and reveals important angle structures.

Isolated mid-peripheral retinal hemorrhages are an important retinal clue to ocular ischemic syndrome and severe carotid artery disease. This clinician-focused review explains the characteristic fundus findings, how to differentiate OIS from retinal vein occlusions and diabetic retinopathy, and why prompt carotid evaluation can preserve vision and reduce stroke risk.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetically diverse group of rod-cone dystrophies that requires more than recognition of classic bone-spicule pigmentation. This clinical guide reviews OCT, fundus autofluorescence, visual fields, ERG, genetic testing, treatable complications, referral considerations, and practical follow-up for optometrists.

Astigmatism is a common vision condition that can make objects look blurry, stretched, shadowed, or distorted. This patient-friendly guide explains what astigmatism is, why it can cause night glare, how glasses and toric contacts help, and which common myths patients should stop worrying about.

If your contact lenses suddenly feel uncomfortable or your eyes are itchy with stringy mucus, giant papillary conjunctivitis may be the cause. Here’s what to know.

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.