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

Your eyes create four reflections of light called Purkinje images. Learn how these tiny reflections reveal important information about the cornea, crystalline lens, and eye movements, then test your knowledge with five questions.

Eyelid contact dermatitis can cause red, itchy, dry, swollen, or flaky skin around the eyes. Learn why makeup, skin care products, eye drops, nail products, and allergens can trigger eyelid irritation.

Test your clinical knowledge of ocular herpes with this 10-question quiz comparing herpes simplex virus and herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Review key differences in corneal findings, Hutchinson’s sign, antiviral treatment, complications, and management.

Human color vision begins when light enters the eye, reaches the retina, and activates specialized cone cells. Your brain then combines those signals to create the colorful world you see every day.

Preseptal cellulitis or orbital cellulitis? This clinical cheat sheet helps eye care providers recognize key differences, identify emergency warning signs, review oral antibiotic treatment options, and understand steroid considerations and follow-up recommendations.

A swollen red eyelid may be more than simple irritation. Preseptal cellulitis is an eyelid infection that often needs antibiotics and prompt evaluation to rule out more serious orbital cellulitis.

EVO ICL places a prescription lens behind the iris while leaving the natural lens intact. It may be an option for patients with higher myopia or unsuitable corneas.

A Hollenhorst plaque is a tiny cholesterol embolus seen in the retinal blood vessels. It may not cause symptoms, but it can be an important warning sign of carotid artery disease, vascular risk, and possible stroke risk.

Metallic corneal foreign bodies can cause pain, rust ring formation, inflammation, and corneal scarring if not managed properly. This clinician-focused guide reviews safe removal technique, rust ring treatment, post-removal medications, and follow-up care.

A Bergmeister papilla is a usually benign congenital remnant of the fetal hyaloid vascular system found at the optic nerve head. Learn how it develops, what it looks like on examination and OCT, and how to distinguish it from optic disc neovascularization and other important conditions.

Refractive lens exchange uses the same basic technique as cataract surgery but removes a clear natural lens to reduce dependence on glasses before a significant cataract develops.

SMILE is a minimally invasive laser vision procedure that removes a thin piece of corneal tissue through a small incision. Learn how it differs from LASIK and PRK.

LASIK can reduce dependence on glasses and contact lenses by reshaping the cornea. Learn how the procedure works, what recovery is like, and why a complete eye evaluation is essential before surgery.

Test your knowledge of the different types of amblyopia with this 6-question quiz covering refractive, strabismic, deprivation, mixed-mechanism, and reverse amblyopia, plus common treatment approaches.

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.

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.

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.

Vision is more than light entering the eye. It is a coordinated process that begins with image formation, continues through phototransduction and retinal signal processing, and ends with interpretation in the visual cortex. This clinician-friendly guide reviews how the cornea and lens focus light onto the retina, how rods and cones convert photons into neural signals, how inner retinal circuitry refines the message, and how the optic nerve, chiasm, LGN, optic radiations, and