Blog
Why Don’t My Eyeglasses Work Anymore?
As an eye doctor, seeing patients each day, people ask me this all the time. “My glasses worked fine when I…
Advancements & Customizations in Scleral lenses
You may have heard of a specific type of specialty contact lens called a scleral lens. Scleral lenses are needed in cases where the patient has…
Microplastics and Dry Eye
We’ve all heard the terms Bronze and Iron age to describe periods of time in history, well many scientists depict our era as the Plasticene from…
Why won’t my eye doctor send me an antibiotic for my red eye without seeing me?
Article written by Dr. Jessica Weis, O.D. You develop a red eye that persists for a few days and call your eye doctor requesting an antibiotic for…
Total Eclipse 2024
Total Eclipse of the Heart, no, I mean the Sun. BUT if you ask an eye doctor, the fear of vision loss viewing an Eclipse sparks fear in their…
Southern Border of Your Cornea
You’ve heard about it on the news. You’ve heard about it from the politicians. Maybe you even heard about it from your relatives over the holidays….
It’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month
We all associate January with cold temperatures and winter weather. But did you know it’s also National Glaucoma Awareness Month? Table of Contents…
Low Vision: What Happens When Glasses or Contacts Don’t Help my Vision Anymore?
Let’s say you notice your vision has gotten worse since your last eye exam. You go to see your eye doctor and they tell you, “Glasses (or contacts)…
Ozempic Use and Worsening Diabetic Retinopathy
Your doctor just put you on Ozempic (generic name: semaglutide) to better control your diabetes, so that should mean it will help your eyes too,…
Pink Eye, Allergies and Dry Eyes: What's the Difference?
Dry eye disease , eye allergies , and pink eye are uncomfortable conditions that include many similar symptoms, such as burning, swelling, and…
Eyelid Puffiness
Dealing with Eyelid Puffiness It’s a simple fact of life: As you age, things stretch out. I hate it, and I know you do, too. You could hide…
Marijuana and the Eyes
Missouri recently passed a law to legalize the sale of marijuana for recreational purposes. It’s been legal in Illinois since 2020 and medical…
Best Initial Treatment Options for Glaucoma
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes that, if untreated, can lead to permanent loss of vision. In fact, it is the second leading…
The Top 5 Eye Apps for Mobile Devices
There’s an (Eye) App for That! If you have difficulty remembering which eye drops to use when or are experispan style=”font-weight:…
Save Money on Eye Drops
We have seen rising prices on just about everything we buy, but it’s even more troubling to see how much it now costs for some eye drops that are…
Flying After Eye Surgery
As we rapidly approach the holiday season, families begin arranging travel plans. However, if you have upcoming eye surgery or suffer from an eye…
Migraines, Ocular Migraines
A simulation of an “aura.” It may even grow to cover half of one side of your vision in both eyes The first time you experienced an “aura,” or the…
Chemotherapy and Your Eyes
There isn’t a week that goes by without patients telling me how sore their eyes are. That’s one of the many things I do, take care of sore eyes….
The Visual Aspects of Baseball
With baseball season in full swing, from local little leagues, to the St. Louis Cardinals battling for first place, at Ideal Eye Surgery Centers we…
Cataract Awareness Month – June 2022
June is Cataract Awareness Month and the whole month is devoted to this condition because of its extreme prevalence and significance. Here are some…
Contact Lenses- Do's and Don'ts
Do you ever wonder if you’re taking care of and using your contact lenses correctly? Many people have been wearing contacts for years and still…
Floaters, YUK!
Dontcha just hate floaters?! Those little black or gray shadows that move in your vision making you think there’s a bug flying in your face! I have…
Tired of Reading Glasses?
If you’re over the age of 40, there’s a good chance you’ve realized that your near vision “just isn’t what it used to be.” The loss of ability to…
Are the Eyes the Window to the Soul?
Valentine’s Day is coming up, so while you’re gazing into your partner’s beautiful eyes, remind them to schedule an eye exam. I’m not sure about the…
It’s Winter, But Don’t Leave Your Sunglasses At Home!
It’s January. Half the days are overcast anyway. I know what you’re thinking, “I can leave my sunglasses at home, right?” Wrong! Sunglasses are a…
Myopia Management
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition in which distant objects are blurry, but near objects are clear. Depending on the severity of your…
A Brief History of Allergic Conditions in the Eyes
Allergy is a relatively modern-day medical phenomenon. Saying that doesn’t necessarily change the misery that one feels here in the Mid-West,…
How Eyelash Extensions Can Affect Our Eyes
False eyelashes and extensions are a semipermanent beauty trend that has recently gained major popularity. However, the art has been around since…
3 Most Common Causes of Fluctuating Vision
One of the most common complaints we hear from patients is that their vision isn’t stably clear—it fluctuates. They can describe this in many ways….
Can You Lose Your Vision From Having A Dry Eye?
At your recent eye exam, your eye doctor may have voiced to you that you have signs of dry eye. And you may even feel the symptoms—irritation,…
I Hate How My Eyes Itch!!!!!
What is it about Springtime in Saint Louis that makes all the eyes itch? Well, everyone knows it’s the “Allergy Capital of the Midwest.” Allergies…
Hate Contact Lenses? Read This!
Do you hate the way your contacts feel, move, fall off, get stuck, get lost…but love the way you see when you wear them? Well, you’re living in the…
Eye Problems with Prolonged Mask Use
With all of the different information we see and hear about the need for everyone to wear face masks in the past year to prevent the spread of…
COVID-19 at Ideal Eye Surgery Centers: Looking Back and Looking Forward
This month will mark the one-year anniversary of when COVID-19 first hit our communities in earnest and began changing all our lives. Last March, at…
New Advancements: 3-D Eye Surgery
One of the great things about the field of Ophthalmology is that it is continually evolving and improving. Each year sees a vast array of new…
Meibomian Glands – Evacuate Them Now!
The majority of us have been spending much more time these past few months staring at phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles. The increased…
Electronic Devices, Blue Light, and a Functional Optometrist’s Perspective
Over the last week, I’ve had many requests for information about the negative impact of blue light exposure. The questions have come from worried…
Functional Medicine and Dry Eyes
Functional medicine is a partnership between patient and doctor, paving a path to wellness by understanding the root cause of disease. Dry eye is a…
Should I Be Wearing Sunglasses This Summer?
Sunglasses are a staple of the summer months. Sure, they help you accessorize your favorite look, but they do so much more. During the previous…
Telemedicine in Eye Care
I am tired of all the pandemic stuff, but lately the telemedicine concept is getting to me even more. Doctors don’t seem to want to see their…
Coronavirus and Your Eyes
If you’re like me, you’re getting sick (pun intended!) of all the news, emails, websites, postings and broadcasts about the COVID-19 Pandemic. Or…
Surprising Health Conditions Diagnosed on the Routine Eye Exam – Part 2
You can tell all THAT just from my eye exam?! Table of Contents Toggle High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Diabetes Last month we opened a…
COVID-19 Update
Updated 03/23/2020 With the current COVID-19 situation and the recent actions by the State of Illinois as well as the City and County of St. Louis,…
Surprising Health Conditions Diagnosed on the Routine Eye Exam – Part 1
You can tell all THAT just from my eye exam?! Table of Contents Toggle Stroke Pituitary Tumor Brain Tumor Many patients are surprised to find out…
What the Heck Is a Snellen Vision Chart?
So, the year is 2020 and that’s got everyone thinking about vision, because we all recognize normal vision as being 20/20. But what does that really…
My Eye Is Bloody Red!
Waking up to or looking in a mirror to discover a bloody looking eye can be quite terrifying. The good news is, it often is not as serious as it may…
What is My Visual Field?
Eyesight involves two different abilities. One is called Acuity. That is your ability to see details, read print, recognize faces, and things like…
My Eyes Get Tired. Will Exercise Help?
A businesswoman told me that her eyes feel very tired by the end of her long day at work. She wanted to know if there were exercises she could do to…
Are Scleral Contact Lenses For Me?
Many patients are aware of soft contact lens options, or even small diameter rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. However, there is now newer,…
Blepharitis Treatments
Do you suffer from sore, red, itchy or swollen eyelids? Do your eyes feel gritty or like there’s something in them? You could be experiencing a…
Why Can I Taste My Eye Drops?
One of my patients this morning was complaining about her glaucoma treatment eye drops. They didn’t sting or make her eyes red. They didn’t blur her…
Common Questions After Cataract Surgery: Part 2
I perform hundreds of cataract surgeries every year, and while everyone’s eyes and visual needs are unique, the questions our patients ask us about…
The Importance of Sunglasses
With summer approaching and temperatures rising, it becomes easier to remember to reach for your sunglasses. However, don’t forget, sunglasses hold…
Common Questions After Cataract Surgery
I’ve been doing cataract surgery for over 40 years in the St. Louis area so I’ve seen a lot of changes in the way the surgery is done….
Why Are My Eyes Itching?
Why Are My Eyes Itching? Like the rest of your body, the tissue around your eyes can react to the environment. The most common cause of itchy eyes…
Contact Lens Wear and Dry Eyes
Between two-thirds to three-fourths of contact lens wearers will discontinue wear at some point in time due to discomfort. As many as half of soft…
Choosing the Right Lens for Your Upcoming Cataract Surgery
Cataracts develop when the natural, clear lens you were born with gets cloudy and no longer allows clear vision. Modern cataract surgery involves…
Why Is Glaucoma So Scary?
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month so it’s important to understand what you need to be aware of when it comes to glaucoma. Some people learn about…
High Blood Pressure and Your Eyes
Holiday season got you stressed? From Christmas lists, to baking, to travel, and in-laws, the holidays can be the busiest and most stressful time of…
How Does Diabetes Affect Your Vision?
Most patients with Diabetes have been told by their doctor that they need to have regular eye exams, but many don’t understand why. As November is…
What Are Eye Floaters and Are They Dangerous?
Opacities that seem to move over a person’s vision are often called eye floaters. Floaters coincide with changes in the back of the eye. The back of…
What is the Best Treatment for Eye Allergies?
The hallmark symptom of ocular allergy is itching. Lots of other things can make your eye red, scratchy, watery, blurry, and crusty, but if it’s…
Can Cataracts Grow Back?
Over 36 years of doing cataract surgery, the most common question I’m asked is “will my cataract grow back?” Table of Contents Toggle What Are…
March is National Nutrition Awareness
March is National Nutrition Month. Making better nutritional choices can lead to better eye health and better overall health. Foods rich in vitamins…
Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
February is macular degeneration awareness month. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of decreased vision in the…
Eye Anatomy – Part 3: The Retina & Optic Nerve
Welcome to Part 3 of our Eye Anatomy blog series! In this post we are going to talk about the Retina and the Optic Nerve. Table of Contents Toggle…
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the nerve that carries signals from your eye to your brain and is therefore very…
Eye Anatomy – Part 2: The Lens & Vitreous
Welcome to Part 2 of our Eye Anatomy blog series! In this post we are going to talk about the Lens and Vitreous. Table of Contents Toggle The Lens:…
Eye Anatomy – Part 1: The Cornea & Iris
My name is Dr. Naina Gupta and I am one of the newest members of the Ideal Eye Surgery team. Patient education is a very important aspect of what…
Come See Dr. Gans at the Ambassadors of Harmony!
The Ambassadors of Harmony present its 2016 holiday shows at the Touhill performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri – St. Louis campus….
A Weekly Eye Fact
Each week we will share some facts on terms you may have heard! Have you ever been told you have an astigmatism? Ever wonder exactly what that…
Contact Lens Foundation of St. Louis
Here’s a unique group of eye care specialists made up of Ophthalmologists and Optometrists who are leaders in the St. Louis area. It is one of the…
Good News for UHC Medicare Patients
Ideal Eye Surgery Centers is pleased to announce we are once again in-network providers for UHC Medicare Advantage and AARP Medicare Complete health…
Genetics Study
New study on how genes can be a marker for two causes of blindness.
August is National Eye Exam Month!!!
Schedule yours today!! Request a consultation
Talk to your family about their eyes!!!
May is Healthy Vision Month! It’s a great time to talk about eye conditions that run in your family. Knowing your family history can help you…
Healthy Vision Month
It’s Healthy Vision Month! Learn how you can keep your eyes healthy