Doctor Kisling || Celebrating Three Decades of Caring For Fort Collins Eyes

November 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Happy Eye Doctor Patients Ft Collins

Ft Collins Optometrist | Visit Our Friendly Office

2011 Will be a year to celebrate for our Eye Care / Optometrist Practice in Fort Collins. I have had the honor of serving the Ft Collins Community since 1985. Over that time we have performed eye exams, fit contact lenses and eyeglasses, and treated eye diseases for thousands of residents in Northern Colorado. We always welcome new patients into our office and provide the personal type of eyecare service your family deserves. I have developed several special areas of interest and expertise over the years, some unique to the Fort Collins Eye Doctors community. Fort Collins Contact Lens Specialists:What an exciting field the contact lens arena has been the last decade. We have seen the revolutionary introduction of the silicone hydrogel super breathable contact lenses, now in their fourth generation. They offer great eye health advantages and vastly improved contact lens comfort. Contact Lenses in the Fort Collins low humidity environment can be very challenging to fit. We now have soft contact lenses suitable for the Fort Collins humidity available in toric astigmatism formats. Just this last year multi-focal contact lenses have become available in Northern Colorado made of the same materials. We also have expanded services to cover fitting more patients with difficult eye problems like kerataconus with contact lenses. So many new options have become available; daily disposable contact lenses, 30 day overnight wear contact lens, new gas permeable contact lenses, deposit resistant contact lens coatings, and safer & easier contact lens solution regimens. This is truly the Golden Period for contact lenses.

Dry Eyes and Contact Lenses
Dry Eyes and Contact Lenses

There is relief available for dry eyes-contact our office for an initial evaluation at (970) 226-0959.Dye Eye Syndrome is Epidemic in Fort Collins and increasingly so in all of the country. An aging population, dietary changes, and changes in the workplace are driving the dry eye epidemic. Today there are treatments for dry eyes that work. This an area of expertise we are rapidly expanding in new directions of treatment. If you live in the Ft Collins area and suffer from burning eyes, contact lens discomfort, feelings of gritty or itchy eyes, or transient blurring of your vision while wearing contact lenses, you may be able to have a remarkable improvement in your quality of life with the appropriate diagnosis and treatment for dry eye syndrome.

Eye Exams Ft Collins

Eye Exams Ft Collins

We provide all the extra time you need for a comprehensive eye exam. Fort Collins residents are not different from other areas of the country, we all worry about getting the wrong prescription from making mistakes during an eye test. We eliminate that concern completely. We first test your eyes with an eye computer that determines your prescription with no answers required from your side. You only need to look at a small target and hold your head still for about a minute! No

Eye Health Vision Exams

Eye Health Vision Exams

questioning which is better one or two-it is all automated during this part of your eye exam. Next we do ask those one or two questions when you sit behind the phoropter, the mask like instrument in the picture above. You are free to request that we slow down or repeat the comparison of lenses at any time during your eye exam. I always want my patients to feel like they are free to ask for whatever they need to feel comfortable with the final prescription we arrive at. If you need more time than we have scheduled you can reschedule for a second or third eye examination absolutely free. All of those one’s and two’s may seem confusing but it is more like tuning in a radio station. We go back and forth repeatedly verifying you are giving consistent responses to the same questions. Here is a secret eye doctors are loathe to reveal-sometimes the two different views are identical!So don’t feel bad if you really can’t tell the difference. I add a few extras to my eye exams when needed. Most Optometrists and Ophthalmologists no longer have the skill to utilize retinoscopy, the hand instrument technique that was used in the past. I use it frequently when a patient is having trouble telling the differences during the eye exam. This is also totally independent of verbal responses-and I go a step further. I will utilize readings from the eye computer and retinoscope before and after putting in dilation drops. These drops eliminate most of the variability in focusing that alter eye prescription readings. Even when children or adults are completely non verbal our testing sequence usually yields an eye correction of 20/20. Rest easy, we can provide you with an eye exam you can’t fail!

Eye Exams Are Fun!

Eye Exams Are Fun!

Other special concerns we address are:

  • Childrens Eyecare
  • Teens and Contact Lenses
  • Computer Vision Syndrome
  • Nutritional Eye Care and Supplements
  • Pinkeye
  • Lazy Eye (Using Drop Therapy to Save your time and money)
  • Vision Problems after Head Injuries
  • Glaucoma-Glaucoma Treatment, Borderline Glaucoma, Glaucoma Diagnosis open angle versus closed angle, New Generation Prescription Glaucoma Eye Drops to minimize eye discomfort and maximize ease of use, latest Eye Doctors Glaucoma Advice for Eye Nutrition and Supplements for Glaucoma.
  • Unique Eyeglass Selection-Frame styles to fit your lifestyle-Prescription Sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation, new frame materials that twist and flex or are designed to be much more resistant to breakage, cutting edge designer fashion eyewear, we can find what you need even if we don’t carry it-.
  • Here is another seceret Eye Doctors and Optical Retailors Don’t want you to know-Quality Eyeglasses can be purchased for a reasonable price! No we usually don’t keep that on display but we have worked out a special arrangement with our suppliers to provide quality eyeglasses for Fort Collins at a reasonable price. It is not cutting edge design but they are attractive frames. And they are not the type of eyeglasses that you purchase three pairs for a low fee and have no pairs after they all break three months later!
  • Eye Glass Lens Technology: We always on the lookout for new innovations in eye care products- fourth generation eyeglass lenses anti-reflection coatings to reduce glare and improve your night vision, new generations of line free bifocals to increase reading areas, lens designs for computer eyestrain,and ultra thin lightweight lenses with innovative technology to assure clear optical properties.

Appointments? Call (970) 226-0959

Insurance? We take care of the paper work and participate in most vision insurance plans including VSP Vision Service Plan

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Visit our other Web Page at: Harmony Eye Care Ft Collins

Chlidrens Eyes are Special

Chlidrens Eyes are Special

Fort Collins Eyeglasses

Fort Collins Eyeglasses

Filed Under: FEATURED, Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Eyes Predict Bipolar & Schizophrenia

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Vision Changes To Predict Bipolar Disorder?

Can someone look into your eyes and know your mental state? A study of children with parents who were either bipolar or schizophrenic seems to indicate this may be true.

Special Eye Tests Measure Electrical Changes For Night Vision

The electroretinogram uses a special contact lens on the front of the eye that records the difference in electrical charges from the front and back of the eye. The b-wave measures alterations in this charge by the rod cells responsible for night vision. Eye doctors found this wave was significantly reduced in children having at least one parent effected by either bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Eye Doctors  May Check Your Mood And Your Eyes In The Future

Electrical testing of eye function is still used largely in teaching institutions.  This equipment has become much more compact and inexpensive and will most likely be seen in many eye doctor offices in the future. The first step in prevention is knowing who is most susceptible to a disease. Hopefully there will be ways to intervene at that early junction and prevent these disorders from ever manifesting any symptoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Retina, Vision Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fort Collins Optometrist | Find Us On The Map

August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fort Collins Optometrist | Find Us On The Map

 

 

Find our Fort Collins Optometry Practice. We are conveniently located across from the Olive Garden and REI.

Call (970) 226-0959 to schedule an appointment

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Viibryd And Cataracts

July 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Does Viibryd Cause Cataracts?

Can you believe everything you see on TV? Well no-but stay tuned. Some types of age related cataracts do display a higher concentration of serotonin as part of their molecular composition. The connection to prescription drugs that alter serotonin is a little more complex that it appears to be at first glance.  The new blockbuster antidepressant vilazodone hydrochloride was released in the US market in July 2011. It falls under the category of SNRI, or a serotonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor. Serotonin crosses between nerve endings to relay its message to the brain. When it is released there is also an adjacent site to reabsorb it before it crosses the gap in the nerve ending. Re-uptake inhibitors interfere with this site thus increasing the amount of “feel good” serotonin to pass along the message. After the Prozac generation of drugs, modifications were designed to also boost norepinephrine and dopamine, two other substances related to mood. Effexor, Cymbalta, Pristiq, and now Viibryd are the current SNRI medications. Viibryd claims to be unique in both blocking the re-uptake of serotonin and stimulating the serotonin receptor (type 5-HT1A).

The Eye Is An Outgrowth Of The Brain

The eye is developmentally an outgrowth of neural tissue and it is no surprise that there are a number of different types of serotonin receptors found in the different layers. The iris, ciliary body, cornea, lens,retina, central retinal artery and the ciliary artery all have serotonin receptors. The ciliary body (the root of the iris) has receptor cells that both increase the eye pressure and decrease it. There is some speculation that inadequate transformation of serotonin to melatonin by the ciliary body may lead to glaucoma. The human lens synthesizes melatonin which is known to be an antioxidant. Antioxidants like melatonin can prevent the damage free radicals inflict on lens proteins.
There is at least on type of serotonin receptor in the lens but this is not a well studied area. In animal models, serotonin disrupts enzymes (ATPase) that help provide energy to the lens epithelium (surface cells). With the loss of energy needed to keep cells healthy the lens starts to develop cataracts. Activation of serotonin receptor sites in the lens epithelial layer may also provoke cataract formation.
The fluid in the front half of the eye (aqueous humor) contains serotonin, presumably produced from the ciliary body and iris of the eyes. The lens may produce some serotonin but it probably receives most of its exposure from serotonin absorbed from the aqueous humor fluid. Taking a prescription drug like Viibryd has blocks the receptors in the brain and the receptors in the eye. Prozac has been shown to cause a transitory increase in eye pressure and in pupil dilation from blocking the re-uptake of serotonin receptor sites.

Eye Doctors Find Increase In Cataracts With Antidepressant Use In Study

A study in Vancouver in 2010 found a 15% increase in cataract formation in a large population of patients taking antidepressant drugs in the SNRI and SSRI categories. drugs. Effexor and Luvox were the worst offenders. Smoking is a known cause of cataracts and was not accounted for in this study. It is by no means a definitive study or the final word ion the subject.
Now the complicated part. There are seven known types of serotonin receptors with a number of subcategories. There are different mechanisms and activities for each one of these. The effect of Viibryd and other serotinergic type drugs on each receptor type is not completely known. SNRI drugs act in scattered small areas of the brain. The action of Viibryd is not completely known. The effect on receptors in the eye is largely unknown. It is not possible to say that Viibryd has any effect on cataract development with any degree of certitude.

Worrying Won’t Help Your Mood Or Your Eyes

Returning to reality, the 2010 study found only a 15% increase in the incidence of cataracts. That does not mean the antidepressant drugs increased your likelihood of getting cataracts by 15%, it is more like a 3% increase. When you factor in smoking, for all we know Viibryd might prevent cataracts. The activity on the the multiple types of receptor cells is not fully quantified. To my knowledge there has not been a reported association between Serotonin Syndrome and the acute .onset of cataract formation. Serotonin Syndrome occurs from an overdose of serotonin and you would expect to see this if SNRI drugs did cause cataracts.I have seen patients in my Fort Collins optometry practice that have been on SSRI and SNRI prescriptions for over 20 years with no signs of associated cataracts. This category of drugs is generally not considered a risk factor for cataracts by most eye doctors. Like any prescription you need to discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. And most importantly help a friend quit smoking – smoking does cause cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and contributes to multiple other disease that result in blindness

Filed Under: Cataracts, Fort Collins Optometrist Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eye Problems From New Antidepressant Viibryd

June 23, 2011 By 1 Comment

New Antidepressant Viibryd Hits Shelves And May Hit Eyes

 

A new potentially lock buster drug for depression has started showing up in pharmacies recently. Viibryd (vilazodone hydrochloride) improves mood disorders by decreasing the transport of seratonin for reuptake, thus leaving more of the feel good chemical to act on nerve synapses. At the same time it exerts a stimulating effect on the cells that serve as receptors for promulgation of the effect into the emotional regions of the brain. The reported lack of sexual side effects have held high hopes for an enormous  success with its introduction.

One area of concern with Viibryd is ocular side effects

Opacities on the cornea were observed in early clinical trials. There were small reductions in the tear film levels with a small increase in dry eye symptoms. The dryness may be causing some mild corneal opacitites. Some cases of cataracts were noted worsening during the trial period. Of note, no cataracts were seen developing after the study had started.

Antidepressant Eye Side Effects Appear Mild For Now

The final answers will take some time with viibryd being used in larger numbers in the general population. Presumably, there will be a low incidence of dry eye complication in some patients. Hopefully this will be mild enough to not result in anyone dropping out of treatment. Cataract progression is a bit more tricky. Since most cataracts are related with age and do progress over time there will need to be very robust studies to determine if Viibryd has any influence on changes in cataracts. Until then, lets hope this is a great  new product without many significant side effects!

 

Filed Under: Dry Eyes, Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Stinging Eyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fort Collins Optometrist

March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Fort Collins Optometrist

Five Reasons We Want To Be You Optometrist in Fort Collins

  1. As an Optometry Clinic serving Ft Collins for over 25 years we enjoy what we do and have fun helping people see and look their best
  2. Fort Collins is a great town to live in and you probably feel the same way. We want to be your eye doctors vision center of choice to help you see all of the great things Fort Collins has to offer.
  3. As an Optometry Clinic in Ft Collins we offer unique solutions for our low humidity dry climate that challenges contact lens wear. We gain great satisfaction in treating dry eye problems in Northern Colorado.
  4. We have fun integrating our eyecare center and optical eyeglass services with our optometry vision care. Many people don’t realize how many different lens and frame options there are for different lifestyles and sports. It is a special thrill to provide you with a beautifully crafted, thin lite lens with anti-glare coatings that looks great and resolves serious problems such as computer eyestrain syndrome.
  5. Last but not least, we just enjoy helping people. In an area like Fort Collins we meet a lot of nice people everyday. Optometric vision examinations can provide great vision and help detect and prevent eye disease and even serious health problems. There are not many more rewarding things than enhancing and protecting the exquisite sensory experience we refer to as vision.

Please stop by or call our office at 970-226-0959

181 West Boardwalk, Suite 201

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How Long Do Eye Dilation Drops Last?

January 14, 2010 By 123 Comments

Patients frequently ask me how long their pupils will remain dilated after the eye exam. Eye Doctors use different drops,different strengths, and different dosages when dilating your pupils. If you are having light flashes or symptoms that could indicated retina problems two different drops may be used in higher concentration and several doses. A routine exam may only require less dilation and milder drops.

Eye color effects the duration of dilation. Since brown pigment in the iris is essentially the only eye pigment, blue eyes lack significant color and gain their blue shade from light reflecting in the iris. Pigment binds the dilating drops and require higher doses but blue eyes react faster and more to dilation drops.

Different drops are often used for children’s eye exams and occasionally for adults that have inflammation in the eye from contact lens injuries, eye trauma, or autoimmune diseases and they may keep eye dilated for several days.

Finally, there are individuals with idiosyncratic reactions to the prescription eyedrops used to dilate your eyes. Basically, that means the optometrist is an idiot and has no idea why one out of hundreds of eyes are extremely sensitive to dilation drops and stay dilated for 24 hours or more. (The meaning of idiosyncratic is a well kept secret by all types of Doctors so please don’t reveal me as the source of explanation). If you have this type of reaction you can try and request a little known secret we use-simply diluting the drop!

The final answer is your eyes will usually stay dilated for several hours but it could be up to several days. Good luck and remember, after the first time you will probably have a fairly good idea of what to expect in the future.

Filed Under: Common Eye Questions for Your Optometrist, FEATURED, Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Fort Collins Optometrist, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Swine Flu H1N1 and Eye Complications

October 2, 2009 By 2 Comments

As the H1N1 Swine Flu continues to spread pinkeye (conjunctivitis) is still uncommon and very mild. Rare cases have been showing up involving neurological complications that sometimes do manifest other eye problems.  Encephalopathy is a neurological syndrome that disrupts large areas of the brain. This has been seen in a limited number of patients and can result in eyes turning up or to the side, usually accompanied by a seizure. Other problems that may be seen in the future with encephalopathy are photophobia (light sensitivity) and nystagmus  (eyes rapidly moving in a tremor like manner). By this point the patient would normally be hospitalized from the other problems so it is highly unlikely to be seen in a home setting.

An unknown at this point is if the  influenza can be transmitted from the tears in the eye. The normal routes of transmission are through airborne droplets created by coughing or sneezing or touching a surface that has been contaminated. While the HIV virus is present in tears there are no known cases of transmission by this route. It is unknown if this will be the same with the new Flu virus.  Also, airborne droplets could contact the eye, drain into the sinuses and possibly result in infection. Until more is known it is probably best to err on the side of caution and wear some form of protective eyewear if you are around someone with flu symptoms.

Filed Under: Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Fort Collins Optometrist, Pinkeye, Swine Flu Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Peripheral Side Vision Loss Retinitis Pigmentosa

September 18, 2009 By 1 Comment
retinal disease

retinal disease

Incredible images of a normal retina on the left and a damaged retina (tissue lining the back of the eye) courtesy of Robert N. Fariss, Ph.D., chief of the NEI Biological Imaging Core, and Ann H. Milam, Ph.D., former professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Washington.

Retinitis Pigmentosis is an eye disease that is primarily genetic and causes a slow, progressive loss of vision starting in the periphery and moving in, resulting in tunnel vision. Often eyesight will remain 20/20 until very late in the disease but with the extreme loss of side vision it can be very debilitating. Vitamin A has been used to slow the progression but doses of Vitamin A as low as twice the suggested normal dosage may increase the risk of hip fracture.

Ushers Syndrome, a combination of retinitis pigmentosa and hearing loss is common in Louisiana in the Acadian and Cajun population, French settlers that fled Canada and settled along the bayous of Louisiana. It is very uncommon to see this eye disease in Fort Collins since only a small percentage of cases result from spontaneous mutations.

If you are aware of any loss of peripheral or side vision it is important to schedule an appointment with your optometrist since other eye conditions like pituitary tumors and glaucoma can also create slowly progressive loss of side vision.

Filed Under: Eye Diseases, Eye Nutrition, Eye Symptoms, Eye Vitamins, Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Fort Collins Optometrist, Retinitis Pigmentosis, Side Vision Loss Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eye Vision Restored By Tooth Implant

September 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

From the strange realms of the eye world comes a new procedure referred to as modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis also called MOOKP. It sounds like something that would have been in the TV show Mork and Mindy for those who saw Robin Williams in his early days portraying an alien on earth.

A patient’s tooth is extracted, drilled with a central channel, and a lens is attached to the lens. After growing in the patients cheek or shoulder for a month or so it is implanted in the eye in cases where a corneal transplant is not possible.

Performed at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, one of the leading Eye Hospitals in the world, the procedures was performed by a corneal eye specialist, Dr Perez,M.D.  assisted by a dentist Dr. Sawatari, D.D.S.

This procedure was initially developed in Italy. The last few years Italian Dentistry has purportedly been moving closer to the practices used in Northern America and Northern Europe.  I’m not quite sure what that implies; in Fort Collins I have never known my dentist to move teeth to places outside of the mouth. I even checked under implants at Harbor Dental and didn’t find a thing about eyeteeth. Tongue in cheek (or tooth), the early results look promising for the small group of people who can really benefit from this unique procedure.

The down side is all of the baby boomers who in 20 to 30 years will be toothless with dentures, There could be a whole new dark side to the tooth fairy. And a root canal in an eye tooth could raise fear of dentists to a new level.

Filed Under: Corneal Transplants, Eye Surgery, Fort Collins Eye Doctor, Fort Collins Optometrist, The Light Side Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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