With millions of lives in their hands, airline pilots have a lot to worry about.  Vision plays a large role in ensuring that they safely deliver their passengers to their destination, according to Dr. John Henahan, optometrist at Spectrum Eyecare in Peachtree City.

No other profession requires crystal clear vision in such a huge array of lighting conditions.  From near zero visibility to suddenly blinding sunlight as the aircraft climbs above the clouds; the eyes of airline pilots are required to perform at a much higher level than most professionals.  On top of that, pilots typically do not wear polarized sunglasses when flying because the polarization causes difficulty seeing through the cockpit glass and may make it more difficult to see some instruments.

Night flying and runway approaches challenge the pilot as well.  Since maximal night vision is critical when on approach, care must be taken to allow time for full dark adaptation prior to approach.  Moreover, eyeglasses lenses that do not take advantage of the latest in HD lens technology as well as anti-glare coatings can interfere with this critical ability to see at night.

The extremely dry environment in the cockpit can cause dry eye related visual disturbances even in those who normally do not suffer from dry eye, especially for contact lens wearers.  “It can be quite a challenge to ensure the top performance from their eyes that pilots demand.”, according to Dr. Henahan.  With more than ten years practicing in Peachtree City, home to a large population of airline pilots, he has seen many concerns that are commonly expressed by these professionals.

Concerns about clearly viewing instrument clusters, approach plates and flight operations manuals are common, especially in those who are starting to struggle with their close vision.  This loss of clarity, known as presbyopia, occurs when one is in their early to mid- forties.  While presbyopia is a nearly universal experience, it can be particularly troubling to pilots, since they require clarity at close range both above and below their line of sight.  This is in stark contrast to most of us, who only need to see clearly at close range below eye level (think papers on your desk versus instruments both below eye level and overhead in the cockpit). Since most bifocals and progressive lenses are designed to only help with close focus below eye level, special designs are sometimes used for pilots that can help with instruments above and below the line of sight.

While the cockpit glass provides reasonable protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays, radiation levels from the large number of instruments in the cockpit warrant strong protection from UV, even in clear eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Another challenge pertains to the poor comfort with eyeglasses that are not fit with the pilot’s headset in mind.  The ensuing hotspots can be very distracting. Both Telex and Dave Clark headsets can cause problems if eyeglasses are not properly fit with the headset in mind.

New advances as well as time-honored strategies can help the pilot maintain excellent vision throughout his or her flying career, allowing the pilot to protect passengers and help to ensure good vision even well into retirement.

Dr. John Henahan is an AOA certified Aviation Vision doctor of optometry practicing and living right here in Peachtree City with his wife and two sons.  You may call his office at 770 487-0667 or visit him on the web at Spectrum Eyecare’s website.

Traditional bifocal glasses and even older generation progressive (no line bifocal) lenses can fall woefully short when it comes to helping us see small screens on our smartphones or GPS devices, and to see our large computer monitors clearly from side to side.

The challenges of the computer screen have increased as screens have gotten wider and with the variety of positions that computer monitors can be located.

“The information age has taken a toll on our eyesight,” says Jeffrey Anshel, an optometrist in Carlsbad, Calif., and president of Corporate Vision Consulting, which advises employers on vision issues.

More people are showing up at eye appointments complaining of headaches, fatigue, blurred vision and neck pain—all symptoms of computer-vision syndrome (CVS), which affects some 90% of the people who spent three hours or more at day at a computer, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Advanced Eye Examination

“The good news is that with a little detective work and a careful eye examination we can create customized solution to solve these problems”, says Dr. Henahan.

“By taking a moment to measure the distance from the bridge of your nose to your computer screen, keyboard and the papers on your desk you can really help your doctor deliver the vision that meets your needs.  At Spectrum Eyecare, we have a philosophy that allows us to take more time with the patient, so we can truly understand their vision needs and recommend customized eyeglass and/or contact lenses that best balance the demands of near, intermediate and distance vision”, continues Dr. Henahan.

Advanced Eyeglasses Lenses

Furthermore, the new generation of customized HD progressive lenses provides a much wider intermediate and near vision focal area that greatly enhances the value of these lenses in the digital age.

When evaluating your vision options, choosing the cheapest progressive is usually a mistake.  Older progressive lenses were shown to be much less satisfactory to patients in a recent study published by UC Berkeley.  In that study, patients preferred the newer HD progressive lenses on every measure of satisfaction, including visual clarity, reading vision performance, computer vision performance and how easy the lenses were to get used to.

Next generation Bifocal Contact Lenses

The big advances in HD eyeglasses lenses have recently been matched by two next generation contact lenses that improve greatly upon older technology bifocal contact lenses.  These lenses greatly reduce dependence on reading glasses when you wear contacts by providing crisp distance and intermediate vision.  Reading vision is quite good too, but low power reading glasses are likely to be needed on occasion, especially if the lighting is poor or the print is very small.

If you are suffering from problems with the performance of your eyeglasses or contact lenses in the digital age, look for the advanced technology of new generation lenses to get you seeing all your devices more clearly with less eyestrain.

Dr. John Henahan is a fellowships trained doctor of optometry practicing and living in Peachtree City, GA with his wife and two sons.  Click here to contact his office at 770 487-0667 or visit him on the web at www.speceye.com.

I see great, why should I have an eye exam?

Even if you have perfect vision, most organizations, like the American Optometric Association feel that an adult should have an eye exam at least every 3 years.  Once you reach your 40’s exams are recommended a minimum of every two years.  Those 50 years of age or older should have an eye exam annually, as should people who wear corrective lenses and/or have a family history of eye disease.  Diabetics must have an exam with dilated pupils and special photographs annually (see below for more on diabetes and the eye).

The reason that even those of us with perfect vision should still have periodic eye exams is that many eye diseases have no symptoms early in their course.

Glaucoma, for example, is often called the “sneak thief of sight” because millions are suffering from this condition with no symptoms.  It is not until one has lost 80% or more of their vision that symptoms develop.  Unfortunately, any vision you have lost cannot be recovered.  That makes early diagnosis essential in the treatment of this disease.

Other conditions like Macular Degeneration (AMD) can sometimes be prevented or at least delayed. Often the precursor to this condition can be seen 20 years before AMD begins to affect vision.  With appropriate nutritional therapy, research shows that we can reduce the likelihood of a person developing AMD by up to 30% or more.

I have diabetes, what should I do to protect my eyes?

Diabetes is the number one cause of vision loss in Americans under age 65, and number 2 across all ages groups.  While most people think of diabetes as a blood sugar disease, in the eye we are concerned about changes to blood vessels that can result in hemorrhaging (bleeding) inside the eye.  This results in damage to the retina (which can be thought of as similar to the film in a camera).  This damage can result in permanently blurred vision or even total blindness if left untreated.  Early diagnosis and treatment can help preserve good vision for life.  Annual eye exams with special photographs of the retina are imperative in preserving sight for people with diabetes.

I’m in my 40’s why can’t I see up close anymore?

We all lose the ability to focus up close.  This process begins in our twenties, and typically becomes a noticeable problem in our early to mid 40’s.  This loss of focusing, called presbyopia, diminishes our ability to see clearly up close through our distance prescription. Presbyopia is a natural process, it is also a progressive process, so we tend to have greater and greater difficulty with near tasks as we move through our 40’s and into our early 50’s.  By our early to mid-50’s, the progression stops, but we never regain our ability to focus up close.

This often means a transition to bifocal glasses (often called progressive lenses) or necessitates the need for reading glasses over our contact lenses.  The good news is that with the new digitally surfaced, HD style progressive lenses, it is easier than ever to make a successful transition to multifocal glasses.  At Spectrum Eyecare, we are even having good success with people who were previously unable to use this type of eyeglasses lens.

I wear contacts and replace them online, why should I bother with an annual exam?

Contact lenses (CL) are a prescription device that when cared for appropriately are very safe.

However, as we age our eyes change, often requiring a change in the type of contact lens worn, solutions used or the replacement schedule of the lenses.  That is why all contact lens prescriptions have an expiration date.  Since CL use increases the risk of dry eye, abnormal blood vessel growth and serious eye infections it is critical to have regular, annual checks of your eyes and contacts.  This is true regardless of your age.  However, our eyes become less resilient as we age requiring even greater care in monitoring the health of our eyes as we age.

At many leading practices, including Spectrum Eyecare, it is understood that you can get your contacts from many sources, so CL’s are priced very competitively with mail order and big box retailers.  The important thing is to have an annual exam and to replace your contacts as advised by your eye doctor.

Is it safe to sleep in my contacts?

Sleeping in contact lenses is the single greatest cause of complications among those who wear lenses.  Even in the safest materials, contact lens over-wear causes at least a tenfold increase in eye infection and other dangerous complications.  Teaching and reinforcing the dangers of contact lens over-wear is one of Dr. Henahan’s top priorities.

What type of contact lens is best for me?

For most, soft disposable lenses represent the best balance of comfort, easy care, clear vision and safety.  For some people, disposable lenses are not an option due to the nature of their prescription, but other lens options do exist which allow us to fit almost any child in contacts. Advances in bifocal contact lens technology have been slow, so most people struggle to succeed with this type of lens, despite what the TV commercials want you to believe.

What about LASIK?

LASIK eye surgery is an excellent option for many people with glasses or contacts who wish to eliminate their dependence on glasses or contacts.  However, one must be at least 18 years of age to undergo LASIK.  Furthermore, it is important that the prescription is not changing.

It is also important to understand that LASIK does nothing to prevent the loss of focusing capability that afflicts those of us in our 40’s.

NEXT MONTH:  Eye FAQ’s for Seniors

Dr. John Henahan is a fellowship trained doctor of optometry practicing and living right here in Peachtree City with his wife and two sons.  You may call his office at (770) 487-0667 or visit him on the web at www.speceye.com.

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