Triton Eye Care

11/08/2023

Thank you so much, Festival of Trees Prescott! We are honored to participate in support of a great cause.

Our practice is excited to serve Prescott and the surrounding communities. Dr. Gary Morgan and his wife Susan have over 25 years of eye care experience. Practicing since 1992, Dr. Morgan has honed his medical eye care skills, treating patients with cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes, allergies, diabetes,...

02/02/2022

Do you have dry eyes?

If you have dry eyes, I am happy to report that our practice has introduced a new in-office procedure for treatment called TearCare.® Three recent studies demonstrated significant reduction of symptoms of dry eye after one treatment with TearCare.® But before discussing the procedure, it is important to answer a basic question: What are tears?

Our tears have three layers. The outermost layer is oil, or more specifically, meibum. The meibum is produced by meibomian glands located in the eyelids. The middle layer of the tears is termed the aqueous, or water layer, and is produced by the lacrimal gland. The third and innermost layer is mucus and is produced by glands on the surface of the eye. The outer two layers, the oil and water layers, have the most influence on dry eye.

86% of dry eye is due to insufficient oil in the tear film secondary to meibomian gland dysfunction. Various factors including age, hormonal changes, and a dry environment alter the consistency of the meibum. While it should normally be like olive oil, instead it becomes thickened with a consistency more like lard. Without a uniform coating of oil, the water layer of the tears evaporates giving symptoms of dry eye, which include burning and grittiness. To combat this, both at home and in-office therapy can be used. Home based therapy includes warm compresses to enhance meibomian gland function, as well as oil (lipid) based artificial tears. A dental analogy to this at-home treatment is brushing your teeth and flossing. However, we still go to the dentist every six months for a deep cleaning. And that is exactly what this new treatment is—a deep cleaning of the meibomian glands.

TearCare® heats the eyelid surface to an exact 113° which achieves an internal eyelid temperature of 106° to melt meibum. The lid-heating elements contain miniature circuit boards that communicate with the control unit to monitor the temperature 240 times per second. The heat treatment is applied for 15 minutes. After treatment, the meibomian glands are gently expressed to clear any remaining obstruction. This is a graphic of the TearCare® apparatus.

In one of the above-mentioned studies, before treatment, enrolled patients typically rated their soreness, burning, and fatigue as being uncomfortable and their dryness symptoms as bothersome. However, after treatment, the median severity of all these symptoms diminished to a level that was considered tolerable. Overall, patients undergoing TearCare® describe the experience as spa-like.

If you would like to be evaluated for this treatment, please call our office at (928) 227-1738.

06/08/2021

For the second year in a row, Triton Eye Care was voted the Readers' Choice Best Eye Care Center! Thank you to everyone who voted. We really appreciate your support and we love having you as patients!

04/27/2021

We are honored to announce that Triton Eye Care is nominated once again for the Readers’ Choice Best Eye Care Center!

We won the award last year and we would appreciate your votes again for the 2021 award!

Please take a moment to vote for Triton Eye Care here: https://dailycourierchoice.com/ #/gallery/273627055

You can vote once a day, every day through May 21st.

We love our patients and our highest priority is ensuring that we provide personalized, unhurried care. Thanks for all the support and for allowing us to take care of your eyes!

The Daily Courier Readers' Choice awards

01/26/2021

What Happened to the Flu?

I was reading Medscape News this morning and came upon an article about the flu: https://wb.md/2Yd4Cay

It seems flu cases are down significantly, while COVID-19 cases are in full swing. Our precautions for COVID-19 are apparently diminishing the number of flu cases. In addition to social distancing, face masks, handwashing, and fewer social gatherings, more people have taken the flu vaccine this year.

The article included a link to a CDC webpage called FluView: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

Take a look at the graphic. One state in the US and its territories, Tennessee, experienced low flu activity while the rest experienced minimal flu activity.

Flu vs. COVID-19 in Arizona:
In Arizona, there were 47 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza during the week ending January 16, 2021 https://bit.ly/2Yhb8gI

*Compared to*

In Arizona, there were 49,086 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the week ending January 16, 2021. https://bit.ly/3a4rP4h

Quite a difference in what is making us sick!

Some other interesting numbers from the FluView page include:

US Virologic Surveillance

•Results of tests performed by Clinical Laboratories nationwide are used to monitor whether influenza activity is increasing or decreasing. Results of tests performed by Public Health Laboratories nationwide are used to monitor the proportion of circulating viruses that belong to each influenza subtype/lineage. Note that these tests are not the total number of flu tests performed throughout the country. However, the numbers are telling. For the week ending January 16, 2021, flu tests from both Clinical Laboratories and Public Health Laboratories totaled 36,181 with 26 positive tests. This represents an extremely low number of flu cases compared to previous years at this time.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance

•14.7% of all deaths that occurred during the week ending January 16, 2021 (week 2), were due to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19 (PIC). Among the 2,799 PIC deaths reported for week two, 1,774 had COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate, 1,024 listed pneumonia, and only 4 listed influenza.

Some Key Points from the FluView page:

•Flu activity is unusually low at this time but may increase in the coming months.
•An annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect against flu and its potentially serious complications.
•If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccine yet, get vaccinated now.
•There are also flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat flu illness.

Susan and I wish you the best of health and hope to see you soon!

-Dr. M

01/08/2021

Astigmatism is Not a Scary Diagnosis!

Many people discuss their astigmatism diagnosis with me as if it were an eye disease—it is not. Astigmatism is simply a refractive condition of the eye, just like nearsightedness and farsightedness. Statistically, more than 90% of people have some degree of astigmatism.

Most astigmatism occurs when the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, is not perfectly round. Astigmatism is often explained as the difference between a basketball and a football. If you cut a basketball in half, you are left with two round-half spheres. A round-half sphere is the shape of a cornea without astigmatism. If you cut a football in half lengthwise, you are left with a curved surface that is not perfectly round. It has a steeper curvature on one side and a flatter curve on the other side. While exaggerated, this is an example of what a cornea with astigmatism looks like.

Some astigmatism may occur within the crystalline lens of the eye. Called ‘lenticular astigmatism,’ it is easily corrected by glasses or contact lenses. However, as we grow older, we all will develop cataracts, a natural clouding of the crystalline lens. If the clouding is severe enough, cataract surgery is required, where the natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. If one has lenticular astigmatism, the surgeon must account for it when choosing an intraocular lens implant.

Vision occurs when light is focused by our eyes and interpreted by our brains. Nearsighted and farsighted eyes have one point of out-of-focus light. With astigmatism, depending on the type, there are two or more. The majority of astigmatism is ‘regular astigmatism’ and results from two different curvatures of the eye located 90 degrees apart, like our football example. ‘Irregular astigmatism’ occurs from eye disease or surgery, resulting in several different asymmetric curvatures of the eye. Regular astigmatism is easy to treat with glasses or contact lenses. Irregular astigmatism usually requires specialized contact lenses to achieve clear vision.

The degree of astigmatism and the angle at which it occurs is very different from one person to the next. So, rarely are two eyeglass prescriptions the same because there is an infinite number of shapes the eye can take. While astigmatism can occur by itself, most people have a combination of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Uncorrected vision with multiple points of unfocused light causes blurriness and can sometimes lead to eye strain or headaches if not corrected with either glasses or contact lenses.

If you experience blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, having a complete eye exam may lead to a diagnosis and treatment of uncorrected vision, including astigmatism, which is easily correctable.

11/11/2020

Do I need blue light blocking eyeglasses?

Over the last eight years, blue light blocking eyeglasses have been rapidly introduced and marketed. The first class-specific blue light blocking lens was released at Vision Expo in New York in 2012. By 2014, there were approximately one hundred such lenses available. Since then, they have received both good press and have been criticized as a marketing scam. So, what do these lenses really do?

To answer the question, let’s look at some basic science that most of us learned in high school. If you learned about rainbows, you may recall the acronym ROYGBIV or “Roy G. Biv.” This refers to the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. These are the colors of the visible light spectrum, which is how we see. All light, whether it is visible or invisible consists of waves, so we can classify light based on its wavelength. In the visible spectrum, longer wavelengths have warmer colors and shorter wavelengths have cooler colors. Wavelengths also have energy, with longer wavelengths having low energy and shorter wavelengths having high energy. The visible spectrum is sandwiched in between infrared light (IR) which has a longer wavelength and lower energy and ultraviolet light (UV) which has a shorter wavelength and higher energy. In terms of humans, the higher a wavelength’s energy, the more potential it has to do damage. Hence, unprotected exposure to the sun’s UV waves results in sunburn, and chronic exposure may lead to skin cancer.

For many years, UV light protection has received attention in eye care as part of a prescription for eyeglasses and contact lenses. UV light can cause burning to the skin of the eyelids and the front surface of the eye, whether it be from sunlight exposure or a more acute exposure such as welding without proper eye protection. Chronic exposure to UV can cause cancers of the eyelid and surface of the eye, and growths on the surface of the eye called pinguecula on the sclera (white of the eye) and pterygium when on the cornea. Chronic unprotected UV light exposure can also accelerate the growth of cataracts, a clouding of the lens inside of the eye. However, while UV light is absorbed and may damage these tissues, this absorption also blocks UV light from getting to the back of the eye, the retina. The cornea and the lens block over 95% of UV light, so the potential for it to cause retinal damage is low unless one were to do something such as stare at a solar eclipse without protection, or weld without proper eye protection.

Visible light, including high-energy blue light, does pe*****te the cornea and lens and make it to the retina. If it did not, we would not be able to see as the retina catches visible light and transmits it via our optic nerve to the brain where images are formed. Hence, we “see” with our brains, not our eyes!

Blue visible light has three effects on our retina. First, chronic exposure to blue light from the sun increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), especially in genetically susceptible individuals. Darkly tinted polarized sunglasses cut the majority of blue light from the sun from entering the eyes, so if you have a family history of AMD or have AMD, you should always wear sunglasses outdoors.

Second, blue light regulates our internal clock. The retina contains specialized receptors that catch blue light and send a signal to the brain for the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone. Exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production producing wakefulness. Once blue light exposure stops, melatonin is produced which makes us sleepy. Until about 25 years ago, sunlight was our main source of blue light, so unless your home was lit by fluorescent lights, exposure to blue light after dark was minimal. Nowadays, electronic screens and energy-efficient lighting emit blue light. So, exposure to blue light after dark has increased, and along with it, the number of people who have developed sleep disorders.

Third, blue light is out of focus when it enters our eyes, and we physically can’t focus it. However, this does not keep our eyes from trying to focus blue light, and it is this constant focusing effort that can make our eyes feel tired when viewing electronic screens. The term for tired eyes from electronic screen usage, whether hand-held or from a desktop computer is digital eye strain (DES). While other factors such as improper prescription and ergonomics contribute to DES, the majority of pixels in electronic screens are blue, and the blue light they emit creates visual fatigue.

It is this third aspect that blue light blocking glasses are helpful for. While wearing them outdoors can prevent some blue light from entering the eye, we need a dark polarized lens to maximally block sunlight. Regarding sleep, we again must look at wavelengths. Blue light can be divided into low, medium, and long wavelengths. Blue light that regulates sleep has longer wavelengths, and standard blue light blocking lenses only block a very small portion of this light. For blue light blocking glasses to be helpful for sleep, they would need to be as dark as sunglasses.

So, if you spend many hours per day looking at digital screens, this is where blue light blocking lenses are helpful. The wavelengths that digital screens produce peak in the middle of the blue light spectrum and these lenses block low to medium wavelengths. Over the years I have had many patients tell me that their eye fatigue is much less when wearing their blue light blocking lenses. Perhaps you may want to consider them for your next pair of glasses.

09/12/2020

We are honored to be nominated for The Daily Courier Reader's Choice Award! We would love if you could take a moment and vote for us as the best eye care practice in Prescott AZ!

To vote, follow the link below and choose the Health & Wellness category. From there you simply select Triton Eye Care listed under Eye Care Centers and cast your vote.
https://dcourier.secondstreetapp.com/2020-Readers-Choice/

Thank you in advance for voting! We appreciate your continued support and love being part of the Prescott community!

08/12/2020

At some point in life, many of us experience a “red eye.” The cause may be an injury, a foreign body, an infection, or an inflammatory process. So, what should you do next? Going to the emergency room or urgent care center is probably not your best bet; your first reaction should be to go see the eye doctor.

There are many causes for a red eye, sometimes accompanied by pain. Some are relatively benign and may resolve on their own without treatment. However, differentiation of the cause and prescribing the proper treatment may mean the difference between recovery and permanent vision loss. This point is well-known to me as my late uncle was once prescribed a steroid eye drop for a viral corneal infection. He kept using the prescribed medication without relief. By the time of his follow-up appointment, his cornea was badly damaged, and the appropriate antiviral medication still could not save his vision.

In the COVID-19 era, going to the ER with an eye problem will likely result in a long wait time. Remember, you are there along with people who may have a COVID infection, or others having heart attacks, strokes, bad motor vehicle accidents, and the like. A complaint of “my eye is red” is not likely to get high priority.

Another problem with going to the ER for your red eye is that some Emergency Rooms are not equipped with the same instruments that your eye doctor’s office has, and the ER docs may not be well versed in utilizing the equipment they do have. Likewise, I would hope that if you are having chest pains, that you will not present to my office!

So, the bottom line is, if you have an eye problem, see an eye doctor. Our office is equipped to handle eye emergencies, even after hours. Give us a call!

07/30/2020

Allergies? Don’t rub your eyes!

In the Southwest, it seems allergy season is year-round, and Prescott is no exception. When your eyes feel itchy from allergies, it’s a natural reaction to want to rub, rub, rub. It temporarily relieves the itching, and frankly feels great when you’re doing it. Unknowingly, however, you are likely making your allergies worse!

Rubbing an eye inflamed from allergies starts a vicious cycle. During the allergic ocular response, a chemical called histamine is released from a cell called a mast cell. It is this release of histamine that starts the red, itchy, watery eyes associated with allergies. Rubbing the eyes releases more histamine, causing the eyes to become more inflamed, perpetuating the cycle.

The most effective allergy eye drops stabilize mast cells to prevent them from releasing histamine, and also have an antihistamine component to provide rapid relief from itchiness. Recently, a prescription only allergy eye drop in this medication class has become over the counter; Pataday® is now available in once or twice daily formulation. Taking this drop daily as one would a daily allergy pill will stabilize mast cells and provide antihistamine relief. Another drug in this class available over the counter is Zaditor®. When Pataday® was by prescription, the cost was prohibitive for most, so I routinely recommended Zaditor® for patients with allergies.

For severe allergies, these medications alone may not be enough to relieve symptoms. In these cases, I prescribe a short course of steroid eye drops to relieve inflammation in the ocular tissues, while simultaneously starting a mast cell stabilizer antihistamine drug like Zaditor® or Pataday®. This combination generally provides rapid and ongoing relief.

07/04/2020

**COVID-19 FAQ**

Triton Eye Care has officially opened!

Per the safety measures recommended by the CDC and American Optometric Association, we have put in place the following procedures to ensure the safety of all who visit us:

~Wearing Masks
Our staff will be wearing masks and we are requiring all patients to wear a face covering while in our office. If you do not have one, we will provide a single-use mask for you.

~Temperature, Hand Sanitizing, Screening Questions
All people entering the office will have their temperature taken and given hand sanitizer to use. You will also be asked If you have been sick or have had a fever, or if anyone in your household is sick or has a fever, or if you have come in contact within the last two weeks of anyone with COVID-19. If you answer yes to any of these questions, we will insist that you reschedule.

~Scheduling
We will be spacing out our schedule to ensure there is plenty of time for sanitizing between patients. Because we are seeing fewer patients to allow for this, it is vital that you contact us in advance whenever possible should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

~Guests
Only the patient will be allowed into the office, unless the patient is a minor or requires a caregiver. In that instance, we will limit it to one person accompanying the patient.

~Keeping Count
We will be keeping close watch on the number of people in our office. Please understand that if there are too many, we may ask you to return to your car and be called in.

~At Risk Patients
If you are an at-risk patient based on age, immune status, etc., but feel you need to be seen, please alert our staff to your concerns. We will do our very best to ensure that all appropriate safeguards are in place, and schedule you at a time when no other patients are there.

The safety and health of our patients and our staff are of utmost importance to us. We appreciate your patience as we open and operate our new practice under the “new normal.”

We look forward to seeing you!

06/11/2020

Dr. Gary Morgan

Born in Chicago, Dr Morgan grew up in Elgin, Illinois. After receiving a degree in biology from Northern Illinois University in 1988, he received his doctorate from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1992. He and his wife Susan moved to Arizona in 1993 and Dr Morgan practiced with a large multispecialty ophthalmology clinic in Sun City, while simultaneously opening his private practice in Peoria. Dr. Morgan moved full-time into his private practice in 1998 and went through two expansions, culminating in a large facility with three associate doctors and a large staff.

In 2006, Dr. Morgan became acquainted with the emerging science behind carotenoids in the eye. This led to an epiphany; instead of watching patients with Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) lose vision, it was possible to care for them in a way that preserves vision. Studying research and the latest technology, Dr Morgan implemented advanced diagnostic instruments, nutraceuticals, genetic testing, and spectacle lens protection into the care of patients with AMD and those at risk of the disease. In the ensuing years, he provided informational seminars on AMD for patients. He designed and presented continuing education lectures for doctors on topics ranging from pathogenesis, prevention, monitoring, and treatment of AMD. He authored articles for mainstream media and professional journals and appeared on television and radio programs to discuss various aspects of AMD prevention and care. He also served as a technical and media consultant for the largest vision insurer in the world.

After selling the practice in 2014, Dr. Morgan still remained committed to part-time patient care while providing consultative services through his company, Blue Light Consulting. In 2019, he and Susan moved to Prescott where he returned to full-time patient care.