Eye Health

Eye Health

Ocular Diseases

Our doctors have extensive knowledge regarding the mechanism of disease that affect the eyes and their diagnosis and treatment. Some examples of eye conditions we routinely encounter include:

Dry Eye Syndrome

This occurs when the normal flow of tears over the eyes is interrupted, or the tear film is abnormal. In many cases, dry eye syndrome is a life long problem, however, there are numerous recent improvements in Dry Eye Therapy.

Treatments can include artificial tear lubricants or in some cases blocking the tear ducts will concentrate the limited tears that are available.

Cataract

Cataract is a clouding or opacity of the natural crystalline lens of the eye. This opacity may be a small spot or may cover the entire lens. When light enters the eye, it must pass through the opacity, causing vision to appear hazy and blurred. Ultimately, the best treatment is to remove the cataract lens and replace it with a clear man-made lens. This is referred to as cataract surgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that occurs when the pressure in the eye is too high to sustain the tissues health. It occurs most often with higher than normal pressure in the eye, but in some individuals, can occur when the pressure in the eye is considered normal. The increased eye pressure causes damage to nerve fibres that exit the eye through the optic nerve and results in vision loss. The likelihood of developing glaucoma increases with advancing age. In it’s early stages, it often does not present with symptoms, but it can be detected with a comprehensive eye examination. The most common treatment is eye drops to lower eye pressure. Other medical treatment options are also available.

Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration is a condition in which the central part of the back of the eye loses blood circulation. It is considered a natural aging process. There is a breakdown of retinal pigment epithelium cells in the macular region. As the disease progresses, central vision diminishes. It is believed that this breakdown may be due to a lack of nutrients being supplied to the region. Additional studies have found a genetic link to this disease. Treatment can range from better nutritional management, sometimes to include a tablet containing the primary minerals and vitamins that are found lacking in many macular degenerated patients.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy is a condition when a diabetic person’s blood sugar levels are not well controlled. High blood sugar levels start a series of events which result in damaged blood vessel walls. These damaged blood vessels begin to leak fluid or bleed, causing the retina to swell and form deposits know as exudates. Vision can be lost if this condition is not monitored and treated.

At Eyes on the Harbour Optometrists, we carefully examine your eyes to follow and manage this and other important eye diseases.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a disorder that occurs when the cornea, which is typically rounded, becomes cone-shaped. The progression is usually slow and can range from mild to severe. This distortion increases as the cornea bulges and thins. The apex of the cornea often scars, reducing the vision. Treatment of Keratoconus is most effective with specialty contact lenses which are designed specifically for the irregular corneal surface. Corneal cross-linking, to strengthen the cornea and halt corneal changes may also be recommended. If contact lens treatment is not successful, surgical corneal transplant may be necessary.

Ocular Trauma

Eye trauma can occur at any time. Our office is equipped to handle most eye injuries. The primary instrument we use in these instances is a biomicroscope, sometimes referred to as a slit lamp. The biomicroscope has a high magnification and is particularly designed to aid us in evaluating the extent of an eye injury. Whether it is a laceration, foreign particle embedded, or a burn.

Embedded Foreign Bodies

A common injury is a metallic foreign body embedded in the cornea. Grinding or drilling in iron or other metals will release particles that are hot and when they hit the eye they embed themselves in the cornea. If it is iron, as in this example, it will begin to oxidize due to the salty consistency of our tears. When the metal particle is removed, there may be a remaining rust deposit that has infiltrated the surrounding cornea. We have experience at removing these rust spots. With proper medical treatment these injuries resolve well.

Safety glasses are always recommended to prevent these types of injuries.

Retinal Trauma

Blunt trauma can result in more than just the obvious bruises on the face. The retina is the nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye and senses light. There is a blood vessel layer under the retina. This is a very delicate and sensitive tissue. The concussive force to the front of the eye can travel through the eye and result in damage to the retina. If the force is great enough, it can result in a retinal detachment. Immediate examination and subsequent treatment is needed in these types of injuries.

Flashes and Floaters

Symptoms of "Flashes of Light" in your vision, when there is no light to explain the flashes, or a sudden onset of floaters or blurred vision, are potential symptoms of retinal detachment. In such cases, immediate evaluation is needed. If a retinal detachment occurs, the quicker it is repaired, the better the prognosis for retaining vision.

Our office staff is well trained to know how to expedite the treatment of these type of injuries.

Call immediately when an injury occurs. We are here to help.

Contact us




Address
1805 Comox Avenue
Comox, British Columbia
V9M 3L9

Google Map

Working Hours
Monday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

We are closed for Statutory Holidays

Phone and fax

Phone: 250 339-3937
Fax: 250 339-2411

After Hours Emergencies
250-339-2007

© 2024 Eyes on the Harbour, Optometrists in Comox, British Columbia. An OSI Group Member.

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Address:
1805 Comox Ave. Comox, British Columbia V9M 3L9;
Tel: 250-339-3937.

PUBLISHING FIRM

Eyes on the Harbour
1805 Comox Ave. Comox, British Columbia V9M 3L9
Tel: 250-339-3937

Acceptance of the Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting eyesontheharbour.com (the “Website”), provided to you by Eyes on the Harbour (“We”). We respect the privacy of every individual who visits the Website and are sensitive to privacy issues on the Internet. We believe it is important that you know how we deal with information received about you.

This privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the personal information of our customers and Website users ("you"), describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide to us, and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. The Website is for general audiences and is not specifically targeted to or intended for use by children.

We will only use your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy unless otherwise required by applicable law. We take steps to ensure that the personal information that we collect about you is adequate, relevant, not excessive, and used for limited purposes. Privacy laws in Canada generally define "Personal Information" as any information about an identifiable individual, which includes information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person.

By accessing or using the Website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy, and you are consenting to our processing of your information as set out in this Privacy Policy. We may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time; if we change this Privacy Policy in a manner that materially impacts your privacy rights, we will provide a notice to you. Your continued use of the Website or our services after any modification to this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such modification. However, when required by law, we will confirm your consent to the revised Privacy Policy terms. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and considered a part of the Website Terms and Conditions of Use, located here


What information we collect

We collect and use several types of information from and about you, including:


How we collect the information

Information You Provide to Us

The information we collect directly from you may include:

Information We Collect While You Interact With Us Through Cookies and Other Automatic Data Collection Technologies
Information We Collect About You From Third Parties

How we use your information

We use your information, including your Personal Information, to manage our business and to maintain and develop commercial relationships with you. We will collect, use, and disclose such information only to the extent that is necessary for those purposes.

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any Personal Information:


How we share your information

We will not rent or sell your information to third parties without your consent. We only share your data as specifically provided in this Privacy Policy.

Other Disclosures

In addition to any disclosure you may have consented to or permitted under the terms of this Privacy Policy, we may transfer your data, including Personal Information to third parties in the following limited circumstances:

  1. information you expressly consent to be shared;
  2. when relating to anonymized information (individuals cannot be identified by it);
  3. when you decide to make the information indexable by search engines, to share or to distribute the information to people or otherwise to make it available to the public;
  4. to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request within or outside your country of residence when we have a good faith belief that the law requires it;
  5. to enforce this Privacy Policy, the Terms, or an agreement, including investigation of potential violations thereof;
  6. to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or protect the operations or you;
  7. to protect our rights, property or safety as well as yours, the public, or others;
  8. in connection with an acquisition, merger, change in control, debt financing, reorganization, sales of assets, bankruptcy or other change of our corporate structure or status; or
  9. as necessary in connection with the performance of requested services or solutions, or as otherwise appropriate in connection with a legitimate need.

How we store and secure your information

Information Security

We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, availability and privacy of your Personal Information. We have put appropriate physical, technological and procedural security measures in place designed to help prevent your Personal Information from being lost, used, modified or accessed in an unauthorized way, or improperly disclosed. Examples of such measures include restricted access to offices, training of personnel, using passwords and well-defined internal policies and practices. We also use encryption technology and Secure Socket Layers ("SSL") in all areas of the Website where your personal account information is required.

In addition, we limit access to your Personal Information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need-to-know. They will be required to process your Personal Information only on our instructions and they are subject to an obligation of confidentiality. Our service providers are required to maintain adequate security protections in place designed to help safeguard your Personal Information and are not permitted to use it for any purpose other than fulfilling services to us.

If you have any questions about securing your personal data, please contact us in accordance with the “How to Contact Us” section below.

Information Retention

We will retain your Personal Information for as long as it is needed:

  1. to provide the products and services that you have requested;
  2. to communicate with you about a purchase or a request you have made to us;
  3. to manage your choices and rights you have exercised pursuant to this Privacy Policy;
  4. to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and to demonstrate compliance,
  5. to resolve disputes and to enforce our rights and agreements.

We may retain non-personal information that has been sufficiently aggregated or anonymized for a longer period.

Once the retention period is over, we will dispose of your Personal Information as provided for in our internal data retention and disposal policy.

Where We Store Information

We use facilities operated by "Amazon Web Services" and located in Canada as our information storage and processing infrastructure. Our service providers can also, from time to time, store your Personal Information in accordance with purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.


How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at 250-339-3937.