CONTACT LENSES
As an ophthalmologist, I see lots of people with issues and problems with their contact lenses. Some of the most common things I see include: irritation/allergy, scratches, infections, and lens loss (yep, people lose their contacts in their eyes! 👀).
1. Irritation/Allergy - A contact lens is essentially a foreign piece of plastic in your eye. Despite being fitted and smooth, the lens still rubs and debris can collect over time. If not properly cleaned or changed out routinely, contact lenses can cause increased irritation and inflammation of your eyes and lids over time. Your eye can essentially become "allergic" to your lenses. For these patients, allergy drops may help, but I usually recommend a "contact lens holiday" for at least 2 weeks for the eyes to recover, followed by limited contact lens wear to minimize symptoms.
2. Scratches - Worse than irritation is an actual scratch on the surface of your eye, which can be quite painful. Overwearing your lenses (beyond the recommended 6-8 hours a day, especially overnight) can increase your risk for scratches. Thankfully, your eye surface heals pretty quickly and many scratches heal on their own if you just stop wearing your contact lenses for a few days.
3. Infections - This is when bacteria or fungus gets into a scratch on your eye and requires medication to treat. Infections are very painful and serious, as these can affect your vision long term. Please see your eye doctor ASAP for this.
4. Lens Loss - Believe it or not, people do lose their contact lenses in their eyes. Most of the time the lens has fallen out, but I do sometimes find them lodged under the upper eyelid (there is a pocket up there called the fornix) and sweep them out with a cotton tip. And don’t worry, it is impossible for the lens to track back into your brain 🧠- the fornix is a dead end. (I get that question a lot).
I remind all my patients to always have a back up pair of glasses 👓 (so they aren’t “forced” to wear contacts everyday to avoid the above issues) and to consider dailies if they have trouble remembering to clean them properly.
Are you a contact lens wearer? Have you ever had issues?
Why I started This Blog
Over the years, my friends on social media have remarked and suggested, "You should have a blog!" And I've always pushed back, "What for? Social media is like my blog!"
But time and time again people would contact me: "Where was that post you did?" or "What was that discount code you posted?" or “Can you explain TikTok?” And after many hours of searching and scrolling and explaining, I figured it was time to put everything in one place on this blog.
Do I know what I’m doing? NOPE! Is it perfectly pretty and stylized? Not in the least. 😅
But it's a start, and things will continue to grow and evolve. As they (and my TikTok) say, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
And as a THANK YOU for being here: Head over to my About section for 2 FREE guides: Tips for Social Media Creation and TikTok Basics (written for Doctors but applies to any business really).
Do Opposites Attract?
Do opposites attract?
Peter is an empathetic extrovert. He is patient and laid back (typical anesthesiologist...?). He is the first to wake in the mornings and is willing to try anything once.
I am a stoic introvert. I am super detailed oriented and generally prefer things safe and stable (like my ORs ). I love "me time" at night when everyone else is asleep.
While I don't necessarily think opposites attract, I do think we challenge and complement each other. It's not always smooth, but it sure keeps things interesting and balanced.
Feel the Fear and do it anyway
I don't know about you, but this quote resonates with me. It’s exactly how I felt starting medical school , getting married , starting my first job, having kids , starting my business, diving into navigating this pandemic (homeschooling, what)...etc.
Did I always feel 100% prepared? Nope. Was everything perfectly set and ready...? NEVER.
But I had faith I could figure it out. Maybe I had done something kinda similar in the past, or I saw someone else do it and thought to myself, "If he/she can do it, so can I." At the very least, I’m a pretty good learner...
Ultimately, I knew, if I waited until I was 100% ready, I would be waiting the rest of my life...
What are YOU waiting for?
Masks and oxygenation
Just in case people were still wondering about oxygenation while wearing a mask.
For you scientists, oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are less than 0.5 nanometers in size, while viruses are closer to 20-200 nanometers. So yes, you could theoretically block viral particles and still breathe perfectly fine.
And while cloth and surgical masks don’t necessarily block ALL air and viral particles, they can decrease the radius of spread and block larger virus laden droplets from your nose and mouth.
So as we go into this holiday weekend , please be safe, wear your masks, and maintain physical distancing as best you can!
July 1st: You got this, interns!
July 1 is a big day in the medical world because it is the day new interns begin. 🥼 An intern is a brand new doctor who has completed 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of medical school, about to embark on their first year (of 3, 4, or 7!) of on hand training.
It's been a minute since I started my internship (any guesses? ) but advice I would give to new doctors (or anyone starting a new job really):
1. Be on time - This is a no brainer.
2. Be excited to learn and help. - While you may not know much at the beginning, your team will appreciate your enthusiasm and attitude. This appreciation will translate to increased camaraderie and teaching.
3. Don't be afraid to ask questions - As an intern, this is kind of your job - learn as much as possible. And trust me, a clarifying question is much easier than trying to fix a botched job down the line.
4. Most importantly: You deserve to be there. Don’t let imposter syndrome take you down before you start. Even though you are new, there is a reason you were hired/given the position. They see your intelligence, grit, dedication, great attitude... etc. So own it and rise to the occasion. You got this.