If you've been diagnosed with dry eye in the last decade, you've likely been recommended fish oil/omega-3 supplements by your doctor.  Multiple studies since the early 2000's had indicated that dietary omega-3 intake was both anti-inflammatory and could improve signs and symptoms of dry eye over the course of a few months. The newly published DREAM study (Dry Eye Assessment and Management Study) funded by the National Institute of Health however is making waves by calling into question prior studies showing omega supplementation's effectiveness. In fact, the DREAM study showed patients with dry eye taking omega-3 supplements achieved no better outcomes than placebo.  The results are raising more questions than answers as doctors try to make sense of the study that was designed to be the largest investigation of omega supplements and dry eye to date.

Recommending omega-3 supplements has been standard of care for dry eye treatment for over a decade, but new research is calling the practice into question. via

For those of us in the eyewear industry, it's often hard to see past the "way things are done" and find true innovation. Many of us grew up wearing glasses, grew up shopping for glasses, and in our careers have talked and touched and troubleshooted glasses thousands upon thousands of times.  What familiarity and experience can't give us though, is a new way of looking at things.

Enter Wesley Knight, the unlikely young artist who's making a name in eyecare by doing everything differently. Knight didn't up wearing glasses or with any family association or experience within the industry. Growing up in a creative household, he found a passion for sewing and garment construction, constantly challenging himself with new materials and ideas. He was experimenting with design using an old cow horn when the idea of horn rimmed glasses first came to mind.  Only problem was, he had no idea how to make glasses. 

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There are no books or classes or local tradesmen that you can learn from to find a pattern for making glasses from horn.  His design process centered around the material first, and he worked backwards from there to construct his own patterns to make the glasses themselves.  What started as a project fueled by curiosity led to a passion that would become his career.  In 2013 he launched his own bespoke eyewear business in Nashville, TN and success came quickly. That year he was a runner-up for Garden & Gun Magazine's prestigious Made in the South Awards, and the success from that feature eventually led to his moving from Nashville to a studio in New York City in 2017.  Just this April he was featured in the New York Post, merely a month after attending his first ever Loft Eyewear Show during Vision Expo East.

A frame takes shape, via Instagram

Why Bespoke?
In 2018 the idea of bespoke is trending big, but in eyewear its concept is often over applied.  For Knight, bespoke has a meaning that is a true calling: "The word bespoke represents a relationship between man and maker. When I build bespoke I always tell my clients we build it together. Bespoke is an intimate process of creating functional art that you wear 12-14 hours a day. It has to be perfect."

Because of this passion for his craft, Knight's process is a lot different from the traditional optical experience.  From the humble beginnings of old cow horn, he's now using sustainably sourced water buffalo horn from India, lighter than plastic and with the added benefit of being absorbent of the oils on our skin and face. Instead of an optical where clients come to shop his designs, Knight typically travels to his client's home or office and gets to know their personal style and aesthetic. Each frame is custom designed for his clients, usually over the course of several meetings. The process is interactive between maker and client; Knight will create multiple designs and prototypes until the final design is approved and crafting the horn begins.  The result is a pair of glasses uniquely created for the wearer; designed to perfectly fit the width of a bridge and the bend of an ear, as well as to highlight the person's face shape and proportion.

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At the Loft Eyewear Show, Knight admits eyewear buyers didn't know what to make of his business model or his product.  That hasn't stopped some of the biggest names in optical from partnering with him on his product. He's producing a limited collection of ready to wear designs this year for luxury eyewear A-listers Selima Optique, Black Optical, 10/10 Optics, and Rapp Optical. While these ready to wear pieces won't be custom made, he has used his most classic design patterns curated from his many clients since 2013 to create an everyday luxury product for the larger population of eyewear aficionados.

Keep checking Knight's Instagram  for more details!

Check out his entire collection of bespoke eyewear on Knight's online portfolio

If you suffer from chronic bloodshot or red eyes, you're used to hearing a lot of unsolicited comments and questions.  "You look tired."  "Are you sick?" "Do you have pink eye?"  You may have even been incorrectly judged at work or by friends and family as being drunk or smoking marijuana.  But for most people with chronic redness, it's a symptom of their personal ocular chemistry and daily environment.  Hours of computer use, inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea or eczema, dry environments like sitting under a vent or fan, working around dyes or chemicals, frequent flying, or driving for long hours with the vents in your car blasting air right at your eyes -- all of these common conditions can lead to recurrent red eyes! For many jobs these work environments are ubiquitous and unavoidable, so to combat the appearance of bloodshot eyes, sufferers turn to the pharmacy eye drop aisle.  Visine and ClearEyes are household names, but how they work to accomplish red eye relief has left plenty to be desired.  Luckily, a new option is no available over the counter that is poised to revolutionize red eye relief for the millions of Americans suffering from the stigma and stereotyping associated with having chronically red eyes!

With rapid changes in healthcare technology and telemedicine, there's perhaps never been a more important time for optometrists to get involved in local and federal legislative initiatives. Deciding you want to make a difference in changing the course and direction of the profession is a vital first step, but the truth is that getting involved with legislative action can be daunting.  How do you develop a relationship with your local or state representatives?  How do you get your opinions and passion for eyecare and patient advocacy heard?

In 1901 when Minnesota became the first state to recognize and legislate the scope of practice for optometrists, ocular healthcare was quite different than today.  As technology has changed and improved to provide safer, faster, and more efficient healthcare solutions, medical providers have had to learn and adopt this new technology to best serve their patient's needs. That's the basis of continuing education hours to maintain  a medical license after all.  But by 1921 when all states in the US had passed legislation recognizing and defining optometric care, the technology that now exists to treat patients could not have been dreamed of or planned for to be written into those original defining laws.  That is the situation that optometry faces now in 2018 where the legislation written in each state that defines the practice of ocular healthcare is now also limiting how the profession can best serve patients. 

Dr. Joanna Bomkamp Gerhardt training on the YAG Laser at the Southern College of Optometry.  Training for minor surgical and laser procedures is a standard part of optometry school curriculum, but the ability to perform these procedures that were taught in school is legislated state by state.  via

The optometric work force is changing!  Women in Optometry reported last year that 66% of optometry school graduates in 2021 will be female.  Dr. Stephanie Aguilar (above) is one of this new generation of optometrists that will be the first to see the profession switch from male dominated to female dominated.

Dr. Aguilar at her residency graduation

The decision to pursue residency training after completing optometry school can be a difficult one.  Dr. Aguilar knew by her third year in school that it was the right decision for her. "All of the coolest speakers (whether AOA representatives, private practice doctors, etc.) that came to school had done residencies and spoke so highly of the experience. My professors in school also recommended a residency to improve my clinical skills, as well as gain knowledge and experience before going into the workplace. At that time, I was also considering a career in a hospital setting and knew if I wanted to ever do that, a residency was a must."

She has great advice for student ODs that are interested in pursuing a residency of their own. "The best way to prepare for residency applications is to start early. The easiest ways to stand out are to be involved in your school and excel in the areas that your residency is in."  During the interview, be prepared to discuss specifics about your clinical experiences so far, and be personable and conversational throughout the process. "Think of a few clinical scenarios that were significant to you, as this was a common topic of conversation during interviews. As always, be yourself because it’s likely that during your interview you are not only being evaluated on your credentials, but also whether or not your preceptors can stand working with you for a year!"  

Finding the right job out of school or residency is a huge milestone (or hurdle!) in a young optometry career. While Dr. Aguilar had entered her residency considering working in a hospital setting, it was a private practice back in her home town of San Antonio, Texas that became the right fit for her.  Like many great opportunities, networking was the key.  "In my case, who I knew was critical. I found my job through a previous volunteer experience. Every time I came home from optometry school, I would volunteer at the Haven for Hope I Care Clinic that provides eye care for the homeless population in San Antonio. I had a good relationship with the manager at the office. While in Boston, I called her and asked if she knew any doctors hiring in the area. She put me in contact with two doctors, one of them being my place of work now. My advice is to treat everyone with respect because you never know who will help you down the road. Keep your options open, interview with many different offices and always ask for what you deserve in compensation."  With our pay gap as it stands currently in optometry, her words of advice can't be more of a call to action!




Patient care is Dr. Aguilar's true passion, and it hasn't taken long in her young career to see her love for optometry touching lives.  Even after a residency focused on treating and managing ocular disease, it's the simple day to day mission of being an optometrist - helping patients see their best - that has left the biggest impression on her so far.  "The patient encounters that impact me the most are those in which I feel I’ve made an improvement in the patients’ lives. Whether it’s a patient that is successfully fit into multifocal contacts, a child seeing their parents clearly for the first time thanks to new glasses, or a corneal ulcer patient that is healed after two weeks of pain and blurred vision."

The future for young optometrists hold exciting promise, but plenty of challenges as well. "In my opinion the biggest immediate risk to our profession is telemedicine or optometry offices that offer a “comprehensive eye exam”, when in reality it’s someone remotely performing refraction and then reviewing anterior and posterior segment photos."  

"Another risk to our profession is the group mentality that someone else will take care of this problem. In my opinion, all optometrists should support the American Optomteric Association because they work tirelessly to support and improve our profession. Without them, there is no telling where optometry would be and I hope I never to find out. So being a member of the AOA, joining their team or lobbying on optometry’s behalf is advantageous to all of us."



Want to learn more from Dr. Aguilar?  Stay tuned for more articles written by her appearing on the blog, and you can reach out to her for advice or mentorship by email!

Deep, boring pain behind your eyes. Throbbing, pulsating pain in your temples. Vision changes, zig zags, flashing lights, or tunnel vision.  Nothing seems to help except lying down or just closing your eyes.  For the 13% of Americans living with chronic headaches and recurrent migraines, these symptoms are all too familiar.   In fact, those diagnosed with chronic migraines spend 15 or more days each month with a migraine headache, and each episode could last 72 hours or more at a time (a condition known as status migrainosus). Photophobia or light sensitivity is one of the most common vision complaints of someone living with migraines, so seeking help from an optometrist can be a great resource for finding relief.  There are numerous eyewear tints, coatings, and lens designs that could be a major source of comfort, and even a low powered prescription could greatly reduce eyestrain or tired eyes that could be a trigger for a migraine event.

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