154 Questions answered

What are the main benefits of having a pupil dilation test done before LASIK, and what are the risks of not having one?

Your pupil measurements in the light and the dark is one factor that affects your suitability for a LASIK procedure. It is measured with a special device called the infrared pupillometer. This test is important because if you have a generally larger pupil size, you are at a higher risk of night vision problems such as glares and haloes. Your surgeon may make some adjustment to the parameters of your surgery in order to minimise this risk.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Why is it important to use prescription eye drops for Glaucoma at the same time each day?

Each glaucoma medication is prescribed at a certain frequency and recommended to be administered at certain times of the day. The rationale for this is to take into account the half-life of the drug in order to ensure that an effective dose of medication is consistently delivered to the eye to maintain a relatively low and consistent intraocular pressure. Each drug is also recommended at certain times of the day in order to minimise the risk of side-effects and to ensure that the maximum efficacy of the drug coincides with the diurnal peak of intraocular pressure.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Can chronic blepharitis and dry eyes cause trigeminal neuralgia and what treatments are available?

Dry eyes and chronic blepharitis do not cause trigeminal neuralgia. However, these conditions may exacerbate the symptoms. The main causes of trigeminal neuralgia include multiple sclerosis or compression of the ganglion due to a tumour. Effective treatments are known to include neuromodulators including anti-convulsants like Tegretol, carbamazepine, anti-depressants (nortriptyline, amitriptyline).

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Do eye freckles need treatment?

Most benign pigmented eye lesions including nevi, or complexion associated melanosis do not need treatment, except for observation for potential malignant change. There are several pigmented lesions that require closer follow-up and even diagnostic biopsy for potential malignant changes, and these include primary acquired melanosis, or pigmented lesions with suspicious characteristics including significant asymmetry, thickened/elevated lesions, amelanotic or mixed pigmentary lesions.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

How do I prevent cataracts from getting worse?

This is commonly asked in our clinic especially when a young person is noted to have an early cataract. Cataracts are a degenerative change of the human crystalline lens and occur as part of the normal ageing process. The same advice that your doctor normally gives you, namely a varied and healthy diet full of green leafy vegetables, and colourful fruits full of anti-oxidants, getting plenty of rest and exercise, as well as wearing sunglasses and a hat when outdoors and exposed to the UV rays.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

How is glaucoma related to my blood pressure?

Intraocular pressure fluctuates with your diurnal rhythm (as does blood pressure), and with certain factors including exercise (just like blood pressure). Hence for example just like there is a blood pressure spike in the morning with a cortisol-surge, there is also a corresponding IOP-spike in the mornings that coincides with this.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Should I be worried about prolonged patches of red-green hues in my vision after looking at bright lights prior?

Seeing after images is a common physiological phenomenon when looking at a bright light source. This occurs due to bleaching of the cones in the eye. Normal cones in the retina regain their normal sensitivity within a period of 5 to 10 seconds. If you think your after-images are unusually long then you should consider a comprehensive assessment by your Ophthalmologist.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

If I suspect I have astigmatism, which eye specialist should I see?

Almost every general ophthalmologist would be trained to assess patients with astigmatism. Your doctor will comprehensively assess you to exclude any pathology, including corneal astigmatism (keratoconus, or keratoglobus, etc) or lenticular astigmatism (cataract) before giving you a suitable spectacle or contact lens prescription. Corneal astigmatism This refers to the irregular shape of the cornea that causes light to not be focused correctly on the retina. This results in the patient seeing unclear images. A regular, healthy cornea is perfectly round in shape.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

What could cause flashing lights in my eyes?

Also referred to as photopsia, you may experience flashing lights and see luminous floaters in the vision of one eye or both eyes. Photopsia may also appear to you as: flickering or shimmering lights small floating objects and shapes moving or static spots Photopsia is usually a symptom of an underlying condition. The main concern with photopsia is the need to exclude any retinal traction that may lead to a retinal tear and/or detachment (which, if left untreated, may lead to severe visual impairment).

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

To treat ptosis, what are some non-invasive treatment options?

Ptosis is abnormally drooping positioned upper eyelid. It is also called as blepharoptosis. It can decrease or even cover the vision completely in some cases [1][2]. This is due to abnormalities in [3]: muscle function, muscle structure, nerve function or anatomic limitations. To answer your question, there are very few satisfactory non-surgical solutions for ptosis out there.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

For cataracts patients, when is surgery not recommended?

Individuals with cataracts should not consider surgery if they are: asymptomatic, have a good quality of life and continue to engage actively in their interests with no limitation. Surgery is recommended for individuals who are symptomatic and experience the limitation of their daily activities or reduced enjoyment of their activities of interest.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

What treatment is available for diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a complex disease to manage. It is a complication that affects the eyes of diabetic patients. It occurs when blood vessels of the retina are damaged by diabetes. Initially, you may experience none to mild symptoms; however, if left untreated, it can cause blindness.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Is it safe to undergo surgery for multi-focal intraocular lens (IOL) if I have previously undergone one for mono-focal IOLs?

There are several parts to this question: Yes. It is safe to undergo such surgery as it is in a separate eye. It will have no bearing on surgery that was performed in the other eye. If you are asking about replacing a monofocal IOL with a multi-focal IOL, this is safely performed by a surgeon with sufficient experience and skin in intraocular procedures. Do ask your attending Ophthalmologist what his/her experiences in such procedures are.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

When choosing an eye surgeon for non-flap refractive surgery, what should I look out for?

Amongst the many important factors that one considers when choosing their surgeon (including rapport, experience, track record etc), I would recommend a refractive surgeon who performs sufficient volumes of surgery. This is to allow optimisation of treatment algorithms.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

What are my options if my cataract surgery caused me to become myopic?

Post-cataract refractive error is increasingly uncommon nowadays as our lens formulae and surgical reproducibility improve. However, some refractive surprises do occur. Discuss your options in detail with your attending ophthalmologist, as the usual options to discuss include [1] [2]: Wearing spectacles/contact lenses to correct the refractive error, Leaving the refractive error (monovision or mild myopia in the affected eye allows you to see near), Intraocular lens exchange for a lower power IOL, or Refractive surgery to correct the residual power. References: 1.

Photo of Dr E-Shawn Goh

Answered By

Dr E-Shawn Goh

Ophthalmologist

Practice

Mount Alvernia Hospital Medical Centre D 820 Thomson Road #06 - 57/58/59/60/61/62 Singapore 574623

Book Appointment

Background Check

Check

No Singapore Medical Council Disciplinary Tribunal actions found for the years we collect data.

* This profile has been last updated on May 22, 2020.