IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Fall 2019 | Page 24

INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Fall
ADVANCING THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DRY EYE
DISEASE USING THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY.
Dr. Ryan McBee, Optometrist, is a native of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and comes to AIO with a vast
knowledge in all aspects of optometry. A graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Dr. McBee
graduated in the top fi ve percent of his class, obtaining honors in both clinical and applied science.
His wide span of experience includes the managing and training of employees for ocular-based
studies that he conducted. He also possesses knowledge and experience in credentialing and billing,
which he used to set up optometric practices in Nevada. Dr. McBee works closely at AIO treating
patients with many ocular diseases.
Live Performances
‘Blithe Spirit’ presented by
Little Lake Theatre
The smash comedy hit of the London
and Broadway stages, “Blithe Spirit” offers
up fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles
Condomine, re-married but haunted
(literally) by the ghost of his late first
wife, Elvira, who is called up by a visiting
“happy medium”: one Madame Arcati. As
the personalities clash, Charles’ current
wife, Ruth, is accidentally killed, “passes
over” and joins Elvira, and the two “blithe
spirits” haunt the hapless Charles into
perpetuity in this hilarious classic from the
playwright of “Hay Fever.” Visit the website
for information on purchasing tickets and
more details.
Hollywood & Bollywood
presented by River City Brass
Band
Date: Oct. 8
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Address: Upper St. Clair High School,
1825 McLaughlin Run Road,
Upper St. Clair
Contact: rivercitybrass.org
Hollywood continues to produce a
treasure trove of fabulous music, but there’s
a whole other world of movie music that’s
a little less familiar to Western audiences
and no less amazing: the music of India’s
Bollywood. RCB’s concert will reacquaint
you with old favorites by John Williams,
Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman, but
also introduce you to the spicy sounds of
“Meera Joota Hai Japani,” “Jai Ho,” and
“Badtameez Dil,” sung by Akshay Hari.
Out of this World presented
by the Washington Symphony
Orchestra
Date: Oct. 12
Address: Trinity High School, 231 Park
Avenue, Washington
Contact: washsym.org
Take a trip to the moon and beyond
the stars with the talented WSO! Visit the
website for information on purchasing
tickets and more details.
‘War of the Worlds – The Panic
Broadcast’ presented by South
Park Theatre
Dates: Sept. 18-Oct. 5
Address: Corner of Brownsville Road
and Corrigan Drive, South Park
Contact: southparktheatre.com
An alien invasion throws humanity into
chaos in the classic sci-fi novel “The War
of the Worlds,” but all it took to cause
a bit of real-life panic in the streets was
Orson Welles’ 1938 radio adaptation,
which some listeners mistook for news.
The WBFR radio ensemble recreates the
colorful events surrounding the infamous
evening, including the full original
broadcast! Visit the website for more
information.
Fall Fun
Brentwood Borough’s ‘Taking it to
the Streets’
Date: Sept. 28
Address: Visit the website for the locations.
Contact: brentwoodboro.com
Enjoy a wonderful evening while
mingling with friends and neighbors in
Brentwood’s vibrant business district at this
fun fall street fair, with live entertainment,
food, fun and more! Visit the website for
more information.
11th Annual Chamber Chase 5K
Run/Walk
Date: Oct. 12
Address: Peterswood Park, 750 Bebout Road,
Venetia
Contact: facebook.com/PetersTownshipCC
Join the Peters Township Chamber of
Commerce for its Annual 5K Run/Walk,
a family-friendly, USATF-sanctioned 5K
at Peterswood Park on Arrowhead Trail.
Awards for both runners and walkers. Visit
the website for more information.
Dancing for a Cause
Date: Oct. 18
Address: Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe,
Canonsburg
Contact: watchful.org
Featuring celebrities teaming up with
professional dance instructors from the
Arthur Murray Dance Studio! Dancing for
a Cause has the pizzazz of a floorshow with
the heart of a charity: necessary ingredients
for a successful fundraiser. It’s an evening
full of fun! Benefiting Watchful Shepherd
USA, an organization that helps to prevent
child abuse and family violence. Visit the
website for more information.
Continued on page 24 >
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SPONSORED CONTENT
“ASSOCIATES IN OPHTHALMOLOGY PRESENTS
THE DRY EYE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE”
Festival Fever!
Dates: Oct. 17-Nov. 2
Address: 500 Lakeside Drive South,
Canonsburg
Contact: littlelake.org
EYE HEALTH
icmags.com
Q: WHAT CAUSES DRY EYE?
A: Dry eye is a lack of adequate tears and a
loss of homeostasis due to infl ammation on
the ocular surface relating to eyelid margin
disease. Tears are a complex mixture of water,
fatty oils and mucus.
This mixture helps make
the surface of your eyes
smooth and clear, and
it helps protect your
eyes from infection. For
some people, the cause
Dr. Ryan McBee, OD
of dry eye is decreased
tear production. For others it’s increased tear
evaporation and an imbalance in the makeup
of the tears.
Q: HOW IS IT MANAGED?
A: The goal is to treat any underlying systemic
conditions causing dryness along with treating
the eye itself. Treatment usually consists of OTC
drops, prescription eye drops, eyelid therapy
or a combination of multiple therapies.
Q: WHAT ARE THE USUAL
MANIFESTATIONS?
A: The most common symptom of dry eye
is watering eyes. However, patients also
experience burning, stinging, discomfort,
heaviness, eye fatigue, decreased vision and
even an increase in glare at night. When the
eye is dry it sends a signal to the brain to
produce more tears. However, the glands that
are used to produce more tears tend to be
salty and therefore evaporate much quicker
on the ocular surface. Therefore, the eye will
constantly water.
Q: WHAT IS THE EXAMINATION LIKE TO
DETERMINE WHETHER SOMEONE IS
SUFFERING FROM DRY EYE?
A: The examination for dry eye to the patient
might not look any diff erent than a routine
eye exam. However, a dry eye evaluation has
specifi c testing geared toward this disease that
will then help determine the proper treatment
protocol.
Q: ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE PRONE TO
HAVING DRY EYE THAN OTHERS?
A: There are defi nitely age and gender
predilections, with women over the age of 50
more adversely aff ected. However, a majority
of the oral medications people take these
days have a side eff ect of causing dry eye
and as computers/cell phones become more
widely used, the incidence of dry eye has also
increased. A recent study out of a dry eye clinic
in California found that children between the
ages of 4 and 18 were already showing some
signs of dry eye and eyelid margin disease due
to increased cell phone and computer use. I
think we are going to see a lot more people at
a younger age with dry eye disease and eyelid
margin disease in the practice within the next
few years.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL TREATMENTS
USED TO HELP PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM
DRY EYE?
A: Treatment usually consists of a combination
of drops and eyelid therapy. As we learn more
about dry eye we are fi nding that the eyelids
play a more important role than we originally
thought. I fi nd myself treating lid margin
disease (i.e. blepharitis and meibomian gland
dysfunction) where I would have treated with
only drops in the past. If the dryness cannot be
managed eff ectively with OTC therapy, then
patients have
the option of
two prescription
drops, which
are Restasis
and Xiidra. Lid
margin disease is
iLux Device — Can be Used to Treat typically treated
Both Upper and Lower Eyelids
with some
form of heat along with a cleaning product.
If the disease progresses or if it cannot be
managed simply, then antibiotics are generally
prescribed both orally and/or topically. Certain
patients will need further treatment, including
eyelid debridement and expression through
devices like the BlephX and iLux respectively.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR PEOPLE TO HELP THEM AVOID DRY
EYE ISSUES?
A: Unfortunately, no, since there are so many
variables that can aff ect patients with dry eye
disease. The best thing to do is to seek help if
any symptoms or changes are noted.
Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ABOUT DRY EYE?
A: I think the hardest thing about treating
patients with dry eye and eyelid margin
disease is that nothing is instantaneous.
Patients need to understand that treatment
can often take months for symptom relief and
that a majority of therapy is chronic. The good
news is that the disease is treatable and that
there are many more things to come in the
next few years for dry eye therapy. For the past
10-plus years we have only had one eye drop
option for patients, and soon we will have
multiple drop options as well as a variety of
eyelid treatments to off er patients who have
been suff ering for so long.
L A SE R C ATA R AC T SU R G E RY | D RY EY E C L I N IC | G L AU C OM A | M AC U L A R
D E G E N E R AT IO N | L A SI K | D IA B E T IC EY E C A R E
AIOvision.com
888.634.9800
BUTLER | GREENSBURG | KITTANNING | MEADVILLE | MONROEVILLE | MOUNDSVILLE, WV | TITUSVILLE | UNIONTOWN | WEST MIFFLIN | WHEELING, WV
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL
❘
FALL 2019
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