Columbia Eye Clinic

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Danlin Jenny Fuller, M.D. joins Columbia Eye Clinic

Jenny Fuller, M.D.

The 14 physicians and more than 100 staff of Columbia Eye Clinic welcome Danlin Jenny Fuller, M.D. to the practice.  Dr. Fuller specializes in ophthalmic and cataract surgery and comprehensive ophthalmology.  Her clinical interest is in comprehensive eye care including cataracts and laser assisted cataract surgery, glaucoma diagnosis and treatment, dry eye management, and eyelid surgery.  She sees patients at Columbia Eye Clinic’s three conveniently located offices in downtown Columbia, Northeast Columbia and Lexington.

Dr. Fuller completed her Residency at Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, GA.  She earned her M.D. from Jefferson College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA and completed her Internship at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading, PA.  She graduated from Pennsylvania State University, University City, PA with a B.S.  She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, and American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Fuller enjoys scuba diving, traveling, rock climbing, photography and is a certified yoga instructor.  She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

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Charles D. Finley, M.D. Announces Retirement from Columbia Eye Clinic

photo of Dr. Finley wearing a white lab coat with exam room in the background
Charles D. Finley, M.D.

After 19 years in practice, Ophthalmologist Charles D. Finley, M.D. is retiring from medical practice. Dr. Finley served his entire medical career at Columbia Eye Clinic and has been proud to work in partnership with some of the most respected physicians in the field of Ophthalmology as well as highly skilled clinical staff.  The fifteen physicians and more than 100 staff of Columbia Eye Clinic congratulate him on his retirement.

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Corrective Options for Age-Related Blurry Near Vision (Presbyopia)

reading glasses resting on a book

Nearly everyone, even those who have never had vision problems before, begin to experience blurry near vision around age 40. Each eye contains a lens, much like a camera lens, positioned right behind the pupil, that is elastic and attached to muscles so that its shape can be controlled. When one is young the changing shape of the lens allows one to focus from distance to near and back. As one ages the lens gradually loses elasticity and cannot continue to focus adequately on near objects. This process, called presbyopia, is natural and most adults struggle to find the best way to “work around” this problem.

If presbyopia is your only vision deficit, reading glasses are probably all you need.

If you have other vision problems, there are many corrective options available. Bifocals have a prescription for distance in the top and near vision in the bottom. Trifocals have areas for distance, mid-range and near vision. Progressive lenses work like bifocals and trifocals but the prescription changes gradually from the top to bottom.

If you prefer to wear contact lenses, one option is monovision, wearing a near vision lens in one eye and a distance vision lens in the other eye. It does take some adjustment to train your brain to see using monovision and some people find they are unable to accurately judge speed and distance. A multifocal contact lens withman's hand holding mobile phone at arm's length due to presbyopia rings or zones set at different powers is another option. Your eyes will select the right focus for near, intermediate and distance vision, however some people find their vision is less sharp than with a monofocal lens. You may find that a contact lens to correct distance vision plus reading glasses for close-up work is the best option.

Currently, there is no perfect surgical option for completely reversing presbyopia, though researchers continue to explore refractive procedures and even medications.

Candidates for cataract surgery can opt for monovision or multifocal lens replacements much like the corrective contact lens options described above.

Presbyopia progresses over time, so regular eye exams are important to keep you seeing your best.

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When Should I Take My Child to the Eye Doctor?

Good vision and overall eye health are vital to learning and academic success. Children’s eyes change rapidly as they grow, making regular vision screenings an important step in detecting and correcting eye problems early. In addition to screenings for infants, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends further vision screening for children when they are:

Pre-school age, between age 3 and 3 ½ years old
Entering school
Experiencing a possible vision problem

For school-age children, a vision screening, which is less comprehensive than a dilated eye examination by an ophthalmologist, can be performed by a pediatrician, family physician, nurse or trained technician during regular checkups. If the screening detects a problem, the child may need to see an ophthalmologist — an eye physician and surgeon.

Parents should share information about their family eye health history with the person performing the screening when possible. Examples of common eye conditions include refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism) crossed eye, known as strabismus, and lazy eye, known as amblyopia. If crossed eye and lazy eye are not treated in childhood, they can sometimes cause permanent vision loss in one or both eyes.

Symptoms that could indicate an eye or vision problem in a child include complaints of eyestrain, headaches and squinting when reading or performing other common activities. Other symptoms to look for include a white or grayish-white coloring in the pupil, one eye that turns in or out, or eyes that do not track in sync together.

If your child plays racket sports, hockey, baseball or basketball, consider having them wear goggles or other certified protective eyewear. Eye injuries while playing sports can cause serious damage, whether by getting smacked with an elbow during basketball or hit with a hockey stick.

Visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s website to learn more about common childhood eye conditions.

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How to Instill Eye Drops

Eye drops can be essential in healing your eyes after surgery or infection and preserving your sight if you have chronic eye disease. To get the greatest benefit from eye drops, you must use them properly.

Each time you miss your eye when putting in expensive prescription eye drops, you are throwing money down the drain. Also, if the drops are dripping out of your eye they are not providing the sight preserving medicinal benefit intended.

If you are having difficulty administering your eye drops, you can practice with over-the-counter preservative-free artificial tears for mild dry eyes. Using a Elderly man applying eye drops isolated on white backgroundpreservative-free formula eliminates the risk of you being allergic to preservatives found in many artificial tears.

If you have been prescribed more than one type of medicated eye drop, wait at least five minutes to put the additional drop in the same eye. This will allow the first medication to be fully absorbed and help prevent both medications from dripping out of the eye. If your physician has recommended both a prescription eye drop and over-the-counter lubricating eye drop on the same eye, administer the prescription drop first.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Dry your hands with a clean towel.
  2. Check to see if your eyes have crusting or drainage. If they do, close your eyes and gently wash or wipe the outside of your eyelids with a clean wet cotton ball.
  3. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them. The only exception is if you are using eye drops that are specifically formulated to remoisten your contacts or if your doctor advised you to administer drops with your contacts in.
  4. Shake the eye drops container gently. Be sure to use only the eye drops prescribed for you. Always check the container to be sure that it is the right drug, right number of drops, and the correct schedule (when you should put in your drops).
  5. Remove the cap of the eye drop bottle. Place the dropper cap on its side and rest it on a clean tissue. Do not touch the dropper tip with your hand or any object to avoid contaminating the drops in the bottle with bacteria and other organisms.
  6. Either lie down or tilt your head back and look up at the ceiling. Concentrate on a point on the ceiling, keeping your eye wide open.
  7. Place one or two fingers on your face about an inch below your eye; gently pull down to create a pocket between your lower eyelid and your eyeball.
  8. Use your other hand to hold the eye drop bottle, pointing the tip downward. Resting your hand on your forehead may help steady it.
  9. Hold the bottle close to your eye (about an inch away). Be careful not to let the dropper touch your eye or eyelashes to avoid contaminating the drops in the bottle with bacteria and other organisms.
  10. Squeeze the bottle lightly to allow the drop to fall into the pocket inside your lower lid.
  11. Remove your hands from your face, gently close your eyes and tilt your head down for a few seconds. Try not to squeeze or blink your eyes after putting in drops. This can force some of the drop out of your eye before it has had a chance to be absorbed.
  12. To keep as much of the drop on your eye as possible, press lightly on the inner corner of your eyelid, next to your nose. A small duct that drains tears away from your eye and into your nose is located here. By pressing at this point, you close the opening of this drainage duct, allowing the eye drop to remain on the surface of your eye longer. This technique also minimizes the funny taste you may get in your mouth after applying certain eye drops.
  13. Use a clean tissue to absorb and wipe away any drops that spill out of your eye and onto your eyelids and face.
  14. If you are using eye drops on both eyes, repeat this procedure for the second eye. Use a clean, separate tissue to blot excess drops from each eye.
  15. Replace the cap of the bottle and screw it on securely. Never wipe the dropper tip with anything, to avoid contaminating the drops.

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