Eye Conditions
Viral vs bacterial pink eye: how to tell them apart
Watery and spreading, or thick and sticky? How viral, bacterial and allergic pink eye differ, how to stop it going around, and the signs that need a doctor today.
Hitomi Saijiki
eye health through the seasons
Welcome
to a notebook on eyes and everyday life
For the days you want to understand your eyes a little better.
From how eye conditions work to everyday care,
explained in plain words, season by season.
· New columns · notice board NEW
- · 26.10.28Added “Viral vs bacterial pink eye: how to tell them apart” to Eye Conditions.
- · 26.10.27Added “Colored contact lenses for Halloween: what to know first” to Vision, Glasses & Contacts.
- · 26.10.26Added “Z87 safety glasses for yard work and DIY: what to wear and why” to Health & Living.
- · 26.10.24Added “What happens if you sleep in contacts, and what to do next” to Vision, Glasses & Contacts.
- · 26.10.23Added “How to measure your pupillary distance (PD) at home” to Vision, Glasses & Contacts.
- · 26.10.22Added “How to clean glasses without scratching the lenses” to Vision, Glasses & Contacts.
- · 26.10.20Added “Autumn reading and tired eyes: lamps, print size and pauses” to Everyday Eye Care.
- · 26.10.19Added “Eye twitching: common causes, what helps and when to see a doctor” to Eye Conditions.
Recent columns
Vision, Glasses & Contacts
Colored contact lenses for Halloween: what to know first
Costume lenses with no prescription are still medical devices. Why you need a fitting, why you never share, how long to wear them, makeup tips and when to take them out.
Health & Living
Z87 safety glasses for yard work and DIY: what to wear and why
Mowers, trimmers and leaf blowers throw grit at eye level. What the Z87 marking means, glasses or goggles for each job, eyewear for kids who help, and first aid.
Vision, Glasses & Contacts
What happens if you sleep in contacts, and what to do next
Sleeping in contacts starves the cornea of oxygen and raises the risk of a serious eye infection. What to do the morning after, and which signs mean see a doctor today.
Vision, Glasses & Contacts
How to measure your pupillary distance (PD) at home
What pupillary distance means, how to measure it at home with a ruler and a mirror or a friend, single, dual and near PD, and when to let an optician measure it.
Vision, Glasses & Contacts
How to clean glasses without scratching the lenses
Rinse first, a drop of plain dish soap, a clean microfiber cloth: a former optical shop worker on cleaning glasses safely and what never to use on coated lenses.
Seeing an eye doctor
How to find an eye doctor, what happens at a first exam, how to read clinic hours and what to do when trouble starts over a holiday. For symptoms that can't wait, see eye emergencies.
Browse by section
- Eye ConditionsCataract, glaucoma, retinal problems, conjunctivitis and more: how common eye conditions work, how they are checked and when to see a doctor.
- Vision, Glasses & ContactsNearsightedness, presbyopia, choosing and caring for glasses and contact lenses, and avoiding lens trouble.
- Children's EyesVision checks for young children, lazy eye and squint, myopia, screens and school life, from a parent's point of view.
- Everyday Eye CareBlinking, breaks, light, sun protection and the small daily habits that keep eyes comfortable.
- Eyes in Later LifeHow eyes change with age, cataract and macular disease, appointments, and how family can help.
- Health & LivingDiabetes, blood pressure, allergies, sleep and diet: how general health connects with the eyes, and everyday living.
- Kyoto & the SeasonsSeasons, festivals and city life in Kyoto, and what each time of year means for our eyes.