Dr. Melissa Clare Oltz O.D.?

Dr. Melissa Clare Oltz O.D.

Optometrist

100 Uptown Rd Ithaca NY, 14850 Show map

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About

Dr. Melissa Oltz is an optometrist practicing in Ithaca, NY. Dr. Oltz specializing in providing eye care services to patients. As an optometrist, Dr. Oltz performs eye exams, tests vision, corrects vision by prescribing eye glasses or contacts, detects certain eye disorders and manages and treats vision problems. Optometrists often work closely with ophthalmologists who may need to further treat patients with surgical procedures.

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Dr. Melissa Clare Oltz O.D.

Dr. Melissa Clare Oltz O.D.'s Expert Contributions

My Answers

What could be the cause of my eye pain?
There are many things that can cause eye pain with simple to complex origins. You should have it checked. READ MORE
What are the treatment options for high eye pressure?
There are a lot of treatments (drops, pills, cardiovascular exercise, sleeping with head elevated 30 degrees, lasers, and surgeries). Please discuss with your doctor which treatment is the right one for you. READ MORE
Is seeing eye floaters normal?
Floaters can be normal or a sign of a retinal tear or hole. It is best to get it checked out with a dilated eye exam. READ MORE
Why does it hurt to look in a certain direction?
It is normal to feel strain when looking in directions you don’t typically look. If you are having actual pain and/or double vision in different positions of gaze, see an eye doctor. READ MORE
What can be the cause of eye pain during a flight?
There are a lot of sinus cavities around the eye sockets and in between the eyes. You could just be pressure sensitive. Also the dry air can make the eyes uncomfortable. READ MORE
How often do I need to change my contact lenses?
There are many different types of contacts. You should call your doctor to see which one was prescribed to know how often they should be replaced. READ MORE
What are the treatment options for cataract?
UV protection and Vitamin C slow down cataracts as well as avoiding any smoke fumes to the eyes. Cataracts are a natural aging process that happens to everyone. Most people start having cataracts in their 40s and 50s but aren’t ready for surgery until they hit their 70s or 80s. Trauma, poor nutrition, certain medical conditions, and trauma can speed up cataracts. When the vision gets too bothersome, cataract surgery is a quick procedure (5-10 minutes for most surgeons) and typically it reduces the need for glasses. READ MORE
Can high blood pressure affect your eye sight?
Absolutely! READ MORE
Can cheap sunglasses ruin my vision?
Buy sunglasses that have the UVA/UVB protection. As long as they block the harmful ultraviolet rays and they don’t have distorted areas when you look through them, they are safe. READ MORE
Can optometrists do Botox treatment?
No, you will need to go to an oculoplastics specialist or cosmetic surgeon. READ MORE
Can I get new glasses without an eye exam?
If your glasses prescription is over 2 years old, it is no longer valid. Eye health checkups should be performed at least every 2 years on everyone, despite needing glasses or not. There are many health issues that “brew” in the eye that are detected on “routine “ eye exams and can be fixed/treated before someone loses vision or becomes very sick. I personally have seen large tumors, retinal tears, diabetic eye disease, etc in people who come in for routine care. You only have 2 eyes, get them checked! READ MORE
Do I have pink eye?
Yes, the cold virus gets in your eye via the tear ducts. READ MORE
For how long does Uveitis lasts?
Depending on the underlying cause, it can be months or more with multiple recurring episodes for years. Blood work and other tests are done to determine the true triggers for the inflammation. If it was an outside trigger (I.e. getting hit by something in the eye) usually it is better in a week or two. READ MORE
What are the treatment options for floaters?
Most treatments are for extreme cases because they can potentially (and permanently) reduce your vision: laser and vitrectomy. Non-surgical things you can do to make you less annoyed with your floaters: wear tinted glasses and reduce the screen brightness of your devices (when you reduce the amount of light entering your eyes, the floaters don’t cast as pronounced of a shadow on the retina). Also, using artificial tears frequently (4-6x/day) helps to make the eyes more comfortable and you pay less attention to them. READ MORE
How often do I need to clean my contact lenses?
Your tears have proteins, lipids, and a variety of normal bacteria in them at all times. Contact lenses get build up of these normal materials on them. Over time, they can become concentrated on the contacts that haven’t been cleaned regularly and cause blurred vision, discomfort, and a source for infection. Rubbing the lenses after you take them out at night breaks off the deposits and allows the cleaning solutions to kill bacteria over night. Without rubbing them with the solution, you leave areas of build up where bacteria can hide and create protective biofilms that are difficult to remove. If you don’t want the hassle of the extra 30 seconds it takes to clean the lenses, have your doctor switch you to daily disposable contacts and throw them in the recycling bin at the end of the day. Multipurpose cleaning solutions that say that they are No Rub solutions require you to spray the lenses for at least 15 seconds (which is a giant waste of solution). Just put a small puddle in the palm of your hand over the contact and rub it as you were instructed. This will save you $ and protect you from a nasty corneal ulcer and painful infiltrates. Putting the same lens on your eye is like eating with the same spoon every day, dumping it in soapy water, letting it sit all night, pulling it out without cleaning it, and eating again. It will get a little clean by being in the soapy water, but would be spotless if you took the time to actually wash it. Clean your lenses every day. READ MORE
Is it okay to fall asleep with your contact lenses on?
Yes, sleeping in your contacts raises your risk of getting a corneal ulcer by 9 times. READ MORE
What is the depth perception test?
Stereoscopic Vision is basically 3-D Vision. We have tests that have various degrees of 3-D images and can help determine if the eyes are working together or independent of each other. Common causes of decreased stereo vision are an eye turn or largely different refractive error between the two eyes that has not been corrected for in glasses or contacts. READ MORE
What is a visual field test?
Visual fields are a great way to see if there is any reduced signaling from the retina to the brain in the central 30 degrees of vision. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve as it leaves the eye. The nerve fibers leave the eye in bundles through the optic nerve and can be damaged/die off over time (the disease is called Glaucoma). One way to slow/stop this process is to lower the overall pressure inside the eye. Reducing the eye pressure can be done with drops, lasers, and a variety of surgeries. When the optic nerve looks like it has damage (cupping or notching of tissue), The visual field test and OCT scan is performed to determine whether medical treatment/interventions are needed. In early Glaucoma, the visual field will be normal. If there are already defects on the visual field, the Glaucoma is beyond the early stages. The visual field tests one eye at a time. The patient looks straight ahead at a fixation light and is instructed to push a button every time he/she sees other lights (small/big/bright/dim) anywhere else in the vision. As Glaucoma develops, you lose the ability to see the small/dim lights in certain areas and can eventually cause tunnel vision. READ MORE
Can kids have astigmatism?
Yes, they can have a lot of astigmatism. This blurs fine print distance and near and should be corrected with glasses and contacts as early as possible to enhance vision and promote learning. READ MORE
Why do I see black spots when I stand up?
Low blood pressure/ low blood flow into the eye until your heart kicks up a notch and renormalizes to your new activity. (It is related to Orthostatic hypotension) READ MORE