New Phone System for Madison Patients

If you are a patient at our Madison eye clinic, you might have already noticed the telephone greeting when you dial the number 608.829.2440. If you wish to be connected to the office immediately, you don't have to wait for the entire message to play. Just dial "0" and you'll get a hold of one of our technicians.

How to Tell if a Contact Lens is Inside Out

It can be difficult to tell if a contact lens is inside out. Pictures and models of inside out contacts look very obvious, but when it comes time to actually put in the real thing, it isn't as obvious. The following video will show how to tell the slight difference using a real contact. Be sure to watch in the highest resolution possible!

What FAAO Stands for after the "OD"

I had a patient ask me what the FAAO acronym stood for after Dr. Facchiano's name and the Optometrist designation of "OD." FAAO stands for Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.


The FAAO designation is given to Optometrists who have dedicated their professional lives to science of sight. They have to meet strict, high standards and must be accepted by the American Academy of Optometry. Nearly 90 percent of people given the FAAO title are practicing Optometrist, however, scientists, educators, librarians, administrators and editors can also receive the designation providing they have done the proper accreditation process.

How to Read a Contact Lens Blister Pack to Check the Prescription

Since the Optometry field is highly visual, what better way to help explain how to care for the eye than with an official Dr. Facchiano and Associates' YouTube channel?

Customized Displays on Contact Lenses Possible

The LA Times recently ran an news story about researchers at the University of Washington who have found a way to use nanotechnology to put customized displays on contact lenses. Right now, the technology is very basic (a contact lens can display a red dot and a blue dot) but there are practical uses, like health readouts. The article mentioned the researchers are looking for ways to monitor glucose levels, which is important for diabetics. The eye contains a lot of health information so a contact medical device that would display vital information is very helpful, in theory. Eventually, entire computer screens could possibly be displayed.

It all sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but human trials a long ways off. The eyes are a delicate and sensitive part of the body so any new technology related to contact lens wear needs to be rigorously tested first.

When to Tell Your Optometrist about "Eye Crusties"

Everybody at some point in their life has woken up with little crusty particles in the corner of the eyes. The dry little particles are formed at the corners of the eye typically and can be brushed away. The official term for these dry particles is Rheum. It is made up of natural mucus from the eye and nose, skin cells, dust and pollen. These are totally normal and a natural part of your body's function to flush away foreign objects from the eyes. The funny part is that there doesn't seem to be a universal, everyday term for Rheum. Eye boogers, the sandman's dust, sleepies, crusties and a multitude of other names are said on a daily basis. Admittedly, these common terms roll off the tongue a little better, even if they are a bit silly.

Trying to one of our optometrists to say "eye booger" was one of my highlights today.

There generally shouldn't be any cause for concern with Rheum. You should tell your optometrist only if you notice that there is discoloration, pus or if your eyes are "glued" shut in the morning. That is usually a signal there is a problem with the eye and it should be looked at by an optometrist.

How to Read a Prescription from Your Optometrist

After an eye exam, the doctor will come back in the room and hand you a prescription if there is a need for glasses or contact lenses. When you shop for glasses or contacts, a technician or optician will fill the Optometrist's written specifications, which is the prescription. There are lots of numbers and abbreviations so it can be quite confusing if you were to just glance over it. However, once the different parts are learned, it can tell quite a bit about focusing power and shape of your eye.

Let's take a look at my prescription. Notice in the blue circle where it has the abbreviations "OD" and "OS." That tells you what eye we are talking about. "OD" stands for Oculus Dexter, which is the fancy Latin way of saying "Right Eye" and "OS" stands for Oculus Sinister, which is the not-so-flattering way of saying "Left Eye."

In the red circle is the the Sphere, Cylinder and Axis. These columns tell you about the focusing ability and shape of the eye. Sphere is commonly referred to as the "power" of the eye. If the number in the "sphere" column  is a negative (like my prescription) it means you are nearsighted. Optometrists will call the condition Myopia. If the number is positive (if my prescription were to say +2.75) it means you are farsighted. Like nearsightedness, Optometrists have a special name for farsightedness as well - Hyperopia.

The cylinder and axis will tell if you have an astigmatism or not. That just means your eye is shaped more like a football than it is a basketball. The numbers in the cylinder and axis columns correct for the astigmatism.