Lylas Mogk, M.D.

Caring.com Expert

About

Lylas G. Mogk is an ophthalmologist and founding director of the Henry Ford Health System Center for Vision Rehabilitation and Research in Grosse Pointe and Livonia, Michigan.

Mogk is past chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Vision Rehabilitation Committee and serves on the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness and the American Medical Association's Panel on Older Drivers.

An alumna of Vassar College and Wayne State University Medical School, Mogk completed her ophthalmology residency at the Kresge Eye Institute of Wayne State University, which named her its Distinguished Alumnus in 2007 for her work in vision rehabilitation.

She writes and lectures often on macular degeneration, coping with vision loss, and vision rehabilitation. She has also conducted research on depression and vision loss, Charles Bonnet syndrome, and the impact of wet versus dry macular degeneration and outcomes in vision rehabilitation.

Why I Care "I was inspired by my patients and by my father, who had advanced macular degeneration. Along with my daughter, Marja Mogk, I wrote Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight. It's an award-winning book geared toward patients and their families."

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Thursday April 14, 2011

    1. Will eye strain damage my eyes?

      Answer - Using your eyes will not damage them; "eye strain" will not damage them. To relieve the strain, however, be sure you are blinking enough, look away from the material every 20 min or so for a couple minutes and, depending on your age, explore the option of reading glasses...

  2. Wednesday March 30, 2011

    1. How can we find help us paying for an eye exam for my husband?

      Answer - To locate an ophthalmologist who might do an eye exam without charge, I would recommend calling the American Academy of Ophthalmology - 415-561-8500. It is recommended that everyone over 40 have an eye exam every 2-3 years.

  3. Wednesday March 09, 2011

    1. Is my mother considered blind?

      Answer - with 20/80 visual acuity in one eye your mother is neither blind, nor "legally blind", regardless of the condition of the other eye. To be considered legally blind, best visual acuity in your best eye has to be 20/200. 20/80 means that your mother has to stand 20 feet from an object to see it that the person with full sight could see from 80 feet...

  4. Friday February 25, 2011

    1. Is there a treatment for the brown spots in my eyes?

      Answer - There is no treatment for the brown spots in your eyes and they are not associated with jaundice. If you notice them enlarging or changing color you should see your ophthalmologist.

  5. Friday January 07, 2011

    1. Has or is research being done on posterior cortical atrophy?

      Answer - Research specifically on PCA (posterior cortical atrophy) is likely to be limited because it is rare; in 2003 researchers in Toronto were able to identify only 40 cases. However, PCA is a variant of Alzheimer's and there is much research being done on Alzheimer's, some of which may apply to PCA...

  6. Sunday October 03, 2010

    1. How is eye cancer treated?

      Answer - There is no single answer to the question of what one does about eye cancer and no reasonable answer at all is possible without more information. This is because there are many different types of cancer that can develop in or on the eye and the eyelids. When your ophthalmologist has the results of the biopsy, you need to ask him or her this question...

  7. Monday September 13, 2010

    1. Is vision therapy after a stroke a waste of time?

      Answer - Before talking about "stroke therapy" and "vision therapy" for your grandma,you need to know that vision loss from a stroke is not vision loss in one eye as you have indicated; rather if your grandma's vision loss is from the stroke, which is likely is, then she has lost the right half of her field of vision in both eyes...

  8. Wednesday August 11, 2010

    1. What causes eye floaters?

      Answer - The cause of eye floaters is condensation of the transparent gel, called vitreous, that fills our eyeballs. As we age the vitreous condenses and makes little bits of solid material in the gel visible. Floaters are not dangerous and are not a sign of something more serious...

  9. Tuesday April 20, 2010

    1. What is the difference between wet and dry macular degeneration?

      Answer - The difference between wet and dry macular degeneratiom (AMD) is that in wet AMD blood vessels develop under the macular where they should not be and in dry AMD there are no such vessels. In wet AMD those vessels leak, bleed and damage the macula whereas, which can happen suddenly, whereas in dry AMD...

  10. Thursday March 25, 2010

    1. Is vision loss associated with dementia?

      Answer - Dementia does not cause vision loss, but it does impair the individual's ability to recognize people and objects. If her vision is actually decreased enough to be unable to see an object as large as a baby, then I would expect that she would have difficulty finding her plate to eat, for example, or finding...

  11. Sunday February 28, 2010

    1. Do floaters lead to blindness?

      Answer - There is no way to prevent floaters and they won't go away; however, most people become less aware of them as time goes on. They are just little condensations in the gel that fills the hollow inside of your eyeball. They do not cause vision loss and they certainly do not cause blindness...

  12. Wednesday February 24, 2010

    1. What could cause spots in my vision?

      Answer - The most commmon cause for seeing spots is condensation of the gel that fills the inside of your eyeball. As the gel condenses, a normal development over time, the little fibres within it separate out and float in the gel. As light passes through your pupil at the front of your eye and through the gel...

  13. Sunday January 24, 2010

    1. What does a light blue ring around the iris of the eye indicate?

      Answer - If the light blue iris ring you are seeing is at or near the margin between the iris (colored part of your eye) and the sclera (white part) and forms a large ring around that margin it is likely to be a deposit of cholesterol. It does not damaging to the eye and does not interfere with vision...

  14. Tuesday December 15, 2009

    1. What causes a white ring around the iris?

      Answer - The white ring you see on top of your iris is most likely a deposit of cholesterol around the edge of your cornea, the clear dome that covers the iris. This cholesterol deposit is known officially as a pinguicula. If you are young, this could suggest high cholesterol; if you are a senior citizen, it...

  15. Monday November 02, 2009

    1. What can I do for my blurry vision?

      Answer - If your blurry vision is from dry eyes, which it sounds like it may be as you were given drops, I would recommend (1)be sure you blink enough, as if you are absorbed in a TV program you may not blink as frequently as you should and eyes that don't blink frequently become dry,(2) be sure you do not have...

  16. Monday October 19, 2009

    1. What could be causing my eye to swell?

      Answer - Eye swelling as you describe could be from an allergy; however, allergies usually do not cause blurred vision and usually do occur in both eyes. A full history and examination would be required to explain the cause of your symptoms and therefore I highly recommend you see an ophthalmologist.

  17. Sunday September 27, 2009

    1. What causes blepharitis?

      Answer - The most common cause for blepharitis is clogged oil glands in eyelids caused by poor consistency of oil, ie. the oil is too thick. When we blink oil is supposed to be milked out of oil glands whose openings are in the eyelid edge, next to the base of our eyelashes...

    2. What are some tips for relieving dry eyes?

      Answer - The other things your wife might do to help alleviate dry eyes are take an omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) capsule, put a hot wet compress over her closed eyes for 15 minutes four times a day, install a humidifier on your furnace and/or a portable humidifier in your most used room in the house and avoid either heat or air conditioning blowing on her face, e...

  18. Saturday September 19, 2009

    1. What could be causing my eye pain and blurriness?

      Answer - Intermittent blurriness could be caused by dryness, if the front surface of your eye (the cornea) momentarily dries out. When you blink a few times it re-lubricates and you can see better. Usually pain with dry eyes is on the surface of the eye, not deep inside or the temple, however...

  19. Sunday September 13, 2009

    1. What are ocular migraines?

      Answer - Ocular migraines share their last name with migraine headache's first name because both are the result of vessel spasms. In the case of ocular migraine there is only visual phenomena, with no headache, most commonly a lightning or flashing jagged light pattern at the edges of vision which occurs suddenly and stops just as suddenly...

  20. Tuesday September 01, 2009

    1. What is considered legally blind?

      Answer - The Social Security Administration defines "legally blind" as either visual acuity in both eyes of less than 20/100 or a horizontal visual field in both eyes of 20 degrees or less.

    2. Will herbs help recover vision lost from glaucoma?

      Answer - Neither "vision herbs", "Senior Eye Vision" nor any other herbs, vitamins or prescription medications will restore vision lost from glaucoma. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, which we do not know how to regenerate. The vitamins marketed for eyes are for macular degeneration; they do not restore lost...

  21. Thursday April 30, 2009

    1. Are symptoms related to tears in my retinas?

      Answer - You should see your ophthalmologist immediately if there is any possibility that you have a tear or tears in your retina, of any size. Occasional flashes can be caused by traction on the retina, which is not harmful if it does not produce a tear, but if there is a tear it needs to be treated.

  22. Tuesday April 07, 2009

    1. What are my options for cataract surgery?

      Answer - The new cataract lens implants are multi-focal, which means they are in focus at different distances. The basic lens implant is in focus only at one distance, either near or far. The new implants are designed to function more like a natural lens, with the hope that after cataract surgery no glasses will be necessary...

    2. What could be causing my mother, who has Alzheimer's, to obsessively rub her eyes?

      Answer - Dear Dinah,