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Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA
About
Bio
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Married with two children in elementary school. Enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, skiing, fine dining, cooking.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Ophthalmology
Doctor Q&A
51 Answers
7 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
This : This can in fact happen. It is generally thought to occur in people with hazel colored eyes in which case the iris can turn a darker shade of brown. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Physostigmine: If the overdose is systemic this can be life threatening. You should go to an er.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
No: Most modern cataract intraocular lenses have a built in uv filter.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Correction/surgery: High myopia can be addressed with glasses, contact lenses, laser vision correction or lens based surgery. Your ophthalmologist can help you decide wh... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Can be: Contact lenses should only be prescribed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist (even if your vision is normal without them). You should never just go ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Not typically: Color blindness is typically a genetically inherited problem. However there are certain eye disease which affect the macula or optic nerve that can ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Hot compresses: Start with hot compresses 10 mins at least twice a day. If it does not improve after a week, go see your eye md for further evaluation and treatment.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Both good lenses: These are both excellent soft contact lenses. They are made of different silicone hydrogel materials and come in slightly different base curves and d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Not really : The only treatment for cataract is to remove it surgically. Of course, you always have the option of not having the surgery if the cataract is not ye... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Days to weeks: Atropine is the longest acting of the dilating drops and the effects can last up to two weeks. In addition to dilating the pupil it can cause blurred... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Rarely : The implant has "arms" called haptics which hold it in place inside the lens capsule. If it was not inserted properly or if the eye sustains trauma t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Contraindications: Patients whose refraction is not stable, whose corneas are too thin or are irregular on topography, pregnant patients, patients with uncontrolled diab... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
No: Color blindness is a genetic defect and not influenced by whether or not your wear glasses.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Sometimes : Sometimes a hordeolum (style) will shrink but not go away completely, leaving behind a small residual firm nodule or bump called a chalzion. Options f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
The : The redness is a sign that your eye is either infected or inflamed even if it isn't bothering you or causing any blurred vision. If you were told by y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Can wax and wane: Dry eye symptoms can come and go depending on your environment (dry versus humid, warm versus cold, windy versus calm, clean air versus dusty/smokey) ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Toric lenses: If you have more than 1.00 diopter of astigmatism, you probably won't see sharply in standard spherical soft contact lenses. However you can be fit f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Cataract surgery causes temporary eye inflammation (which resolves with your medicated postop drops) and dryness of the surface of the eye. Both of t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Usually dry eye: Usually dry eye which is extremely common and can be made worse by dry environments (including heated indoors during the fall/winter) and heavy comput... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Laser or IOL: Laser vision correction (lasik or prk) or refractive lens surgery with placement of an intraocular lens (iol) are other ways to correct your vision. D... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
None: There is no evidence that so called eye exercises have any impact on myopia or myopic progression.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Polarized UV block: I generally recommend that the glasses block uva and uvb. Most good quality glasses do and they often say so on the lens. In addition, consider polari... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Soft Toric or RGP: It depends on how much astigmatism you have and whether it is regular irregular. Your eye doctor can determine this. For small amounts of regular asti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
PVD or Vitreous Heme: Two possibilities are: 1) a posterior vitreous detachment, an age related separation of the vitreous gel from the retina. Especially if you also expe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Arcus senilis: If it at the edge of the cornea where it joins the sclera (the white part of the eye), then you are likely referring to arcus senilis. This is a benig... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
A few weeks: After incision and drainage, the eyelid can still be swollen and bruised for up to a few weeks. Your doctor may have prescribed an antibiotic/steroid ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
The : The food and drug administration (fda) has approved laser vision correction after age 21. Should should definitely wait until at least that age, alth... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: But you should wait at least 5 minutes between drops.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
It depends: If the low eye pressure is due to a leak, then the leak needs to be closed. If it is due to inflammation (which can lead to low or high eye pressure)... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Adies and others: A tonic pupil is one that reacts to light very sluggishly if at all. It is typically larger than the other pupil, but can be the smaller of the two i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 52-year-old male asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
20-30 mins: It is usually done as an outpatient (go home the same day) under local anesthesia with light sedation. You usually have to arrive an hour or so befor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
A few days : You will be back on your feet the same day but might be a little tired from the sedation you received. This is usually gone by the next day. Your ey... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Classic triad: Typically defined by the classic triad of eye inflammation (conjunctivitis, iritis, scleritis), urethritis, and arthritis. Many patients with reiters... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Yes: Vitamins containing antioxidants, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthine and omega 3 fatty acids can help patients with macular degeneration. Omega 3 fatty acids ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
A few weeks.: Your body will physically recover within 1 day, but your eyes may take a few weeks. Most patients have functional vision within 1 week but they may r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Stye: A hordeolum is the medical term for a stye which is typically a clogged oil gland in the eyelid. These can become inflamed and sometimes even infecte... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
It depends: If the whites of your eyes are completely yellow, you may have a condition called jaundice and you need to see your primary care doctor to have your l... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Angle closure?: This constellation of symptoms could be due to a condition called angle closure glaucoma. You should definitely go have a comprehensive eye exam per... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Eyes drowsy/heavy: The most common reasons for these symptoms are use related drying (eg from heavy computer use) and droopy eyelids which cause one to exert effort to k... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Pediatric Eye MD: A pediatric ophthalmologist will often also do surgery on adults with strabismus or double vision. Seek out one in your area (you can go to www.Aao.O... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
? HSV: Could be recurrent herpes simplex virus (hsv) conjunctivitis. It tends to affect only 1 eye. This would be likely especially if you tend to get cold ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
No: Their are 2 key parameters that can vary. The base curve (bc) which is how steep or flat the curvature of the lens is and the diameter (dia).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Pressure on the eye: When you strain to stool, you often hold your breath and increase your intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic pressures (called a valsalva maneuver). Thi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Brain hemorrhage: Yes. There is a syndrome called terson syndrome where a type of brain bleed called a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs in conjunction with retinal and v... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Meibomian Glands: A stye is a clogged inflamed oil gland in the eyelid. You probably have meibomian gland dysfunction. You should ask your eye md about this. It is ab... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Not always: If you are referring to having your eyes dilated with drops in the ophthalmologist's office, this is generally safe, except when you have "narrow angl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Probably polycarb: Polycarbonate lenses are "high index" lenses . They are often used in high myopes to allow for the glasses to be thinner and lighter. They do have m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Double vision: Diplopia means double vision which is when you see two distinct images of a single object. Sometimes the second image is a shadow near the first imag... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Eye MD: You should have a comprehensive exam with an ophthalmologist (eye md). You can find one in your area by going to the american academy of ophthalmology... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Michael Rizenanswered
Ophthalmology 22 years experience
Swollen lids: Warm compresses for at least 5 mins using a washcloth and hot water from the tap. Reward as needed. After 5 minutes, rub or massage the eyelids horiz... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
5
Recommendations
120
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
I first went in to see Dr. Rizen several months ago to inquire about Lasik and PRK. After some tests he informed me that because of thin corneas and a relatively strong correction I was a better cand...Read More
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
Dr. Rizen is an excellent Dr. who listens and really cares for his patients. My wife and I have been going to him for some time, and I continue to recommend him highly to all my family, friends and co...Read More
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
I just had two cataracts removed by Dr. Rizen and could not have had better care. I now have 20/15 vision and am really thrilled. Dr. Rizen answers any concern and one can tell he really loves what h...Read More
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Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Graduated 2001MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Graduated 1999MD
Medical/Graduate school
UC San Francisco School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 2001MD
Residency
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Residency
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Awards
Top Doctor, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine
Amercia's Top Ophthalmologists, Consumer Research Council
Mitchell Prize for Resident Research, Wilmer Eye Institute
Affiliations
Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
American Academy of Ophthalmology
King County Medical Society
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