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Office
Seattle, WA
My office hours
Thursday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
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About
Bio
American Academy of Ophthalmology public spokesman, Residency at Washington University St. Louis, Has served as Eye Department Chairman, and as President of Medical Society. Known for general eye knowledge, glaucoma, cataracts, oculoplastic surgery, effects of cancer on the eye including cancer treatment. Also known for ethical aspects and political aspects of medical care.
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
Licenses
United States: Washington
Doctor Q&A
8.1K Answers
149 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
No: Cold milk as a routine eye wash is neither good nor bad for the eyes. The only use for milk as an eyewash is if you get pepper spray or actual pepper... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Yes: You are talking most about the common cold. This requires exposure and susceptibility. If people around you have a cold, you could be exposed. But ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Adenovirus: This is a type of virus that prefers to live in mucus surface tissue on the human body. Some upper respiratory infections are caused by these viruses... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Prostate relief: In older males, an enlarged prostate is common and interferes with urinary stream and frequently leads to a need to awaken at night to urinate as well... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Absolutely: Some consider that position one in which deeper penetration is possible and that pregnancy is more likely. If you are concerned about pregnancy prote... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Not many: Brown recluse spiders are mostly in the midwest, usually in basements and hidden areas. They are not aggressive but will bite if disturbed. Most spi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Link artery to vein: The carotid artery, the main supply to the head, can establish a direct connection to the veins in the cavernous sinus lead to pronounced elevation of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Migraine: Mostly likely this is a visual or occipital migraine. If you cover each eye in turn when this happens you will see that this is in 1/2 of the left si... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Depends: Most 17 year olds have temporary illnesses that will spontaneously clear with time and reasonable supportive care. If your son has a problem requirin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
A little: Most anemia is due to iron deficiency. This is likely dietary but might also be from bleeding. These are mostly individual and do not run in familie... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Not long: Most doubllng of vision is acute following trauma, head injuries or due to intracerebral vascular events or tumors. The injury may also be direct tra... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Low red cell count: Anemia is low blood count and may be mild or serious. Either you body does not produce enough red cells (blood cell cancer, uremia, chemotherapy, low ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
D dose: The recommended dose of vitamin d, 400 units is designed to guarantee that no ricketts appears. The association with multiple sclerosis is not proven... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Inflammation: Your eye could have one of several things. You might have uveitis, an internal sterile inflammation which can be serious. You might have corneal ulc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Common: Anemia is low blood count and may be mild or serious. Either you body does not produce enough red cells (blood cell cancer, uremia, chemotherapy, low ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Usually: Ringworm is actually a fungal infection (not a worm) of the skin. You can treat it with over the counter antifungals such as Clotrimazole cream (and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Fatigue: You are describing a host of possibilities although the most likely is anemia. A good physical exam and some laboratory work would be helpful from yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Benign nerve growth: A neuroma is a benign tumor or overgrowth of nerve cells which may grow from the nerve or be due to a focal injury. Neuromas can occur anywhere a ner... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Any medical center: Your family doctor, internist or emergency room physician will have access to these type of laboratory evaluations. Discuss with them how to prepare ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Growth on ureter: Any part of the body may develop a growth - sometimes benign and occasionally a cancer. Your father must have had some symptoms leading to an evaluat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Benign nerve growth: A neuroma is a benign tumor or overgrowth of nerve cells which may grow from the nerve or be due to a focal injury. Neuromas can occur anywhere a ner... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Identify the source: This is a loss of vision in one eye, usually in a pattern like a curtain from top to bottom or the opposite. Most commonly it is from emboli arising ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Cipro (ciprofloxacin): This is short for ciprofloxacin, a more advanced and potent antibiotic. It has a broad spectrum of action and is used to treat infections of the uppe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Depends: If your eye droop is of recent onset, it may reflect some neurologic issue such as a vascular change or tumor. Especially so if accompanied by a chan... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old female asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Various: There are many options for fibromyalgia which you can discuss with your medical doctor or rheumatologist. You might need treatment for some time. Th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
OTC creams: Ringworm is actually a fungal infection (not a worm) of the skin. You can treat it with over the counter antifungals such as Clotrimazole cream (and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Neutral: Mints can make your breath improved. The usually do add calories to your diet although this is small. If you use them regularly your should brush you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Needs evaluation: Blood in the urine can come from a variety of sources of which cancer is only one. Your primary care doc is a good start if this is your first sympto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Self definition: Many children when they first develop a strong sense of their own identity will identify things they like as "mine" with emphasis. This can go on for... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Rest, icing: The goal is to relieve the pressure on the nerve a diminish the local inflammation. Resting in a position to relieve strain in that area is useful. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Not ointment: The thing to do for any burn, immediately, is to grab a pack of frozen vegetables or an ice pack or ice in a baggie and apply it for 15 minutes to the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Yes: Homeopathic products use a very high to infinite dilution of what might have been an active agent so you are administering virtually water, pills cont... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Ineffective therapy: Chiropractors use an ancient, outmoded, discredited theory of disease causation. They use unshielded x-rays to identify "subluxations" which they tre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Absolutely no: Turning the baby to facilitate delivery is a technique that saves a great deal of misery. It is done by an obstetrician and occasionally your family ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Several causes: Most color deficient persons have an inherited change in their light receptors limiting color discrimmination. Advanced diabetics frequently have eno... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Blister on redeye: If you have a subconjunctival hemorrhage which brightly colors over the white of the eye, the blood cannot seep under the pinguecular area at 3 and 9 ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Night urination: You refer to urine flow which becomes more difficult in men as the prostate enlarges with age. It pushes on the urine outflow tract cause the symptoms... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Low blood count: Anemia is low blood count and may be mild or serious. Either you body does not produce enough red cells (blood cell cancer, uremia, chemotherapy, low ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Secretion, irritatio: Thisis a viral infection of the mucus lining of the eye (the conjunctiva) which causes excess tearing, thick secretion, redness, irritation and minor ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 53-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Back relief: The goal is to relieve the pressure on the nerve a diminish the local inflammation. Resting in a position to relieve strain in that area is useful. Ic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
None: Naturopaths having nothing to offer the polymyositic patient. They will administer ineffective potions while the disease eats away at muscles. Polymy... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Central vision loss: This is a failure of the maintainance of the health of vessels supplying the critical, central portion of the retina. In the 'wet' form, the vessels ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Diabetic retinopathy: In susceptible diabetics, prolonged poor control leads to weakening of the outer walls of vessels in the retina leading to outpouching (microaneurysms... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Mesothelioma: You will only know about this severely lethal, asbestos caused cancer if you already have the diagnosis made. There is nothing special about the sick... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Color charts: Most eye doctors own an ishihara color vision test booklet which can be used to determine if you are color deficient. There are other booklets as wel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Pagets and eye: Pagets disease increases bone density which can gradually close off nerves and blood vessels in any part of the body that they pass through. There ar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Use and lobbies: These are traditional products, available long before heath and other risks have reached the public forum. They exist in the market because they are ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
None: When a disc protrudes from its normal site it is said to be bulging or herniated. These are essentially synonyms for the same pathology.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Yes: This will mostly be metabolized by your liver and little if any will appear in the breast milk. So go for it. (i recommend a 2008 oregon pinot noir).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 54 years experience
Strabismus: Babies can have issues (wiring in the brain, refractive errors, paralyses) which misalign the eyes (termed strabismus). This will drop the vision in o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >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.
20
Recommendations
4.5K
Thank you notes
Aug 29, 2013
Dr Besinger is the ophthalmologist on Healthtap that other ophthalmologists should attempt to emulate when they answer questions. He provides careful and thoughtful answers that are both accurate a...Read More
May 7, 2017
Excellent intelligent answers to a wide range of questions. I especially enjoy his tireless opposition to those that would use pseudoscience or scams to steal patients' dollars and their trust. Re...Read More
Nov 7, 2012
Consistently thoughtful, accurate , and compassionate responses to our healthtap patients. I highly recommend him, and nominate him as a top doctor on healthtap.
HealthTap member
Thank you for the advice and knowledge, you've made me feel better. I think I am over reacting, because they aren't that noticeable at all and people aren't going to hold a magnifying glass over my ey...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you. I don't have RA but lived in Congo until about 4 yr ago. I'm myopic, have OA glaucoma, had retinal det.in 03 in bush and went to SoAf for treatment. Losing some sight in good eye caused by ...Read More
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! I appreciate your reply and knowledge. I'll be following up at The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami as a second opinion to my present ophthalmolgist. I know drusen a...Read More
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
Graduated 1969MD
Residency
Washington University St. Louis
Residency
Washington University St. Louis
Residency
Washington University Barnes Hospital
Awards
Honor awared from Amer Acad of Ophthalmologyy
Top Doctor, Third Place, Seattle, WA - Winter
2013
Most Influential, First Place, Seattle, WA - Winter
2013
Publications
Over 60 reviewed papers
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