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Dr. Beth Friedland

Ophthalmology
Durham, NC
44 years experience female

Locations

Office

Durham, NC

Address

5306 NC Hwy 55, Suite 102, Durham, NC
Directions

Insurances accepted

CIGNA Open Access

Aetna Life Insurance Company

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina

CIGNA Health Care

Coventry Health Care

First Choice Healthcare

Humana Insurance Company

Kanawha Insurance Company

Optum

UnitedHealthcare

UnumProvident

About

Bio

Dr. Friedland was raised in Miami, Florida and earned her medical degree from the University of Florida School of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. She has also completed fellowships sponsored by the Florida Lions Eye Bank, in ocular immunology at Harvard University, and a National Eye Institute post doctoral fellowship studying glaucoma medications at the University of Florida under Dr. Thomas Maren. She interned in medicine at Duke University Medical Center and completed her residency training in Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Friedland is a clinical associate professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine and authored the chapter on Glaucoma Medications in The Textbook of Ocular Pharmacology. She also consults on new drug clinical trials and ocular medical device development with specialized skill in treating dry eye conditions. Dr. Friedland’s interests in ocular health include ocular gerontology (treatment of the elderly), pediatric ophthalmology (treatment of infants & children), occupational eye safety and laser eye safety. She has traveled extensively and lectured in China, Israel, Europe and the United States. Dr. Friedland is a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a member of the North Carolina Society of Eye Physician Surgeons, a life member of American Medical Women’s Association, a member of American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, Ophthalmic Women Leaders, and an active volunteer physician with Eye Care America. For her pioneering work in the field of ophthalmology, Dr. Friedland was recently awarded the 2011 Business Leader Woman Extraordinaire, Triangle Businesswoman of the Year award. Dr. Friedland is married and currently has a son attending university. She enjoys fly fishing, travel, skiing, and singing, particularly liturgical and folk music.

Specialties
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

Languages spoken

English

Doctor Q&A

216 Answers
893 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
No: You should really have any cut or injury on the lid checked by an eyemd first to be sure there is no damage to the eyeball underneath from the trauma ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Lid Speculum: Your eyelids are held open with a special holder called a lid speculum, so even if you wanted to blink you would not be able to do so.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes: Otc medications from artificial tears, to ketotifen containing drops, many types and brands, to many prescription antihistamine, allergy, and steropid... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 63-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Not very much known: Benson's disorder (posterior cortical atrophy) is believed to be a visually impairing variant of alzheimer's and is very rare. See this landmark pape... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Poor CL fit: A slightly larger base curve can cause the cl to move differently in most cases. The ophthalmologist fitting you can compensate for this by changing ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Possibly: Advise you see your rheumatologist and have titers checked. Connective tissue diseases can fluctuate in severity with the seasons, and many factors p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Aqueous humor: The anterior chamber fluid, or aqueous humor, is produced by the ciliary processes behind the iris and is very similar to fluid in the kidney tubules ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
This treats glaucoma: Timolol maleate is the generic name of one medicine, timoptic (timolol). Alphagan is another medication to treat glaucoma. They can be used in comb... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 51-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Not usually: Unless you have GI upsets from omega3, you should be able to take 3000 mg with no harm.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes, usually: With soft cls it is usually safe to shower while wearing them; just be careful not to get water directly in your eyes. If you do, it is advisable to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Can affect eyes: Toxoplasmosis can rarely cause retinal lesions, so wear gloves when handling kitty litter.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Magnifying Mirror: Another trick to help you or someone close to you to remove something the flew into your eye, is to use a lighted magnifying mirror to help you to see... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes, depends: Exercise can induce eye fatigue if your work outs are strenuous , and can sometimes lead to eye muscle twitching. Eye muscles are small and can be sen... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes, depends: The muscles will be straight but any recovery of vision from amblyopia will depend on how early in life the surgery for crossed eyes is performed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
It depends.: It depends on how long it lasts, if there are any other symptoms associated with it. Does stress or eyestrain bring it on? Is it related to menstrua... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes: Crossed eye distort the input to the brain and usually one eye becomes 'lazy' or amblyopic. The vision then becomes worse in the lazy eye and may b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
See a Dr.: You must first see an eyemd to make sure that you do not have a retinal tear or other seroius problem associated with floaters. If all else is health... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
All increase tears: The medications you have listed can all help improve tear properies in selected patients and you need to work with your eyemd to see what will work fo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
NO: There are no non prescription steroid containing eyedrops. There is a non steroidal antihistamine type drop, ketotifen generic, that is available wit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Self limiting: Usually a small broken blood vessel on the surface of the eye, this condition will get better on its own. The concern is checking to be sure that the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Color vision anomaly: Color blindness is a misnomer, as most color blind people see some colors, they just see the hues differently than the norm. This can be an advantage... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
No: In general, the main aging problem around age 40-45 is difficulty with near work (presbyopia) where reading glasses are needed. The most common age r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Possible injury?: If this is a recent development you may have injured one of your eye muscles. See an eyemd soon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Retina blood vessels: Small blood vessels in the retina become leaky and abnormal vessel growth factors stimulate the growth of new abnormal vessels with weak walls called ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Other Treatments: In addition to the many helpful suggestions, such as plugs, increased efas in diet or capsules, and getting off medications that dry the eyes, there i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
See your Doctor: This is a very rare side effect and you should see the doctor who prescribed the medication as soon as possible. Do not stop this medication suddenly... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes: Lack of blinking can cause the tears to break down as the layers of the tears can separate between blinks. Usually we blink about every 5- 6 seconds ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Not usually: Tropicamide is used to dilate the eyes for an examination. If you have a central cataract, or need amblyopia treatment, then dilating drops can somet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Bacterial "pink eye": More commonly people can get a bacterial conjuctivitis if your partner has an untreated std such as gonorrhea, or even just a uti. Then after handlin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Brow ache, fatigue: Computer vision syndrome is associated with eye fatigue, and can sometimes lead to brow muscle twitching. Remember to rest your eyes for a few minute... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Not yet...but soon: An entire eye transplant is still in the relm of science fiction but researchers at several centers including stanford university and jules stein eye ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Flush the eye: If you are wearing the cl you may be able to flush the hair out with saline eye wash. If you can remove the cl and clean it, that is usually more eff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Not normal: Various medications affect the response to alcoholic beverages and this may be playing a role in your reaction. Also you did not specify if this occ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Cloudy capsule: The back part of the lens, known as the posterior capsule, is left in place after cataract surgery to help hold the plastic intraocular lens in the co... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Yes, eyelid skin: Uv rays damage the delicate skin of the eyelids and can lead to skin cancers there. It has to be surgically removed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Rare condition: In rare situations an abscessed tooth can cause an infection that will spread to the orbit and cause vision loss. More common is an abscessed tooth ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Maybe: You want to be sure that your eyes are stable and not changing anymore before you consider refractive surgery. Also if you wear contact lenses, be su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Maybe Hepatitis: The smoking would not turn eyes yellow, but drinking to the point of liver disease could cause jaundice with yellow skin and yellowing of the white pa... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Flush w/warm water: Warm water will help remove the petrolatum base that contains the menthol in Vicks vaporub. Flushing it out with water of any temberature will help ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
No: The surface lining cells of the eyeball and lids are one continuous layer several tissue layers thick. This prevents a contact lens from getting bei... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Similar membranes: The eyes, nose and even the mouth are lined with mucousal membranes that can be damaged by similar insults. That is why your eyes and nose become run... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Receptor recovery: The rods and cones, photoreceptor cells, respond chemically to light of various brightness; then they prepare for the next stimulus. When a very bri... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Social distance: If you use a boric acid eyewash, be sure that you boil the water first to sterilize it and then dissolve the boric acid. Also, any pink eye that is n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
In general, yes: Any new headache could be a sign of a more serious problem, but your doctor can evaluate the symptoms, their pattern and any signs of other health ris... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Get an eye exam: There are many substances added to street drugs that can get into your eyes from the bloodstream. A thorough eye exam will ensure that you have not c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Aging: The bags under your eyes may relate to fluid retention, and may also tend to be familial. Do your parents and grandparents also have bags uder their ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Rest, hot liquids: Voice rest is usually the best remedy for overly strained vocal chords. Hot liquids also relax and soothe the tissues. I have also found a homeopathi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Cloudy lens: The lens inside the eye becomes cloudy as we age, and eventually this is clinically noticable as a cataract. There are many types and causes, and dia... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
No, not normal: Severe dry eyes is often a treatable condition and no one should suffer with this. First try to find the underlying cause. Sometimes after lasik, th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Beth Friedland
Ophthalmology 44 years experience
Depends on cause: Bell's palsy is a facial droop, and difficulty closing the eyelid on the same side. If it is caused by a herpetic viral infection, sometimes acyclovi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Testimonials
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.

2
Recommendations
350
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Friedland is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Friedland is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
thank you for your help! I used to think it was normal to have these headaches, but now I'm going too look for an specialist
HealthTap member
Thank you! I got an appointment scheduled to be checked out, just in case!
HealthTap member
Hello Dear, my name is Jenifer, I am, very happy to contact you today

Education & Training

Medical/Graduate school

University of Florida College of Medicine, FL
Graduated 1979MD

Awards

Triangle Businiess Women Extraordinaire 2011
America's Top Doctors 2010
America's Top Doctors 2011

Affiliations

Park Ophthalmology
Rex Healthcare
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