Dr. Richard Wieder
Ophthalmology
St Louis, MO
36 years experience male
Locations
Washington University Eye Center
St Louis, MO
My office hours
Wednesday: 8:00am - 12pm
Show morePhone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
Aetna
Anthem BC Life & Health Insurance Company
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri
CIGNA Health Care
Medicaid
Mercy Health Plans of MO
Missouri HealthNet
Optum
United HealthCare Insurance Company
Tricare
Coventry Health Care
Medicare
UnitedHealthcare
About
Bio
I am a comprehensive ophthalmologist, practicing in the St Louis area. I am on the teaching faculty of the Washington School of Medicine, working with residents in their clinics and operating room. I specialize in refractive cataract surgery, using advanced technology intraocular lenses to provide patients with excellent postoperative results.
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
434 Answers
152 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 22-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
LASIK: Lasik is a very safe procedure enjoyed by millions of patients. There are rare risks of serious complications such as infection and perforation of th... Read More
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Crossed eyes: Typically develop when we are infants. It's possible that your eyes just look crossed but really aren't. If you are not having any double vision or ... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Dark circles: Under the eyes are difficult to eradicate completely. They're usually associated with eye fatigue or aging changes of the lids. There are some cream... Read More
4.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Red eyes: Have many possible causes. In the absence of any other symptoms, eye redness is not really a problem. You can try reducing this by using artificial ... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Black dots: On the whites of your eyes are very common. There are common reasons for these changes. First, pigment spots often develop if you have darker skin p... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Vitreous floaters: Are very common. They are due to degenerative changes in the vitreous gel which fills the back of the eye. In the large majority of cases, floaters ... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
No: There is no treatment available which will lighten your eyes.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Corneal dystrophies: Are conditions which are typically inherited from your parents. They cause scarring of the corneas, or front surface of your eyes. Granular dystroph... Read More
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Antibiotics: Like Clarithromycin are ok to take for patients why have glaucoma. These medications medication will not cause any issues with that.
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Mydriasis: Or pupil dilation is quite common in younger people. They tend to have naturally larger pupils. As long as they are equal and both react well, then ... Read More
4.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Difficult to tell: Why one of your eyes fatigues more quickly than the other. If you haven't had a complete eye evaluation lately, then this should be done in order to ... Read More
4.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 67-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Maddox rod test: Refers to the use of red and white lenses over your eyes to determine the degree of double vision you may be having. Prisms are used over these rods ... Read More
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Growth on eye: This small white bump may represent a small cyst or blister. In this case, there is nothing to do about it as long as it's not bothering you. This a... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Pupil dilating drops: Usually wear off in 4-6 hours, but can last longer. This is especially true with blue eyed patients and with the use of certain dilating drops which ... Read More
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Dry eyes: Due to stevens-johnson syndrome tend to be more severe than dry eyes due to other causes. You can experience vision loss if your eye surfaces are sev... Read More
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Photopsia: Or light flashes, are very common symptoms. They occur when the vitreous jelly in the back of the eye shifts and pulls at part of the retina. Usuall... Read More
4.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Stye or chalazion: A lump in the eyelid is caused by an infection either in the eyelid skin (stye) or one of the meibomian glands inside the eyelid (chalazion). A stye ... Read More
4.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Dermatochalasis: Or excess eyelid skin and muscle, typically develops with advancing age. It tends to occur in families. If severe enough, you may benefit from surgi... Read More
4.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Artificial tears: Do not cause damage to your corneas. If your eyedrops contain other medications (e.g. Those that relieve eye redness) then you could have ocular surf... Read More
4.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 63-year-old male asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Blurry vision: After cataract surgery may be caused by a clouding of the lens capsule which is left in place during your surgery. It may also be due to an opacity t... Read More
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye inflammation: Has many possible causes and is can be really variable in how severe it is. Steroid eye drops are often used to treat this. In the short term, stero... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye strain: You definitely can develop headaches from eye strain if you don't wear glasses when you need them. If the headaches persist even after you start wear... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Computer use: Does not cause development of a brain tumor or blindness. It can cause eye strain or fatigue, but this can be helped by taking periodic breaks from y... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Cromolyn eye drops: Are used in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, more as a preventive medication instead of helping acute symptoms. Unlike otc antihistamine or ... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Aging lines: On the eyelids cannot be removed but can be treated using various types of cosmetic lasers. Just remember that even after you receive treatment for t... Read More
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old male asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Retina surgery : Can sometimes cause significant eye discomfort. Based on the type of surgery and if there were any complications, your eye surgeon can prescribe pain... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Crying: Can temporarily cause eye irritation and blurring, but will not permanently affect your vision.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Antibiotic eye drops: Can be used to treat external ear canal infections as long as this is prescribed by your physician. On the other hand, you should not use ear drops t... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eyelid swelling: Has many causes. They include infection, trauma, allergy, and others. As an initial treatment, try warm compresses to your eye to see if this helps.... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
The eyes ; a cold: You can definitely have a secondary eye infection caused by the same virus that causes a cold. This would cause crusting and swelling of your eyelids... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Jaundice: Liver problems could cause you to become jaundiced. One of the signs of jaundice is yellowing of the white of your eye, not the colored part.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
LASIK flaps: Typically do heal completely and are usually barely visible after this healing as taken place. If an eye is traumatized, the flap can be dislodged bu... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye color changes: Can be caused by multiple different eye conditions. You should have an evaluation by an ophthalmologist to determine if there is anything that can be... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Latisse (bimatoprost): Is often very effective in helping lashes grow and look thicker. Keep in mind that it may take several months of use to help achieve this, and someti... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye pressure: Has many possible causes. These include fatigue, eye strain, upper respiratory/sinus infection, and others. If the symptoms don't resolve, then have... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Dry eyes: Are due to a deficiency or an imbalance of the three components of your tear film. Ocular surface inflammation can also contribute to the symptoms, b... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Refractive surgery: Is not recommended for children in general. This is due to the fact that the refractive error (i.e. Amount of power in glasses) changes during the fi... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Floaters: You symptoms sound typical of floaters, which are pieces of connective tissue that float in the vitreous jelly in the back of your eye. It's a good i... Read More
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Cataract surgery: In younger patients is not nearly as common but not unheard of. If you are having vision loss which cannot be helped by glasses or if you notice pro... Read More
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Refractive errors: Myopia means nearsightedness, with the ability to see near but not far away. Hyperopia, or farsightedness is usually not an issue for younger people ... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Keratitis: Refers to inflammation of the cornea, the clear covering of the eye. There are many possible causes of keratitis, so there's no way to answer your qu... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Drops for allergies: There are many types of eye drops that are used to treat allergic conjunctivitis. A lot depends on the severity of your symptoms. Often, people do w... Read More
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eyelid creams: Can cause irritation to the eyelid skin. If this occurs, you shouldn't use it anymore. Your symptoms should resolve quickly when you stop this treat... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Sub conj hemorrhage: A sub conjunctival hemorrhage is basically a bruise of the surface of the eye. This blood will typically last for up to two weeks after an injury. T... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Floaters: Are very common in adults. They are typically caused by aging changes of the vitreous jelly that fills the back of our eyes. When this degeneration ... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye allergies: Will not lead to permanent damage to your eyesight. If your eyes are inflamed from allergies, you may experience irritation, itching, tearing, and bl... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Dark circles: Under the eyes are difficult to irradicate completely. They're usually associated with eye fatigue or aging changes of the lids. There are some crea... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye drops: Are used to treat many different eye conditions. The only way to know if you need any treatment is to have a complete eye exam by your eye doctor.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Richard Wiederanswered
Ophthalmology 36 years experience
Eye allergies: The only way to reduce allergic eye symptoms (besides using medication) is to avoid the causes of your allergies (if you know what they are). Sometim... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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.
4
Recommendations
236
Thank you notes
Sep 1, 2013
Very accurate and timely responses.
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Wieder is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Wieder is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! I was given a steroid to help my eyes. They cleared up and the symptoms are gone. Thank you!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I have had glasses all my life, good to know the pattern to expect
HealthTap member
Thank you , I know it has to do with my sinuses , my mucus is bright green and my chest is congested
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Illinois College of Medicine, IL
Graduated 1986MD
Residency
University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Awards
Top Doctor, Third Place, St. Louis Region, MO - Summer
2013
Top Ophthalmologist , First Place, Missouri - Summer
2013
Thought Leader, Third Place, Missouri - Spring
2014
Affiliations
American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Medical Assocation
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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