Dr. Ants Haavel
Ophthalmologist, CEO of KSA Vision Clinic
Dr. Ants Haavel is an ophthalmologist and founder of KSA Vision Clinic with over 25 years of clinical experience. He has performed more than 55,000 eye procedures, including Flow3 laser correction, dry eye diagnostics and treatment, and cataract surgery. Dr. Haavel is one of Estonia's most recognised refractive surgery specialists. He regularly presents at international ophthalmology conferences and practises evidence-based medicine. All medical claims on the KSA blog are reviewed and approved by him.
107 articles
Is It a Stye or Blepharitis? Understanding Eyelid Irritation
A stye is a single tender bump from a localized infection, while blepharitis inflames the whole eyelid margin with itching, burning and crusty lashes. Squeezing either can push the infection deeper, so hygiene and a professional check matter more than the bump itself.
Breakthroughs in Dry Eye Management: From Punctum Plugs to Quantum Resonance
When drops fail, chronic dry eye may need punctum plugs or QMR therapy (4–64 MHz) to ease inflammation. Four 20-minute weekly sessions help most, best paired with other treatments.
Beyond Screen Time: How Your Diet, Hydration, and Metabolism Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Eyes
Your gritty, tired eyes may have less to do with screens and more with metabolism, spicy meals, or blood sugar spikes. Dr. Ants Haavel unpacks these surprising diet-tear film links and where hydration actually helps.
Your Eyes Were Built to See Far
One in three Estonians can't see into the distance clearly. But before that became normal, our ancestors spent their lives reading the horizon.
What Do You See When You Really Look?
Sharp vision and true noticing differ: the brain habituates to familiar sights and stops processing them. People regaining clear sight report not sharper vision but renewed attention to details always there.
The Weight of Morning Light
Reaching for your phone before your eyes have fully woken can leave them dry, sore and strained by evening. Simple habits, from resting your gaze on natural light to keeping tears handy, help restore comfort and clarity.
The Grit of Travel
Long flights and extended lens wear can scratch the cornea, causing the gritty pain of superficial punctate keratitis. Poor hygiene adds infection risk, so switch to glasses and rest eyes at first irritation.
The Secret Language of Colour Loss: Understanding Köllner’s Rule
Which colours fade first can reveal exactly where an eye disease is hiding: blue-yellow loss points to the outer retina, red-green loss to deeper nerve pathways. Glaucoma is the notable exception, starting with blue-yellow defects before shifting to red-green as it advances.
Quiet Courage and the Changing Body
Facial pain, sinus pressure and migraines can feel eye-related, since the trigeminal nerve shares one pathway. Sudden vision loss, swelling or halos need immediate care.
How the trigeminal nerve affects vision.
The trigeminal nerve carries facial sensation, not visual images, which remain the optic nerve's job. Because its branches from eyes, sinuses and teeth converge on one pathway, sinus or dental pain can be felt as a deep ache behind healthy eyes.
How can I tell if eye pain is referred from sinuses?
Sinus eye pain follows the shared trigeminal nerve, sitting deep behind the eye, shifting with head position, with a normal surface. Worsening pain, vision changes, redness or nausea need a doctor's check.