As we reach age 65, many of us will have some degree of cataract owing to age related changes in the chemical composition of the eye crystalline lens. As a result, the normally transparent lens becomes cloudy and vision becomes blurry. As much as the symptom is associated with cataract, blurred vision should not always be assumed that a clouded lens is the cause. Blurred vision may also result from other eye conditions and diseases, which, if not properly treated in time, can cause irreversible loss of vision. Proper diagnosis of any vision related symptom can only result from a visit to an ophthalmologist or optometrist, who can make a proper diagnosis a the first sign of a problem.
Not Tearing Up
The aging process decreases tear production, which can cause itching, burning or scratching in our eyes. Decreased lubrication, called dry eye syndrome, is more common among women, especially at the onset of menopause. Also, reduced tearing makes wearing contact lena less comfortable. This could lead to considering laser refractive surgery as a means of permanent vision correction. Patients with severe dry eye should be cautioned that LASIK involves cutting the corneal flap, severing nerves involved in tear production. Dry eye affects about half of LASIK patients, making the procedure inappropriate for those already suffering from dry eye. Although refractive surgery techniques not involving corneal flaps less commonly cause dry eye, sufferers will likely find that their corneas heal more slowly.
HELPING OTHERS TO SEE
When the clear tissue that covers the front of the eye becomes cloudy (due to disease, injury, or infection), corneal blindness may result. The good news is that, since the early 1960's, more than 700,000 corneal transplants have been performed, resulting in restored sight in men, women, and children ranging in age from a few days to over one hundred years. Not only is corneal transplantation one of the most frequently performed of human transplant procedures, it is also over 90 percent successful in restoring vision. It is important to note, however, that there are no substitutes for human tissue. Eye donation leads to research on glaucoma, retinal disease, eye complications of diabetes, and other sight disorders that lead to new treatment and cures. Not only are donated human eyes used for corneal transplants, they also contribute to ongoing research and education.
Good vision is dependent on a healthy, clear cornea. You can be assured you will be furnished the most accurate and complete information about your eye problems as well as the possible risk and/or benefits of treatment options. Our entire staff is dedicated to providing you with the ultimate care ,respect, and courtesy you deserve.
No Time for Games!
A 3D video game manufacture warns parents that children under the age of six should not play games due to the concerns that it may damage their eyesight. For its part, the American Academy of Ophthalmology states that currently "there are no conclusive studies on the short-and/or long-term effects of 3D digital products on eye and visual development, health, or function in children, nor or they persuasive, conclusive theories on how 3D digital products could cause damage in children with healthy eyes." There have been reports of users of current 3D home systems experiencing nausea and eyestrains after prolong use of the system. However, children with eye conditions that inhibit focusing depth perception or normal 3D vision would have difficulty seeing 3D images. Any problems (such as headaches) arising from using 3D products warrant a visit to the ophthalmologist.
Knowing what to look for and what to do in preserving your child's eye health is tantamount, as good vision is key to a child's physical development, success in school, and overall well-being. Providing you with the highest level of eye care is what we are all about. Rest assured that you and your family's good vision is what we are dedicated to. Remember that the early diagnosis of vision problems increases the percentage of successful treatment.
Allergies Worse After Record Rainfall
It appears we are not the only ones seeing an increase in allergy symptoms this year. Studies have shown that allergy season can be prolonged or have multiples based upon weather anomalies as well. This particualry beautiful spring weather we are having is unusual for the this state and has been linked to an increase in allergy symptoms for patients.
Children's Eye Injuries From Dog Bites
When children suffer dog-bite injuries that involve their eyes, parents can expect more surgeries than would be necessary without eye involvement. According to an analysis of the records of 537 pediatric patients being treated for facial dog bites over a six-year period, half the children required surgery, and 18% of these young surgical patients required additional procedures. With these statistics in mind, it is recommended that an ophthalmologist be consulted when a dog bite causes eye injury. In all cases of children with dog-related eye injuries eyelids were damaged. In 27% of cases small ducts in the eye were damaged, and tendon damage, corneal abrasion, and orbital fracture were also part of the overall eye-injury picture.
Many eye injuries can be prevented through use of suitable protective eyewear. We provide you and your family with quality, convenient, affordable eye and vision care, while giving you the personal attention you deserve. A wide range of support services and rehabilitation programs are available to help people maintain a satisfying lifestyle. We use the latest computerized state-of-the-art technology to diagnose vision problems and eye disease in their early stages when they are most treatable.
Just A Drop
The standard treatment for glaucoma (a potentially blinding disease that affects more than four million Americans) requires self-administrartion of eye drops that lower pressure within the eye. As effective as these drops may be, however, glaucoma patients do not seem adept at putting them in their eyes. A recent study shows that only about 40% of glaucoma patients manage to administer one drop (the prescribed amount) without touching the bottle to the surface of their eyes. To help in this effort, ophthalmologist recommend that glaucoma patients gently pull their lower eyelids downward and squeeze a drop in each eye as they gaze upward. The eye should be shut for 30-60 seconds to allow the liquid to absorb.
Preserving vision is our primary goal for which we are highly qualified. Glaucoma is but one of the myriad of eye problems we encounter and treat. Our expertise is accompanied by the use of the highest computerized technology.
Are 3-D Movies just a Big Headache
With the prospect of additional three-dimensional content coming to both the big and not-so-big (TV) screens, is 3-D technology anything more than a good thing? According to some ophthalmologist, for some people with even minor eye problems, 3-D may just lead to a big headache. To process the world three-dimensionally with normal vision, each eye sees objects at a slightly different angle. As for the illusions created by 3-D movies, they are not calibrated in entirely the same way that the eyes and brain are. If a person has eye problems to begin with 3-D technology makes the brain deal with a whole new layer of effort. Due to this disparity, people with eye problems are likely to develop headaches.
The illusions that you see in three dimensions in the movies is not exactly calibrated the same way that your eyes and your brain are. If your eyes are a little off to begin with, then it's really throwing a whole new degree of effort that your brain now needs to exert. We will explain all options available to you, and can help make the right decisions for eye health care situations. Your eyesight is priceless!
Exercise and Weight Loss for the New Year
There have been more than several articles that have debated the form of exercise that targets weight loss over the last few years. This recent article helps define the benefits of weight training versus aerobic exercise.
Maintaing a good weight is important to assist in the prevention of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. All of which play a roll in vision loss with diabetes as the leading overall cause of blindness. Always consult your primary care physician prior to undertaking any type of new exercise regimen and we strongly recommend a professional trainer to help guide you to promote good form which helps prevent injury.
Omega-3 Fish Oil and Dry Eye Syndrome
Clinical evidence suggests that ingestion of omega-3 fish oils decreases the inflammation seen in rheumatoid arthritis (joint disease) and in dermatitis (skin disease). These anti-inflammatory effects help explain how omega-3 fish oils have been useful in helping patients with symptoms of posterior blepharitis (eyelid margin disease) or meibomitis (eyelid glandular disease).
The use of long chain omega-3 (fish oil) and short chain omega-3 (flaxseed oil) assist in decreasing inflammation and augment the oil and water layers of the tear film. This benefit is important for patients who suffer from dry eye syndrome.
Stem Cells Return Sight to Burn Victims
A remarkable ground-breaking procedure that involves using the patients own stem cells has recently proved successful in restoring the sight of people blinded by caustic chemicals. This approach involves taking stem cells from the patient’s healthy eye, growing them in a lab and transplanting them to the patient’s burned eye. Specifically stem cells are taken from the limbus of the healthy eye, the rim around the cornea. Stem cells in the limbus produce new cells to replace dead corneal cells. In this case, they are used to replace damaged tissue in the burned eye. Stem-cell transplants offer hope to the thousands of people who suffer chemical burns to their eyes from caustic chemicals at work and at home each year.
Although numerous impediments remain, the use of stem cells is promising and may epitomize the future for replacement and regeneration of some ocular damage. The stem cell procedure mentioned above will not help people with damage to their optic nerves or those who have macular degeneration.
Potential Problems With ED Pills
While erectile dysfunction (ED) medications such as sildenafil (Viagra) have completely changed the way impotence is treated, it should be pointed out that some men who take ED pills develop visual disturbances (usually in the form of blurred vision, impaired color vision, or a bluish haze). While these problems may be mild and temporary, they are reason enough for the FDA to say that pilots should not take ED pills within six hours of taking flight. ED pills have also been linked with “nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy” (NAION), a poorly understood disorder that can cause blindness due to blocked blood flow to the optic nerve. Men with a history of NAION should not use ED pills. Eye care providers can easily screen patients who are concerned about this optic nerve anatomical risk.
Mediterranean Diet Reduced Incidence of Diabetes
A recent medical article in the journal Diabetes Care reiterated the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in regard to diabetes prevention.
Vitamin D and Diabetic Eye Disease
Returning from the 2010 Academy of Ophthalmology retina sub-specialty meeting I wanted to share this summary by Medscape Medical News. This validates our testing of patients with diabetes to understand how to treat them better. We started using this metric over 5 years ago and has proven very useful.
We are currently conducting a study observing if Vitamin D supplementation will improve diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) without additional laser treatment or intra-ocular injections.
Click here to view the article
CDC Warn of Adverse Effects From Gulf Oil Spill
A recent Medscape article on the psychosocial and cancer effects of the recent Gulf oil spill is available for your review.
Click here to view the article.
Walnuts and Cholesterol Levels
In response to our patients asking for proven natural methods of reducing their serum cholesterol levels we will post a variety of peer-reviewed data to help.
There are many reasons why you may want to incorporate natural methods to lower your cholesterol levels, among them cost of medication, adverse reactions to medications and augmenting current medical treatment.
This study, I felt, was a good comprehensive review of the literature on the effect of walnuts on all blood lipids (fats). In summary, "high-walnut-enriched diets significantly decreased total and LDL cholesterol for the duration of the short-term trials." On average, walnuts should account for 10-24% of total calories.
Click here for the abstract for the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Your A1C and Diabetes
In the USA, the diagnosis of diabetes is usually made on the blood levels of your "fasting plasma glucose" and in Europe the preferred method is an "oral glucose tolerance test". Use of the blood test that measures your Hemoglobin A1c (or A1c for short), is now noted to be better standardized than the other other measurements of glucose.
The A1c test is a better indication of overall exposure to high sugar levels in your system and there is less variability on a daily basis. Also, from a practical standpoint, it is easier to measure since it does not require fasting samples. If you are diabetic you should know your A1c so you can help guide your care with your specialists (ophthalmology, neurology, nephrology, podiatry, endocrinology) that help with the complications of diabetic disease.
Click here to read a medical article published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Stem Cell Therapy Restores Cornea
Italian researchers in Modena successfully grafted stem cells from the patients own corneal limbal cells to restore their cornea and subsequent sight. The clinical results were successful for the 10 years of the studies life for over 75% of the patients. These patients had severely burned corneas that had failed current treatments.
Click here to read the reference article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes
Eating 50 grams of processed meat per day (the equivalent of one typical hot dog or two slices of deli meat) was associated with a 42% higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 19% increased risk of diabetes.
This study was completed at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA.
Click here to view this paper published on May 17, 2010 in the medical journal Circulation.
Toothbrushing and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Regular toothbrushing could help prevent cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study.
Click here for the reference article published in the British Medical Journal.
