May - Healthy Vision Month

May is Healthy Vision Month — Make Vision a Focus!

From the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night, your eyes are working to bring you the world. In fact, they deliver 80% of the information you take in every day — about your loved ones, your job, and all the things you love to see and do! That’s why it’s so important to keep them healthy and safe.

We get our eye color from our parents, but did you know that many eye diseases can run in families, too? Talking to your family members about their eye health can help you find out if you’re at higher risk for eye disease. If you learn that eye diseases run in your family, talk with your eye doctor. Here are some of the most common eye diseases to discuss:

Cataract:  A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. 

The risk of cataract increases as you get older. Other risk factors for cataract include:

• Certain diseases (for example, diabetes).
• Personal behavior (smoking, alcohol use).
• The environment (prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight).

Age related macular degeneration: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that blurs the sharp, central vision you need for “straight-ahead” activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye’s optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. It is one of the main causes of blindness in the United States. However, with early treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss. Therefore it is very important that it be diagnosed.

Diabetic Eye Disease: Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. People with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma.

Retinal Detachment: The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the eye and sends visual messages through the optic nerve to the brain. When the retina detaches, it is lifted or pulled from its normal position. If not promptly treated, retinal detachment can cause permanent vision loss.

Corneal Eye Disease: 

The cornea is the eye’s outermost layer. It is the clear, dome­shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. It plays an important role in focusing your vision.  The cornea acts as a barrier against dirt, germs, and other particles that can harm the eye. The cornea shares this protective task with the eyelids and eye sockets, tears, and the sclera (white part of the eye). The cornea also plays a key role in vision by helping focus the light that comes into the eye. The cornea is responsible for 65­-75 percent of the eye’s total focusing power. Common conditions that affect the cornea include Injuries, allergies, keratitis, dry eye, Keratoconus and corneal dystrophies.

Why is a comprehensive eye health and vision examination important?

Recent research confirms what eye doctors have known for some time. A comprehensive eye exam by a Doctor of Optometry can – and often does – reveal a surprising number of ailments, such as diabetes and heart conditions.

A study conducted at the University of Waterloo in Canada showed that among patients who came in for a routine checkup, 58% had at least one significant change or health concern not apparent in previous exams. The study defined “significant change” as a change in prescription, diagnosis of a new eye condition, or a change in overall patient health.

“I give a lot of weight to the health-assuring aspect of routine eye care,” one researcher said. “We diagnose early glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration quite often.”

Healthy Vision Month is a time to raise awareness about eye health and strategies to help prevent vision loss and blindness. There are lots of ways you can get involved, but first things first: get an eye exam — and encourage the people you care about to do the same!

Optimum Vision and Eye Care is here to fill all your eye health and vision needs. Call today for an appointment: 480-588-8858. VSP, BCBS, Cigna and Medicare plans accepted.

How Eating The Right Foods can improve your Brain and Eye Health

The eyes and brain have the highest concentration of zeaxanthin and lutein in the body. Other nutrients that help support both eye and brain health include:

• Omega-3s (EPA/DHA)
• Alpha lipoic acid
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Selenium

Nutrition’s Role in the Eyes and Brain

Inflammation, oxidative stress, and interruption of the blood barrier are implicated in eye health concerns accompanying aging. Other research shows that these issues are also implicated in concussions. Boosting nutrition, whether dietary or supplemented, can help preemptively protect patients from vision-threatening concerns and possibly protect cognitive abilities.

As part of a holistic concussion prevention program at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Joe Clark devised a program that betters athletes’ peripheral vision, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination, resulting in a drop in concussions. Clinical researched links optimal MPOD with improved visual function, neural processing speeds and reaction time. Patients can improve MPOD by adding 8 mg of zeaxanthin or more into their diet.

Eye care professionals and specifically Neuro-Optometrists, are an important part of the concussion care team because they are experts in the measurement of eye-brain dysfunction; they provide neuro-ocular rehabilitation therapy to patients with brain injuries. Neuro-Optometrists co-manage with Neurologists, occupational therapists and the whole rehabilitation team to help patients get back to their normal state after a traumatic brain injury.

To learn more about Neuro-Optometric rehabilitation visit www.noravisionrehab.com

The Harmful Effects Of Blue Light

Retinal damage. sunlight contains UV and blue light. Blue light, which is part of the visible light spectrum, reaches deeper into the eye and its cumulative effect can cause damage to the retina. Furthermore, in certain wavelengths, blue light is implicated in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Sleep deprivation.... research shows that the shorter wavelengths in blue light is what causes the body to produce less melatonin because the body is more sensitive to this type of light. ... Other studies have found that blue wavelengths suppress delta brainwaves, which induce sleep, and boost alpha wavelengths, which create alertness.

 What can we do about it

The good news is we now have a blue light filter coating that can be placed on your eyewear to block out these harmful rays. Much like a UV coating blocks out the harmful rays from the sun, the blue light blocking coating will protect your eyes from the harmful rays being emitted from our smartphones and computers. 

Optimum Vision and Eye Care can help with all your Eye Health and Vision needs. Give us a call at 480-588-8858!

Why taking care of your eyes, is also good for your brain

When discussing the macular carotenoids found in MacuHealth LMZ3, their protective role against AMD is often highlighted. Although this is an important point to discuss with patients who have or are at risk for AMD, I have a much more general conversation on the role of macular pigment with all of my patients. After all, 100 years ago, the average lifespan was much shorter, with many not living to an age at which AMD would manifest. So, it seems that the real reason for the exquisite design of the macular pigment may not be soley for protection but also to enhance vision.
 
Recent Research
A recent study1 showed a strong correlation between raising macular pigment optical density (MPOD) through supplementation and increased contrast sensitivity. However, the authors of the study explain that this correlation is not inherent. While many of macular pigment’s benefits to visual performance involve filtration of blue light, in the case of contrast sensitivity, macular pigment would equally filter the light versus dark bars on a contrast target, thus negating the effect of increased MPOD on enhanced contrast sensitivity.  
 
Consequently, the basis for this effect appears to lie in another neurophysiological phenomenon known as lateral inhibition. In the retina, groups of photoreceptors are connected together in circuits to form receptive fields. Antioxidants increase the sensitivity of these retinal circuits, which serve to detect edges in the visual field. Because the three macular carotenoids — lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) — are

Heart Disease and The Eyes. ( February is heart health month)

Heart disease and ocular health share important common ground.

Ocular manifestations are an important component of heart disease. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in this country. Patients and their Optometrist should understand the importance of cardiovascular health, especially the ocular implications.

The eye really can be the first manifestation of systemic disease, whether it be cardiovascular disease, hypertension other systemic diseases. The eye is not separated from the rest of the body and the eye is unique in that it is one of the only areas where we can actually directly visualize blood vessels.

These fragile vessels, especially those in the highly vascularized retina, can easily become damaged from hypertension, or fall prey to vein occlusions or age-related macular degeneration – all overlapping with cardiovascular complications.

Studies have shown that women are more likely than men to show arteriolar narrowing with an increased risk for secondary ocular vascular complication and possible vision loss. Theoretically, this is due to a more prominent microvascular role in the development of coronary heart disease in women than men, and those with the narrowest retinal vasculature would have twice the risk.

These changes, as well as early signs of hypertension, can be seen by ophthalmologists and optometrists when examining the retina, giving them a role in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease.

This is one of the reasons we take a blood pressure reading on every patient at Optimum Vision Eye Care.

Hypertension

Hypertension, a general cardiovascular disease, can have repercussions throughout the body, including the eye.

In general, hypertension can predispose you to having a variety of eye problems. It may be as minimal as changes in the appearances of retinal vessels that can be an indication of high blood pressure – even in patients who may not know they have high blood pressure – but changes like that don’t necessarily affect your vision, to more vision threatening conditions like retinal vascular occlusion.

This condition is what we call a stroke in the eye. Chronic hypertension can predispose one to other eye conditions such as retinal vein occlusions. Hypertension causes retinal arteriolar changes that lead to compression of the veins at the A-V crossing, resulting in branch retinal vein occlusions. Central or branch retinal artery or vein occlusions can be accompanied by hemorrhages, optic nerve atrophy and sometimes vision loss. Vision loss subsequent to retinal arteriolar occlusions is caused by retinal ischemia. Retinal vein occlusions can cause vision loss stemming from ischemia or macular edema.

Narrowing of the carotid artery caused by atherosclerotic plaque that can predispose you to stroke can also predispose you to have a blockage of a retinal arteriole, either central or branch, and can lead to vision loss. It’s like having a stroke in the eye basically. It leads to vision loss due to loss of blood supply to an area of the retina.

Importance of a healthy lifestyle

The risk factors for heart disease and ocular health overlap in many ways.

Primarily, smoking and poor diet are two risk factors that can adversely affect both cardiovascular and ocular health. Modifying one’s diet and stopping smoking are good preventive measures.

The message that we tell our patients when they ask what can they do to keep their eyes healthy is the same as what their primary care doctors are recommending to keep their heart healthy: Exercise, try to avoid obesity, don’t smoke. If you have diabetes, make sure it’s under good control, eat a healthy, balanced diet, lots of fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids.

Ocular health and optimal functioning of the microvasculature in the eye rely heavily on receiving appropriate nutrients from the heart.

A diet rich with fruits, vegetables, soluble fiber and soy provides phytosterols, phytochemicals and isoflavones that can help lower cholesterol and maintain good blood flow through the eye vessels.

So be good to your heart and your vision will follow. 💕 

Why have backup glasses?

Glasses and contact lenses go hand in hand. Even though your contact lenses may be your first choice for vision correction, your eyes still need break to relax and breath. A backup pair of glasses is advised to maintain healthy eyes for all contact lens wearers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 46 million Americans wear contact lenses and a new report shows that 80% of wearers reported at least one behavior that put them at risk for contact related eye infections (source). 

Some of the major risks of wearing contact lenses include:

• Pink eye (Conjunctivitis)
• Corneal abrasions (Scratches on the cornea)
• Corneal edema and dryness
• Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis
• Corneal Ulcers

Of course, these conditions can also happen to non-contact lens wearers, but the chance of disease nearly doubles for those who overwear their contact lenses. Bacteria love the low oxygen environment that contact lens over wear produces. There are many benefits to wearing this amazing medical device, if used correctly. The risk of infection is lowered with proper lens handling, lens maintenance and contact lens wearing schedule. So please follow your local optometrist or optician's advice on proper care.

Buying and wearing a pair of glasses, even if it's a relatively inexpensive pair, that you enjoy will ensure good visual and eye health. Most insurance companies (medical and vision) will give a discount on glasses even if you choose to use your primary benefits towards contacts. Through VSP, if you buy a pair of glasses on the same day as contacts, they will give you a 30% discount on everything including the frame, this drops down to 20% if you purchase any day up to a month after the initial purchase of contacts lenses.

As Halloween approaches, we as medical professionals want to remind you that buying contacts from illegal sites or without proper training can lead to serious issues that could cost you your vision. Have an enjoyable and safe Halloween celebration!  

Request an appointment with us for your Halloween contact needs.