Archive for June, 2011
Don’t laugh, it can be done – How to put in eyedrops with your eyes closed!
06.30.2011Working for an Ophthalmologist who is a glaucoma specialist, I have a large amount of patients who are on daily drops for their Glaucoma. I know that I have a hard time putting drops in my own eyes, I can’t imagine how difficult it can be for an elderly person who has an unsteady hand or lives alone manages it on a daily basis, often more than once a day in both eyes. To make matters worse, the bottles are small and the drops are measured out precisely with the correct amount of drops for the month, leaving little left over in case you miss your eye.
If I ever found myself unemployed, I could open my own business being the “Long Island Drop Girl”, going from home to home, putting drops in for patients that struggled with this daily task.
Patients always ask me, “What is the proper way to put my drops in my eyes?”
The best way to instill eye drops is to tip your head back, pull down your lower lid making a “cup” for the drop to fall into and look up and back. If you do this correctly, the drop should fall right into the little “cup”, but some people are not able to do this.
If this method does not work for you, I recommend trying the eye closed technique. Lay down or tip your head back and close your eyes. Bring the dropper close to your eye near the inner corner, by your nose. Place a drop on the inner corner, open your eye, so the drop goes in. Always make sure that they dropper does not touch the lids or lashes. This could cause contamination, especially in instances where you are on drops for a contagious eye infection. If the dropper should touch your lid or lashes, simply clean the applicator tip with alcohol.
Remember, all you need is a little opening for the drop to go in, and whatever method works for you, it is important to make sure you take your drops as prescribed by your Ophthalmologist.
Mary Sweetman
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant
Specific nutrients can lower risk of age-related macular degeneration
06.28.2011A study published in the June 2011 edition of Archives of Ophthalmology has good news for people who are at a higher risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. The study found that participants who ate higher levels of zinc, antioxidants or omega-3 fatty acids reduced their risk of developing macular degeneration by almost a third.
Six out of 100 adults in the United States over the age of 40 have age-related macular degeneration. There are two known gene variations which raise a person’s risk of developing the condition so researchers sought to determine if this risk could be reduced.
More than 2,000 participants over the age of 55 were evaluated. The participants were all tested for the gene variant and had eye exams every three years for the next 10 years to assess vision loss. Those who had the gene variation and consumed greater amounts of zinc, beta carotene, omega -3 fatty acids or lutein/zeaxanthin had a smaller risk of macular degeneration.
Supplements, such as the VisiVite macular degeneration formulas are recommended for people who are unable to get all of those high levels of nutrients in their diet.*
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
New breakthrough drug to treat wet macular degeneration
06.27.2011The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to follow the recommendation of its advisory panel and to rule in favor of a new eye medicine developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG called Eylea. This ruling is expected on August 20, 2011.
Wet age-related macular degeneration is the most serious form of macular degeneration and affects approximately 1.5 million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. The current drugs available to patients are Avastin and Lucentis. Eylea’s advantage over its competitors is its two-month dosing compared to their monthly dosing.
Clinical trials demonstrated that injections of Eylea every two months was effective as the monthly dosing of the Lucentis and Avastin and that monthly monitoring of patients receiving Eylea was not needed.*
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
What you eat affects how well you see.
06.23.2011
A study published in Ophthalmology found that a well-balanced diet, especially one containing low glycemic foods, can be very helpful in preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases. Some examples of low glycemic foods are vegetables, nuts, seeds and good quality proteins. High glycemic foods consist of highly refined carbohydrates which tend to spike blood sugar. The nutrients that were the most protective when combined with a low-glycemic-index diet were zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids.
Spinach, collard greens and kale are examples of vegetables that are rich in carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies show that eating these types of foods is associated with a reduced risk of developing AMD and cataracts. Some other foods that have these carotenoids are spinach, kale, collard greens, corn, green peas, broccoli, and zucchini.
Salmon, tuna, and sardines are all excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which provide support to cell membranes. Several studies suggest that these cold water fish may help prevent dry eye syndrome as well as macular degeneration.
Certain fruits are especially valuable for eye health. Blueberries, black currants and dark cherries are high in flavanoids and contain anthocyanins which improve night vision. Apricots are full of nutrients such as beta carotene and lycopene that help encourage good vision. Bilberries appear to enhance eye health by increasing the blood supply to the eyes.
Eggs, which contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as sulphur, cysteine, and lecithin, are very beneficial when it comes to eye health. Sulphur protects the lens of the eye from cataracts and is also needed to manufacture glutathione, a critical antioxidant that benefits the lens of the eye.
With all the recent research on foods that improve eye health, it might be a good time to start adding more of these beneficial foods to your diet.
Nancy Hirsch
Certified Nutritionist
Share your eye health questions and comments on the VisiVite Blog.
06.24.2011Readers of our email newsletter are encouraged to share their questions and comments below.
Posted in Eye Health, vision