Archive for the ‘Cataracts’ Category
October is Eye Injury Prevention Month
10.07.2011With October being Eye Injury Prevention Month, eye care professionals like to remind people that eye safety in the home is extremely important and steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of eye injury. At particular risk are the elderly.
While family members tend to be fearful of elderly parents falling and breaking a bone, eye injuries can be equally devastating. Most eye injuries occur at home and can be associated with a fall. Every year, 2.5 million eye injuries are reported.
There are steps that can be taken to reduce the risks of eye injury:
1. Check to make sure that rugs and bath mats are slip-proof.
2. Make sure railings are secured.
3. If there are any sharp corners and edges to furniture or other fixtures, be sure to cushion them.
If an eye injury occurs, even if it appears minor, always seek the care of an ophthalmologist. Long-term eye health problems such as glaucoma and cataracts can develop as a result of an eye injury.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
Free Eye Health Book this month to first 100 people that sign up
08.05.2011
We’re giving away my eBook, Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Eye Health this month only to the first 100 subscribers. To sign up for this free offer, go to http://www.visivite.com/get-free-ebook.html. It’s packed with insider’s information, advice and recommendations about Lasik, Contact Lenses, Dry Eye, Cataract Surgery, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and more.
Paul Krawitz, M.D., President
Vitamin Science, Inc.
Take a guess – How many sports related eye injuries occur in U.S. each year?
07.18.2011According to the Tri-Service Vision Conservation and Readiness Program, more than 60,000 eye injuries related to sports and recreation occur each year. This startling number stresses the need for student athletes to wear the appropriate protective eyewear.
Not only due children need to protect their eyes from injury but protection from the sunlight is equally important. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation not only damages the surface of the eye’s tissues, it can also damage the cornea and the lens. Long-term exposure to UV rays can increase the risk of developing macular degeneration in the future as wells as early cataracts.
Approximately 43 percent of sports-related eye injuries occur in children younger than 15 according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Parents can lessen the risk by making sure their student athletes wear protective eyeguards which can be purchased at sports specialty stores. Many eyeguards have an anti-fog coating and vents for additional ventilation. For those who wear prescription glasses, they can be fitted for prescription eyeguards by their eyecare professional.
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
How bad does your vision have to be before you consider cataract surgery?
06.13.2011According to the non-profit organization Prevent Blindness America, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. In the United States, 70% of people who reach the age of seventy-five will have cataracts.
With cataracts affecting more than 22 million adults in the United States, there are more cases of cataracts than there are of macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy combined. This startling fact makes cataracts the leading cause of blindness in the world.
Cataracts are formed when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. This blurs or dims the vision because light doesn’t properly pass through to the retina. Eye care professionals urge everyone over the age of 40 to get a dilated, baseline eye exam. A family history of cataracts, smoking, diabetes and serious eye injury are all risk factors contributing to the development of cataracts.
The adage, “have cataract surgery when it are ripe” is a 30 year-old concept that is no longer appropriate with modern surgical techniques. The appropriate time for cataract surgery is when vision is blurred or uncomfortable, even with glasses. Legal driving vision – often 20/40 or better, is often a good time to discuss cataract surgery with your eye surgeon.
Keep in mind that most high volume cataract surgeons (200-1000 surgeries per year) will more willing to discuss surgery at an earlier stage than low-volume surgeons (20-100 surgeries per year). Furthermore, it is not uncommon for ophthalmologists who no longer operate to put off sending you to a different ophthalmologist who does operate, for fear of losing you as a patient. *
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
