May Is Healthy Vision Month

Our vision is precious but it's often something that we take for granted until it doesn't work properly anymore. How well do you take care of your eyes?

Regular eye exams are a must, particularly if eye disease runs in your family. Initial eye visits should be done when children are young in order to detect any vision problems before they become a hindrance at school. Not being able to see the front of the class or computer screen can seriously hamper learning.

National Eye Institute, 
National Institutes of Health

Most doctors recommend annual eye checks for healthy children - it's best to check with your own healthcare provider to see what is best for your family. Don't wait until your child is ready for school - the American Optometric Association recommends that children have their first eye exam at age 6 months. Adults should ask their healthcare provider what time frame is right for them.



The eye exam:

The optometrist or ophthalmologist will look directly into the child's eye to see if there are any obvious abnormalities and may apply eye drops that will dilate the pupil (make it larger), so the back of the eye can be seen. As the children get older, they will be asked to take distance tests, to identify objects or letters on the eye chart, to see how well they can see things that are far away.

If the appointment is the first one with this particular doctor, he or she may do a colour-blind test. This involves the child looking at some pictures of mosaics and in the mosaics are some numbers that are a different colour. People who are colour blind will not be able to see the numbers. Another test that could be done are photos that have a 3-D look to them. The child is asked to try to pick up the object in the book.

Eye health

The regular eye exam, which continues into adulthood, is only one part of your eye health. To keep your eyes healthy, you have to take care of them, just as any other part of your body. This means protecting them when playing sports, doing any tasks where objects may break off or shoot into the air, wearing sunglasses and brimmed hats, and eating a healthy diet. By the way - even children should wear sunglasses. The sun's damage to the eyes is cumulative - it adds up. By wearing sunglasses in childhood, the sun doesn't get a chance to cause damage.

Eye disease

We all know people who are near-sighted (myopia) or far-sighted (presbyopia) - or both - but what does that mean? Near-sighted people can see things that are close up; far-sighted people can see things that are far away.

Cataracts

Cataracts are inevitable if we live long enough. A cataract is the clouding over of the eye's lens. If it is thick enough that it is causing vision loss, this can be corrected with surgery. Excessive sunlight exposure helps speed cataract formation.

Age-related macular degeneration


AMD is a common older age onset eye disease. There are two forms, dry and wet AMD. The center part of the eye, the macula, is destroyed and you lose your central vision first. If it does not stop, the vision loss moves outward to the edges. As our population ages, we are seeing more AMD.

National Eye Institute
NIH

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is caused by pressure behind the eye and can lead to blindness. Currently, some eye drops can keep the pressure in check for some people, but it is essential to use the drops regularly as prescribed. As well, many medications cannot be used by people who have glaucoma, including over-the-counter medications. If you have glaucoma, always check with your pharmacist before taking any new medications - prescription or not.






There are many other ways your eyes can become damaged, but prevention is the key. You can find more information at the National Eye Institute, along with several documents on different eye issues.


Does eye disease run in your family? My mother has wet AMD, so I do worry about that from time to time. While you can't diagnose yourself, a good tool to use if you are concerned about AMD is the Amsler Grid. By looking at it, you will see if the lines look as straight as they should. Check out the AMD.org to see how you can download a grid.

Should you get your eyes checked?

Do you wear glasses? Whether you do or not, when was the last time you had your vision checked?

Because of necessity (changing lens prescriptions), it’s more likely that people with glasses or contacts visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist regularly, but even if you don’t need corrective lenses, did you know you should still get your eyes checked regularly?

The American Optometric Association recommends that adults who wear glasses or contacts have their eyes checked every year for annual check ups. If there are problems that occur between visits, people shouldn’t wait, however.

For adults who don’t wear glasses or contacts, regular exams every two or three years are recommended so you can be screened for eye problems like glaucoma.

If you have a medical problem, like diabetes, you probably should see your eye specialist more often.

So, now that you’re armed with this information, who do you go see?

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who received specialized training in eye health. They can diagnose eye problems, prescribe medications, and perform eye surgery. An optometrist is a professional who can check your eyes and prescribe corrective lenses. They can also diagnose some eye problems and prescribe medications, such as eye drops. Optometrists are usually the front-line eye care specialist for most people. Opticians are the professionals who make your glasses and lenses.

The important thing is to be checked regularly and as needed. A little over two years ago, I changed from a regular prescription to progressive lenses. They were great - for two months. Then I noticed that I needed a change in my prescription already. I let them go as long as I could, but eventually went back and there was a significant change in my vision. We traced it to a new medication had begun taking two months after I received my new glasses.

At Help My Hurt Today:

Ergonomic week continues: setting up your work station

Lots of News for Today:

Smoking may increase risk of pancreatic cancer: study
Heart ills not to blame for women's poor sex life
Meditation technique can lower blood pressure
Muscle Weakness Found in Some Autistic Children
Diabetic Food Shopping That Won't Break a Budget
Risk of Women's Heart Attack or Stroke Appears to Be Lowered by 'DASH' Diet
Statins may help reduce blood pressure
High blood pressure may protect against migraine
Early vision screening associated with better eyesight in children with amblyopia
Hormone use related to lower risk of macular degeneration in postmenopausal women
Colon cancer risk perception associated with screening behavior
Diuretics associated with bone loss in older men
Attack changed college mental health systems
Delaying pregnancy can carry consequences