Category: Eye Health

How Can Age Affect Your Vision?

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Cataract, Eye Health , , , , ,

Cataracts ~

Most of us worry about aging and how it effects our bodies. Cataracts is a progressive condition that appears slowly often leaving no symptoms. Generally symptoms don’t occur until the cataracts has progressed enough to disturb your vision. Cataracts is a natural slow clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. Most commonly the treatment for this condition is Cataracts surgery a procedure that is routinely performed and can have a relatively easy recovery. 
Generally Cataracts is found during a routine exam, however some people can get symptoms early, below are a few:
 

  • ·         Colors are fading or yellowing
  • ·         Inability to read without bright light
  • ·         Very poor vision at night
  • ·         Halo vision – visibility of halo around lights, lamp and bright sunlight
  • ·         At night the headlights seem to be too bright
  • ·         Blurry vision
  • ·         Cloudy vision
  • ·         Double vision .

While these symptoms are often those symptoms of other eye conditions if you have any reporting them to your eye care professionals with help you get the proper diagnosis. Though it could be something common or less serious any eye changes can indicate problems in your physical health or vision.
Cataracts are identified by a series of tests:
 
There are several tests that maybe performed to diagnosis Cataracts your eye care professional can help determine a Cataracts diagnosis on most routine eye exams.  Cataracts development differs between people.
 
A few tests are:

  • Pupil dilation to assess the lens
  • Visual Acuity testing
  • Measuring eye prescription
  • Slit-lamp microscope

Age-related cataract, develop over a long period, usually noted between the ages of 65-85. However it can happen to those early in life, including those who have Diabetes. Diabetes can increase the rate in which the Cataracts develop. An eye exam every year is very important to keep top quality of vision.

Dealing with Progressing Cataract Symptoms

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Cataract, Eye Health , , , , , , , , ,

For many of us Cataracts can be a discouraging diagnosis. Although it is a inherited condition and you may know someone who has suffered from it, the disease affects us all differently. Descriptions of the progression by eye doctors can be vague to say the least. Actually being faced with it can be more bothersome than described.

As Cataracts progresses it causes more visual disturbances such as:

  • Difficulty reading computer screen
  • Declined brightness of colors
  • Difficulty seeing in low light
  • Difficulty driving at night
  • Frequent prescription updates.

Increased blurred vision can also be an annoying factor in the progression. This can hinder your day to day activities causing you to feel more unlike yourself.

Below are some two tips to help you deal with the increasing symptoms:

Get plenty of rest:

Sleep helps reduce the strain on your eyes, as well as improving your overall vision. For those of us who struggle with busy work schedules, adding in a sufficient amount of time to sleep will improve not only your overall vision but your overall health and its function.

Increase the magnification on what you read:

If you are struggling to view your computer screen or books increasing the size on the computer or using a magnifying lens will help you strain less, reducing your symptoms for the time being. The more your strain your vision the more you can damage your sight. Ensuring your vision lasts as long as possible by reducing the amount of strain on your eyes daily.

When to seek treatment:

If you are noticing significant impact on your daily activities, such as driving, reading or doing tasks around the house or office, it is time to discuss with you eye care doctor the option of cataract removal.  Cataract removal is a relatively quick 10 minute out-patient procedure.  Cataract removal is one of the most common procedures performed everyday in the United States.  The benefit is improved vision and often the ability to reduce your need for glasses.

Be sure to report any new symptoms to your eye care professionals, and let them know what your day to day experiences are like. This will help them customize your treatment plan and give them a chance to offer you suggestion that maybe beneficial to you and your long term plan.

For a quick overview video about cataract removal visit:  http://youtu.be/shv89sNUXBE

3 Symptoms to Discuss with Your Eye Doctor

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Eye Health , , , , , , ,

Quite often we forget about the aliments we can’t see. Often if it’s not bothering us regularly, or in the tabloids we forget to get them checked our eyes are one. However there are 3 common symptoms that should prompt you to get an eye exam. While eye care professionals recommend that you get a general eye exam annually, many of us don’t go in until something changes drastically.

Below are 3 Common Symptoms that should prompt you to get an eye exam:

Blurred or Double Vision:

There are several things that can cause blurred or double vision. If the symptom suddenly appears you should get it looked at by the Emergency room. If you have had vision problems in the past and this is a new symptom you should contact your eye care professional.

Blurred or Double vision can be a sign of:

 Keratoconus
 Cataracts
 Glaucoma
 Astigmatism, Nearsightedness, or Farsightedness
 Diabetes Mellites

Some of these conditions can develop quickly and cause severe vision loss. Getting it checked out can save your quality of vision.

Eye Pain:

Eye pain is one of the most common symptoms today. The truth is eye pain is a symptom that something is not quite right but it can be anything from dry eye to Glaucoma causing it. So while getting any new symptoms checked out by your eye care professional is important you shouldn’t panic until the doctor tells you what’s wrong.

Red Eyes:

Red eyes is another common eye complaint and it can be caused by Pink eye, an blood vessel, or even a change in color on your eye. Getting your concerns checked out is an important thing but making sure you check on them even when there is not a problem can provide early detection. Physical conditions like Diabetes, or Hypertension can even be seen early by seeing you eye care professional annually.

For more information regarding general eye health visit: http://www.youreyesite.com

Encouraging Better Eye Care

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Eye Health , , , , , , ,

Taking care of your eyes is more than just an annual exam. Making sure that you take care of your vision between exams is just as important if not more than the exam itself. Many of us feel that if we go to our annual eye exam everything is alright. But the truth of the matter is quite often we can spot problems with our vision much faster than in our trip to the eye doctor.

Each and every one of us knows how our body works. We can pick up on the slightest variances before anyone else. Making sure that we know the common signs of eye complications is important. Below you will see some of the signs to look for and when to get them checked out.

Symptoms to Discuss with Your Eye Care Professional:

 Blurred Vision
 Eye pain
 Decreased night vision
 Increased squinting
 Spots (black squiggly dots, often referred to as floaters)
 Halos
 Frequent Headaches
 Frequent need to rub your eyes
 Frequent changes in prescriptions

Annual eye exams are important and eye care professionals can pick up on other conditions besides those of the eyes like; Hypertension, and even Diabetes. That is why it is so important to visit your eye care professional regularly. Asking questions during your visits and finding out what to look for can also help you with early detection of conditions like Keratoconus, cataracts, glaucoma, hypertension, and yes even Diabetes.

If you don’t feel comfortable with your current eye care professional, or they are not answering your questions in a way you can understand them it is ok to find a new one. Making sure you can communicate is one of the most important things you can do for your eye health.

Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, MD is a renowned eye surgeon specializing in eye care, eye health, Keratoconus and other vision correction procedures, such as LASIK or Visian ICL.

For more information on your eye care visit www.AllAboutVision.com

How Your Aspirin Therapy Can Affect Your Eyes

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Eye Health ,

Many people are on an aspirin therapy for several reasons and as they age. However what do these lengthy therapies do to the rest of their body? Thinking of how this things can affect us ahead of time can help us understand what to do to help manage our health both with medication can with our conditions.  There are some recent studies that indicate that aspirin therapy can affect the eyes.

Varying Studies:

One study done in Australia conducted over 15 years showed that there was an increased risk of developing Age- related Macular Degeneration for those who are on an Aspirin therapy versus those who were not taking aspirin daily. The study followed 2,389 patients and showed 9.3% of patients using aspirin daily developed macular degeneration.  Only 3.7% of those who did not take aspirn daily developed macular degeneration. 

Another study done performed in 2005 following 30,000 patients showed that in those with a daily aspirin regimen of 100mg per day had a decreased risk of Choridal Neuvascularization in those who already suffer from Age-Related Macular Degeneration or AMD.

A study conducted in the spring of 2005 also showed an increased risk off gastrointestinal problems in women over 65 who were on an aspirin therapy. While there are many differences in how the aspirin therapy effects men and women, it showed that there were benefits and disadvantages of the daily use.  For instances, aspirin therapy has many cardiovascular benefits for men but was not as effective when it came to women. Also, aspirin therapy showed less instances of strokes in women, but little in men.

There are many benefits of using a daily regimen of aspirin and it should be up to you and your doctor whether or not the treatment is more beneficial to you. If you have a family history of macular degeneration discuss whether aspirin therapy is advisable.  



Did You Know Your Computer Screen Could Be Hurting Your Vision?

Dr. Brian 0 Comment Eye Health, Reading Vision

With the increase in technology taking care of our eyes is essential. On average a person spends more than 4 hours a day staring into a screen of some sort. Whether it is your computer, laptop, tablet, IPhone, Android Phone, or even your Kindle it is a screen.

Making sure you are taking a sufficient amount of time away is essential to your eye health. Below are a few ways you can protect your eyes, and why you should be protecting them in the first place.

Why protect my eyes?

Reduced blinking is a big problem with people who look at the computer screen a lot. When you read your blink rate decreases, causing problems with dry eyes.

Also sitting too close to the screen can cause problems with your eyes as well. If you are staring at a computer screen all day it can cause eye strain and fatigue. Which can also cause damage to your overall vision.

Below are a few ways to protect yourself from your device screens:

Changing the Settings – Many of us don’t even realize that these is a brightness setting, and color settings on their devices. This are great because it allows you to turn down the brightness of your computer or other device. Changing the color settings can often reduce eye strain as well.

Taking a break – It is important to step away from devices every 20 minutes. If you are at work simply look away from the device for 20-30 seconds so your eyes can readjust. This will keep you from straining your eyes as well.

Minimize your time on your devices at night – If you work with a computer every day at work, it is wise to keep to wait at least an hour before getting on your devices at home. This will give your eyes a rest. It is important to be aware of how much time you spend online, and on your devices both home and at work.

Learn more about computer-use eye strain and what you can do: http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/living/computer-usage.cfm

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