There are many myths that have advanced throughout the years as it relates to our eyes and their health. Advancements in science have helped us debunk some, but also better understand others. See if you recognize a few of these:

  • Carrots Give You Great Eyesight At Night – While it is true that carrots are loaded with beta carotene, which is a vital nutrient for your eye health, it will not help you see better at night.
  • Children That Squint Will Grow Out Of It – Unfortunately, we have been able to prove that it is not true and actually can be quite dangerous. Children that squint, if left untreated, can develop lazy eye.
  • You Don’t Need Regular Eye Exams – You should have an eye exam at least every other year. Doing so will help to determine glaucoma. It can also help detect age-related macular degeneration among many other issues.
  • Overusing Electronics Can Cause An Astigmatism – Not true. Astigmatism, which is the irregular shape of the eye cannot be caused by viewing electronic screens.

The main takeaway here is that having regular eye exams are critical to your eye health and following old wives tales could have potential serious impacts to your eye health. For more questions about old wives tales, contact our team. We’re here to help!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ROYAL OAK EYE CARE

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one in three Americans will have a vision impairing disease. The leading causes of adult blindness and low vision can be attributed to four diseases: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. The problem with all four of these diseases is that they do not cause pain or have other early warning symptoms that would prompt someone to go to the eye doctor.

However, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing an eye disease:

  • Get a comprehensive medical exam at age 40 – At this age some early symptoms could begin to present.
  • Know your family history – Some diseases can be inherited and knowing your heritage can help the doctor evaluate your risk.
  • Eating healthy foods – Healthy foods, like leafy greens and many fruits and vegetables give your eyes the vitamins and nutrients that they need.
  • Stop smoking – If you’re a smoker, it does increase your chance of developing an eye disease.
  • Wear sunglasses – Wearing sun glasses blocks the harmful UV rays of the sun that can increase risk of eye disease.

Of course, everything is dependent specifically on you and your health factors and family history. Keeping a routine eye exam on the books is important to helping track changes in your eye health. For more questions, contact our team. We’re happy to help!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ROYAL OAK EYE CARE

Many people have heard the word “glaucoma”, but do you know about glaucoma? Did you know that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States? Many people don’t. Many don’t know that over 2.7 million Americans are impacted by glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that can damage the optic nerve and impact peripheral vision and there are no warning signs until it is too late. Factors that determine your risk for glaucoma are related to race, family history, personal history of diabetes, hypothyroidism, or severe eye trauma.

To learn more about glaucoma, click here.

There are treatments available for glaucoma, but one of the best prevention methods will continue to be routine eye exams to be able to fully access the health of your eyes. If you have questions about glaucoma, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’re here to help!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ROYAL OAK EYE CARE

image credit: noir imp on flickr

To start off 2017, one of the topics we want to stress to Marion residents is the importance of routine eye exams if you are diabetic. With diabetes, you are four times more likely to suffer from retinopathy than those who do not have diabetes.

Retinopathy is an eye disease where damage is caused to the small blood vessels in the retina and vision loss can occur. Diabetes patients can also suffer from increased chances of glaucoma.

Routine eye exams can help to maintain your eye health and catch retinopathy, as well as many other health symptoms. Make sure you are seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist for dilated eye exams every 1 to 2 years.

For more questions about eye health and diabetes, contact our team.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ROYAL OAK EYE CARE

image credit: Chris Schrier on flickr

Diabetic Eye Disease:

  • Can cause severe vision loss or blindness
  • Diabetic Retinopathy: Damage to the blood vessels in the retina
  • Cataract: Clouding of the lens of the eye
  • Glaucoma: Increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision

The leading cause of blindness in American adults is the most common diabetic eye disease, Diabetic Retinopathy.

  • Caused by changes in blood vessels in the retina
  • Some retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid
  • Some may grow on the surface of the retina

Symptoms:

  • No pain
  • Vision may not change until disease becomes severe
  • Blurred vision, when macula swells from the leaking fluid
  • If vessels grow onto the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision

Symptom-less progression is why regular eye exams for people with diabetes are so important.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

source: nih.gov