Choices for Eye Health & Vision

Tips for Maintaining Eye Health & Vision

Being conscious of overall health requires a little bit of self awareness and discipline but can lead the way to an enjoyable daily lifestyle and activities. This is even more the case when we look at some tips and guidelines that each of us use to contribute to their own eye health and vision..  

Have Regular Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exams

Making sure to schedule regular dilated eye health and vision exams-at intervals your eye doctor recommends- is the first step to maintaining eye health and good vision. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment when necessary allows us to find eye diseases, conditions and problems so that we can address them before they are sight threatening. Many eye diseases do not have early warning signs, but signs and symptoms can be identified during a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Know Your Family History of Eye Problems

Many eye health and vision problems and eye diseases tend to run in families. This suggests that if an eye disease is present in any family member it may put you at greater risk of that eye problem. This is particularly the case for eye diseases such as glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (AMD). Stay abreast of the eye diseases and conditions as they exist in your family, AND BE SURE TO TELL US ABOUT THEM WHEN YOU COME IN FOR AN EYE EXAM.

Nutrition and Diet Affect Eye Health & Vision

Make sure to pay attention to what you eat and try to include a steady diet of foods high in important nutrients that support good vision, such as the following:

• Vegetables: collard greens, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and dark, leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
• Nuts: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts
• Fruits: strawberries and blueberries
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: tuna, halibut and salmon
• Beans: chickpeas, kidney beans and legumes

Watch Your Weight & Exercise

Being overweight exposes you to a greater risk of diabetes. In fact there is an epidemic of diabetes in the U.S. today. Diabetic eye problems include a greater risk of glaucoma, cataracts and sight threatening diabetic retinopathy. Exercise-even moderate amounts of daily exercise reduce your risk of developing MANY eye diseases and problems.

Wear Protective Eyewear

Eye injury prevention is relatively easy-if you wear the appropriate protective eyewear when taking part in sports or home activities that expose you to risk. It is estimated that some 90% of eye injuries can be prevented by taking a minute to review the need for protective eyeglasses before doing home projects, trimming branches or shrubs, using saws, tool or weed whackers-and on and on. In addition, when spending time outdoors or near the water, wear sunglasses designed to block out 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s UV-A and UV-B rays.

Be smart and be safe.

Stop Smoking

Not only does smoking cause a host of cardiovascular and systemic vascular problems, but smoking is now recognized as increasing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and, all of which could lead to vision loss. We also now know that if you do smoke, there is considerable benefit in stopping!

Avoid Computer Eyestrain

CRT or video display terminals used for computers are well known to expose you eye fatigue, headache and more troubling-dry eye problems. When working on the computer or using a smartphone or tablet, practice the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eyestrain-that is, every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. If you have any sensation of dryness, grittiness or “something in your eyes”, use an eye surface lubricant or eye drop to replenish your tears.

If you or someone you know needs to know more about healthy lifestyle choices to preserve eye health and vision, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment. The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Macular Degeneration Risk with Obesity

Obesity and being overweight is a well known risk factor for many systemic diseases and conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other vascular diseases. Recently researchers began evaluating whether there was any association and increased risk of age related eye diseases and obesity.

Research on AMD & Obesity

Researchers reviewing the Beaver Dam Eye Study evaluated the risk of age related eye disease such as age related macular degeneration (AMD) with obesity. They discussed their review in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.  Their data included reports of the results of eye exams that were used to evaluate the presence and severity of cataract and macular degeneration as well as measurements of height and weight over a 15 year period of time. Their findings show that for females who were non smokers, there was indeed and increased risk of early and late stage age related macular degeneration (AMD) with an increasing Body Mass Index (BMI).

If you or someone you know has a question about age related macular degeneration (AMD), AMD risk factors or needs and eye exam for AMD, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

How I Got Rid of My Glasses after Cataract Surgery

I was diagnosed with a cataract in my right eye in my mid-50s.  I was told that to correct the cataract, the astigmatism also had to be corrected.  After nearly 50 years of wearing glasses, the idea of wearing just one contact in my left eye to compensate for the corrected vision seemed sort of cool.  Yes, I still had to wear reading glasses and I went through several drug-store varieties before I found what worked for reading and what worked for sitting at the computer 8-hours a day for my job.  However, I got used to all of it.

Dr. Ivan Jacobs, MD, Cataract Surgeon

When a cataract developed in my left eye, once again, the vision also needed to be corrected.  Dr. Jacobs suggested mono-vision: my right eye would continue to see distance more clearly but my left eye would see normally, that is more close up.  At first I could not imagine such a thing.  Wouldn't I end up dizzy or with blurred vision?  To help me better understand, Dr. J had me 'test' his concept by using a contact in the left eye prior to surgery that would mimic the mono-vision.  I LOVED IT!  It was amazing.  Somehow, in all the tests I had been put through, Dr. J knew that my brain was a good candidate for this type of vision, that it would be able to adjust to whichever eye needed to be dominant.  I don't have to think about it, my brain just does it.

 

It has been over a year since I had the second surgery and I am doing just fine.  I do not need/use any type of reading or distance glasses.  At night, I do wear a pair of yellow-tinted sunglasses, again from the drug-store, to cut down on glare.  Corrective eye surgery is not something I would have voluntarily done, however because it was medically necessary, I am so very grateful to Dr. Jacobs and his staff for making it happen.  They never pressured me, just offered the possibility and showed me how it could be.  It was my choice -- one I have never regretted making. 
  
   Sincerely and with gratitude,
   Cyndy R.

If you or someone you know has a question about cataracts, laser cataract surgery or lens implants, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Macular Degeneration (AMD): Know the Risks

Milton Kahn, MD, Retina Specialist

Age relatedmacular degeneration (AMD) continues to be the leading cause of visual impairment in the United States for people over age 65, affecting some 15 million people and remaining a leading cause of blindness in those aged 65 and older. Knowing your risk factors, being aware of your family history, and scheduling regular eye exam appointments with your eye doctor can help reduce your risks for vision loss from macular degeneration. The key to preventing vision loss from age related macular degeneration is early detection, diagnosis and treatment as recommended by your eye doctor. 

Know the Top AMD Risks

Ø  Being over the Age of 60

Ø  Having a Family History of AMD

Ø  Cigarette Smoking

Ø  Obesity

Ø  Hypertension

If you have any two of these risk factors, you should schedule an appointment with for a complete eye exam and evaluation. If necessary, we may recommend additional testing and suggest certain preventive measures which can reduce your risk of vision loss from this disorder.

Minimizing the Effects of AMD Risk Factors
Certain medical and lifestyle factors can be controlled or improved by patients being aware, compliant and diligent with recommendations. The key here is for patients over 50 to be aware of their risks such as any family history, prolonged daily use of aspirin, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, eating a fatty diet and other types of vascular disease. These are generally manageable. One way to reduce AMD risk is to quit smoking or never start. For patients at high risk for developing late stage AMD, taking a dietary supplement of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene, along with zinc, has been shown to lower the risk of AMD advancing to advanced stages by 25 percent. Eating green leafy vegetables and reducing alcohol consumption are also helpful in preventing AMD. Other risk factors such as genetic factors cannot be changed. However, knowing your family medical history is one way to learn whether you may be genetically predisposed to a disease.

Symptoms of Wet AMD-Be Aware!

Be aware of the symptoms of Wet AMD as this type of age related macular degeneration causes the most rapid, serious and even catastrophic vision loss. Symptoms of Wet AMD can include sudden, noticeable loss or distortion of vision, such as seeing “wavy” lines, “distortion,” “bending of straight lines and objects-or even people’s faces looking distorted-which means that there may already be fluid of some type under the macula. This requires urgent attention and patients experiencing this need to see us immediately. If you experience any of these symptoms, please call our office right away and explain your symptoms and request an immediate appointment. Current treatments for Wet AMD provide an excellent chance of stopping vision loss and may actually restore some vision when macular degeneration develops. Earlier diagnosis of wet AMD gives a better chance of successful treatment with drug therapy, such as Lucentis® and Eylea® injections.

If you or someone you know has a question about age related macular degeneration risk factors or needs and eye exam for AMD, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The EyeCare & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.