Save Your Vision

Each year millions of Americans lose vision due to disease, accidents and injuries.  Are you at risk for losing your eyesight?  

We have some advice to help protect you from becoming a statistic.

You should have your eyes checked regularly by either an ophthalmologist or optometrist.  Early detection is the key to reducing or preventing vision loss from diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and diabetic retinopathy.  Some eye diseases require regular visits to an ophthalmologist for monitoring.


Glaucoma is a group of diseases typically associated with elevated pressure inside the eye that can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss.  Usually there are no warning signs.  The earlier glaucoma is diagnosed and treated, the more likely you can retain your vision.  It can affect anyone, but patients who are  African-Americans, Latin-Americans and smokers are mostly at risk.  If you fall under one of these categories, you should see an ophthalmologist to determine how often you should have your eyes examined.

ARMD is a progressive disease that destroys central vision, making driving, reading, writing and recognizing faces difficult.  Patients who are 65 years old are most at risk and should have an eye exam every year.  We now have new technology that may help certain types of ARMD.

Diabetic retinopathy causes a vision problem from diabetes.  Treatment is the most effective when the disease is diagnosed in the early stages.  Patients with diabetes must have a dilated eye exam from an ophthalmologist every year.  Patients who keep their blood sugar under strict control can decrease their risk of many complications associated diabetic eye disease.  The HbA1c goal for diabetic patients is less than 7%.  High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to vision loss or blindness.  People with diabetes can also reduce their risk of diabetic retinopathy by maintaining healthy blood pressure.  High blood pressure levels increase the risk of vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.

Some of the most ordinary activities can cause extraordinary injuries.  Fortunately, taking the simplest of measures can prevent about 90 percent of these injuries.  Here are some ways to help prevent those injuries:

• Parents should have their children wear sunglasses to avoid the sun’s harmful UV rays.  Studies show that exposure to bright sunlight over time can damage the eyes.
• We recommend using protective eyewear for sports.  Thousands of sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur every year, and it is the law in New Jersey.
• We recommend protective eyewear while changing a car battery, mowing the lawn, working with chemicals and performing other hazardous activities around the home or the workplace.

By following these preventative tips you can save your vision.  Remember early detection and treatment leads to healthy eyesight.

This message was brought to you by Friedberg Eye Associates and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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